Tender ERFA Quintin Morris
Terms: One year, $985K
Morris has been a core special teams player over the last two seasons and provides excellent depth. The exclusive rights free-agent tender is a locked-in minimum amount the player must sign. This is an easy call.
Cap room after the move: $12.17 million
(No. 192 removed from top 51)
Re-sign DT DaQuan Jones
Terms: One year, $6 million
Jones is the perfect blend of being an essential defensive piece to the Bills in 2024 while still being cost-effective. Jones is 32 and coming off a long-term injury, which should drive his price down. He thrived in the Bills’ defensive scheme, and knowing how well it worked last year, it could set him up for another chance to get paid next offseason. Of all the re-signing options, Jones is easily the most important for next season. The defensive tackles room is bare without a starting option at one technique. And by all of the Bills’ roster chopping, they don’t need to use any void years to get this done.
Cap room after the move: $7.05 million
(No. 162 removed from top 51)
Re-sign DB Cam Lewis
Terms: Two years, $5 million ($1.75 million guaranteed)
Lewis became one of their best special teams players and has developed nicely into a backup nickel corner and safety option. Having that functionality is reason alone to get him signed past 2024. Putting him in place gives them a possible starting option at free safety if things don’t go well in free agency or the draft. But the best-case scenario is his being the ultimate backup defensive back in 2024. His contract is essentially just a one-year deal juiced up to two in case he becomes an indispensable piece.
Cam Lewis mock offseason contract
| YEAR | BASE SALARY | SIGNING BONUS | ROSTER BONUS | WORKOUT BONUS | CAP HITS | DEAD CAP | CAP SAVINGS IF CUT |
|---|
| 2024 | $1,125,000 | $875,000 | $0 | $0 | $2,000,000 | $1,750,000 | $250,000 |
| 2025 | $1,975,000 | $875,000 | $0 | $150,000 | $3,000,000 | $875,000 | $2,125,000 |
| TOTALS | $3,100,000 | $1,750,000 | $0 | $150,000 | $5,000,000 | $2,625,000 | |
Cap room after the move: $5.94 million
(No. 159 removed from top 51)
Re-sign WR Trent Sherfield
Terms: One year, $1.28 million ($65K signing bonus, $1.05M cap hit due to veteran salary benefit)
Sherfield didn’t live up to a strong spring and preseason during the regular season, but he played all three positions, played special teams and quickly became a presence in the locker room. He also grew pretty close to top receiver Stefon Diggs, so bringing back Sherfield, even if just for the spring and summer and trying to get him back to the practice squad, could be quite meaningful to the wide receivers unit. If he does make the team, ideally, he would be its fifth, sixth or seventh receiver.
Cap room after the move: $5.78 million
(No. 143 removed from top 51)
Re-sign QB Kyle Allen
Terms: One year, $1.22 million ($20K signing bonus, $995K cap hit due to veteran salary benefit)
Don’t rule out a Kyle Allen return just because Trubisky is back. Allen might wind up becoming the Bills’ new
Matt Barkley with how close he is to Josh Allen. This is a deal intended to get him to the practice squad in 2024.
Cap room after the move: $5.71 million
(CB Ja’Marcus Ingram removed from top 51)
Allow Gabe Davis, A.J. Epenesa, Leonard Floyd, Tyrel Dodson to leave via free agency
The decision to move on from these four players is rooted in a cap space issue and the need to get younger and cheaper at their positions. Plus, the Bills could be in line for one to three compensatory picks in 2025 with how much attention Davis, Epenesa and Floyd could get.
Moves when unrestricted free agency begins March 13
Sign FS Geno Stone
Terms: Four years, $31 million ($13.75 million guaranteed)
The amount of cap space it has opened up, specifically without touching either the Miller or Diggs contracts, will afford Buffalo two to three medium-sized swings. It’s the same story as last offseason, when the Bills went for
Connor McGovern, Leonard Floyd, Jordan Poyer and Deonte Harty as their biggest business in the open market. We’ve got Jones as one so far, but the most significant contract they’ll strike in this mock offseason belongs to former
Baltimore Ravens safety
Geno Stone.
At the safety position, the Bills aren’t scared off by players who might lack athleticism compared with others in the league. They prefer instincts and ball skills over everything else. And despite lacking the foot speed some other safeties have, Stone has instincts that have helped him be an excellent starter for one of the league’s best defenses last season. Those instincts, plus his ball skills, helped him to seven interceptions in the regular season. Stone was a Day 3 pick out of Iowa who had to work his way up to earn respect with his team, let alone the league. Then, even after a great season in the
NFL, he’s still being overlooked in free agency. Sound familiar at all?
