Long list of Bills UFA / void year after the season

[nuklz2594]

im thinking a broom will used to sweep out the schmekis from top to the bottom. total reset. 

[May Day 10]

Can save more than $16 Million and even more in 2027 by cutting Bass, Samuel, and Knox.  

[milfandcookies]

The proverbial window is proverbially closing 

[NeverOutNick]

On 11/22/2025 at 9:15 AM, CNYfan said:

I feel that in this year's Draft the Bills will finally make a big move up for either a pass rusher or a WR.  

They have no A player at either of those important spots and need a stud somewhere.

The Bills have to get younger and need a difference maker, not just more average to good players.  

 

I agree with GB that the OL needs to be re-tooled a bit.  Dion is clearly in decline, but there are decent depth guys on the roster with which to work.  

The Bills will go early on D line help?! That is a shocker

On 11/22/2025 at 12:11 PM, HomeTeam said:

I'd bring back Bosa at the right price and I also like Cam Lewis. The o-line also needs some reinforcements. 

Cam Lewis is absolute garbage. He is the culprit on most 3rd and long conversions this year. He’s awful 

[DJB]

Bosa is clearly playing hurt and not the same guy from the first few weeks. He showed us more pass rush in those first few weeks then weve had since Jerry Hughes was here.

 

We need to bring back Bosa so long as it’s on a reasonable deal

Edited yesterday at 04:22 AM by DJB

[gjv]

I think we need to evaluate the people we have evaluating the college talent. We need to do better in the early rounds of the draft.

[sven233]

On 11/22/2025 at 10:11 AM, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Our FA list is absolutely massive, but I think are top re-sign guys are:

 

Reggie Gilliam

Connor McGovern

 

Next level:

AJ Epenesa

Cam Lewis

David Edwards

 

None of them, outside Reggie, are difference makers. I think I'd bring McGovern back to be OG again. 

 

Being Paid to Not Be Here:

Matt Milano - 11m

Joey Bosa - 7.2m

Connor McGovern - 4.8m

DQ Jones - 3.7m

AJ Epenesa - 2.8m

Larry Ogunjobi - 2.5m

 

Release Candidates:

Taron Johnson, 30 - ~2m (opt out clause)

Dawson Knox, 30 ~9.5m (opt out clause)

Curtis Samuel, 30 ~6.7m (opt out clause)

Tyler Bass, 29 ~2.7m (release)

Taylor Rapp, 29 ~3.4m (release)

 

Restructure:

Josh Allen

Groot

Psycho Spencer Brown 

 

Due to age and/or injury concerns, I would not restructure the contracts of Oliver, Benford, Bernard or Dawkins. 

 

-Sign Gilliam if you insist on having a FB on the roster.  Won't cost you that much.

 

- McGovern has had a rough year.  I was for trying to re-signing him last off season, but I am in no hurry to do so now.  He's going to get like 14 mill and I am not ready to pay him that money.  It's time to start saving some money on the line.  We can't keep signing these guys to big contracts.  If VPG is any good, he can compete for the job with a rookie.  There are drafts where you can get the best C in the draft in the 3rd round.  I'd much rather do that that sign another big contract with McGovern.  Edwards is the same thing.  If he takes a team friendly deal, fine, but otherwise I am good going in a different direction there.  We have a lot of bad contracts that we have to make up for somewhere and these guys are a place to start.

 

- TJ can go

 

- Knox is either a giant pay cut or should be gone.  I am just afraid his relationship with Josh will cloud that situation, but business is business.

 

- Samuel is gone

 

- They seem to have a Bass obsession.....  If you can save some money, that should the the #1 priority.

 

- Rapp is kind of the same thing.  I think they really like him, but that's a spot that needs a MAJOR upgrade.  A second round S should absolutely be a consideration for that spot.

 

This team has rewarded mediocrity because of their whole "Draft, Develop, and Re-Sign" philosophy.  Look, it's a good thought to have, but it doesn't excuse you from handing out bad contracts to average to slightly above average talent just because you like the player as a person.  It started with a terrible contract to Knox and has showed up way too many times.  

 

To win in the NFL, you need STARS.  As many as you can get and then fill in the bottom of the roster with whatever.  For too long, we have been trying to build a roster that is deep.  A roster where the drop off isn't significant from the 1s to the 2s, the 2s to the 3s, etc.  They want to be able to sub guys in and out and still get the same level of play.  Well, what happens eventually when you do that is sure....you get consistency, but you don't have any alphas to make the plays when you need them.  I mean, how many true STARS do we have?  Two?  Allen and Cook?  That's about it.  There's nobody on defense that OCs are truly losing sleep over.  And aside from Allen and Cook, there is literally nobody that strikes any fear into DCs.  We have a bunch of fine players, but really only 2 DAWGS.  That's not enough.  The focus needs to switch.  We need to start improving the top of the roster somehow and if it costs us some quality depth, so be it, but this team needs an influx to top talent.

