The Buffalo Bills have some expensive contracts on their roster that they have to deal with in the coming weeks/months. A handful of players will be cut candidates as Buffalo looks to free up more cap space and give their depth players more reps. The official cap number won’t come out for a little while still, but the Bills will continue to work to clear some of their larger contracts. So, let’s take a look at several players the Bills need to get rid of soon.
Defensive end Von Miller
After a disappointing year in 2023, Miller took a massive pay cut to remain with the team. One that lowered his base salary down to $1.1M for the 2024-2025 season. Now, the Bills need to figure out if they want to keep Miller rostered next season on a $17M base salary, or cut him and free $8.3M in cap space, according to Spotrac.
Miller had a much better season in 2024, totaling 17 tackles and six sacks on the season. However, the Bills shouldn’t keep him around on a massive salary like that when Miller is about to turn 36 years old in March. The Bills pride themselves on having great depth in the position, and with a contract extension looming for Greg Rousseau, the Bills can afford to let Miller enter free agency.
Cornerback Kaiir Elam
This one isn’t contract-related, rather it's based on his performance since being drafted in the first round back in 2022. Elam has struggled to get on the field throughout his career, only making 12 career starts. Now, a change of scenery may be what’s best for Elam, and the Bills can free up a spot in the secondary for someone they’ll get more usage out of. The Bills currently have five corners signed for the 2025 season, and another two signed to reserve/future contracts. This position group will look completely different in 2025, and there’s a real chance it doesn’t have Elam in it.
Cornerbacks rostered for the 2025 season include:
Christian Benford, Kaiir Elam, Taron Johnson, Ja'Marcus Ingram, Brandon Codrington, Te'Cory Couch (reserve/future), and Daequan Hardy (reserve/future).
Linebacker Baylon Spector
Not a major release like Miller or Elam is, but Buffalo does save some money with this move. According to Spotrac, the Bills would save $1.1M by releasing the third-year linebacker. Spector had a solid season, totaling 40 tackles and 1.5 sacks. However, he’s struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, and the Bills have been able to find good depth at the position through the draft. With Edefuan Ulofoshio and Joe Andreessen finishing their rookie seasons, and Andreessen having a strong year, the Bills can afford to move on from Spector.