8 Takeaways From Buffalo Bills' Top Storylines at NFL Combine

Brandon Beane and Joe Brady met the media at the NFL Scouting Combine to discuss various hot topics surrounding the Buffalo Bills amid another critical offseason.

Among the items touched on were contracts, free agency, injuries, the salary cap and, of course, Keon Coleman. A few specific takeaways worth evaluating stood out as the team dives into the new league year, which opens on Mar. 11.

Kincaid’s fifth-year option

After dropping hints earlier in the offseason, Beane confirmed that the Bills will indeed pick up Dalton Kincaid’s team option for 2027, which will pay him $8.75 million. While his durability has been a major issue, there is no replacing the fourth-year tight end’s production when he is on the field.

With the position Beane has put the offense in with its personnel at wide receiver, the Bills have no choice but to keep Kincaid around. I believe you will eventually see him earn a future contract extension in Buffalo.

Brown restructured

The Bills agreed with their prized right tackle, Spencer Brown, to a restructured contract that nets the team $10.4M in cap savings. It’s a critical move and one that should be accompanied by other levers being pulled in the days to come before the Bills reach cap compliance by early March.

Of the other cap-saving possibilities available to the Bills, Josh Allen is the most significant. If the Bills were to restructure Allen’s contract, which is set to produce a massive $56.3M cap hit in 2026, they could potentially free up over $12M in cap space, per Spotrac.

Elsewhere, the most obvious move likely to come down the road is a potential release of wide receiver Curtis Samuel. If the Bills were to do so, they would save just over $6M against the cap.

Knox could be cut

Another option the Bills appear to be weighing is cutting Dawson Knox, which would save the team $9.6M in cap space. Knox carries a 2026 cap hit of over $17M, and Beane said that the Bills and their veteran tight end have discussed reworking that number to keep him in Buffalo.

That would seem to be the right play here, as you can’t count on Kincaid to stay healthy, while Knox’s leadership in the locker room cannot be understated. It sounds crazy, but Knox has become somewhat of a cornerstone player for the Bills, contributing well beyond what he produces on game days each week.

That’s not to say the Bills should pay him as charity, but they should strongly consider bringing him back at the right price. And Knox should be more than willing to do what it takes to remain in Buffalo, considering what the organization has done for him over the years.

Keeping the 29-year-old around seems like a win-win for both sides. I think we’ll see this worked out soon.

McGovern, Edwards unlikely to return

The way Beane talked about free-agents-to-be Connor McGovern and David Edwards, it appears the Bills will be losing their starting center and left guard this offseason.

Beane may have just been playing coy due to ongoing negotiations with both players. Even so, when you look at it from a dollars-and-cents perspective, with both players expected to earn exorbitant free-agent contracts, it seems even more unlikely the Bills will be able to bring back either McGovern or Edwards.

Everyone should prepare for a future with two new starters in place for next season, with a couple of likely candidates being Alec Anderson at guard and Sedrick Van Pran Granger at center.

Allen's injury status

Brady provided an update on Josh Allen’s foot injury, which left him on crutches during the Bills’ head coach’s introductory press conference. Allen had already declared he would be ready to go by OTAs, but what Brady said struck me as similar statements from team leadership have over the past few years.

The first-year head coach said that, among all the players on the Bills’ roster, the “one guy you never worry about is Josh Allen.”

Really? Your franchise quarterback? Not worried? Ever?

I get what Brady is saying, but I think sometimes the team, in a sense, takes for granted what kind of an athlete they have at the most important position in sports. I’ve been critical of Allen over the years, but his durability and willingness to compete through various injuries have been unmatched across the league. But eventually, he may have to pay the price for his grit and toughness.

While I don’t believe the Bills are glossing over his resilience, the way they routinely phrase things regarding Allen’s reliability rubs me the wrong way. He is about to be 30 years old, and these injuries are going to start to pile up. Shrugging them off doesn’t feel like the right message to send here.

Bass, Hoecht, and Jackson's injury timelines revealed

Three important players are all expected back for the Bills at some point this offseason, with kicker Tyler Bass anticipated to be the first to return, followed by edge rushers Michael Hoecht and Landon Jackson.

Bass is an interesting case, as Beane has publicly stated he expects the veteran to return as the team’s kicker. However, cutting Bass before June 1 would save the team nearly $3 million in cap space. It’s something to consider, given where the Bills are against the salary cap.

Updated cap space

Even with restructuring Brown’s contract, the Bills remain about $6.7M over the cap, per Spotrac. That means additional maneuvers, such as those previously discussed, will be coming to facilitate future personnel moves down the road, including the signing of draft picks, this offseason.

Coleman challenged

Finally, we reach the Bills’ embattled wide receiver, Keon Coleman. The highly polarizing player has been backed by Beane and Brady multiple times since the offseason began, but it still wouldn’t be shocking to see Coleman traded before the 2026 season begins.

In a perfect world, I think the Bills would like to move on from their former second-round pick and find another player, whether it be through the draft, free agency or via trade, to fill the role of their top X wide receiver.