Buffalo Bills running back Nyheim Hines (20) scores a touchdown on a kickoff return during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex)
Nyheim Hines, the Buffalo Bills’ seasoned star running back, is set to part ways with the team. The team will move on, and they intend to release him later this week,
according ESPN. In the event that a team is interested in acquiring Hines for their backfield, they are presumably indicating that they are prepared to trade him. Hines had a ruptured ACL in a jet ski accident, which kept him out of action for the whole 2023 season.
He will probably be playing for a new squad even though it is said that he intends to take legal action against the people responsible for the disaster. Midway through the 2022 season, the Colts traded Zack Moss and a conditional sixth-round selection to the Bills in exchange for Hines. The seasoned player was mostly used as a returner for the Bills, often returning a pair of kickoffs, one of which was returned during the team’s triumph against the Patriots in Week 18. Hines has caught 240 receptions for 1,778 yards and ran for 1,202 yards with 10 touchdowns.
If they release him, the Bills will be able to avoid paying the $4.66 million salary cap. The Bills’ backfield is currently vacant. This raises the question of whether the organization plans to sign another veteran in the 2018 free agency class. The Bills were opposing the cap with almost $40 million, and part of that money will be relieved with Hines’ release.
By restructuring the contract of offensive lineman Connor McGovern, they were able to free up about $3.7 million in capital. Despite this, Hines’ 2022 campaign was unforgettable as he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. The Bills only have one other running back on the roster who is under contract, thus they will need backup in the backfield. Ty Johnson, Latavius Murray, and Leonard Fournette were the three that Buffalo brought in, but they’re all headed toward free agency.
A new roster is required for Buffalo before the 2024 NFL season. In order to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs and the AFC, they will need to add some fresh players to the roster to surround Josh Allen. Given that the Bills are over the cap and that getting things done would be challenging, this will be a challenging position. The Bills can’t afford to bring back Gabe Davis and Micah Hyde, so they will likely lose them as well.
Top running backs are still widely available as free agents, but the Bills cannot afford them. When free agency rolls around, a lot of teams will be talking to players like Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Derrick Henry. To make the right acquisitions, the Bills will need to come up with a creative solution for cleaning up their cap salary problem. They can still smuggle in a one-year contract with a free agency running back, though.
The Bills will probably have to take this course of action. They may sign Alexander Mattison of Minnesota or Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers. In the event that free agency fails, the Bills have ten NFL Draft selections.
Either way, a new club will need to give the seasoned back a fresh start. In light of this, organizations could still give Hines a shot if they don’t focus too much on his injuries. He may wind up as a No. 2 running back for a contender. But if he’s lucky, one place he may end up is the Chiefs.
Another club with an empty backfield is the Giants. Following the release of Barkley and Matt Breida, they want to overhaul their rotation.
