Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Bills have a little bit of work to do to get compliant with the salary cap, and these three players could be surprise cuts.
The Buffalo Bills ended the New England Patriots’ reign over the AFC East last season, with a 13-3 record and a run to the AFC Championship Game. Quarterback Josh Allen made notable, MVP-caliber progress in his third season, and the team looks legit going forward.
A lower 2021 salary cap will hurt a lot of teams in some respect. On that front the Bills aren’t in too bad a spot, but they are a little over $1 million in the red right now based on Over The Cap’s $180.5 million cap projection. So they will have some decisions to make in order to clear some space, and Allen is eligible for a contract extension this offseason too.
With their core of talent on both sides of the ball likely able to stay intact no matter what, here are three surprise cuts the Bills could make this offseason.
3 surprise offseason cuts the Buffalo Bills could make
3. DT Quinton Jefferson
If the Bills want to make a run at J.J. Watt, they have to make room financially as well as along the defensive line. Mario Addison and Vernon Butler are possible cuts as well, with Butler likely enough to not necessarily be a surprise.
Jefferson played all 16 games last season (four starts), with three sacks and 23 total tackles (three tackles for loss) while playing half the snaps. Halfway through his two-year deal, that’s not a player that feels worthy of a $6.5 million cap hit.
The Bills can clear that entire salary by cutting Jefferson. Doing the same with Addison or Butler would leave behind a little bit of dead money. So while cutting any or all of the three is possible to make room for an addition, cutting Jefferson is cleaner financially and he gets the nod here.