Buffalo Bills announce release of wideout Isaiah McKenzie

The Buffalo Bills have released wide receiver and special teamer Isaiah McKenzie from their roster, they announced on Friday. McKenzie will now become a free agent after posting 423 receiving yards and 55 rushing yards during the 2022-23 season. Even though he was cut, this past fall featured McKenzie’s most productive season as a pro. He’s also served as a kick returner at various times for the Bills in his five years with the team but did not do so this past season.

Before entering the NFL, McKenzie spent three years at Georgia and was a small contributor for the first two before popping for over 600 receiving yards and more than 700 return yards in the 2016 season before declaring for the draft. The Bulldog should have plenty of suitors once he hits the market as a speedster who just spent five years as part of one of the NFL’s most potent offenses.

According to Spotrac, who breaks down the nitty gritty of these contracts, McKenzie’s release leaves behind a dead cap hit of $300,000 while freeing up the other $2.21 million for Buffalo to use in free agency.

Here was the team’s announcement of the news on Twitter:

We've released WR Isaiah McKenzie. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ZPStrJoQNn

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) March 17, 2023

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.