State of the Bills: Where They Stand at Start of new League Year

Much work on lowering their salary cap charges and tweaking 2022 roster remains before turning attention toward NFL Draft.

Everything the Buffalo Bills do during these next hours, days and weeks following the start of the NFL's new league year will be aimed toward getting to the Draft at the end of April without being pressured to fill immediate needs.

While that may seem impossible this year, given how much work still needs to be done just to clear enough space to be minimal players in free agency, the Bills can at least position themselves where they don't feel compelled to lean any particular way in the Draft and are free to just go after the best available athletes, regardless of position, in every round.

The process, in fact, already has begun with their wide receiver group. Their move on Sunday to re-sign ascending slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie for another two years signifies their confidence in his ability to step in for Cole Beasley, who has requested a trade and is a virtual lock to be gone from the books at a savings of $6.1 million in 2022, even if they can't find a trade partner.

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Furthermore, it keeps them from feeling pressure to, say, draft a receiver in the first round.

That's not to say they still can't, but at least they won't have to think about filling an immediate need when they're on the clock and possibly reaching for a player who's not as highly graded as those at other positions who may prove to be more valuable down the road.

Even if they lose unrestricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders and his 42 catches for 626 yards and four TDs from last season, they obviously feel good about McKenzie, Stefon Diggs and explosive youngster Gabriel Davis, who's earned the right to have an expanded role in their offense. And definitely will.

Cornerback is another position they'd like to get squared away, though that will be much more complicated.

Starter Levi Wallace is an unrestricted free agent. Fellow starter Tre'Davious White, is coming off a torn ACL suffered on Thanksgiving.

As most fans know, almost all players in contact sports who tear ACLs don't feel like themselves again for a year or more.

That places White's effectiveness for the entire 2022 season in doubt and could prompt Bills general manager Brandon Beane to be more aggressive than he normally would be in negotiating with Wallace to get him back.

If they can't retain him, they likely will pursue another free agent corner or two.

But again, they don't want to feel compelled by need to necessarily draft a cornerback on the first or second day. Whether that works out for them in that area is perhaps the most important dynamic to watch in this offseason.

• RELATED: Busy times ahead for Bills GM Brandon Beane

In the meantime, their transitions on the offensive line are not believed to be complete.

Former starting left guard Jon Feliciano was released last week. Starting right guard Daryl Williams, despite playing well after being moved from tackle last season, followed him out the door on Monday as another cap casualty, saving them another $6.3 million.

The Bills also almost certainly have to be looking at center Mitch Morse's cap hit of $11.25 million and what can be done to bring that down. They would save $8.5 million immediately with a release or trade, though that would be drastic, considering his experience and the fact that Feliciano, a proven competent backup at that position, already is gone.

Ryan Bates, who moved ahead of Feliciano as the starter late this past season, is a restricted free agent. So business needs to be taken care of there too.

No matter what, cutting costs is essential this year, and everything must be considered.

Other potential moves Bean can make to make them more viable in free agency include contract adjustments or extensions for high-priced vets like Diggs, White, tackle Dion Dawkins and safety Jordan Poyer.

Poyer, soon to be 31, is entering the final year of a contract that will feature a cap hit of nearly $10.8 million — unless more years are tacked on.

Diggs and White combine for a cap hit of $34.3 million in 2022, so something will almost have to be done to bring that number down, keeping in mind that Beane not a fan of constantly reworking contracts.

"The restructure is kicking the can down the road," Beane said at the NFL Scouting Combine, "and it's a necessary piece to operate and stay competitive. But the more money you kick down the road — a dollar saved today is a dollar you're going to pay tomorrow — and it's truly the credit-card philosophy. You're just pushing it off. So we've got to be creative.

"But cap strength is very important to me. ... You look at some of these teams, and every year, people are talking about it in November and December. They're $90 million over the cap going into next year. I mean, that just feels like an albatross to me. Will we ever get there? Maybe at some point. But I think our chance to sustain success is to not get in the pattern of, `oh, we're just going to restructure five guys this year, seven guys this year and we'll just keep kicking it down the road.' "

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.