ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Bills restructured left tackle Dion Dawkins’ contract in a move that gets Buffalo under the NFL’s salary cap, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the team is not going to release the information publicly. ESPN.com first reported the restructuring.
The move freed up about $7.5 million in cap space for a Bills team that began the day about $3.5 million over the limit, the person said. Dawkins is entering his ninth season and is under contract through 2027 after signing a three-year, $60 million contract extension.
Teams have until the end of Wednesday to be cap complaint to start the season with all 53 active players and practice squad members counting against the payroll.
In a separate move, the Bills signed receiver Gabe Davis to their practice squad with the intention of placing him on injured reserve. The sixth-year player, who spent his first four seasons in Buffalo, is not cleared to play after tearing the meniscus in his left knee in mid-November, ending his one season in Jacksonville.
Adding Davis led to Buffalo cutting veteran safety Jordan Poyer from the practice squad in what is considered a paper move. The team intends to re-sign Poyer once Davis is placed on IR.