The Buffalo Bills have reportedly opened up $7.8 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contract of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to a report from ESPN NFL insider Field Yates.
The timing is curious — and the target with their new cap space could be obvious.
The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to either trade or release tight end Zach Ertz any day, and it could happen at any moment now that June 1 has arrived. Trading Ertz to a new team would save the Eagles around $8.5 million in cap space and would cost his new team around the same in base salary ($8.5 million) to acquire.
Although the Bills didn’t open up exactly the $8.5 million they would need to acquire Ertz, they did open up most of it, and it was space they needed to get a deal done considering they only had around $4 million in salary cap space prior to the restructure.
Now, with the new money opened up, the team could comfortably acquire Ertz and fit him under the cap.
The Bills have had interest in Ertz throughout the offseason, but the Eagles’ asking price for the Pro Bowl tight end has stopped a deal from happening. Now that the Eagles have waited most of the offseason and it seems no team is willing to meet their asking price, it is possible they are ready to move on from Ertz and take whatever they can get in return.
The Bills would be a logical landing spot for Ertz, as they are a win-now team that has a need at tight end. Although he is coming off of a down year, Ertz would instantly make the Bills’ offense better and help them in their attempt to overtake the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
If a deal does happen, it will likely be announced on Wednesday, June 2.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!