Bills' Spencer Brown's contract named candidate 'worth watching' this season

The Buffalo Bills had a busy offseason with adjusting their roster to fit under the salary cap for this year. After a series of signings, contract restructures, and releases, Buffalo currently sits at about $7.5 million under the cap, according to Sporac.

However, it’s not too early to look toward Buffalo’s financial situation for next season. The Bills have several important pieces whose contracts expire after this year.

The Athletic highlights one specific contract worth tracking as the 2024 season starts into high gear.

The Athletic focuses on the contract of Spencer Brown. Brown will complete his rookie deal, a four-year, $4.8 million contract, this season.

Buffalo’s offensive line is projected to have a different look this season. Connor McGovern will take over at center for Mitch Morse, and David Edwards has the inside track at replacing McGovern at left guard.

After going through some adjustments to the NFL level, Brown put together a solid campaign in 2023.

The Athletic highlights:

“One of the few question marks heading into last season was whether the 2021 third-round pick could fulfill his promise after a rocky sophomore campaign. Brown answered with authority, playing every single one of Buffalo’s 1,305 snaps. Pro Football Focus charted him for only two more pressures than Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins.”

What does this mean for the Bills? If Brown can put together another solid season, he may be in line for a bigger payday. General manager Brandon Beane has to decide if he’s willing to let Brown get close to the open market, or if an extension would be the best financial option for Buffalo.

Buffalo has the second-highest dead cap hit this season, per Spotrac. However, once this money clears, in particular, Stefon Diggs’ dead cap hit, the Bills will have enough room to pay for Brown, if they choose to do so. Re-signing a player is more cost-conscious in the long run.

It’s a calculated gamble for Buffalo as well. If the Bills decide to move on from Brown, the free agency market offers inflated price tags for replacement. Acquiring a player through the NFL Draft is an option as well, but there’s no guarantee that the ideal player will be available to replace Brown.

The Bills depth chart at tackle reveals some possible options. La’el Collins, Travis Clayton, Ryan Van Demark, Tylan Grable, Richard Gouraige, and Tommy Doyle will have a season to show that they could be a relevant option in place of Brown. Even so, there seems to be quite a gap between Brown and the depth options available for the Bills.

Buffalo would love to have their tackles in the fold to have continuity at the position for years to come. Brown started 10 games as as rookie has been a constant on the line since taking over the job in 2022.