The winds of change are blowing hard in Buffalo this offseason. With Sean McDermott out and Joe Brady stepping up from offensive coordinator to head coach, the Bills are entering a new era. Add in the arrival of Jim Leonhard as the new defensive coordinator, and it’s clear this team is headed for a serious roster shakeup.
The first signs of that transition? Expect some familiar names to be moving on. A number of key veterans-players who’ve been staples of the Bills’ locker room and identity-are likely on their way out, either via free agency or as cap casualties.
Let’s start with the free agents. Longtime defensive leaders like Matt Milano, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White are all unlikely to return.
Add in Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa, and that’s a lot of defensive firepower potentially walking out the door.
And it doesn’t stop there. Daquon Jones, Conner McGovern, David Edwards, Damar Hamlin, Cam Lewis, Shaq Thompson, Larry Ogunjobi, and Jordan Phillips are also on expiring contracts, and the odds of them returning aren’t great.
But even with that wave of departures, the Bills still find themselves around $9 million over the salary cap heading into the 2026 offseason. That means general manager Brandon Beane has some tough decisions ahead-decisions that likely include cutting ties with players still under contract. Here are three names to watch as potential cap casualties.
Curtis Samuel - WR
When the Bills signed Curtis Samuel ahead of the 2024 season, the move was billed as a versatile weapon addition-someone who could line up all over the formation and give the offense a dynamic edge. His familiarity with Beane and McDermott from their Carolina days added a layer of optimism.
But that potential never turned into production. Injuries derailed Samuel’s 2025 campaign, and even when he was on the field, he struggled to make an impact.
In two seasons with Buffalo, he totaled just 38 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns across 20 games. That’s not the kind of return you want from a player carrying a $9.5 million cap hit.
Cutting Samuel would free up over $6 million in cap space-a number that becomes hard to ignore given his limited contributions. While the idea of a multi-role playmaker was intriguing, the reality just didn’t live up to the billing.
Tyler Bass - K
Tyler Bass has been a steady presence in Buffalo for several seasons, but after missing all of 2025 with hip and groin injuries, his future with the team is in serious question. The Bills managed just fine without him, and with a $4.9 million price tag next season, it’s tough to justify keeping him on the roster.
Even before the injury, Bass had his ups and downs. He’s a career 84.5% field goal kicker-a respectable number, but one that would’ve ranked 23rd in the league last year. That’s not elite territory, and when you factor in the cost, the math just doesn’t add up.
There’s also the memory that still lingers: the missed kick in the 2023 Divisional Round against the Chiefs. It was the biggest moment of his career, and he came up short. Fair or not, moments like that can define a player’s tenure with a team.
Cutting Bass would save the Bills $2.9 million. In a cap-strapped offseason, that’s a logical move.
Taylor Rapp - S
Taylor Rapp is a solid player-versatile, experienced, and capable of contributing in a rotational role. But he played in only six games last season, and with a potential $3.1 million in cap savings on the table, the Bills may decide to move on.
The bigger picture here is what Buffalo’s doing at the safety position overall. With Poyer, Hamlin, and Darnell Savage all hitting free agency, and younger players like Wande Owens and Daryl Porter not quite ready for starting roles, the position is in flux.
That’s where new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard comes in. A former safety himself, Leonhard is likely to take a hands-on approach to rebuilding the back end of this defense. Don’t be surprised if the Bills look to bring in players who better fit his scheme and vision, which could leave Rapp as the odd man out.
The Bottom Line
This offseason is shaping up to be one of the most pivotal in recent Bills history. With a new coaching staff in place and a cap crunch looming, Buffalo is staring down some hard decisions.
Veterans will walk. Fan favorites may be cut.
But it’s all part of the process as the team looks to retool and reload for the next chapter.
Curtis Samuel, Tyler Bass, and Taylor Rapp may not be the only ones on the chopping block-but they’re three of the most likely names to be part of the roster reset. And if the Bills want to give Joe Brady and Jim Leonhard the flexibility to build this team in their image, tough calls like these are just the beginning.