 

[Matt_In_NH]

On 11/22/2025 at 12:07 PM, colin said:

These contracts really don't make our front office look competent.

 

The rams and eagles and KC tend to pay a lot for very good or great players, we pay average to good guys.  

 

We gotta land one elite and one top tier guy to get us over IMO.

The bolded has always been my complaint with Beane.  I think we agree this is not the best strategy.  However, I would still not call him incompetent.  There has been a lot of success with the rosters he has built.  You dont win 5 straight divisions and playoff games in 5 straight years without some level of competence in the FO.   Including success yet to come this year.  Go Bills.

[ganesh]

22 hours ago, sven233 said:

 

-Sign Gilliam if you insist on having a FB on the roster.  Won't cost you that much.

 

- McGovern has had a rough year.  I was for trying to re-signing him last off season, but I am in no hurry to do so now.  He's going to get like 14 mill and I am not ready to pay him that money.  It's time to start saving some money on the line.  We can't keep signing these guys to big contracts.  If VPG is any good, he can compete for the job with a rookie.  There are drafts where you can get the best C in the draft in the 3rd round.  I'd much rather do that that sign another big contract with McGovern.  Edwards is the same thing.  If he takes a team friendly deal, fine, but otherwise I am good going in a different direction there.  We have a lot of bad contracts that we have to make up for somewhere and these guys are a place to start.

 

- TJ can go

 

- Knox is either a giant pay cut or should be gone.  I am just afraid his relationship with Josh will cloud that situation, but business is business.

 

- Samuel is gone

 

- They seem to have a Bass obsession.....  If you can save some money, that should the the #1 priority.

 

- Rapp is kind of the same thing.  I think they really like him, but that's a spot that needs a MAJOR upgrade.  A second round S should absolutely be a consideration for that spot.

 

This team has rewarded mediocrity because of their whole "Draft, Develop, and Re-Sign" philosophy.  Look, it's a good thought to have, but it doesn't excuse you from handing out bad contracts to average to slightly above average talent just because you like the player as a person.  It started with a terrible contract to Knox and has showed up way too many times.  

 

To win in the NFL, you need STARS.  As many as you can get and then fill in the bottom of the roster with whatever.  For too long, we have been trying to build a roster that is deep.  A roster where the drop off isn't significant from the 1s to the 2s, the 2s to the 3s, etc.  They want to be able to sub guys in and out and still get the same level of play.  Well, what happens eventually when you do that is sure....you get consistency, but you don't have any alphas to make the plays when you need them.  I mean, how many true STARS do we have?  Two?  Allen and Cook?  That's about it.  There's nobody on defense that OCs are truly losing sleep over.  And aside from Allen and Cook, there is literally nobody that strikes any fear into DCs.  We have a bunch of fine players, but really only 2 DAWGS.  That's not enough.  The focus needs to switch.  We need to start improving the top of the roster somehow and if it costs us some quality depth, so be it, but this team needs an influx to top talent.

 

Agree with lot of what is mentioned here:

 

On offense:

* Revamp the OL with low-cost talent and pay for Terrance.  

* Cut Knox, Samuel,  may be even Dawkins.

* Trade Coleman for a low round draft pick or cut him 

 

On Defense:

*  Don't re-sign White, Milano, Jones, Epenesa

* Cut Rapp,  Johnson,  Solomon, 

* Re-sign Shaq Thompson, Joey Bosa

 

We are still stuck with Bernard, Groot, Benford's large contracts on Defense,   Palmer,  Shakir, Dawkins big contracts. 

[Jrb1979]

On 11/26/2025 at 6:43 AM, Matt_In_NH said:

The bolded has always been my complaint with Beane.  I think we agree this is not the best strategy.  However, I would still not call him incompetent.  There has been a lot of success with the rosters he has built.  You dont win 5 straight divisions and playoff games in 5 straight years without some level of competence in the FO.   Including success yet to come this year.  Go Bills.

I agree he's not incompetent. IMO Beane and McDermott focus too much on culture and fit over talent. The biggest reason why the Bills struggle in the playoffs is lack of elite playnakers on both sides of the ball. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

On 11/22/2025 at 4:00 PM, BlazinBill said:

So 32 million in dead cap- any idea where that ranks in the league? Seems absurd but maybe that’s just how things are everywhere 

It's up there, Eagles have a ton of void year dead cap as well. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

1 hour ago, Jrb1979 said:

I agree he's not incompetent. IMO Beane and McDermott focus too much on culture and fit over talent. The biggest reason why the Bills struggle in the playoffs is lack of elite playnakers on both sides of the ball. 

