When I first heard about the salary cap explosion, I instantly thought about some of the wide receivers that will likely be available in free agency. I thought about guys like Michael Pittman or Mike Evans. According to spotrac.com, these two have a projected market value of over $22 million per year. Typically spotrac's market value projections are higher than what they come in at when they sign a deal but it's still a jumping-off point.
But, after letting my initial emotions subside a bit, I started thinking a bit more logically. Sure, Brandon Beane could probably go out there and throw that extra $13 million at one player but is that the best? I don't think so. In my opinion, the best move is to use the extra money to re-sign some of their free agents. Familiarity with the coaches, schemes, and players is important. I also, don't think the team should simply spend all of the extra money. I would prefer the team not restructure either of Stefon Diggs or Von Miller's contracts. Doing so only pushes the money down the road, the team still has to pay it, and they are simply deciding to pay it later.
A recent post on X said it best, "....I'd clarify this in any given year (typically) the cap is extremely flexible. But each time you press the flex button, you reduce the capacity of the button the following year(s)." The Bills have a few massive contracts, two of which include Diggs and Miller. Neither player is getting younger and both gave us reasons for concern last season, especially Miller. The sooner the Bills can begin to reduce their cap hit, the better off the team will be in the long term. Restructuring them now, just moves that money to future years, potentially making it harder to move on from them if necessary.
Instead, I think the best option is to re-sign a few of our own that maybe wasn't possible under the initial salary cap projection of $242 million. With the record-breaking increase to $255 million, the Bills have an opportunity to keep some continuity and bring a few guys back for the 2024 season. Here are my three players that may not have been possible initially, that Buffalo needs to bring back.
DaQuan Jones - Defensive tackle
I just finished writing up a piece on Jones and why the Bills need to bring him back for 2024. He might be the most important piece to the Bills' defensive puzzle. I believe Buffalo still needs to draft an heir apparent here, such as T'Vondre Sweat, but having Jones in the mix gives them a leader on and off the field, a player that before the pec injury was playing at an All-Pro level, and someone that a rookie like Sweat can learn from.
Going back to Spotrac, they have the projected market value for Jones listed at $6.8 million per year. Last year, he made over $6.7 million, so it's entirely possible the team can get him back for around the same, but I also think he would be willing to sign for a little less, to return. They could also create an incentive-loaded deal that would be enticing as well.
Gave Davis - Wide receiver
I don't know, call me a homer but I hope Davis returns to Buffalo. I think under the new salary cap, that is more of a possibility now than it was previously. First of all, I don't think Davis should be brought back as the Bills' number two wide receiver, which is why re-signing him may prove to be difficult regardless of the increase in the salary cap. I think there will be a couple of teams willing to pay him receiver two-type money but if he's willing to come back for less, I'd love to have him back for the 2024 season.
Spotrac has Gabe's market value at $13.6 million and he may get that. I also believe the Bills should still draft two more wide receivers in the coming draft to potentially be the team's number two but if they don't work out or aren't ready in year one, you at least have a player in Davis that Allen and the coaching staff is familiar with. This one will be interesting to watch this offseason. Don't be surprised if Davis comes back for a little less money than some fans anticipate.
A.J. Epenesa - Edge defender
I went back and forth on this last one. The options were between A.J. Epenesa and Taylor Rapp. I like both players but also have my concerns with both. Epenesa lacks consistency and there are games when it seems like he's not on the field. Sort of the same thing we see with Gabe Davis, right? I'm sure there are areas Epenesa contributes that don't always show up on the stat sheet but still, I want to see more from him going forward. I would welcome him back as well.
I chose Epenesa over Rapp because I think there is a greater need on the defensive line than there is at safety. Don't get me wrong, safety is a huge need as well but I think you can find options in the draft and safeties tend to transition to the NFL must faster than defensive linemen. And unless you have a high draft pick, I'm talking top half of the first round, you're not likely to find a pass-rusher that will step in as a rookie. For this reason, I would rather re-sign Epenesa and have a solid rotational piece in there. Besides, maybe he'll make that leap similar to what Ed Oliver did last season, plus I want to see what new defensive line coach Marcus West can do with Epenesa. A.J. has the talent to be dominant, just needs to find that consistency.