Welcome to the 2009 BillsZone Cap Page. If you have questions, please refer to the BillsZone Salary Cap Forum for explanations of the chart below.

Do the Buffalo Bills telephones work?

Does the Bills' waiver wire actually work?

Can the Buffalo brass read the internet or newspapers?

It’s amazing the Bills were able to win six games with this offense. The front five was about as bad as it gets. Rookie guard Andy Levitre improved throughout the season but never generated consistent power. Before his gruesome leg injury, RG Eric Wood was working his tail off just to survive. In pass protection, none of Buffalo’s tackles looked worthy of an N.F.L. roster spot – let alone a starting job.

The Buffalo Bills agreed to terms with free agent offensive tackle Cornell Green on March 8th, signing him to a three-year, $9 million contract. Although not a splashy maneuver, the decision to bring in Green helps beef up an offensive line that had plenty of issues in 2009 and was especially thin at the tackle position.

Two warnings right up front:  This is my opinion, my opinion only.  It is based upon watching many games last fall, the Senior Bowl game and the workouts, and the NFL Combine.

To date, the Buffalo Bills have brought three free agents through the doors of One Bills Drive on official visits with the team. Of those three players, just one has signed with Buffalo. The other two have found greener pastures elsewhere.

For the Buffalo Bills, the 2010 NFL Draft is a very important one. The Bills are entering a new regime, with a new GM, Buddy Nix, and a new head coach in Chan Gailey. Their roster in shambles, with very little depth, Buffalo needs to make the most out of the draft this year if they hope to compete in the highly talented AFC East division.

Free agent defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy said Friday he's looking for a chance to start with the Buffalo Bills.

I've written on previous articles that I wouldn't be harsh on the Buffalo Bills for not being active during free agency. Now, there are some free agents that I wouldn't have minded the Bills going after. However, like I've said all along, you have to build your team from within the draft.

Every year, one of the more popular pre-draft features here at Buffalo Rumblings is when we run down the top five NFL Draft prospects that would be considered "best fits" for the Buffalo Bills. "Best fit" is a broad term; usually, it applies schematically, but we also attempt to fit character, intangibles, work ethic and potential into the equation as well.

A week ago this morning, the NFL's free agent signing period was already several hours underway for the 2010 league year. We knew entering the new year that the Buffalo Bills, under the direction of new GM Buddy Nix and new head coach Chan Gailey, would not be overly active, attempting to stay patient and fill holes frugally while waiting to make their big off-season acquisitions via next month's NFL Draft.

immy Kennedy played with former Bill Pat Williams in Minnesota last season. Kennedy said in ever city he's played in, they've asked him to learn every position on the defensive line. He has played in both a 4-3 and 3-4 scheme with St.Louis, Jacksonville, Chicago and the Vikings. In 13 games he had three sacks from the inside. If he signs with the Bills, he will want a big opportunity to start.

A week ago this morning, the NFL's free agent signing period was already several hours underway for the 2010 league year. We knew entering the new year that the Buffalo Bills, under the direction of new GM Buddy Nix and new head coach Chan Gailey, would not be overly active, attempting to stay patient and fill holes frugally while waiting to make their big off-season acquisitions via next month's NFL Draft.

Back in the 2004 National Football League Draft then Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Donahoe set out to get a quarterback of the future.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams(notes) blamed a trainer on his former team, the Buffalo Bills, for getting him involved with StarCaps, the over-the-counter diuretic that contains a banned substance. He said in the case Wednesday that the trainer told him that "everything was legal" with StarCaps, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Terrell Owens was brought to Buffalo last off-season in attempt to both draw interest from fans, and passes from Bills quarterbacks in 2009. He succeeded in the way that he led the team in receiving, but fell way short of turning the team into a contender. Buffalo failed to clear up their issues, and even created a few more along the way to a 6-10 season, and will be an unknown quantity in 2010.

Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who was a key part of the Vikings' defensive line rotation last season, has a free-agent visit scheduled with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

Free agent tight end Joe Klopfenstein re-signed with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday to an undisclosed contract.

Deana Good of Cheektowaga had a memorable morning as her two excited kids met Bills linebacker and team captain Paul Posluszny at their home, and then took him to their school on Wednesday.   

The Bills have re-signed tight end Joe Klopfenstein, who appeared in one game for Buffalo last season.  He made one catch in the season finale against the Colts.  Klopfenstein was signed twice by the Bills last season. 

