An interesting article from Lenny P at ESPN.com has a table with the respective rookie pool allocations of each NFL team. According to this report, the Bills have been allocated $4.061 million by the league as a maximum that the team can spend on its first-year players; this figure falls slightly below the $4.275 million league average.
The league rookie pool allocations, as described by the article:
These numbers are based on the number of picks each team had as well as where the picks were made. Oakland, for example, had the #1 overall pick and selected 11 players, which resulted in their record-setting $6.913 million allocation. The $5 million-plus figures attributed to San Francisco and Cleveland were based on their multiple first-round picks.
With ample room under the salary cap still at this point, the Bills should have no problem signing their 22 first-year players. I am a bit surprised, however, that the team did not at least hit the league average after trading up for a second straight year. With just three first-day picks, however, Buffalo's day two draft picks will likely combine for less than a cool million.
Ahh, numbers. They're great, but you know what? I like watching football better. Here's to minicamp this weekend.