Will the Buffalo Bills use salary cap space after June 1 to add a veteran edge?

It’s June and the Buffalo Bills are finally getting a little salary cap relief.

With cornerback Tre’Davion’s White released in March with a “after June 1st” designation, the Bills were forced to wait for cap space of approximately $10.2 million.

“You have to sign draft picks, save for replacement costs, and then it’s really less (space) than that when you cut down to your 53. Last year we had to make sure we had about $4 million (in cap space) at the end of August, beginning of September, right now, that counts in the Top 51 (players on the roster),” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said after the. NFL Draft at the end of April.

So let’s do some conservative math and assume the Bills will have at least $5 million in cap space, which is not announced at this time. Will they use that money to late sign free agents? If so, which job group will benefit?

With arguably no appetizing wide receiver options remaining on the free agent market, the Bills will likely go into training camp without any other additions to the receiving corps.

Critics say Buffalo, which signed veteran Mike Edwards and drafted Cole Bishop from Utah, could use another safety, but there’s also reason to believe the Bills have confidence in the group they’ve assembled . If an aging former star like Justin Simmons can be signed to a one-year, $5 million deal, then the Bills should make it happen. Still, it’s probably more likely that Buffalo makes a sweet deal with old friend Micah Hyde rather than signing Simmons.

At this point, I think the Bills will use the extra money to strengthen the Edge Rushers to guard against the possibility that Von Miller never returns to his All-Star form.

In 2023, Buffalo signed veteran defensive end Leonard Floyd to a one-year contract in June. Floyd, 31, tied his career high by recording 10.5 sacks and has since signed a larger contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bills’ next task is to identify this year’s Leonard Floyd. Yannick Ngakoue and former Bill Jerry Hughes remain unsigned, but there is no knowledge of Buffalo’s interest in either veteran defensive end.