10 Bills players who could restructure their contract during 2024 offseason
The Buffalo Bills are over the salary cap to start the 2024 offseason and will have some financial maneuvering to do to reduce and get under while creating enough cap space to address their biggest needs.
OverTheCap.com projects a 2024 base salary cap of $242 million, which would put the Bills $50.6 million over at present.
While they’ll have the NFL Scouting Combine, College Pro Days, and player visits ahead they’ll also be tasked with getting under the cap by March 13th when the new league year begins, and before the start of free agency.
In addition to creating spending for free agency signings, they’ll also need to allocate space to sign their 2024 NFL draft class as well as to cover the cost of their practice squad.
with a number of players set to become free agents, GM Brandon Beane will be evaluating them versus talent on the market to make decisions on who to possibly sign and re-sign to improve the roster.
One way Beane has frequently freed up the necessary money to make those improvements has been through restructuring players’ contracts.
Here is a round-up of 10 current Bills players who could be restructuring candidates to help Buffalo’s salary cap situation in 2024:
QB Josh Allen
When Bills QB Josh Allen signed his current contract with the team it was designed with the flexibility to add talent and to compete.
With his cap hit at its highest this year of that pact ($47.1 million, up from $39.7 in 2023 and $16.3 in 2022) this will be an important restructure to convert that money into something more manageable that allows Beane room to improve the roster.
All of Allen’s pay save for the veteran minimum of his $23.5 million base salary and $6 million roster bonus can be converted into one of Beane’s signature prorated signing bonuses.
The move would create $22.63 million in cap space.
With a focus on getting over the postseason hump and taking the next step toward competing for a Super Bowl, Allen could lead the way off the field as he does on it, and set the tone for these restructures.
CB Tre’Davious White
Tre White has been an important leader for the Bills and has also struggled with injuries in his past two seasons.
Those injuries have prevented him from playing a full season since his 2021 campaign.
He was unable to help Buffalo on the field during their run into the postseason, which ended in another matchup with the Chiefs and TE Travis Kelce in which his contributions were both needed and missed.
While his return from an Achilles injury does not have a timetable, maybe he can help the team off the field until he gets back to playing condition.
Converting White’s 2024 base salary and roster bonus into a guaranteed signing bonus while adding two non-guaranteed years to prorate it can create $7.39 million in cap space.
TE Dawson Knox
TE Dawson Knox could help the Bills free up $5.86 million to aid the cap cause, as he has a lot of guaranteed money on his deal for 2024.
Knox could restructure his 14.3 million cap hit to create that space.
LB Matt Milano
A restructuring of Milano’s $4.125 million base salary to convert to a signing bonus could spread his cap hit over four years (three remaining on his current deal plus a void year) while creating $2.19 million in cap space this offseason.
OL Ryan Bates
Bates has two remaining years on his current contract as well as two void years from a previous restructure.
His $3.4 million base salary in 2024 could be converted into a prorated signing bonus that saves the team $2.08 million.
S Jordan Poyer
Another team leader, Poyer could help the Bills cap space at an important time.
Converting his signing bonus and adding a void year to his deal would create $1.765 million in cap space.
CB Rasul Douglas
Douglas came to Buffalo at the trade deadline with three void years already on his current deal though the prorated amount didn’t carry over to Buffalo’s cap.
The Bills could use the three void years to reduce his cap hit and create $6.03 million in space.
C Mitch Morse
The Bills could set Morse up for a short-term extension while creating $5.01 million by restructuring his current deal and adding a few void years in the interim until they reach such an extension.
G Connor McGovern
McGovern has a three-year deal with a void year and could convert his $5.8 million base salary into a signing bonus to create $3.12 million in cap space for Buffalo
RB Nyheim Hines
Hines could create $2.5 million in cap space by accepting a pay cut for the second year in a row to reduce his $5.16 million 2024 hit.