Credit free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens with living up to his promise to be a model citizen while he was a member of the Buffalo Bills. He did almost everything possible to fly under the radar in hopes of landing one last big contract, ideally on a winning organization. The one thing he didn’t do however was catch the football.

He calls himself a career underdog and to know his story is to appreciate why. At various points in his life, Gibran Hamdan has been a Japanese-trained baseball lover growing up in Kuwait, an amazed preteen who saw American kids tossing around a football and wondered “What is that?” and a Gulf War refugee.

(This was originally run on February 17. At the time we were profiling potential free agents that would fit in with the Buffalo Bills. With news that Jimmy Kennedy is visiting with the Bills today, we’re re-running his profile)

NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan recently posted his latest mock draft and for once someone doesn’t have the Bills taking a QB or OT. Kirwan predicts that the Bills will take Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams. It should be noted that Kirwan has offensive tackles, Okung, Bulaga and Davis all coming off the board before the Bills are on the clock, which could lead to a pick like this.

Deana Good of Cheektowaga had a memorable morning as her two excited kids met Bills linebacker and team captain Paul Posluszny at their home, and then took him to their school on Wednesday.

For the next week Bills linebacker Kawika Mitchell is teaming up with New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka in a charity effort to help villages in Kiwanuka’s native Uganda, while also taking in some of the unique experiences that the African nation has to offer. In this installment of Mitchell’s blog from Uganda, the Bills linebacker provides details of their two-day safari, which included a trip across the globe’s middle parallel.

Jason La Canfora at NFL.com is reporting that the Buffalo Bills will host a visit with free agent defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy on Thursday.

The Buffalo Bills need an offensive tackle. That much is obvious, and unfortunately, it remains true even after Monday's free agent signing of former Oakland right tackle Cornell Green. The 34-year-old right tackle is a likely starter, but Buffalo still lacks a serious candidate to start on the left side, excluding the unlikely event that the team is comfortable letting Demetrius Bell and Jamon Meredith duke it out for that role.

According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, Eagles QB Michael Vick will not be coming to Buffalo, or St. Louis for that matter. Appearing on 97.5 FM in Philadelphia, Paolantonio said the well has run dry on interest in Vick. “St. Louis dried up,” said Paolantonio. “Buffalo, dried up.”

Bills CB Reggie Corner, doesn’t get much recognition for his play around the league. Most nickel corners don’t unless they lead the league in INTs. But Corner, who put together a good season in 2009 excelled in one particular area. The good folks at ProFootballFocus are crunching numbers all the time and one of their latest figures measured tackling inefficiency amongst cornerbacks.

Strength and conditioning coordinators are the ones that toil behind the scenes. They get their players to put in the work even when they might not have the desire to do so. They help their players reach goals and overcome setbacks. What Bills strength and conditioning coordinator Eric Ciano had presented to him one year ago, while he was Director of Player Development at Georgia Tech, was perhaps the biggest challenge of his career… literally.

Aaron Schobel(notes) is in no rush to collect his $2 million roster bonus because the Buffalo Bills defensive end still hasn’t decided on whether he’ll come back for a 10th NFL season.

Nearly three years after the Buffalo Bills added running back Marshawn Lynch in the first round of the NFL draft, the Bills could be considering a return visit to the position in 2010.

I’m told by a source I trust that Buddy Nix and the Buffalo Bills front office is “quietly and patiently” monitoring free agent wide receivers Antonio Bryant and Derrick Mason.

Andre Reed doesn't get a chance to share opinions about the Buffalo Bills like his old teammates do. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas live in Western New York. They're frequent guests on local broadcasts. The Bills trot them out at news conferences.

On one hand, I kind of feel bad for Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com. That's assuming, of course, that the astute Marvez was asked by his editors at FOX to name winners and losers after three days of NFL free agency, rather than coming up with the idea on his own. One might argue that free agency on the whole is irrelevant; I would not agree. Teams can take major strides forward during free agency; there's little debate there. Now, handing out praise and/or criticism after three days? That's another matter entirely.

Many Buffalo Bills fans are clamoring for the team to get another tackle with the loss of tackle Brad Butler to retirement.

When the clock struck 12:01 on Saturday morning, struggling teams like the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions made their desperation known, attacking the free agent market by signing big time players like Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor, and Nate Burleson to big-time contracts.

