Bills Mailbag: Who could be a surprise salary cap cut?
Who could be a salary cap cut for the Bills? Katherine Fitzgerald answers that and more in this week's Bills Mailbag.
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s Bills Mailbag. Jay Skurski is on vacation, so I have all the answers to your spicy questions. To the mailbag ...
Bills receiver Joshua Palmer congratulates quarterback Josh Allen, right, on a touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox against the Patriots on Dec. 14, 2025.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Kevin asks: If you could, would you move the site of the NFL combine? If so, where?
KF: I would never! I truly love Indianapolis as a host sit for the NFL combine. Now, are there other cities I enjoy visiting more? Sure. But Indy is a logistical dream, and I can’t imagine moving away from the convenience of having the stadium, the convention center (for meetings and interviews) and the hotels all separate. I remember Los Angeles and Dallas were floated a couple of years ago, and the way those cities are so spread out would take away from the tenor of the combine. I’m looking forward to heading there on Monday.
VJ Ortiz asks: Re: game management. Coach McDermott has spoken in the past of “switching over” to listen to the defensive conversations on the headset during games while his offense is on the field if he feels there is an issue that needs to be solved. McDermott has also called defensive plays as a head coach. What do you feel is gained, and what is lost, when a head coach is focused on calling plays during a game?
KF: It’s an intriguing question, with Joe Brady set to call plays for the Bills' offense in his first year as head coach. I think it’s a lot for a first-year head coach. I covered Kliff Kingsbury’s first year with the Arizona Cardinals when he called plays for the offense. I think it’s a balance. Coaches can gain confidence in calling their own plays, but they can also lose the pulse for the other side of the ball. We hear often how an NFL coach may need to be more of a CEO, meaning letting other coaches coach. That said, I think Brady can do it, but I wouldn’t judge him if he decides during the season to delegate.
The Real Radman asks: 1. Who could be a surprise salary cap cut? 2. If the Bills were to make a trade, who would be the most likely players to be traded? 3. Bills more likely to trade for defense and draft a WR, or vice versa?
KF: 1. A surprise salary-cap cut is an interesting question; I’ll get into some more likely ones later in the mailbag. But with the emphasis on surprise, I’ll go Taron Johnson. 2. I would say the most likely player to be traded is wide receiver Keon Coleman. More on that shortly as well. 3. Trade for defense and draft a wide receiver.
Leif Peterson asks: Should the Bills trade their ’26 1st for AJ Brown or stand pat and draft a WR?
Doug Forken asks: If you are Beane, do you trade Keon (Coleman), your 2026th 1st and 5th to the Jags for Bryan Thomas and their last 3rd round pick?
Gold Sabre asks: Are you drafting a WR or trading for 1?
KF: I grouped these questions for their similar themes and to build off the previous question from Real Radman. I like drafting a wide receiver over trading for A.J. Brown. As for the Coleman-Thomas trade proposal, I can see a fresh start for Coleman benefiting both the player and the teams involved. I think Coleman still has potential in this league, but he’s continuing to rebuild trust in Buffalo.
K. M. Conway asks: With the new stadium opening for the 2026 season, what should be the new hype song once Mr. Brightside is laid to rest?
KF: It’s a great question, and I received a similar one once before, without the consideration of a new stadium. Here is my previous mailbag case for “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield.
Ed Helinkski asks: In your opinion, and on a scale from 1-10 where 10 is chaos, how much cap trouble are the Bills in with a reported $29 million dead cap hit? And what might occur, besides big money player cuts, to get things under control so we’re feeling warm and fuzzy? Please make it understandable for us football jamokes!
KF: For the scale, I’ll go just a 5. Let’s start with the numbers. Going with Spotrac’s cap of $303.45 million as the NFL sorts out exact numbers, the Bills are currently sitting $15.2 million over the cap. But there’s plenty they can do, starting with the obvious. There is the warm and fuzzy nearly guaranteed move of restructuring Josh Allen’s contract. You can go ahead and assume that Beane will free up $12.1 million in that move. Look for right tackle Spencer Brown as another strong option for a restructure. I could see Dawson Knox being open to a pay cut. He loves Buffalo, but he is set to count $17.8 million against the cap this season. That’s too much without doing a little work on both sides. Cutting wide receiver Curtis Samuel could save the team more than $6 million. I also want to highlight that every year, Jay Skurki does a “GM for a day” story where he goes even more in-depth on some of these potential moves. Look for that in March ahead of free agency.