I never understood the "choir boy over talent" claim. McBeane has never been that way, to the extent GM Marv was. McD praises character, sure, and I'd rather this team NOT sign a bunch of DV D-bags. 

 

Bills have brought in players with issues in the past, and were highly criticized by fans for it. 
 

Miller got his 3rd DV while in Buffalo, and fans couldn't wait to dump him. 
 

Their fatal flaw is expecting their All-World QB to raise the floors and ceilings of a bunch of B and C level offensive talent, because he absolutely can when there is other A level talent around. 
 

John Brown had Cole Beasley, Davis had Diggs. 
 

Maybe the expectation was Kincaid would become an A level player, but I'm not so sure he would have the impact that Diggs and Beasley had from the TE position.

Edited 5 hours ago by TheyCallMeAndy

[TheyCallMeAndy]

On 11/22/2025 at 10:29 AM, st pete gogolak said:

Hasn't this been covered to death?  It wouldn't be the end of the world to not resign a single FA.  Maybe bring back McGovern, possibly Bosa, maybe not.  Lots of guys going to be gone.

Have we re-signed a void year FA yet at all? Curious how that works. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

14 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Have we re-signed a void year FA yet at all? Curious how that works. 

Depends on what you are referring to. Are you talking about the dead cap hit from prorated bonuses spread into void years? If so here is a quick overview;

 

Void years allow for teams to spread money (on the books) over future years, even the the player gets his money immediately. If a team allows a contract to void, all remained money left to pay that player in future years immediately becomes due. If they are extended or re-sign before the contract voids, then the dead money that was prorated can be remain in place until the contract eventually voids. Here is an example with Joey Bosa:

 

Bosa’s 9 million dollar signing bonus was spread out over 5 years, the maximum allowed by the NFL. So that 9 mill is split up at 1.8 a year from 2025-2030. Bosas cap his this year is actually smaller this year than next, despite not actually being under contract, because the void money of 1.8x4 years becomes due (7.2 million).

 

If they were to reach an extension or re-sign him, the void year’s signing bonus can remain at the 1.8 a year for the life of the contract. So if they give a one year extension, we in theory could save 5.4 money off of the dead cap next season. 

 

Connor McGovern is another good example here, with 5 million in dead money next year because of void year signing bonuses for the next 3 seasons.  they could save 2ish mill in dead money by extending him to allow void years to remain. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

3 minutes ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Depends on what you are referring to. Are you talking about the dead cap hit from prorated bonuses spread into void years? If so here is a quick overview;

 

Void years allow for teams to spread money (on the books) over future years, even the the player gets his money immediately. If a team allows a contract to void, all remained money left to pay that player in future years immediately becomes due. If they are extended or re-sign before the contract voids, then the dead money that was prorated can be remain in place until the contract eventually voids. Here is an example with Joey Bosa:

 

Bosa’s 9 million dollar signing bonus was spread out over 5 years, the maximum allowed by the NFL. So that 9 mill is split up at 1.8 a year from 2025-2030. Bosas cap his this year is actually smaller this year than next, despite not actually being under contract, because the void money of 1.8x4 years becomes due (7.2 million).

 

If they were to reach an extension or re-sign him, the void year’s signing bonus can remain at the 1.8 a year for the life of the contract. So if they give a one year extension, we in theory could save 5.4 money off of the dead cap next season. 

 

Connor McGovern is another good example here, with 5 million in dead money next year because of void year signing bonuses for the next 3 seasons.  they could save 2ish mill in dead money by extending him to allow void years to remain. 

That is the exact info I was seeking, thank you!

[EmotionallyUnstable]

On 11/22/2025 at 10:11 AM, TheyCallMeAndy said:

elease Candidates:

Taron Johnson, 30 - ~2m (opt out clause)

He is a prime candidate for a post June 1st release and this number balloons to 9 mil in savings this year, by bumping most of the dead hit into 2027. 

[Ya Digg?]

On 11/26/2025 at 1:30 AM, sven233 said:

 

 

 

- They seem to have a Bass obsession.....  If you can save some money, that should the the #1 priority.

 

 

 

This to me is an incredibly weird take. They have an obsession? He’s been on IR all year, so I’m confused. Also, the current kicker is over 40, probably smart to keep him around.

 

Also, you think that getting a new kicker should be the Bills #1 priority?!?!

[ColoradoBills]

On 11/25/2025 at 11:31 AM, May Day 10 said:

Can save more than $16 Million and even more in 2027 by cutting Bass, Samuel, and Knox.  

