Getty Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills‘ hunt for the Super Bowl continues in 2024, however, the team will look decidedly different next season.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Bills are approximately $51 million over the salary cap limit. While Bills general manager Brandon Beane can nearly half that number with a simple restructure of quarterback Josh Allen‘s contract, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room.
Of the team’s 22 pending free agents, defensive end Leonard Floyd is considered the top prospect entering the market. Buffalo landed Floyd as a steal last offseason, signing the linebacker to a 1-year, $7 million deal. This year, Floyd is predicted to earn a 2-year, $16.2 million contract.
Leonard Floyd with the HUGE sack!
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia wrote, “The Floyd signing yielded an every-week starter and the team’s leader in sacks this season with 10.5. Even at 31 years old, Floyd became an indispensable piece of the defense early and paired with Greg Rousseau as the top two pass rushers on the roster.
“Floyd did slow down near the end of the season, though, as he had only one sack over his last seven games. Regardless, Floyd can be an impact player with his length and pass-rushing awareness. He said he would follow the money and wanted to play for a Super Bowl contender.”
Floyd was pretty blunt about wanting the bag after the Bills’ postseason journey came to an abrupt end. “For me, I’m always going where the money goes,” Floyd said, per Democrat & Chronicle‘s Sal Maiorana. “I’d rather be here, but it is what it is. It’s a business. I’m gonna go wherever my agent feels like we get the most the most money from.” And that won’t be from Buffalo.
In Addition to Leonard Floyd, Buffalo Is Predicted to Lose A.J. Epenesa in Free Agency
GettyBills defensive end AJ Epenesa at FedExField on September 24, 2023.
Floyd isn’t the only defensive end the Bills are predicted to lose this offseason. Buscaglia lists A.J. Epenesa, the Bills’ second-round pick from the 2020 NFL draft, as the team’s third-best pending free agent. Due to financial constraints, and Epenesa failing to live up to expectations, he’s also expected to walk in free agency.
Epenesa is predicted to land a two-year, $11.2 million contract. That’s a large number for a rotational player.
Buscaglia wrote, “Epenesa has a good blend of speed and power that makes him unblockable on some reps, though there is still some inconsistency to his game. Regardless, entering his age-26 season with 13 sacks in the last two seasons as only a part-time player, Epenesa has the profile of a player teams flock to in free agency. He might get a bigger contract than some might expect.”
The Bills Desperately Need Von Miller to Return to Form Next Season
GettyBills edge rusher Von Miller at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023.
A huge portion of the Bills’ financial distress comes from Von Miller‘s $120 million contract. The 34-year-old returned from an ACL tear this season but never returned to All-Pro form. In 14 games, including the postseason, he recorded 0 sacks and 5 total tackles.
While those numbers are abysmal, the Bills can’t move on from Miller until 2025. The Buffalo News’ Mark Gaughan wrote, “If the Bills were forced to release him this spring, he would cost them $32 million in dead money, an exorbitant amount. They could spread that out over two years, taking a $17 million hit this year and a $15.4 million hit in 2024. In that sense, he would cost $6 million less than if he’s on the team this year.”
With both Epenesa and Floyd expected to leave, Buffalo needs Miller, who turns 35 next month, to play like the future Hall of Famer that he is. “It’s going to be hard to find anyone with a higher upside than Miller,” Gaughan surmised. “At a practical cost in free agency or the draft.”