Dolphins Will Be Facing New-Look Bills in 2024

Buffalo matched and surpassed Miami's long list of veterans cut for salary cap reasons

Alain Poupart | Mar 6, 2024

Dolphins Will Be Facing New-Look Bills in 2024 /

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Who knows what it will mean for the Miami Dolphins' quest to finally win the AFC East title, but the Buffalo Bills certainly are going to look different in 2024.

A day after the Dolphins released their third and fourth veterans of the offseason — Jerome Baker and Keion Crossen — the Bills upped the ante by releasing five players, including former Pro Bowl selections Tre'Davious White, Jordan Poyer and Mitch Morse.

The other two were safety Siran Neal and wide receiver Deonte Hardy, the same Deonte Hardy who produced the biggest play in Buffalo's division-clinching victory at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 18 with his 96-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Coincidentally, one of the Bills' moves Wednesday involved a post-June 1 designation for White, the same as the Dolphins have done with their star cornerback, Xavien Howard.

Like the Dolphins, the Bills remain over the salary cap, but their moves Wednesday will save them some $26 million in cap space, with White's release creating another $10 million come June.

Likewise, the Dolphins saved $26 million by releasing Baker, Crossen and earlier Emmanuel Ogbah and will get another $18 million of cap space once Howard's contract comes off the books in June.

Cutting White and Poyer means the Bills could be without three-fourths of their starting secondary in 2024 considering veteran safety Micah Hyde is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Bills remain some $14 million over the cap a week before the start of the new league year, but figure to restructure quarterback Josh Allen's contract given that it carries a $47 million cap number in 2024.

The Dolphins — along with the Jets and Patriots — will be trying in 2024 to stop Buffalo's run of four consecutive AFC East titles. Miami hasn't won the AFC East title since 2008.

SHULA LEAVING BILLS

Sticking with the Bills and Dolphins, Mike Shula no longer is a member of Buffalo's coaching staff, according to Bills radio reporter Sal Capaccio.

The son of Dolphins legend Don Shula served as a senior offensive assistant the past two seasons and his contract wasn't renewed when it expired after last season.

The Bills were the eighth different NFL team for which Mike Shula has coached, including two stints with both the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also served as Alabama head coach from 2003-06 before being replaced by Nick Saban when the latter left his position with the Dolphins.

There still will be a Shula in the NFL in 2024 — Chris Shula, the son of Dave Shula, was promoted to defensive coordinator by the Los Angeles Rams this offseason.

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ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.