Buffalo Bills: 4 possible cap casualties to monitor in free agency
By Ryan Heckman
The NFL offseason is going to get real interesting in a little while. Following the Super Bowl, rumors will be at an all-time high, especially for a team like the Buffalo Bills.
Going into the 2023 offseason, Buffalo is in a tough spot. They have decisions to make which could help them open up additional cap space. But, they also have some significant needs to fill.
If Buffalo wants to compete for a Super Bowl of their own in 2023, they’re going to have to get creative. General manager Brandon Beane will need to manipulate the cap as best he can.
He’ll also need to find help in free agency, maybe via other teams’ necessary cap cuts. Four particular players could help the Bills if they were to be cut by their respective teams.
Potential salary cap cuts the Buffalo Bills should monitor in free agency: Bud Dupree, EDGE, Titans
Since his breakout year back in 2019, Bud Dupree’s production has gone down. He finished with 11.5 sacks that season, and then 8.0 in 2020. Following that 2020 season, Dupree signed a 5-year, $82.5 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. It was pretty surprising, considering Dupree was coming off a torn ACL in his final year with the Steelers.
Over his first two seasons with the Titans, Dupree has totaled just 7.0 sacks. He has also failed to stay completely healthy, as well. That ACL injury has caused issues for Dupree. If Tennessee cuts Dupree, they will save over $23 million. It seems like a no-brainer.
Still, he’s set to turn 30 later this month and could provide the Bills with a nice veteran presence until Von Miller gets back. Signing Dupree would take a little pressure off a guy like Gregory Rousseau, and if Dupree stayed healthy, he’d be better than anyone else underneath on the depth chart.