Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
Getty
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen restructured his contract to clear more cap space for the team
The NFL world was turned upside down on Tuesday evening when the Las Vegas Raiders announced on X that the Baltimore Ravens had backed out of their trade to acquire defensive end Maxx Crosby in exchange for two first-round picks.
In reality, Crosby failed a physical, which the Ravens claimed as their reason for the deal falling through at the last minute.
However, some around the NFL believe the Ravens got cold feet and simply wanted their draft picks back and they used Crosby’s concerning medicals as a reason to do so.
With Crosby back on the Raiders, several teams are reportedly still interested in the 28-year-old pass-rusher, including the Buffalo Bills. And now, the team may be better prepared to go and get him thanks to quarterback Josh Allen.
Josh Allen Helps Bills’ Pursuit of Crosby
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
GettyBuffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
Multiple reports indicate that Allen agreed to a contract restructure on Wednesday morning that cleared a significant amount of cap space, which could pave the way for the team to take another run at a Crosby trade.
“The Bills have restructured QB Josh Allen’s contract in a move that will save Buffalo around $12 million in cap space, according to reports,” News 4 Buffalo wrote on X. “Allen was due a base salary of $16.5 million and a signing bonus of over $38 million in 2026, making his cap hit over $56 million.”
The move takes Buffalo from -$2 million in cap space to approximately $10 million, per Over the Cap. A few more moves have to be done if the Bills take on Crosby’s $35.7 million cap hit.
However, the team can do a few more restructures to clear some money including tackle Dion Dawkins ($11.37 million), wide receiver DJ Moore ($16.82 million), and wide receiver Joshua Palmer ($6.5 million).
Buffalo can also extend defensive end Gregory Rousseau to save another $3.1 million and defensive end Michael Hoecht to save another $3.9 million.
Bills Made Failed Run at Crosby Before
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby
SI.com’s Albert Breer reported days ago that Buffalo ‘s trade offer for Crosby wasn’t even on Vegas’ radar because its first-round pick was far later in the round than some of the other teams making offers.
But after the chaos of the last 24 hours, perhaps the Raiders will be more inclined to budge a little in their asking price considering the relationship between Crosby and the team has turned toxic.
“A dividing line for the Raiders was where the picks being discussed landed in the first round,” Breer stated. “The Cowboys held the 12th pick, while the Ravens had the 14th selection. And it led to teams bowing out. The Bills were the most prominent example, holding the 26th pick, which was 500 points on the Jimmy Johnson draft chart, less valuable than Dallas’s pick, and 400 points less valuable than Baltimore’s pick.
“For reference, 500 points is the value of the 40th pick in the draft, and 400 points is the value of the 50th pick. That meant Buffalo would essentially have to add a second-round pick to whatever Dallas or Baltimore offered, which is why, in the end, the Bills bowed out of the bidding.”