Key Bills Free Agent's Exit to Vikings Came Down to One Simple Factor

The Buffalo Bills had to make a number of difficult decisions this offseason.

Cutting bait on Ryan Van Demark was one of them, as the former swing tackle departed Buffalo after the Minnesota Vikings signed him to an offer sheet worth $4.2 million that the Bills declined to match. Van Demark had become a reliable depth option for the Bills over the years, and it was tough to see him go.

At the NFL League Meetings, Brandon Beane explained Buffalo decided to let the veteran offensive lineman walk as a restricted free agent because the money simply didn’t work. The Bills initially retained Van Demark’s rights with a $3.5 million RFA tender before the Vikings went over the top to a number that wasn't feasible for Buffalo.

“The [$3.5 million] was even a tough number for us to do,” said Beane. “And I know some people were probably like, ‘Surprised they were able to do that.’”

Beane added how, while he would have liked to keep Van Demark around, things just didn’t fit after Minnesota increased the cost to retain his services.

“We really like Vandy and are proud of his development,” added Beane. “Thought last year he took a step forward. Played, and obviously, we won some games with him at tackle. Tackles are a premium position, so we tried our best.”

Salary-cap situation

The Bills entered the offseason up against the salary cap and continue to push their financial limits. With the NFL Draft upcoming, Buffalo remains $13 million under the cap, according to Spotrac.

“Now you have to look at our cap, and we obviously spent the money on [DJ Moore] and [edge rusher Bradley Chubb] and some of these other guys,” added Beane.

Moore will be on the books for over $28.9 million for the next couple of years after the Bills made a significant trade for the former Chicago Bears wide receiver, while the Bills signed Chubb to a three-year, $43.5 million free-agent deal.

Other choices

Despite the loss of a significant contributor such as Van Demark, the Bills’ president of football operations/general manager is confident the team has in-house options capable of replacing what Van Demark brought to the table.

“We do feel like Tylan Grable, Chase Lundt, who knows what happens in the draft,” said Beane, who mentioned the team will continue to pursue veteran options in free agency. “Proud of Vandy. You don’t want to lose him, but that number was already a hard number for us. We were stretching to kind of make it work.”

With Dion Dawkins entering his age-32 season and injuries causing Spencer Brown to miss a few games here and there throughout the course of his career, the Bills’ swing tackle role is a critical one. Van Demark earned six starts over the past two seasons, and Buffalo must find a player suitable enough to replace him in 2026 and beyond.