As the NFL’s 2024 calendar year began at 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills roster had a slightly different look from the one that lost to the Chiefs in the division round of the playoffs, but that’s mainly because of the players that will not be returning as opposed to new players joining the team.

To say the two-plus days of free agency negotiating were tepid from the Bills’ perspective would be to say the New York Yankees not having injured pitcher Gerrit Cole for at least several months might sabotage their season before it even starts.

As the bell rang on 2024, so far the only four players who were not Bills in 2023 who are joining the team are wide receiver/special teamer Mack Hollins, linebacker Nicholas Morrow, punter Matt Haack, and backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

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General manager Brandon Beane made it clear that he was prioritizing getting some of Buffalo’s own free agents back in the fold and he has succeeded with seven - defensive linemen A.J. Epenesa and DaQuan Jones, defensive backs Taylor Rapp and Cam Lewis, offensive lineman David Edwards, running back Ty Johnson, and tight end Quintin Morris.

So far, the list of players who will be wearing new uniforms - one that will surely grow - includes defensive backs Jordan Poyer and Siran Neal (both with the Dolphins), center Mitch Morse and wide receiver Gabe Davis (both with the Jaguars), cornerback Dane Jackson (Panthers), running back Nyheim Hines (Browns), offensive lineman Ryan Bates (Bears), and edge rusher Leonard Floyd (49ers).

Free agency may feel like a sprint with all the agreements that were negotiated around the league since Monday at noon (which can now become signings), but it’s a little more like a marathon, especially for teams like the Bills who are hamstrung by the salary cap.

Some fans seem to believe that the salary cap is not real, but it is very much a living, breathing detriment to the NFL teams who are paying a franchise quarterback a nine-figure contract as the Bills are with Josh Allen.

Yes, there are many contractual levers general managers can pull to stay under the salary cap limit, and Beane utilized many as he extended left tackle Dion Dawkins’ deal, restructured quarterback Josh Allen, tight end Dawson Knox, offensive lineman Connor McGovern, cornerback Rasul Douglas, and edge rusher Von Miller.

Bills free agent tracker: Updates on signings, contracts

He also made the tough decisions to cut Poyer, Neal, Morse, Hines, cornerback Tre’Davious White, and wide receiver Deonte Harty. It’s extremely difficult to gauge how much salary cap space Beane has to play with because so many of the incoming and outgoing contracts have not been tabulated, but the spending limit on his free agency credit card is not extensive.

That’s why he’s going to have to stay patient and work the periphery of free agency to fill holes on the roster, largely relying on mid- or low-tier one-year contracts, and this is a strategy he employed last year.

Beane came out swinging with the outside free agent signings of Harty, offensive lineman Connor McGovern, and backup quarterback Kyle Allen the day after the league year start. But he also made several well after such as Rapp on March 31, running back Latavius Murray on May 1, defensive tackle Poona Ford on May 2, and edge rusher Leonard Floyd on June 6.

You can expect this to happen again in the days and weeks to come, and chances are they will not be players who will instantly energize the fan base.

For now, the two players who are joining the team after agreeing to terms Tuesday are Morrow and Hollins.

The 28-year-old Morrow will join Dorian Williams and Baylon Spector in providing depth behind starting linebackers Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. He’s a player the Bills got a good look at the past two seasons as last year he was in on 12 tackles in helping Philadelphia defeat the Bills 37-34 in overtime. In 2022, Morrow made a team-high eight tackles and intercepted Josh Allen during the Chicago’s 35-13 loss to the Bills. He also played as a backup against the Bills as a member of the Raiders in 2020.

The 6-foot, 216-pounder has played 4,339 snaps on defense and another 989 on special teams and has started started 58 of his 94 career games. Morrow, who should also figure into the special teams plan, is considered a better run defender than pass defender. He has three interceptions, seven sacks, three forced fumbles, three recoveries and 465 tackles.

Morrow played his college football at tiny Greenville (Illinois) College and was not picked in the 2017 NFL Draft. He eventually signed with the Raiders and thus became his school’s first NFL player. He started 24 games in his first three seasons, then missed all of 2021 with an injury. He signed with the Bears in 2022, then moved on to the Eagles in 2023.

Hollins is another player who entered the league in 2017, but he is already 30 years old and he will also be nothing more than a depth piece and special teams contributor, essentially a replacement for Trent Sherfield who isn’t expected to return.

The Eagles selected Hollins out of North Carolina in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. He played in 16 games as a rookie and caught 16 passes for 226 yards, then sat out all of 2018 with an injury. In 2019 he played 12 games for Philadelphia, starting three, but was waived in December and signed with the Dolphins.

With Miami he caught 30 passes for 399 yards and five TDs combined in 2020 and 2021, then went to the Raiders where he had his best season playing in Josh McDaniels’ offense with Derek Carr at quarterback. Last season he was with the Falcons and caught only 18 passes for 251 yards.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out each Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills free agency: How Mack Hollins, Nicholas Morrow fit in Buffalo