After letting go of several veterans and renegotiating a few contracts, the Buffalo Bills are now in the free agency market. But general manager Brandon Beane still needs to make some changes to stay under the salary cap, as the team is currently about $2.2 million over the $255.4 million cap limit. As a result, observers were taken aback when a new report connected the Bills to former San Francisco 49ers star Arik Armstead. On Wednesday, March 13, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said on X, “Keep an eye on Buffalo as a possible landing spot.”
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.
But given the 30-year-old’s history of injuries, Beane could be reluctant to bank the bank for him. In the previous two seasons, he has missed thirteen games. Plantar fasciitis and a foot fracture caused him to miss many games in 2022, according to SI. The former Oregon star was again dogged by foot issues this season.
But according to Diana Russini of The Athletic, a number of teams, including the Tennessee Titans, are interested in signing Armstead. Barrows mentioned that the Los Angeles Chargers might potentially be involved.
