Bills positioned to exploit cap-strapped teams with three sneaky free agent targets worth tracking
Brandon Beane should be paying attention.
The Buffalo Bills need to bolster their roster heading into 2026. There are a few gaping holes, one in particular at wide receiver, that just need to be addressed by the new head coach, Joe Brady.
Buffalo was close to getting to the AFC Championship game, though a bad call by the referees had Buffalo losing in heartbreak once again. I will forever say that wide receiver Brandin Cooks caught the football. The Bills could look to some other teams when free agency opens, specifically players who could be cap casualties that Buffalo could swoop in and pick up.
From offensive guard to wide receiver to defensive end, Brady and company are going to be busy this offseason. It’s going to be Super Bowl or bust as long as quarterback Josh Allen is at the helm.
Indianapolis Colts Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
It’s not the flashy name like Alec Pierce that most fans are clamoring for, but it would be a change in the wide receiving room. Getting Allen more weapons this offseason is the focus, and it could start with Pittman Jr. He has the sixth-highest cap hit, sitting at $29 million, in an offseason where his teammate is about to get a massive bag.
There’s just not enough money in the banana stand for Indianapolis, and Pittman Jr. could be a cap casualty because of it. If they released the talented pass catcher, it would save them $24 million, which would allow the Colts to take a few more big swings in free agency.
For Buffalo, they would be landing a player who has had 485 receptions and 5,254 yards with 25 touchdowns in his career. Just taking a look at his 2024 stats alone, he had 80 receptions for 784 yards and seven touchdowns. He would’ve had the most yards by a Bills receiver this season, and more touchdowns than any Bills player in 2025 had he been on the Bills.
Pittman has established himself as a versatile, reliable, and every-down receiver. He can win in the intermediate areas of the field and over the middle, something that the current receiving corps struggles with. He’s also proven that he can be a high-volume receiver and be productive with those targets, as was evident with his 109 receptions for 1,152 yards in 2023.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary
The Buffalo Bills just couldn’t get after the quarterback when it mattered most. In the divisional round against the Denver Broncos, they didn’t register a single sack. So much draft capital and free agency money had been spent trying to bolster that unit specifically, but to no avail.
We would be remiss to not mention the injuries to defensive tackle Ed Oliver and defensive end Michael Hoecht, but even then, players like defensive ends Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau were virtually invisible in the loss.
Enter Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers. He hasn’t quite lived up to the hype after signing a massive $96 million extension with the Packers, but he was able to post seven and a half sacks in both of the past two seasons, as Buffalo Down reported. To put that into perspective, he would have led all Bills defenders in sacks this season if he were a member of the team.
Green Bay has good reason to move away from Gary; whether it’s before the June 1st deadline or after, they’ll save a boatload of money by letting him walk. If they cut him at the start of the year, they would save $11 millio,n and that number would jump to $19.5 million with a post-June 1st designation. That kind of production, for a player to just walk away, Buffalo could get him on the cheap, and general manager Brandon Beane should be keeping a close eye on the situation.
Denver Broncos guard Ben Powers
The Denver Broncos are sitting pretty in terms of cap space, sitting at around $28 million according to Over The Cap. If they wanted to save even more money, they could choose to release Powers this offseason. By releasing the talented offensive lineman, the team could save around $8-$12 million in cap space and move on from an injured player with plenty of experience sitting behind him on the roster.
For Buffalo, they may be down a guard with the potential release of David Edwards. Edwards is due for a massive payday, along with Connor McGovern, and it doesn’t seem like there’s too much money left in the banana stand to keep both of them around.
If Buffalo chooses to move on from Edwards, Powers should be waiting in the wings for Buffalo to swoop up and give him a shot. Powers was only able to start in eight games for the Broncos in 2025 after starting all 17 games the previous three seasons.
He has experience both at right and left guard during his tenure, and you know how the Bills feel about versatile offensive linemen. Even with the new regime, they’d love to get Powers.
The reality is this: the Bills don’t have the luxury of sitting on their hands this offseason. With Allen in his prime, and the AFC only getting tougher, Buffalo has to be aggressive and smart in how it reshapes this roster.
Cap casualties like Pittman Jr., Gary, and Powers represent the exact type of calculated swings general manager Brandon Beane should be monitoring. They’re proven veterans with real production, and none would require the kind of draft capital that could mortage the future.
If they shake free, Buffalo has to be ready to strike. 2026 isn’t about staying competitive; it’s about finishing the job.
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