It’s the season of losing. The new league year begins on March 13 and every team in the league must be under the hard salary cap by 4 p.m. EST on that date. Teams across the league are bleeding talent to reach the $255.4 million figure.
THE Buffalo Bills were hit the hardest. They released three starters and two key contributors. One of those players was safety Jordan Poyer. He was named a first-team All Pro at safety in 2021, but he was still a cap casualty for the Bills, who were forced to furiously lost his salary after a hard push two years ago for a Super Bowl.
Poyer also isn’t the only highly decorated player at his position to be released this offseason. Kevin Byard and Eddie Jackson were both first-team All-Pro safeties during their careers, and both of these players in their early 30s were released. THE Philadelphia Eagles traded for Byard midseason in an attempt to bolster a struggling defense.
Justin Simmons has yet to be named a first-team All-Pro, but he has made the second team in four of the last five seasons, including 2023. However, the Denver Broncos have a size Russell Wilson pill to swallow. Since the franchise is willing to eat $85 million in dead money by releasing him — which could span two seasons — one of the Broncos’ best defensive players had to go.
The safety is now the running back of NFL defenses. It’s a position of great importance, but it’s not as difficult to fill as cornerback or defensive lineman. Weaknesses at these positions are much easier for offenses to expose.
Safeties are more of a last line of defense. If a running back breaks through the line and linebackers, the safeties are counted on to prevent the play from turning into a touchdown. Their role in pass defense is also largely to prevent big plays, but defensive coordinators like to find ways to use them in surprise attacks.
Kyle Hamilton gave the Kansas City Chiefs the Blues during the AFC Championship game, especially in the first half. A player like him with the tackling talent of linebacker, but also the athleticism to keep players one-on-one makes him a unique talent.
Others who simply perform their duties, even if they do it better than the vast majority of NFL players, seem to be seen as disposable. That’s the message being sent with cutting talented safeties so teams can cut salary. Some teams are doing this simply to gain more cap space instead of racing to cut down to $255.4 million.
The NFL is a tough business. Teams across leagues are looking to limit player salaries. However, in the NFL, there are so many players and quarterbacks that take up a huge percentage of the cap space. Being good is not enough. In the NFL, players fall into two categories: essential or very superfluous.
Safeties become the most essential players, at least on defense. Fortunately, for these players, Derwin James signed the largest contract in NFL history for this position: 5 years, $76.5 million.
With these types of salaries still offered to top players, safeties are not treated the same as running backs. But when it comes to defensive players, teams will look at that position first when the time comes to get their books in order.
