Bills Restructure Ryan Bates, Taron Johnson Contracts Ahead of Week 1

The Buffalo Bills addressed cap compliance issues by restructuring the contracts of guard Ryan Bates and defensive back Taron Johnson.

Late offseason moves are often the least exciting, especially in comparison to the storylines that promise to sprout from a new NFL season. Contract adjustments and practice squad signings are a necessary formality for virtually every team this time of year, even if it won’t sell any extra season tickets.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills restructured the contracts of guard Ryan Bates and defensive back Taron Johnson. In total, the moves created about $4.5 million in cap space, according to Field Yates.

These moves were necessary considering the Bills were one of about eight teams that still needed to get under the cap ahead of Week 1’s games. They needed to shed about $3.3 million in salary.

Other teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs with defensive lineman Chris Jones or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with receiver Mike Evans, may have some extra calculus to do as they deal with stagnant negotiations.

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Johnson, Buffalo’s slot corner, posted a 74.7 coverage grade in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus. He struggled a bit this preseason, but looked better as a tackler — an important trait for someone consistently employed closer to the ball.

Bates, on the other hand, is not expected to play as critical of a role this season. He projects to spend time as a backup center and guard, especially with rookie O’Cyrus Torrence added to the fold.

However, neither of these moves should be taken as an indictment of future snaps or past performance. The players involved will get their money regardless of the contract lingo. This simply serves the purpose of making sure the Bills are cap compliant before they play the New York Jets to open the season on Monday Night Football.