Bills have work to do to get below increased salary cap

INDIANAPOLIS — When Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane heard the NFL salary cap was set at $255.4 million, he couldn't contain his excitement.

"To get to $255 (million), I was smiling," Beane said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday.

Beane said he was expecting the cap to be $10 million to $15 million lower. Still, the Bills were a whopping $41 million over the figure last week.

"Every dollar you get can help you," Beane said. "We're working through now on guys to restructure or modify (contracts)."

The Bills are about to tackle the situation on all levels and restructured the deal of starting left guard Connor McGovern on Monday to save a reported $3.74 million in cap space.

Part of the modifications will be key in terms of developing options to retain some of Buffalo's own free agents.

Key players who will become unrestricted free agents next month include defensive end Lawrence Floyd, outside linebacker Tyrel Dodson, defensive end A.J. Epenesa, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and receiver Gabe Davis.

"Now that we know the cap, we're working on getting under and how much can we create without piling up a huge mess in '25 or '26." Beane said. "We will have conversations with those guys and all our free agents."

One guy who doesn't have to fear becoming a cap casualty is receiver Stefon Diggs, who will be entering the first season of a four-year, $96 million extension.

"I expect him to be here," Beane said of Diggs. "Nothing has changed from that standpoint."

Buffalo (11-6 in 2023) has won four consecutive AFC East titles and has qualified for the playoffs in five straight seasons. But the Bills reached the AFC Championship Game just once during the span, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs to end their 2020 season.

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott is bullish that the Super Bowl door will be knocked down soon.

"I believe we're doing things the right way," McDermott said. "You only fail if you quit, and I've never done that. I've never been about that. Whatever it is, you always figure it out. You always find a way to get there."

Beane said he can feel the breakthrough coming, too.

"This is season 8 for us and we're frustrated as ever to win," Beane said. "We're going to do everything we can.

"Every year is its own year. We know the challenge ahead. When you've won the division four times in a row, it gets harder, it's not going to get easier. ... We're confident at the right time we'll get it done."

—Field Level Media