The Buffalo Bills made a number of tough decisions earlier this offseason by releasing players who had been with the franchise for a number of years. One of those players was Tre'Davious White, who was actually the first pick ever by Sean McDermott as head coach of the Bills.
Early in his career, White was a key part of the defense and one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL but injuries over the past three years limited what he could do on the field. The Bills would end up deciding to release him prior to free agency but with a June 1st designation.
This means that even though White was able to sign with a new team as early as March, the Bills wouldn't get the cap space until this weekend. The benefit of doing this type of move is that the dead cap can be spread between this season and the next.
In addition to spreading out the dead cap, the Bills now have over $10 million in cap space to improve their roster and these are four players that could be options.
Michael Thomas
The Buffalo Bills have been busy at wide receiver and have over 12 wide receivers currently on their roster. However, when trying to replace players like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis it needs to be a numbers game and they shouldn't be afraid to add more to the position.
At this point of the offseason, options are much more limited and while there are significant questions around Michael Thomas, he does provide the most upside of the remaining players. The former Saints wide receiver had 90 or more receptions in each of his first four seasons in the league, including setting a single-season record with 147 in 2019.
Unfortunately, injuries have derailed his career and he has played in only 20 games over the past four seasons. The former second-round pick turned 31 this offseason and while he may not lead the league in receptions, if he can stay healthy Thomas could be a key part of this offense.
Emmanuel Ogbah
While wide receiver remains a big question mark, a majority of the focus should be on the defensive side of the ball. One of those positions is defensive end as there is enough uncertainty that it makes sense to add some more veterans into the mix.
One of the veteran defensive ends that could help the position is Emmanuel Ogbah, who played the past four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. They would release the veteran this offseason but after 5.5 sacks this past season, he should that he could still make an impact in the right situation.
That situation could be in Buffalo as the Bills are going to rotate frequently at the position and that should help keep Ogbah fresh. When considering the team doesn't know what they might get from players like Von Miller, Casey Toohill, or Javon Solomon adding Ogbah at this point of the offseason makes sense.
Xavien Howard
Another former Miami Dolphins player who could be a free agent the Buffalo Bills target is cornerback Xavien Howard. At one point in his career, Howard was one of the top players at his position but he has struggled a bit the past two seasons with only two combined interceptions and 24 passes defended compared to 15 interceptions and 36 passes defended the two years prior to that.
At this point in his career, Howard is probably looking to land with a contender that gives him the best chance to earn a Super Bowl ring. The Bills may not be as heavily favored to do that but they certainly are still in the mix.
The biggest challenge is whether or not the Bills can sell Howard on the idea of being a backup or having to at least compete for a starting spot. The top of the depth chart should be pretty well set with Christian Benford or Rasul Douglas but adding a veteran like Howard would be great insurance if the team is dealing with injuries.
Justin Simmons
Among all the free agents on this list, Justin Simmons is the one who would make the biggest impact on the Buffalo Bills. The other players could help the team but they have more questions than being the answer.
As for Simmons, he has either been a second-team All-Pro or a Pro Bowler in each of the past five seasons. During this stretch, he has had 23 interceptions and 36 passes defended and even at 31 years old he is still playing really good football.
The Bills this offseason have done a good job of giving themselves options at safety with re-signing Taylor Rapp, adding free agent Mike Edwards and then drafting Cole Bishop in the second round.
However, Simmons is the best of this group, and a veteran like that in this secondary can help the transition from Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. It would also take some pressure off Bishop as the Bills won't necessarily be forced to start early and can give him time to develop.