Bills Take Big Cap Hit to Cut 2022 Free Agent Signing

Veteran running back Duke Johnson is not the only notable name the Buffalo Bills are cutting ties with before the 53-man roster deadline at 4 p.m. ET. Tight end OJ Howard is also being released, which is a bit surprising when taking into consideration the offseason free agent signing's substantial cap hit.

Source: The #Bills released TE OJ Howard.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2022

Buffalo Bills Roster Cuts

Howard signed a one-year deal with the Bills in March that guaranteed him nearly $3.2 million. That kind of commitment usually warrants at least a chance to play past Week 1, but it wasn't enough to keep him around. Instead, Quintin Morris and Tommy Sweeney will back up starter Dawson Knox.

Keep in mind the move wasn't made without reason, though. Reports have been surfacing about Howard's struggles to learn the offensive scheme and get up to speed. That was on full display when Howard failed to get on the stat sheet in the final preseason game despite playing in 28 snaps (51%).

It wouldn't be a major shock to see teams in need of depth at the TE position to give Howard another opportunity in the NFL. After all, it's not like he'll be seeking a ton of money. The former first-round pick has racked up 1,737 yards and 15 touchdowns on 119 receptions across 49 career games.

The Bills still save $2.25 million against the cap with the 27-year-old's departure. Unlike Johnson, there have been no reports of the team wanting Howard to return as a practice squad member. For now, Buffalo has the best odds to win Super Bowl 57 at +600, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.