The Bills struck gold in 2017 when they signed then-26-year-old
Micah Hyde, their eventual long-term free safety, who signed for a modest amount before thriving in the Bills system in that season and beyond. Stone, who turns 25 in April and would slot in as their free safety, could be their next modest swing who could yield big results in a safety-friendly system. The deal would land Stone in the top 15 in average annual value at his position but looks much better over time if he takes to the scheme well. The contract contains a low 2024 cap hit and has an out after 2025, but if the Bills are looking for potential impact on a budget and a way to make their dollars go the farthest, Stone is a fantastic option who is just entering his prime. And they wouldn’t have to rely on an inexperienced player at free safety.
Geno Stone mock offseason contract
| YEAR | BASE SALARY | SIGNING BONUS | ROSTER BONUS | WORKOUT BONUS | GUARANTEED $ BY YEAR | CAP HIT | DEAD CAP | CAP SAVINGS IF CUT |
|---|
| 2024 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | | | $10,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $13,750,000 | -$9,750,000 |
| 2025 | $3,750,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $250,000 | $3,750,000 | $7,000,000 | $9,750,000 | -$2,750,000 |
| 2026 | $5,750,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $250,000 | $0 | $9,500,000 | $4,000,000 | $5,500,000 |
| 2027 | $6,750,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $250,000 | $0 | $10,500,000 | $2,000,000 | $8,500,000 |
| TOTALS | $18,250,000 | $8,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $750,000 | $13,750,000 | $31,000,000 | | |
Cap room after the move: $2.63 million
(OL Alec Anderson removed from top 51)
Sign CB Levi Wallace
Terms: One year, $2 million ($1 million guaranteed)
With
Dane Jackson as a free agent who could do better on the open market than expected and White no longer with the team, the Bills have an opening for a veteran cornerback to compete with
Kaiir Elam for top backup duties. The Bills love going with a player they know fits their scheme, and with Wallace’s only turning 29 in June, they know exactly what they’re getting on the field and in the locker room. Coach Sean McDermott loves Wallace, and having the cornerback work with
Christian Benford and Elam would be an ideal solution after the Bills jettisoned so many veteran defensive backs from the team this offseason. Wallace’s deal likely would fall well below the qualifying 2025 compensatory formula contract line.
Cap room after the move: $1.55 million
(DE Kameron Cline removed from top 51)
Sign DT Maurice Hurst
Terms: One year, $1.75 million (Fully guaranteed)
Due to other more pressing needs, the Bills likely won’t be able to find a player in the draft late to be a good rotational three-technique for the 2024 season. That leaves it to free agency, and Hurst is a compelling fit for that role. He’s slightly undersized but plays bigger than his weight and is at his best getting upfield. He should work well in a 25 percent to 35 percent role behind
Ed Oliver.
Cap room after the move: $717K
(OT Ryan Van Demark removed from top 51)
Sign RB A.J. Dillon
Terms: One year, $2 million ($1.625 million guaranteed)
Without Hines on the roster, the depth chart contains
James Cook and
Darrynton Evans. The Bills will likely want another veteran runner with more power to his game, which could pave the way for Dillon to be in a small role this season. At 247 pounds with some pass-catching ability, Dillon would be the ideal short-yardage back who would keep things slightly unpredictable on offense. With the running backs market expected to take a nosedive this free agency, the Bills can get him on a good deal. Dillon, like Wallace and Hurst, would sign well below the projected qualifying 2025 compensatory formula contract line, which was at $2.5 million last year. If not Dillon,
Alexander Mattison could be another cheap option.
Cap room after the move: -$298K
(QB Kyle Allen removed from top 51)
Coming soon: Part 2 — 2024 Bills mock offseason draft and post-draft signings
Spoiler: It’s important to remember that their free agency acquisitions likely won’t be done before the 2024 NFL Draft. See you all for Part 2.
theathletic.com
Kyle Allen
Ty Johnson
Latavius Murray
Damien Harris
Nyheim Hines
Gabriel Davis
Trent Sherfield
Deonte Harty
Quintin Morris (ERFA)
Mitch Morse
Leonard Floyd
A.J. Epenesa
Shaq Lawson
DaQuan Jones
Jordan Phillips
Tim Settle
Poona Ford
Linval Joseph
Tyrel Dodson
Tyler Matakevich
A.J. Klein
Tre'Davious White
Dane Jackson
Cam Lewis
Siran Neal
Micah Hyde
Jordan Poyer