The Bills are releasing two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Tre’Davious White, 2021 All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer and starting center Mitch Morse among several moves to get under the salary cap, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The Bills also are releasing kick returner Deonte Harty and defensive back Siran Neal, sources said.
White’s release will be designated as a post-June 1 release to maximize cap space. The move will save the team $10.2 million in salary cap space, with $6.2 million in dead money. His contract will remain on Buffalo’s books until then, but he’s free to sign with a new team as early as next week.
White, 29, tore his right Achilles in October, ending his season early. The injury came less than two years after White tore his left ACL on Thanksgiving Day in 2021.
Poyer, 32, re-signed with the Bills last offseason on a two-year deal after exploring his free agency options. He initially signed with Buffalo in 2017, the first season under coach Sean McDermott, and paired with safety Micah Hyde, who also signed with the team in 2017, in the secondary for the past seven seasons.
Releasing Poyer will save the Bills about $5 million in cap space.
Morse, 31, started 77 games at center for the Bills in five seasons, including all 17 last season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022.
The move with Poyer marks the end of the safety duo that has started the most games together since 2017 (93), with Hyde, who is set to become a free agent next week, considering retirement, and sets up a new look on defense for Buffalo in 2024.
Poyer started 16 regular-season games in 2023 after dealing with a variety of injuries during the 2022 season. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Oregon State. He spent part of 2013 and the 2014-16 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
He has 24 interceptions, 54 passes defended, 12 sacks, 9 forced fumbles and 806 tackles over 11 NFL seasons.
As part of the Bills’ cap clearing moves, they are also planning to restructure cornerback Rasul Douglas’ deal to save about $2.5 million more against the cap, a source told Schefter. Douglas was acquired just before the trade deadline in 2023 from the Green Bay Packers.
Neal, a key special teams player and backup in the secondary for Buffalo since 2018, had one year left on his deal. Releasing him saves under $3 million.