How Bills Will Urgently Free Up $32m in Cap Space to Complete DJ Moore Trade

The Buffalo Bills agreed to a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire DJ Moore, but now they need to free up cap space.

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore runs after the catch against the Green Bay Packers. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

In need of wide receiver help, the Buffalo Bills sent a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick.

Moore is instantly the most accomplished receiver on Buffalo's roster, but not everyone believes the trade was a wise move. Moore had his least effective season in 2025, with a personal low of 50 receptions and 682 yards.

Despite that output, he joins the Bills with a cap hit of $24.5 million after signing a four-year, $110 million extension with the Bears in 2024. With his salary on the books, the Bills are nearly $32 million in the red, according to Over The Cap. They must get under the cap by Wednesday, but as the Bills Chat Podcast highlights, they can do that rather easily.

They broke down how $21.5 million can come from three simple moves. Restructuring Josh Allen would free up $12.5 million, while another $9 million can be freed up by releasing safety Taylor Rapp and wide receiver Curtis Samuel. From there, they can restructure left tackle Dion Dawkins, which would create another $11.373 million.

According to OVERTHECAP, the Bills need to free up $32 million in cap space by Wednesday to push through the DJ Moore trade.

Some moves you can expect

Josh Allen restructure: $12.5 M
Taylor Rapp release: $3 Mil
Curtis Samuel release: $6 Mil

Other considerations below

— Bills Chat Podcast (@BillsChatPod) March 6, 2026

Those four moves would give them enough space to cover Moore's salary, but the Bills will want to do even more. General manager Brandon Beane must find a way to be active in free agency, which means he needs to create even more room.

Bills' options for salary cap relief

Bills tight end Dawson Knox races into the end zone to score the opening touchdown against the Jets. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are other moves the Bills can make to free up space, with Dawson Knox standing out as an option. Knox has a cap hit of more than $17 million, which needs to be addressed. He's still a contributor, so releasing him is unlikely, but the Bills can save $6.9 million by restructuring his contract. An extension is also likely, which Over The Cap estimates can open up $8.288 million.

Restructuring wide receiver Joshua Palmer can free up another $6.5 million, and doing the same with defensive tackle Ed Oliver would give them $8.8 million in relief. Beane can also work on Moore's contract with restructuring or an extension, both on the table.

Barring a move with Moore's deal, it's likely the Bills won't be big players in free agency. They can target some mid-tier players, but their big offseason splash is likely already done with the move for Moore. The question now is whether that will be enough.

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