Josh Allen's offensive line may look a little different in 2022. Two days before the official start of free agency, the Bills have both shuffled money and created a vacancy up front, releasing starting guard/tackle Daryl Williams while re-signing center Mitch Morse to a two-year, $19.5 million extension, according to NFL Media.
Set to enter the league's legal tampering period with hardly any excess salary cap space, the Bills will save at least $6.3M with Williams' release, just one year after the veteran signed a three-year, $24M extension. A former fourth-round pick of the Panthers, the 29-year-old Williams saw time at guard and right tackle for Buffalo, starting all 33 games for the team over the past two seasons. He originally joined the Bills on a one-year deal in 2020, emerging as a solid right tackle during the team's playoff run.
It's possible Williams could return to Buffalo on a new contract later this offseason, but for now, he's free to negotiate with other teams as free agency gets underway.
Morse, meanwhile, was set to enter the final season of a four-year, $44.5M deal he signed in 2019 free agency -- a contract that made him the NFL's highest-paid center at the time. The 29-year-old lineman will see his pay increase from $8.5M to $11.25M in 2022, per NFL Media's Mike Garafolo, while averaging $10.25M per season over the remainder of his entire extended deal. He started all 17 games for Buffalo last season and has missed just two contests since joining the team.