LATEST: Bills’ “Indispensable” starter, projected to leave for $16 million

The Buffalo Bills will still be trying to win the Super Bowl in 2024, but they’ll appear very different in the following campaign.

The Bills are around $51 million over the salary cap limit, per OverTheCap.com. There isn’t much leeway, even though Josh Allen’s contract can be easily restructured to cut that number in half for Bills general manager Brandon Beane.

Leonard Floyd, a defensive end, is regarded as the best possibility to join the market out of the team’s 22 prospective free agents. Last summer, Buffalo signed linebacker Floyd to a one-year, $7 million contract, considering him a steal. Floyd is expected to sign a two-year, $16.2 million contract this year.

Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic stated, “The Floyd signing produced a team leader in sacks this season with 10.5 and an every-week starter.” Floyd, who is 31 years old, was one of the defense’s key players from the start and teamed with Greg Rousseau as the team’s best two pass rushers.

However, Floyd did slow down toward the conclusion of the season; in his final seven games, he had just one sack. In any case, Floyd’s length and pass-rushing knowledge make him a potentially significant factor. He declared his intention to play for a Super Bowl contender and that he would follow the money.

Floyd expressed his desire for the bag quite bluntly following the premature conclusion of the Bills’ postseason run. Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle reported that Floyd stated, “For me, I’m always going where the money goes.” “It’s unfortunate, but I would prefer to remain here. It’s an enterprise. I’m going to travel where my agency thinks we can make the most money. That also won’t originate in Buffalo.

The Bills are expected to lose more defensive ends this summer than Floyd. A.J. Epenesa, the Bills’ second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, is ranked by Buscaglia as the team’s third-best pending free agent. Epenesa is also anticipated to exercise his right to free agency due to financial limitations and his failure to meet expectations.

Epenesa is expected to sign a $11.2 million, two-year contract. For a player that is used little, that is a high number.

Epenesa has a fantastic combination of speed and strength that makes him unblockable in certain situations, but his game is still a little inconsistent, according to Buscaglia. Nevertheless, Epenesa, who is only a part-time player, enters his 26th season with 13 sacks from the previous two seasons, giving him the kind of profile that teams look for in free agency. He may receive a larger contract than what some people anticipate.