As head coach, Joe Brady, prepares for his first free agency at the Buffalo Bills’ helm, his biggest asset is also his biggest financial roadblock. With quarterback Josh Allen on a $330 million deal, how does a team chase top-tier talent? Despite some big names entering free agency this year, Brady will probably shift his focus away from them. In his latest interview, the head coach mentioned how Allen’s contract situation pushes the franchise to pick players from the draft instead of free agency.

“Just like our systems in place in the building, position group, there’s something after every season that we look and we’re like, all right, what do we have to do differently?” said Joe Brady in an interview with WGRZ-TV.

“Who do we have? What are the different pieces we can use? There’s a lot that obviously goes into it, right? When your quarterback’s making as much money as he is, you’re gonna have to build through the draft… Always look to find ways to improve in all the position groups, but I’m a receiver at heart. So, I’m always gonna want wideouts.”

The Bills are looking to sign a wide receiver who can bring the X-factor to their roster. Last season, their best WR was Khalil Shakir, who recorded 719 yards in 72 receptions, scoring four touchdowns. The second best was Keon Coleman, with four touchdowns as well, but he went for 404 yards in 38 receptions.

Compared to the top teams’ wide receivers, Shakir’s record is not that impressive. Be it the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Patriots’ Stefon Diggs, or the Rams’ Puka Nacua, all of them have over 1,000 receiving yards to their name. So, it is something Brady will be looking to improve. But Allen’s massive contract has proved to be a great hindrance to his plans.

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Since getting drafted in 2018, Allen’s consistency and over-the-top metrics have made him an elite quarterback. Being one of the top quarterbacks in the league, the Bills do not deny him the money he demands. Last year, Allen signed a six-year contract extension valued at $330 million. It made him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. Unfortunately, it also led to a capital shortage for the Bills ahead of free agency.

With star wide receivers such as Tyreek Hill and Alec Pierce entering free agency this year, Brady can get the WR he needs. But Allen’s cap hit may have diverted his plans.

However, the team can still get $12.1 million in breathing room. Josh Allen’s 2026 cap hit alone sits at $56.38 million, nearly one-fifth of Buffalo’s total cap, which is heavy no matter how you slice it. That’s where Brandon Beane can get creative. By converting Allen’s 2026 base salary into a signing bonus, the team can spread that hit across future years and soften the immediate blow.

Allen is under contract through 2030, so the Bills can keep pushing money down the road if they need flexibility now. The tradeoff, of course, comes later. His cap number dips to $53 million in 2027, jumps to $59 million in 2028, and then explodes to $86 million in 2029. For now, the move can help. Otherwise, the franchise cap hit in its entirety could also lead to future troubles.

The cap hit issue may put a halt to the Buffalo Bills’ roster development

The Buffalo Bills have received disappointing news, with only a few days remaining before free agency hits. Based on the latest reports, each franchise will receive about $303.5 million in cap space. While some franchises are within the new limit, others have overspent it. Unfortunately, the Bills happen to be one of them. Initially, the number was pretty high above the $303.5 mark. However, the franchise restructured a few contracts to come within the legal bounds.

“The #Bills remain about $6.7M over a projected $303.4M league salary cap according to our data,” reported Spotrac.

They reduced it to $6.7 million by converting Spencer Brown’s base salary of $5.9 million and roster bonus of $7.1 into a signing bonus. Similarly, the team also restructured the contracts of OL Alec Anderson and DT Phidarian Mathis. Despite that, the Bills need to further restructure contracts to come within legal bounds.

Besides the cap hit, they had also garnered a huge dead money of almost $30 million. Releasing Joey Bosa, Matt Milano, Connor McGovern, DaQuan Jones, and A.J. Epenesa led to it. So, in a lot of ways, money seems to be a major issue for the Bills. It remains to be seen how the head coach addresses the problem, and whether he can get a wide receiver that he is yearning for.