The Buffalo Bills Have Released Two Starting Players

It's a very unique offseason around the NFL. That's because the salary cap is not going up the way it normally does every year, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many games to be fanless and the rest to have limited capacity.

As a result, teams are trying to find ways to get below the salary cap or create enough room under the salary cap to improve their rosters. On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills were one of those teams.

The Bills announced that they have released both wide receiver John Brown and defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.

Also, defensive lineman Vernon Butler has taken a pay cut to stay with the Bills. Releasing Brown and Jefferson will save the Bills roughly $13 million in cap space, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia.

With the cap dropping dramatically in 2021, many teams around the NFL have released starting players to make room. You're likely to see a lot of short-term deals for free agents next week. The free agency period begins on March 17th. The NFL salary cap this year is $182.5 million.

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We will see what other moves general manager Brandon Beane makes in the coming days, and just how active he is in free agency. The Bills could really use pass-rushing help, along with offensive line depth and a tight end. Now that Brown is gone, a fast receiver might be on the wish list, too. However, there won't be as much money to spend as in previous years.