Bills Central

Bills Have Difficult Free Agency Decisions Coming

The Buffalo Bills are in a rough spot going into free agency.
Jeremy Brener|
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen steps back before throwing his pass during second half action.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen steps back before throwing his pass during second half action. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills are going into free agency without much flexibility to work with.

It's safe to say the Bills will look a lot different next season with 26 free agents while they sit $7.4 million above the cap. NFL.com writer Matt Okada listed the Bills as the team that will get hit the hardest in free agency apart from the Kansas City Chiefs.

MORE: Bills' Head Coach Joe Brady Keeping Six Offensive Assistants from Predecessor's Staff

"While they only have 26 impending free agents and are only $7.4 million over the cap, the real trouble for the Bills comes with the importance of the players they could lose," Okada wrote.

"In terms of both current money and 2025 snap share, their batch of free agents is among the most notable in the league, including, but not limited to, center Connor McGovern, left guard David Edwards, corner Tre'Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer, edge rushers Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa, defensive tackles DaQuan Jones and Larry Ogunjobi, linebackers Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson, and even kicker Matt Prater and punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Gabe Davis and Brandin Cooks also make that list, and while they’re not quite as hard to lose, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on GM Brandon Beane to acquire a star-caliber outside wide receiver for Josh Allen, which would make it even harder to prevent a veteran exodus elsewhere.

"Similar to Green Bay, Buffalo has been on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance for years now -- six straight, in fact -- and it’s not easy to stay that good for that long. The Bills also fired head coach Sean McDermott after years of falling just short, which means 2026 could see some extra roster turnover if the team recalibrates to Joe Brady’s vision for the future."

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'davious White celebrates the game-deciding interception during the fourth quarter
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'davious White celebrates the game-deciding interception during the fourth quarter. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills face difficult free agency

The Bills are going to need to make some changes because they simply cannot afford to keep everyone that is in need of a new contract. They need to find a handful of those players, maybe five or six that are deemed the most important and prioritize those players.

From there, the Bills can dole out those contracts and replace the others with smaller contracts in free agency or through the draft. The Bills have to do some financial gymnastics in order to pay Allen and create a competitive roster around him, but this is when savvy picks in the draft can go a long way.

If the Bills can find ways to replace these veteran free agents with the right players in the draft, they will be better equipped to keep the roster together for longer and maintain a competitiveness in the Brady era.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen answers a range of questions after the press conference introducing Joe Brady
Bills quarterback Josh Allen answers a range of questions after the press conference introducing Joe Brady. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.