The Buffalo Bills have had a good week so far, from getting an extension done with Khalil Shakir, to the announcement that new salary cap will be $279.2 million. There is still work to be done though, while Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott and other team representatives are scouting player prospects at the NFL Combine.
Unfortunately, it won’t be all rosy in the coming weeks. Beane and the Bills will have to make some difficult decisions based on potential roster moves through free agency and the draft, not to mention potential trades, and player extensions, such as James Cook. All this, and the Bills, according to overthecap.com, are still more than $10 million over the new cap. Only the Browns and Saints have higher cap numbers.
Despite the significant cap increase, the Bills still have work to do, to get uner the cap and set themselves up to make potentially big moves this offseason to finally get them over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Releasing the following three will help the Bills achieve their offseason goals.
Von Miller – Edge
Von Miller has been a hot topic since the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the AFC title game, particularly given his disappearance in the game. Beane seems to believe Miller still has something left. “We have a lot of respect for him and everything he has done for the team,” Beane said, and added, “As the year went on, he showed he can still play. Any decisions, we’re still working through all that.”
It’s no secret at this point that the Bills save more than $8 million if they release him before June 1st. The Bills should cut ties with Miller at this point, but don’t be surprised if he takes another paycut to save the Bills on the salary cap and remain with the team for the 2025 season.
A.J. Epenesa – Edge
A.J. Epenesa was a second-round pick of Beane’s in the 2020 draft, but it’s debatable if he’s lived up to that draft position. He has three consecutive seasons of six-plus sacks, which on the surface sounds alright. The problem is he remains one of the most inconsistent players. Three of his six sacks came in Weeks Six and Seven, against the Jets and Titans. From Weeks Eight through 18, he produced two sacks. In three playoff games, he had zero sacks, one tackle for a loss, and one QB hit.
Epenesa’s contract runs through next season, with three voidable years following. Per overthecap.com, his cap number for 2025 is nearly $7.5 million. If the Bills release him prior to June 1st, they stand to save more than $3.3 million.
DaQuan Jones – Defensive Tackle
It’s difficult to gauge DaQuan Jones’s effectiveness. He only produced 2.5 sacks this season and five tackles for a loss in 2024, but his role isn’t inviting to gaudy stats. The Bills defense struggled at times to get pressure, or stop the run, and a big part of stopping the run starts with Jones. He’s asked to occupy blocks, allowing those around him to make plays. That seemed to be an issue throughout the season.
Per overthecap.com, the Bills don’t save much in terms of the cap by releasing Jones, as it’s only $1.7 million if released before June 1st, but that numbers goes up significantly if they release him after June 1st, to the tune of $5.5 million.
