The Buffalo Bills, who have dismissed a number of veterans and restructured multiple contracts, are now engaged in free agency. To be cap-compliant, general manager of the Buffalo Bills Brandon Beane still needs to complete some tasks.
The Bills are about $2.2 million over the $255.4 million cap maximum, per OvertheCap.com. Analysts took a second look after a recent story connected the Bills to former 49ers star Arik Armstead.
“Keep an eye on Buffalo as a possible landing spot,” The Athletic’s Matt Barrows wrote on X following the Niners’ formal release of Armstead on Wednesday, March 13.
“I mean, he’s an F’ing monster, I just didn’t think we could afford him (still really don’t),” wrote Cover 1 presenter Greg Tompsett on social media.
Given the Bills’ present financial situation, it’s difficult to predict what type of aggressive offer they might make. With one year remaining on his five-year, $85 million contract, the former first-round selection from the 2015 NFL draft was still active in 2020. But the only reason Armstead, the player with the longest contract in San Francisco, is available is because he declined a wage reduction.
“The 49ers approached Arik Armstead about accepting a significant pay cut from his scheduled salary of $17.41 million,” wrote Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on March 10. The 49ers are scheduled to release him and he will become a free agent because he declined.
The 49ers avoid $10.31 million in dead money while saving $18 million in cap space for 2024 with a post-June 1 release. Regarding the few vacant years still on Armstead’s deal, Niners Nation stated that “the team will eat $15.4 million over the next three years.” They will, however, save about $26 million in cap space.
If the Bills were to sign the 6-foot-7, 290-pound interior lineman, it would be a major splash. Beane is probably drawn to Armstead’s six tackles and one sack from the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season, he totaled 27 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, and 5 sacks in 12 regular season games.
