Cap Analysis: Bills
Buffalo Bills
Trending: Flat →
2015 was the first full year of the Pegula’s ownership. The team kept general manager Doug Whaley, and hired coach Rex Ryan. The team signed Tyrod Taylor to be the starter, keeping former first-round pick E.J. Manuel on the bench. Taylor performed well, but the team finished 8-8, losing twice to the Patriots, but beat the Dolphins & Jets four times.
Projected 2016 Team Salary: $146.7M (not including escalators and not likely to be earned incentives)
Projected 2016 Cap Room: ~$13M (~$155.27M Estimate; ~$3.9M Rollover)
Situation: Weak
The Bills have very little cap space – they released Mario Williams to help free up the very little space they have. They are working on re-signing Richie Incognito, and they need to work on an extension for Tyrod Taylor – presuming they decide he’s the answer beyond 2016.
Notable Free Agents:
Mario Williams was a disappointment in Rex Ryan’s defense and was released (headed to Miami). Leodis McKelvin is headed to Philadelphia, and Percy Harvin may be done with football all together.
Top Projected Cap Hits:
This is a fairly long list, and it doesn’t include Tyrod Taylor, who will undoubtedly be appearing on it in the near future.
Cap Casualty Watch List:
Extension Watch List:
While Tyrod Taylor certainly showed signs of promise last season, the Bills are being smart and waiting to see how Taylor plays in 2016 (or at least the first half) before making a decision on a contract extension for Taylor. Remember, Taylor hadn’t started a game since when he was in college when he opened the season last year as the Bill’s QB1.
Position Needs:
Defensive line, wide receiver, and linebacker.
Sleeper Watch:
I think Robert Woods is going to have a tremendous season.
Matt Papson (@RealitySportsMP) formerly worked in football administration for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the President, co-founder and creator of Reality Sports Online, a fantasy front office platform that enables fantasy owners to build and manage their fantasy team like a professional sports general manager. The Reality Sports Online platform has been featured in Fortune, on Bloomberg TV, and was the 2012 Fantasy Sports Trade Association Rookie of the Year.
Sources: Spotrac, Pro-Football Reference, and Rotoworld
