Jettisoning a team captain and still-productive playmaker like Poyer is a tough pill to swallow, but not unsurprising given the veteran’s cap figure and the club’s need to get younger and cheaper on that side of the football.
Morse is a slightly more surprising release, given his sturdy play in front of quarterback Josh Allen. Morse started 77 games in Buffalo over five seasons, earning a Pro Bowl in 2022. While not the best run blocker, Morse remains one of the better pass-protecting centers in the NFL. Turning 32 in April, Morse was due $8.5 million in salary this season, which Buffalo will save on the cap in his release. Morse’s release comes after the Bills agreed to trade backup interior lineman Ryan Bates to Chicago earlier this week.
The Bills plan to move left guard Connor McGovern to center, and backup David Edwards, who inked an extension, is in line to take over a starting guard spot.
Releasing Neal saves the Bills $2.88 million on the cap, while cutting Harty and Hines saves $4.315 million and about $4.6 million, respectively.
Entering the day, the Bills were roughly $32.5 million over the salary cap, per Over The Cap. All clubs must be in compliance before the new league year opens on March 13.
First appeared on www.nfl.com