This off-season, the Buffalo Bills might look into getting younger at the running back position. Chris Ivory and LeSean McCoy will be 31 years old by the time the 2019 season starts and the shelf life of most running backs is around that age. If the Bills were to cut or trade Ivory before the season, their cap penalty is minimal and the savings are enough to make a small impact.
Ivory’s future with the Bills holds little merit when it comes to the business side of things. If the Bills want to get younger at the position, they would be able to move Ivory without much negative impact.
Buffalo won’t be handcuffed by his roster bonus of $406,250. They can pay that early in the off-season and roll with Ivory through free agency and the draft with little effort on their cap. Still, it is designed as a decision point for them and Ivory.
The salary cap details are broken down here, via Spotrac:
2019 cap hit: $2.9 million
Roster bonus: $406,250
Workout bonus: $250,000
Salary due: $1.5 million
Dead money: $750,000
Cap savings: $2.16 million, if released before roster bonus