Pro Football Rumors
With approximately $1.67MM available (per Over the Cap), the Bills entered the week with the least amount of cap space in the NFL. General manager Brandon Beane now has a bit more wiggle room ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, though.
The Bills have restructured cornerback Taron Johnson‘s contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The team opened up $1.75MM in spending space by converting base salary into a signing bonus.
A fourth-round pick out of Weber State in 2018, Johnson has spent his entire career with the Bills and emerged as one of the league’s most respected nickel corners. The Bills made him the league’s highest-paid slot CB in signing Johnson to a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. Johnson’s payday is no longer at the top of the mountain for his position. Regardless, he’s under wraps through 2027.
Johnson missed a 28-21 win over the Chiefs on Sunday with a groin injury, but the Bills’ secondary delivered a strong performance in his absence. The Bills’ defensive backfield remains an area they could address before the deadline, though, especially with more cap room available.
With starter Taylor Rapp and backup Damar Hamlin likely done for the season as a result of knee and pectoral injuries, respectively, the Bills have reportedly been eyeing available safeties. Cole Bishop, who stood out against the Chiefs, and 34-year-old Jordan Poyer are now Buffalo’s top safeties. Cam Lewis and Jordan Hancock are the team’s primary depth choices.
While a safety acquisition is possible by Tuesday, the Bills likely have more pressing needs at wide receiver and along the defensive line as the deadline approaches. They’ve been frequently linked to both areas in the rumor mill, and the D-line has seen multiple important contributors go down in the past couple of weeks. Ed Oliver won’t return until the playoffs (if at all) after suffering a torn biceps in a win over Carolina in Week 8. Michael Hoecht then tore his Achilles on Sunday, ending his season.
The Bills were already in the market for D-line help before losing the versatile Hoecht, who shined over two games after missing the first six of the season for a PED suspension. Now armed with more cap space, Beane may attempt to bolster the Bills’ defensive front with at least one outside acquisition.
