Bills Have Some Wiggle Room With Current Salary Cap Situation Entering Camp

Buffalo isn’t strapped for cash heading into the summer months, but the team isn’t necessarily “rolling in the dough,” either. There are, however, enough funds available to make things interesting for the front office as training camp approaches.

Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane keeps an eye on the action on the field during the second day of the team's training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, on Monday, July 25, 2022. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Like the famous quote from the former television show Arrested Development goes, “There’s always money in the banana stand.”

And, for Bills’ President of Football Operations and General Manager Brandon Beane, that saying is quite relevant for this time of the year on the NFL calendar as fans eagerly await the start of training camp with the dog days of summer dwindling down toward the latter portions of July.

Football is almost back, Bills fans: rejoice.

Former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who is now the team's head coach, calls out a player during drills on the opening day of the team's training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bills’ training camp opens up in less than two weeks

The team’s first scheduled practice for the summer is slated for 8:30 a.m. ET on July 29 at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York.

Rookies report to the facilities on July 21, while veterans do so on July 28.

That first session will be one of only seven training camp practices scheduled to take place at the private university in the Finger Lakes region before the team also has two other practices open to the public down the road at their new home in Orchard Park, New York.

Jul 27, 2017; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills fans arrive for the first training camp session of the year at St. John Fisher University. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tickets for those practices at the university were made available via lottery system.

Meanwhile, the two other practices on tap for fans at the brand new state-of-the-art Highmark Stadium are as follows: one for season-ticket holders only on Saturday, August 8 at 7 p.m. ET for the franchise’s annual “Return of the Blue and Red” intrasquad scrimmage, and one on Tuesday, August 18 at 8:30 a.m. ET that is open to everyone.

Tickets for the second practice for fans at the Bills’ new home venue will be made available on Ticketmaster at 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 21. There is a limit of four tickets per complimentary purchase.

More regarding that stipulation, as well as parking information, can be found on the team’s official website.

A group of people taking a media tour is led inside the new Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Training camp means football is back, but will the front office be active?

With that all said, when the pads do eventually start popping for the players this summer, there will undoubtedly be injuries that follow.

So, when that unfortunate situation does arise, Brandon Beane and his fellow members of the front office, particularly the pro scouting department, will have to replenish the roster.

Also, you never know, Beane could always find an unexpected trade out there that is too good to pass up.

I’m of the belief that the Bills should bring back veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks before training camp, despite what others might think, and there is no denying that the team’s depth at linebacker and cornerback are questionable at best.

Buffalo Bills veteran defensive back Christian Benford (left) talks with fellow cornerback Maxwell Hairston (right) in between drills during Day Five of the team's training camp on Monday, July 28, 2025 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

And, even if everything does appear to be hunky-dory for first-year head coach Joe Brady’s squad to start camp: there will be some tinkering made.

But, does Beane actually have any paper—you know, cold hard cash—to actually facilitate any of these roster pipe dreams I’m spewing?

Buffalo’s current cap situation as team heads toward training camp

Well, yes and no.

While the longtime front-office member in Western New York doesn’t have a ton of cap space to work with, there is at least a little wiggle room to make things happen in terms of future roster manipulation if he feels the need to.

Jul 23, 2025; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who is also now the team's president of football operations, stands on the field during training camp practice at St. John Fisher University last summer. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Over the Cap, in spite of having $46.2 million in dead money, Buffalo has around $9.68 million in available cap space, which is ranked 24th-most—or ninth-worst, depending on how someone wants to view it—in the NFL.

Meanwhile, according to Spotrac, the team has $10.04 million in available cap space when factoring in the top-51 salaries on the roster.

So, needless to say, Beane can make a move if he so chooses

Perhaps at wide receiver?

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Former Buffalo Bills veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) catches a pass | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What players might Beane bring in for Buffalo?

Well, I guess we’ll have to see about that. I probably wouldn’t hold my breath, though.

But, keeping that in mind, if the Bills were to make a somewhat significant addition to the roster this offseason—outside of bringing Cooks back to Buffalo—then I have two other players that fans should keep an eye on.

They’re not flashy, but they’re familiar.

Beane needs to give either linebacker Shaq Thompson or cornerback Tre’Davious White a ring on their phone before camp opens.

Former Buffalo Bills veteran cornerback Tre'Davious White celebrates his game-sealing interception against the New England Patriots at the old Highmark Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Injuries will probably start piling up sooner rather than later, so he’d be wise to be proactive rather than reactive.

We’ll see soon enough. Hold tight, Bills Mafia.

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