The Buffalo Bills are entering the 2026 offseason staring down a familiar opponent: the salary cap. If the league year opened today, Buffalo would be roughly $11 million over the salary cap, a number that looks uncomfortable at first glance but is far from unmanageable. In fact, with a handful of restructurings and difficult but necessary decisions, the Bills could realistically create close to $50 million in usable cap space.
The question isn’t whether Brandon Beane can free up money, it’s how he will
free it up and then how that money should be allocated, and which familiar faces can no longer be sentimental keeps. This offseason is about choosing efficiency over nostalgia.
How the Bills create cap space
The biggest question: How do the Bills create flexibility to make moves this offseason? Creating space isn’t about tearing the roster down, it’s about timing, and understanding which contracts can be used as tools not seen as obstacles. Buffalo has several veteran deals that can be restructured to push money into future years when the cap is expected to rise, while also identifying contracts that no longer match on-field production. When paired, restructures, extensions, and releases, give the Bills multiple avenues to turn an over-the-cap situation into meaningful spending power.
Restructures that make sense
· Josh Allen – Save ~$12M
· Ed Oliver – Save ~$10.5M
· Spencer Brown – Save ~$6–10M (depending on how much they want to kick down the line)
· Dion Dawkins – Save ~$8–11M (depending on how much they want to kick down the line)
Beane is feeling the heat, so the question will be how much does he push down the line to free up space now.
Releases before the fifth day of the new league year
Some names will sting more than others:
· Release Dawson Knox – Save ~$11M
· Release Curtis Samuel – Save ~$6M
· Release Tyler Bass – Save ~$2.9M
· Release Taylor Rapp – Save ~$3M
This is where sentiment must give way to efficiency. Knox’s role has diminished, Samuel never truly fit and is seemingly always injured, and the reality is Buffalo can find cheaper replacements at kicker and safety.
Getting rid of Tyler Bass here only makes sense if they can bring back Prater for the minimum again, or if they draft a kid who impresses during camp. If it’s the latter, I see the Bills trying to trade Bass this summer instead of releasing him in March.
The gray area: Taron Johnson and Michael Hoecht
Restructuring Taron Johnson is risky. If Buffalo shifts away from heavy nickel usage, pushing his cap hit into future years may backfire. It may already be backfiring.
As for Michael Hoecht, the flashes were intriguing, but restructuring a player with limited availability and a small sample size feels premature. But, there is money to be found here if needed.
Does it make sense to bring back Milano?
Matt Milano – Spotrac Market Value: ~$4.5M
Milano’s situation is less emotional than it appears – especially with a new coaching staff coming into the building. His contract voids in February, triggering $11 million in dead cap if untouched. However, a one-year deal around market value of $4-$4.5 million would actually reduce his 2026 cap hit to roughly $10-10.6 million.
That’s a net savings in 2026.
The catch? Milano would have to accept his projected market value, and Buffalo would have to accept the risk that comes with his availability. The remaining prorated money that is already dead cap of $4.8 million would push into 2027 instead of accelerating into 2026.
One more smart lever: An early extension for O’Cyrus Torrence
One additional, very Bills-like move that shouldn’t be overlooked is an early extension for right guard O’Cyrus Torrence. By extending Torrence one year early, Buffalo could save roughly $2 million on the 2026 cap, while simultaneously protecting themselves from a much bigger problem down the road.
If Torrence puts together a strong 2026 campaign, the Bills risk pricing themselves out of a second contract entirely, especially at a position where quality starters continue to see their market explode. An early extension would allow Buffalo to smooth out cap hits, lock in cost, and avoid competing with guard-needy teams willing to overpay on the open market.
It’s a proactive move rather than a reactive one. And given the Bills’ current cap situation, those are exactly the types of decisions that separate contenders from teams constantly patching holes. In an offseason where every dollar matters, extending Torrence early could quietly be one of Buffalo’s smartest plays provided he doesn’t suddenly regress in 2026.
The big question: Can Buffalo have it all?
After restructuring and releases, the Bills could approach $50 million in available cap space. But that money goes fast.
Can Buffalo realistically pay McGovern or Edwards near market and still add difference-makers at wide receiver and edge rusher? Probably not.
The Bills are no longer in the phase where they pay for stability alone. That means prioritizing certain positions and trusting in the front office to draft and the coaching staff to develop. This offseason won’t be about who the Bills love. It will be about who helps them finally get over the hump. And that’s exactly how it should be.
