Release of CB Drayton Florence: Buffalo Bills seek to clear roster for new arrivals-NFL News
The Buffalo Bills have come strongly to defend their decision of releasing cornerback, Drayton Florence, even though he had two years left on his three-year deal.
Buddy Nix, Bills’ general manager, said the player was waived off to create some space for rookies to help them grow into their roles.
Apparently, he was reflecting on the team’s extensive draft activity during the 2012 National Football league (NFL) draft, held from April 26, 28, 2012.
Bills have added quite a few draft players to the squad and, as the GM said, they needed some space on the roster to accommodate new arrivals.
In a statement released to confirm the cut of the cornerback, the GM said:
"Our defence has gone through a number of changes since the end of the season, and we feel that it's necessary to give these young corners an opportunity to be in the lineup."
Florence is a nine-year NFL veteran. He was landed a three-year deal by Bills last year, and still had two more years to go.
The release is going to deprive him of $4 million he was due to make this year. However, the player said to have come to the terms of his departure from Buffalo.
While tweeting to confirm his waiver, he said that he was moving on from the moment and acknowledged that it was the indifferent business nature that spares no one, no matter how big a player is. He said “business is business.”
The GM did not mention the team’s salary cap issue, but Bills are said to be struggling to contain the players’ salaries expense, and the factor is said to have contributed to the decision of Florence’s cut.
Their ability to spend on the players’ contracts has lessened quite considerably after they landed the most expensive deal of the league to defensive end, Mario Williams.
Williams signed a $100 million, six-year contract with Bills and there is no other defensive player in the league to have been paid as higher amount as him.
Since giving him the hefty contract, the team is looking to consolidate its expenses while seeking to waive off some other highly-paid players.
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