As AC/DC once said, money talks. That may be the case in Western New York, but the conversation is hardly above a whisper for the Buffalo Bills.
Sitting more than $51 million over the salary cap, the Bills might be forced to say goodbye to some of the prominent faces from their recent run of prosperity. Of the 10 free-agents-to-be that would "demand the most attention," pass rusher Leonard Floyd would top the list according to a ranking that Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic determined through "potential league-wide interest."
"Even at 31 years old, Floyd became an indispensable piece of the defense early and paired with Greg Rousseau as the top two pass rushers on the roster," Buscaglia writes. "Floyd did slow down near the end of the season, though, as he had only one sack over his last seven games."
"Regardless, Floyd can be an impact player with his length and pass-rushing awareness. He said he would follow the money and wanted to play for a Super Bowl contender."
Floyd isn't exactly the Orchard Park staple that other free agents are (i.e. Gabriel Davis, Micah Hyde) but he nonetheless proved his worth after signing a $7 million deal in early June. A Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams, Floyd picked up at least nine sacks for the fourth consecutive season. Buffalo was able to add Floyd to the fold at a relatively low price and, as Buscaglia noted, obtaining his services proved particularly clutch when Von Miller's injuries proved lasting.
This time around, however, Floyd more than likely isn't lingering on the ledger until June, even at his relatively advanced age. With that in mind, Buffalo would be wise to partly base their offseason blueprint around the pass rush, a group that put up 54 sacks to place fourth in the NFL.
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