Destroyer Disciple asks: Of the Bills beat staff from The News, which one of you have what it takes to be a good pro wrestling manager? Who would be a heel or babyface? And who can cut the best tv promo?
KF: A delightful question, and I’ll start with Jay Skurski as a manager. He brings veteran experience, a calm demeanor when things are chaotic, and a hype-man mentality when hype is needed. He’s already a great manager to his star-golfer son, Elliott. While golf outfits and wrestling outfits are a little different, I think he can make the transition. I’ll put our newest Bills writer Lance Lysowski as our babyface. He comes from covering the much more tumultuous years for the Sabres, and he didn’t let that break him. For heel, I’ll say our editor, Perryn Keys, because I think this answer will make him laugh, and if not, sorry Perryn! Feel free to edit this out! As for best TV promo, I will self-importantly say myself. I have a costume box at the ready, I love a theme and I’m down for a fun little tagline.
Romeo McFlourish asks: In a WWE-style royal rumble, which current member of the Buffalo Bills would win and what would be his signature move?
KF: Switching over to the Bills for a wrestling question, although who is to say if these dedicated professional athletes could out-wrestle the member of The Buffalo News? Regardless, now that I have watched Royal Rumble highlights for an hour interspersed with Olympics coverage, I am ready to say Dion Dawkins for a few reasons. Endurance. Size. His ability to do headstands. Say Dawkins gets thrown over the rope. As long as his feet don’t touch the ground, he’s able to come back in. Dawkins often does headstands while warming up for practice. This potentially surprising nimbleness can help save himself. As for signature move? The pancake flip. First, he pancakes opposing wrestlers on the mat. Then, he picks them up, spins them in the air and throws them over the ropes.
Face of Bear asks: Are you excited for the new stadium for any reporting reasons?
KF: Thank you for asking. I am excited for the home opener to feel the palpable energy in a new place. I am interested to see how long it takes to get from press box to locker room for a quick postgame turnaround. I am nervous that I will end up with new parking attendants – I love chatting with the women who have checked me into the fieldhouse lot for the last five seasons.
Tubbyducks asks: Could they please confirm out loud they aren't trading Dion so we can be done with that discourse?
KF: I can’t make them confirm that, but my two cents are that I would be surprised if they traded Dion Dawkins. The offensive line is already changing, with coach Aaron Kromer retiring and with the possibility that neither Connor McGovern or David Edwards return in free agency. The Bills could restructure his contract if they’re worried about money, but Dawkins is extremely valuable to them on the field and in the locker room. Their three-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, Dawkins embodies Buffalo culture.
Ryan Marzurkiewicz asks: Dream (realistic) draft for the Bills - Denzel Boston, K.C. Concepcion, C.J. Allen and T.J. Parker are all available. Who do we take and why? (If there’s a none of the above answer, I’m open to it).
KF: I’m high on K.C. Concepcion, the Texas A&M wide receiver. I included him in my story on five players on offense for Bills fans to watch at the 2026 Senior Bowl last month. I did not quite make it to the Senior Bowl – the Bills promoted Brady during my layover in Atlanta, so I just turned around and flew back to Buffalo – so I missed out on watching him in live action in Mobile, but I love his versatility. I think he could be explosive in Brady’s offense.
Bills Fan Dan asks: Should the Bills seriously consider using a late-round pick for a kicker?
KF: I don’t think so. Beane was pretty adamant at the end of the season that he expects Tyler Bass to be the team’s kicker for 2026, so I think they continue to roll with Bass and wait to bring in another kicker until needed. There are enough other needs for the team as it retools the defense.
Brad Beatson asks: Do the boys still get together to play Settlers of Catan on the (regular)?
KF: It’s a little less of an offseason vibe, and more of a training camp bonding experience. So as I type, I think it’s on a bit of a pause right now. It’s also an offseason of transition for the guys that usually play – Dawson Knox has a newborn, Josh Allen has a baby on the way, and Spencer Brown has a flamethrower to keep him busy. However, there is an app that players can use to play on their phone when they’re apart. That’s a possibility for games right now, but I expect it to be back in full swing at St. John Fisher University.
Thanks for your questions. Jay, Lance and I are headed to Indianapolis for all your combine coverage, and Jay is back on the mailbag next week.