As NFL teams approach the new league year (March 12), they are not just focusing on the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis (through Monday) and draft in Green Bay (April 24-26).
Behind the scenes, teams are deciding on potential cut and trade candidates. Ahead of the new league year, Yardbarker NFL writers offer one player each AFC team should jettison. (2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.)
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) | Cut LB Von Miller | Miller had 14 sacks in 37 games with the Bills over the past three seasons but none in five postseason games. The future Hall of Famer took a substantial pay cut in 2024, and unless he does the same in 2025, Buffalo would much rather save $17.4M against the cap with his post-June 1 release.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-9) |Trade WR Tyreek Hill | Despite recent comments to the contrary, the 31-year-old receiver would love to get out of Miami, which already is $8.5M over the 2025 cap. Miami should see what it can get for last season’s 30th-leading receiver. Hill, who took himself out in the third quarter of last year’s regular-season finale against the Jets, has a $25M cap hit for 2025, well above the $14.4M the team could save by trading him in June.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-13) | Cut WR Kendrick Bourne | Bourne finished with less than 500 yards receiving in all three seasons as a Patriot and had just 28 catches for 305 yards as part of the NFL’s 32nd-ranked passing offense last season. New England doesn’t necessarily have a better option on the roster, but that could change in the draft. Depending on when he’s released, Bourne could save the team anywhere from $4.9M to $6.3M.
NEW YORK JETS (5-12) | Cut WR Davante Adams | Adams’ 2025 salary is not guaranteed and the Jets can shave $36M off their salary cap by releasing him after June 1. The 33-year-old, three-time All-Pro only came to New York to play with departing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and would surely be happier on a team with bona fide playoff potential (his old Green Bay team? Upstart Washington Commanders?). — Bruce Ewing
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) | Trade edge-rusher John Franklin-Myers | Franklin-Myers had a career-high seven sacks in 17 regular-season games in 2024, but his 2025 cap number ($10M) is the sixth highest on the team (via Spotrac). Over the Cap estimates trading Franklin-Myers would yield $8M in cap savings, which could help Denver extend edge-rusher Nik Bonitto, who earned a 2024 second-team All-Pro nod.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (15-2) | Cut WR Skyy Moore | In three seasons with the club, Moore — a second-round pick in 2022 — has just two touchdown catches (including playoffs). Per Over the Cap’s projections, the Chiefs would save $1.58M in cap space if they cut the wideout with a post-June 1 designation.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-13) | Trade edge-rusher Maxx Crosby | On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, new Raiders GM John Spytek hinted the team might extend Crosby, who has two years left on his deal. However, Vegas must enter rebuilding mode and consider trading four-time Pro Bowler Crosby to stockpile draft picks.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-6) | Cut edge-rusher Joey Bosa | Bosa had five sacks in 14 regular-season games in 2024, the second-lowest figure of his nine-year career. According to Over the Cap, releasing Bosa with a post-June 1 designation would create $25.36M in cap savings, which the Chargers could use to sign a free-agent WR, perhaps Amari Cooper of the Buffalo Bills. — Clark Dalton
AFC North
BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) | Trade TE Mark Andrews | The Ravens have only $12M in cap space entering the offseason, so they must create more flexibility to improve the roster. Andrews, who was “gutted” by his dropped pass against the Bills in the playoffs, is on the down side of his career. Trading him would free $11M for Baltimore.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-8) | Cut RB Zack Moss | If the Bengals plan on following Joe Burrow’s advice and breaking the bank for WRs Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase and DE Trey Hendrickson, they must be stingy with their wallet elsewhere. Moss isn’t close to fellow RB Chase Brown in terms of talent, and cutting him would save $3.3M.
CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-14) | Trade DE Myles Garrett | Browns fans would love to see QB Deshaun Watson sent packing, but no GM in his right mind would trade for him and Cleveland can’t cut him because of his $72.9M cap hit. The best way to rebuild this roster is to trade Garrett at the peak of his value for as many high draft picks as possible.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) | Cut DT Larry Ogunjobi | Ogunjobi is scheduled to carry a $10M cap hit in 2025, but the Steelers can save $7M of that sum by cutting the disappointing defensive tackle this offseason. With just six sacks and 15 tackles for loss in three seasons in Pittsburgh, Ogunjobi isn’t worth the money Pittsburgh owes him. — Jack Dougherty
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7) | Cut right guard Shaquille Mason | As Houston revamps its offensive line, it should consider jettisoning Mason, who it acquired in a 2023 trade with the Buccaneers for a sixth-round pick. The Texans would save $2.1M and, more importantly, potentially upgrade at the position. Mason allowed a team-high eight sacks in 2024, per Pro Football Focus.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) | Cut defensive tackle Raekwon Davis | Davis never found his footing in his first season in Indianapolis (career-low 30 percent of his available defensive snaps) after signing a two-year, $14M contract ($7M guaranteed) as a 2024 free agent. According to PFF, he was one of the league’s worst run defenders, with his 2.3 stop rate on run plays the second lowest among interior defensive linemen with at least 175 run-play snaps.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-13) | Cut wide receiver Christian Kirk | Kirk became expendable following rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr.’s outstanding season. On Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, first-year head coach Liam Coen told reporters that Jacksonville’s offense would run through Thomas. The Jaguars could save $10.4M by releasing Kirk, who suffered a fractured collarbone in Week 8, ending his 2024 season after only eight games.
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) | Cut right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere | Despite only playing in 11 games, Petit-Frere allowed the most sacks on the Titans (10), per PFF. He was also penalized 10 times, making him more valuable off the team than on it. — Eric Smithling