Buffalo Bills: How & why this offseason was Brandon Beane's best work
By Joe Cook
Brandon Beane performs cap room gymnastics for the Buffalo Bills
When you’re a building team and have a lot of cap space, it’s easy to throw money around and add big named players. When you’re strapped against the cap as tight as the Bills were in the off-season, that’s when it gets tricky.
Multiple big contracts are tricky, and one wrong move can take your team down a notch and out of super bowl contention. The Rams, for example, went all in two years ago, handing out money and draft picks like they were nothing, and are now in cap hell.
Luckily for the Buffalo Bills, Beane has been one of the best when it comes to contracts and structures, but again, this year might have been his most impressive. Beane entered the off-season negative in cap space, negative by $18 million to be exact. Let’s take a look at how he got creative and gave himself room to work.
Tim Settle Renegotiated deal:
The Buffalo Bills’ first cap room move came on March 11, with defensive tackle Tim Settle agreeing to a renegotiated deal. It netted the Bills $600k in savings against the cap; every little bit helps. Originally, he had a $4.9 million cap hit.
Matt Milano Extension:
After having a phenomenal season in which he was named a First Team All-Pro, Milano signed an extension with the Bills. It was a two-year extension worth $14 million a year. The team saved $6 million in cap this year. A great move, as the Bills cleared money and now have the best off-ball linebacker in the league under contract for a few more years.
Nyheim Hines Reworked Contract:
Two days later, as the free agency frenzy was set to kick off, Nyheim Hines agreed to a renegotiated contract. The deal converted part of his base salary to a signing bonus to provide cap relief and added incentives, which will allow him the chance to earn more money than he was scheduled to make. In total, the new deal saved the Bills $1.29 million in cap space.
Josh Allen & Von Miller Restructures:
As free agency opened up, the Bills restructured the contracts of superstars Josh Allen, and Von Miller. It lowered Allen’s cap hit to only $18 million for the season, and Miller’s to only $7.9 million. In total, the Bills saved $32 million against the cap.
Stefon Diggs Restrucutre:
The Bills opened up another $5.396 million in cap space by restructuring superstar Stefon Diggs’ contract. All off-season, media, and fans have speculated Diggs wanted a trade out of Buffalo. This proves that this is not the case.
Diggs agreed to the restructuring, which has now essentially locked him into Buffalo for the rest of his career due to the updated cap hits and dead cap down the line. The Bills would literally spend less money if Diggs didn’t play then by trading him or cutting him. Fans can relax, Diggs isn’t going anywhere.
Isaiah McKenzie Release:
The team saved $2 million in cap space by releasing fan-favorite wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. The team decided to go in a different direction after a letdown year.
Ed Oliver Extension:
The Bills late in the off-season, made the decision to extend former 2019 ninth-overall pick, defensive tackle Ed Oliver. The team gave “Big Ed” a 4-year $68 million extension. It lowered his cap hit for this upcoming season (which was being played under his fifth-year option), and saved the Bills $5.775 million in cap.