Bills releasing Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, Mitch Morse

BUFFALO, NY — Changes are coming to Buffalo.

He Bills made a series of moves Wednesday to help the team get under the salary cap, including releasing key longtime starters who have been with the team since Sean McDermott became head coach in 2017, after reach the day with more than $40 million over the salary cap. .

Among the released players is the cornerback Tre’Davious Whitea source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the safety Jordan Poyer and center mitch morse.

Buffalo also released wide receiver Deonte Harty and special teams player Siran Neal.

Outside of White, Bills’ recent moves, including releasing running back Nyheim Hines, will save the team $25.96 million. White will be designated as released after June 1, saving the team $10.2 million in cap space with $6.2 million in dead money. The 2019 All-Pro cornerback continues to rehab from a torn right Achilles tendon, but can sign with a team when free agency opens next week.

The moves mark the end of an era in Buffalo with two captains, Poyer and Morse, leaving the team in addition to White, who was the first draft pick selected after McDermott became coach.

Whether White, 29, would be a salary cap casualty was one of the big questions of the Bills’ offseason because of the need to create cap space. White has dealt with unfortunate circumstances, tore his left ACL on Thanksgiving Day 2021, returned for six regular season games and two playoff games in 2022, and then tore his Achilles tendon four games in. 2023.

Before the injuries, the 2017 first-round pick and two-time Pro Bowl selection missed just three games in his NFL career and had never had major surgery. He has 18 interceptions, 68 passes defensed, 311 tackles and 5 forced fumbles in his career. He tied the NFL lead with six interceptions in 2019, when he was a first-team All-Pro selection.

Poyer, 32, re-signed with the Bills last offseason on a two-year deal after exploring his free agency options. He initially signed with Buffalo in 2017 and was paired with safety. Micah Hydewho also signed with the team in 2017, in high school for the last seven seasons.

The move with Poyer marks the end of the safety duo that has started the most games together since 2017 (92) according to Elias Sports Bureau, with Hyde, who will become a free agent next week, considering retirement, and establishes a new Buffalo defensive image in 2024.

Poyer started 16 regular season games in 2023 after dealing with a variety of injuries during the 2022 season. He was originally drafted in 2013 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round out of Oregon State. He was part of the 2013 and 2014-2016 seasons with the cleveland browns.

He has 24 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, 12 sacks, 9 forced fumbles and 806 tackles in 11 NFL seasons. Between 2021 and 2022, Poyer led in passer rating allowed as the closest defender in coverage with a minimum of 50 targets, allowing opponents to complete 49% of passes. Last season, Poyer’s numbers dropped significantly in coverage, allowing opponents to complete 73% of his passes.

Morse, who had one year left on his contract, had expressed his desire to stay with the Bills. Morse, 31, Buffalo’s starting center since 2019, has served as a key locker room presence and anchor of the offensive line he saw jose alen He leaves the 2023 season with the fewest sacks of his career (24).

Since 2019, Morse ranks second on the team in pass block win rate (94.6%). He played the first four years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. Last year’s starting left guard, Connor McGovernHe is expected to take over the center role next season, a source told ESPN.

Neal was a key special teams player and backup in Buffalo’s secondary. A 2018 fifth-round pick by the Bills, he had one year left on a three-year contract. Releasing him saves less than $3 million.

Harty was only with the Bills for one season and will be remembered in Buffalo for his 96-yard punt return that changed the end of the Bills’ regular season against the Dolphins in the AFC East clincher in Week 18.

As part of cap-clearing moves, the Bills restructured the pass rusher’s contract. Von Miller, who entered the day with the third-highest cap hit on the roster. By doing so, the team saved $8.645 million in 2024 cap space, ESPN’s Field Yates reported.

If he meets all of his incentives, Miller would earn $2.5 million more next season than he was scheduled to receive. His 2024 deal now has a base value of $8.855 million, with the ability to earn up to $20 million with incentives. Miller now has a base salary of $1.5 million (up from $17.145 million), a guaranteed roster bonus of $7 million, plus $11.15 million available through incentives.

The previous version of his contract included $10.71 million guaranteed and no incentives. Remaining in the contract are $255,000 in per-game roster bonuses and a $100,000 offseason roster bonus.

Miller, who turns 35 on March 26, had no sacks in 12 games last season as he continued to recover from a torn right ACL he suffered on Thanksgiving Day 2022.

Miller remains under investigation for assault allegations in Dallas stemming from an alleged incident with his pregnant girlfriend in November.

The Bills also reached an agreement with safety Taylor Rapp on a three-year deal worth up to $14.5 million, a source told Schefter.

Rapp, 26, had 50 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery in his first season with the Bills in 2023 after playing four years with the Rams.

With Poyer’s release, Rapp would currently be in line to start for the Bills. The team will address the position in free agency and/or the draft, especially with the Bills projected to have 11 picks once compensatory picks are added.

Damar Hamlin and Kendall Williamson They are the only other absolute insurance under contract.

Buffalo also plans to restructure cornerback Rasul Douglas‘ deal to save about $2.5 million more against the cap, a source told Schefter. Douglas was acquired just before the 2023 trade deadline from the Green Bay Packers and without White, he’s in line to start alongside the third-year cornerback. Christian Benford.

The team also re-signed the point guard David Edwards to a two-year extension and rehired the punter Matt Haack to a one-year contract to compete with the punter Sam Martin.