It's no secret that the Bills are in desperate need of a QB. Their current roster houses a journeyman in Ryan Fitzpatrick, and unproven youngster in Brian Brohm, and a mentally shaken Trent Edwards. It would be a lie to say the Bills have not been searching for their franchise QB, but their luck in the process has been bad to say the least.

The Buffalo Bills have signed Oakland Raiders free agent right tackle Cornell Green to a three-year contract.  The NFL Network has just confirmed this report.

The 10-year veteran has been with the Raiders the past three years, starting 38 games, mostly at right tackle.

According to a report from WIVB, Oakland Raiders free agent offensive tackle Cornell Green will visit with the Buffalo Bills today (Monday). The 10-year veteran has been with the Raiders the past three years, starting 38 games, mostly at right tackle.

According to Adam Caplan of Scout.com, barring a trade it looks Chris Kelsay will be back with the Buffalo Bills in 2010. Caplan said in his Scout.com blog Sunday that the team paid Kelsay his $500,000 roster bonus that was due on March 5.

After nearly three days of scant activity on the free agency front, things picked up nicely for the Buffalo Bills overnight. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Bills have serious interest in former Steelers and Dolphins outside linebacker Joey Porter.

For the second time in three days the Bills are hosting a free agent in the hopes of improving their offensive line. Buffalo welcomed free agent offensive tackle Cornell Green to One Bills Drive Monday.

When an NFL player is sidelined indefinitely by injury there is very little that feels rewarding. You can’t contribute to your team’s success on the field. You can’t spend as much time with your teammates. You can’t show your coaches what you’re truly capable of. Such was the existence of Bills wide receiver James Hardy in 2009. In the end however, for Hardy, there was a reward.

The Bills search for offensive lineman has veteran Cornell Brown in town.  News 4 Sports has learned that the 12-year vet will meet with the team on Monday.  Brown spent the last three seasons playing for the Raiders.  He started 38 games, mostly at right tackle.

Maybe the Buffalo Bills are biding their time and waiting to surprise us. Maybe they're waiting for a slow sports news day, so they can get maximum media coverage for a few exciting free-agent signings.

Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter may not be a free agent for long.

After being released by the Dolphins on Friday, Porter has drawn the interest of the Arizona Cardinals according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As one looks at the Buffalo Bills quarterback situation, since the retirement of Jim Kelly, there has not been much stability. Brief stints by beloved CFL-star Doug Flutie and the former Patriot Drew Bledsoe didn’t prove very fruitful. Now the Bills are looking to the future; signs are pointing toward Buffalo seriously considering drafting former Heisman winner Tim Tebow.

Well, we are coming down the stretch for reshaping the Buffalo Bills roster. Free agency is over and done with. The undersized defensive players are in different uniforms. Trent Edwards is flipping burgers or playing in the CFL. The waste has been wasted. In the process, I've been able to bring in some new blood to the team via free agency. I have to say, it has really been fun being the Buffalo Bills GM for the last two weeks.

The Buffalo Bills' retention of two veteran safeties this week has increased speculation about the team's plans for Donte Whitner.

Since the Kansas City Chiefs are obviously not big players in the first weekend of free agency what else are we to do except follow our unrestricted free agents.

After a pretty busy day one of NFL free agency given the circumstances, Larry Foote's name is one of the biggest left on the market. The veteran 3-4 inside linebacker has drawn interest from the Buffalo Bills, according to Ed Thompson of Scout.com.

Free agency is a spot in the off-season that the Bills do not like to dip into heavily.  They often sign one or two free agents with some possibilities.  However, this offseason feels different.  The Bills want to win, and one way to aid this roster and provide depth is free agency, not the draft as some speculate. 

The Buffalo Bills did not tender guard Richie Incognito.

That means it is all but certain the Bills will be taking an offensive tackle in the National Football League Draft.

The Bills lined up their first free agent visit of the NFL signing period on the same day the market opened as offensive lineman Wade Smith arrived at One Bills Drive Friday.

Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald is reporting - in a throwaway commentary sort of way - that the Buffalo Bills have "sniffed around" Dolphins backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Adam Caplan of FOXSports.com is reporting that the Buffalo Bills have shown interest in unrestricted free agent receiver Kelley Washington.

When NFL free agency kicked off at 12:01 a.m. today, I half envisioned new Buffalo Bills general manager Buddy Nix kicking up his feet in his office and sipping coffee.

$107,000,000.00.  Other than lots of zeroes, what is so special about this number?