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ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 16: Offensive coordinator Joe Brady of the Buffalo Bills looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Highmark Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills have nearly $16 million worth of cap ground to make up over the course of the next few weeks before free agency begins.
There are some obvious cut candidates in the pipeline already; tight end Dawson Knox, who carries a $17.86 million cap hit in 2026, can be released to generate almost $10.5 million to help balance the books.
And Curtis Samuel feels at this point like a near certainty to hit the open market once more, as Buffalo can free up an additional $6 million by releasing the former second round pick, who has been broadly unproductive due to both injuries and middling performances since arriving as a free agent from the Washington Commanders.
But one name that has generally been omitted from cut lists is defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report believes could ultimately also see being released this spring.
Oliver managed to get on the field just four times in 2025 – three times in the regular season and once in the playoffs – with the former 9th overall pick suffering an ankle, bicep and meniscus injury over the course of the season.
Ed Oliver’s Future up in the Air in Buffalo
“Injuries destroyed the veteran’s 2025 season, and his production had already dipped in 2024. At 28, there are real questions about whether he can return to his previous level of play.” Gagnon notes.
Although the Bills save less than $2.5 million in 2026 by cutting him in the traditional fashion, if the team designate him as a post-June 1 release, that number becomes far more impactful.
“The Bills are again in a tight cap situation, and Oliver is one of the highest-priced players on the roster with a $23.9 million 2026 cap hit. If the team releases him with a post-June 1 designation, it can save $14.7 million in cap space.”
Gagnon also argues that with their having been an organizational shift since the departure of former head coach, Sean McDermott, new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard make his mark on the defense – which could see him look to move off an ostensibly declining veteran in Oliver.
“There’s a new defensive coordinator in town and Oliver is heading in the wrong direction in terms of both effectiveness and cost. The Bills will need him to restructure or they should consider moving on.”
Would it Make the Most Sense to Cut Oliver?
$14.7 million extra in cap space is certainly something the Bills would appreciate, given that it would all but eradicate the team’s cap deficit heading into March. But moving off a player that has shown himself to be one of the more dangerous 3-techniques in the league is never a light decision.
T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker – both of whom were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft – showed promise last season and look to be the future starters at the position for Buffalo, but beyond those two the team have only Oliver and 2024 third round pick, DeWayne Carter; who missed the entirety of last season with a torn Achilles; under contract.
If Leonhard and the team believe Oliver’s value to the team is diminishing and want to open up more avenues to get aggressive in free agency, the former Houston product could well end up being released in the coming month.
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
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