Bills Weigh Options for $3.5M in Cap Space After Van Demark's Departure

The team has several roster needs to address before the NFL Draft.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 3:33pm

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After the Buffalo Bills elected not to match the offer sheet the Minnesota Vikings presented to Ryan Van Demark, the team now has an extra $3.5 million in salary cap space to work with. The Bills have several needs to fill as the draft approaches, and this additional cap room could help them acquire players at those positions. The team is currently about $13 under the salary cap, and there are a few free agents who could fit on low-cost deals, including EDGE Kyle Van Noy, LB Christian Rozeboom, and WR Brandin Cooks.

Why it matters

The Bills have a few glaring holes on their roster that must be filled over the next few weeks and months. This extra cap space could give them the flexibility to address those needs and improve the team ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.

The details

Van Noy is coming off a two-sack season but is just two years removed from having finished with 12.5 sacks in 2024, when he earned Pro Bowl honors. Rozeboom is a five-year veteran who has started 66 of a possible 68 games over the past four regular seasons and has also played in eight playoff games, including four starts. He is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 122 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Cooks remains available after he offered a reasonable deep threat during his time in Buffalo a season ago, and at 32 years old, he could provide production on a bargain one-year deal.

  • The Bills elected not to match the offer sheet the Minnesota Vikings presented to Ryan Van Demark on March 21, 2026.

The players

Kyle Van Noy

A 34-year-old EDGE player who is coming off a two-sack season but is just two years removed from having finished with 12.5 sacks in 2024, when he earned Pro Bowl honors.

Christian Rozeboom

A 29-year-old linebacker who has started 66 of a possible 68 games over the past four regular seasons and has also played in eight playoff games, including four starts. He is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 122 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

Brandin Cooks

A 32-year-old wide receiver who remains available after he offered a reasonable deep threat during his time in Buffalo a season ago.

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What’s next

The Bills will need to decide how to best utilize the $3.5 million in salary cap space they have gained from Ryan Van Demark's departure in the coming weeks and months, as they look to address their roster needs ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.

The takeaway

The Bills have an opportunity to improve their roster with the extra $3.5 million in salary cap space they have gained, and they will need to carefully evaluate their options to determine the best way to use that flexibility to address their most pressing needs.