 

I agree Beane should move on from players.  It's $16M in savings but also $13M in dead cap.

Just saying that to complete the picture.

 

Knox is overpaid BUT I don't think he is going anywhere.  

I think he takes some sort of salary reduction, but him and Josh are way too good of friends.

 

 

[Sierra Foothills]

On 11/22/2025 at 5:14 AM, GoBills! said:

Looking to see if anything would change next year and it seems the defense is the one with the most holes to fill and shocker that means a heavy FA and draft for D. The good news is we shed some dead weight and hopefully a few restructures that make sense. 
 

Gone are guys like; Bosa, Daquan, Milano, AJ, Phillips, Hamlin, Poyer, Tre. 
 

Hopefully we draft the right LB , a pass rusher and run stopper. The hard part is we still need a #1 WR and I don’t think we can afford to pay  20+ million to one with guys like Knox, Samuel, Palmer taking up so much cap space. 
 

Short term buying 3 + oft injured, inconsistent WRs isn’t a great plan im sure he thought Samuel and Palmer would be better here but they aren’t. And we overpaid for Knox heavily. 

 

Good topic and starter post. Thank you.

 

On 11/22/2025 at 7:11 AM, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Our FA list is absolutely massive, but I think our top re-sign guys are:

 

Reggie Gilliam

Connor McGovern

 

Next level:

AJ Epenesa

Cam Lewis

David Edwards

 

None of them, outside Reggie, are difference makers. I think I'd bring McGovern back to be OG again. 

 

Being Paid to Not Be Here:

Matt Milano - 11m

Joey Bosa - 7.2m

Connor McGovern - 4.8m

DQ Jones - 3.7m

AJ Epenesa - 2.8m

Larry Ogunjobi - 2.5m

 

Release Candidates:

Taron Johnson, 30 - ~2m (opt out clause)

Dawson Knox, 30 ~9.5m (opt out clause)

Curtis Samuel, 30 ~6.7m (opt out clause)

Tyler Bass, 29 ~2.7m (release)

Taylor Rapp, 29 ~3.4m (release)

 

Restructure:

Josh Allen

Groot

Psycho Spencer Brown 

 

Due to age and/or injury concerns, I would not restructure the contracts of Oliver, Benford, Bernard or Dawkins. 

 

Great post, which is partly to say, I agree with your priority list.

 

On 11/22/2025 at 7:27 AM, SCBills said:

Good thing about the OL is I think they are, justifiably, confident in their ability to draft & develop there.

 

If they let Edwards and McGovern walk, we’ll have SVPG, Anderson, Grable and Lundt all with time on task in the system with Kromer. 
 

Van Demark is another question mark.  He’s an RFA after this year.  If he plays well in place of Spencer Brown, which I think he will .. he’s a starter quality player from what he’s shown, do we bring him back?

 

If there is a silver lining to the injuries to Dawkins and Spencer it's that we should gain some O-line certainty going into the offseason. That said I'm not looking forward to playing against TJ Watt without those guys. 

 

On 11/22/2025 at 9:10 AM, Comebackkid said:

well his initials say he's virtually pretty good  

 

Sedrick Very Pucking Good.

 

On 11/22/2025 at 12:33 PM, brianthomas said:

No my issue with the Knox extension was he still had a year left on his rookie deal. Ahead of the 2022 season, Beane gives him a 4 year $52 million extension. To me it just didnt make sense. No team was about to make a move for him & Knox wasn't going to go anywhere. We didnt need to do that at that time & surely didn't need to pay him that much. At least imho. That extension turned out to be pretty bad & Knox restructured of course in 2024 to save us a little money. But while it reduced his cap number, it extended his time with us another year. A year where he'd get paid more with us than on any other team. So its still a win as far as he's concerned. The Knox extension is just 1 of course, there's been a few others that we can look at as weighing this team down a bit. 

 

But I agree with you on Bosa & the wr's for the most part. What we really need is some more impact players. You can probably count on 1 hand, the amount of impact players we've gotten out of our drafts. It just hasn't been good enough & its the poor drafting that has really put us in this situation. 

 

Two players that I would comment on:

 

1) If Beane give Kincaid one of his stupid, premature and overly-lucrative extensions I'll be super pissed off. There is zero basis for Kincaid to receive an extension. Kincaid's proven that he's a good receiver when he's healthy... and that he can't stay healthy.

 

2) Those writing off Dion Dawkins are overreacting. While there's some basis for claims that his play has declined, the pitchforkers are also unhappy with his higher visibility this year. Dawkins is under contract for 2026 and 2027 and you don't create holes in your roster at positions that are difficult and expensive to fill... for no good reason.