Bills free agent pitch adds projected $70 million star to bolster defense

In their quest to finally get over the hump and win a Super Bowl, the Buffalo Bills have some needs to address this offseason, and that includes edge rusher.

The Bills finished with just 39 sacks last season, which ranked tied for 18th in the NFL. Furthermore, veteran Von Miller is a possible cap casualty this offseason. Cutting him would save the Bills a whopping $17 million in cap space.

With all that in mind, Jon Santucci of the Treasure Coast Palm thinks the Bills could make a play for Los Angeles Chargers star edge rusher and pending free agent, Khalil Mack.

"A return to the city where Mack played his college football? Why not," Santucci said. "It’s probably a long shot considering Buffalo’s salary cap issues, but it fits for both sides. Buffalo needs edge rusher depth, it’s a true contender and the Bills like to rotate their edge rusher so Mack could stay fresher throughout the season."

Santucci hits the nail on the head for why the Bills may not be able to bring Mack in and, you guessed it, it has to do with their poor cap space situation.

Per Over the Cap, the Bills are $10.2 million over the threshold right now. Adding to that, general manager Brandon Beane has made it clear he wouldn't expect major splashes in free agency because of that.

Dec 1, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) celebrates with fans after a victory over the Atlanta Falcons | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"We won't be in as deep of a cap hole," Beane said. "Now, we also had some numbers that were easier to move off of last year… I don't think we have as many of those options, but we're okay. We also have to remember we've got guys that are coming up on extensions... I don't expect us to be, as I said here a year ago, big spenders in free agency or anything like that."

Spotrac projects Mack to receive a three-year, $70.9 million deal in free agency. If he does command that much, the Bills have no chance to land him on the open market.

But we tend to believe Mack's deal will ultimately come in lower and shorter than that. After all, he's 34 years old and is coming off a season that saw him tally his lowest sack and pressure totals since his rookie campaign if you remove 2021, when he played in just seven games due to injury.

Mack will likely have interest in going to the Bills because they're a legit contender, but he might have to make concessions and take less if he really wants to go to Buffalo.

Unfortunately, as fun as it would be to see Mack going back to where he played his college ball, we think it's more likely than not he ends up somewhere else in 2025.

Dec 8, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) scrambles against Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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