PFT: Current cap space available per team

[Prime Time]

St. Louis Rams: $8,999,358
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After one week of free agency, a team-by-team look at cap space available
Posted by Curtis Crabtree on March 18, 2014

AP

A week has elapsed since the start of free agency in the NFL. Teams have doled out millions of dollars worth of contracts and players have new teams to call home.

With that in mind it seemed like a good time to take a look at where teams stand when it comes to salary cap space after the frenzy of the first week of free agency.

While teams can employ up to 90 players during the offseason, the salary cap is calculated by using only the top 51 most expensive contracts on a roster. That changes for the regular season as all players on the active roster, practice squad and injured reserve count against the cap.

The NFL Players Association keeps a database of projected salary cap space for each team in the league. While the numbers from the NFLPA and the official numbers from the league routinely differ, it’s still a good gauge of where teams currently stand.

There is a difference of over $31 million in cap space from the team with the most cap space (Oakland Raiders) to the team with the least cap space (New Orleans). The current numbers available are accurate as 6:30 p.m ET. However, they will not include the contracts agreed upon this afternoon, such as Donald Penn’s deal with the Raiders or Henry Melton’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

Without further ado, the list of cap space is below ranked from most cap space to the least.

Team-by-team salary cap space:

Oakland Raiders: $32,299,198
Cleveland Browns: $31,828,788
New York Jets: $27,899,282
Cincinnati Bengals: $26,607,666
Jacksonville Jaguars: $25,239,764
Miami Dolphins: $19,185,752
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $17,558,206
Green Bay Packers: $17,024,449
Indianapolis Colts: $16,730,795
Philadelphia Eagles: $16,203,629
Buffalo Bills: $15,590,046
Minnesota Vikings: $15,489,099
Seattle Seahawks: $15,213,737
Atlanta Falcons: $10,194,447
Houston Texans: $9,469,501
Tennessee Titans: $9,100,702
Baltimore Ravens: $9,061,187
St. Louis Rams: $8,999,358
New England Patriots: $8,804,036
Arizona Cardinals: $8,137,968
Denver Broncos: $7,642,337
Washington Redskins: $7,455,869
Carolina Panthers: $7,344,546
Dallas Cowboys: $7,162,442
Chicago Bears: $5,773,177
Kansas City Chiefs: $5,227,069
San Francisco 49ers: $3,726,835
New York Giants: $3,690,088
San Diego Chargers: $3,653,247
Detroit Lions: $2,204,330
Pittsburgh Steelers: $2,174,434
New Orleans Saints: $849,212

 

[rdlkgliders]

Suddenly we are closer to the middle than we are the bottom.

 

[Alan]

No wonder we haven't been signing anyone.

 

[PhxRam]

Is this the year teams have to spend up to X% of the cap?

 

[Agamemnon]

Is this the year teams have to spend up to X% of the cap?

I think so. I think the cap floor is 89%.

 

[PhxRam]

I think so. I think the cap floor is 89%.

And then it goes up the following year?

 

[Gandalf]

I don't think that counts the Finnegan rebate though, does it?

 

[Ramrasta]

I think we could still fit in a contract for a veteran DB for depth or an experienced WR to mentor our youth.

 

[max]

Hmmmm. The Niners at $3.7 mil and they haven't extended Kaepernick yet.

They are gonna have to shed some guys soon.

 

[Alan]

Apparently, that $9 million figure was before the Finnegan rebate. We actually have $12 million available.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_06c66db7-b667-5f2c-85b6-be56b2495e40.html

One week in, Rams yet to sign outside free agent
As NFL free agency heads into its second week, the wait continues for the Rams to sign their first free agent from another team.

Quarterback Shaun Hill of Detroit completed his visit to Rams Park on Tuesday and headed home without a contract. But the parties continue to talk and it’s possible there could be a deal today. Besides, home isn’t far away for Hill. An avid fisherman, the Kansas native resides in the Lake of the Ozarks area. He can be back in St. Louis pretty quickly to sign a contract.

But the Rams continue to be rebuffed when it comes to the interior of their defensive line. First, it was Houston free agent Antonio Smith who had a visit scheduled with the Rams but ended up signing with Oakland.

On Tuesday evening, Chicago free agent Henry Melton tweeted that he was joining the Dallas Cowboys. Melton had been scheduled to visit St. Louis.

Melton, a 2012 Pro Bowler with the Bears, missed all but three games of last season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. After losing defensive tackle Jason Hatcher in free agency, the Cowboys were desperate for help on the interior of the their defensive line.

Dallas is a natural draw for Melton because he’s from that area, and Cowboys defensive line coach Rod Marinelli was on coach Lovie Smith’s staff in Chicago during Melton’s first four seasons with the Bears.


Melton was not guaranteed to start in St. Louis, where the Rams are happy with starting defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford but are looking for a third defensive tackle in their rotation, particularly one with pass-rush skills.

Buffalo free-agent defensive lineman Alex Carrington remains a possibility for the Rams. The team has yet to schedule a visit with Carrington, but that could change now that Melton no longer is an option. Carrington, 6-feet-5, 301 pounds, suffered a thigh injury and missed the final 13 games of 2013.

The Arkansas State product appeared in 44 games over four seasons with Buffalo, including nine starts. He has four career sacks.

So far the Rams’ only signings in free agency have been the re-signing of offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. And the Rams got Saffold on the rebound, when his deal fell through in Oakland after a failed physical.

With the contracts now filed for Saffold and Dunbar with the NFL Players Association, the pair’s combined salary cap count for 2014 is just under $4.9 million. Of that total, Saffold counts $4 million against the cap next season, and Dunbar $880,000.

After those signings the Rams still have about $12 million in salary cap remaining. That total includes the $3 million in cap relief gained after cornerback Cortland Finnegan signed with Miami.

But that $3 million has yet to be credited to the Rams, and the team isn’t sure when that will happen. So at the moment, it’s not money they can spend. Also to be taken into consideration is that fact that a good chunk of that $12 million will be needed for signing Rams draft picks this year.

Saffold’s deal

Saffold’s five-year contract includes plenty of quirks. Although several media outlets reported the guaranteed money as $19.5 million, technically it’s $11 million. The $19.5 million figure includes $4 million of base salary in 2015 and $4.5 million of base salary in 2016 that are guaranteed only if Saffold’s on the roster on the third day of the league year.

Interestingly, there’s a $3 million roster bonus in 2015 that includes offset language (such as was the case with Finnegan’s bonus).

So if 2014 turns out to be a nightmare season, the Rams could get out of the contract after paying only $8 million in 2014 (in the form of a $3 million base and $5 million signing bonus). That’s assuming they would get the entire $3 million roster bonus back if Saffold then signed elsewhere.

The Rams, obviously, are hoping that’s not the case.

Durability has been an issue with Saffold over the past three seasons, with him missing a combined 17 games because of injury from 2011-13. But he can make an extra $1.5 million over the final three years of the contract, which runs through 2018, simply by staying on the field.

He gets an extra $31,250 for every regular-season game he plays in 2015, ’16 and ’17 — which maxes out at $500,000 a year over a full 16 games.

Saffold can also void the either the fourth or fifth year of his contract if he’s voted to the Pro Bowl once at any time before year four or year five.

Lastly, escalator clauses that raise the value of the base salary based (usually) on team and/or individual performance, can add an additional $4 million to the deal if reached.

All of that can raise a contract that at face value is five years, $30.2 million to five years and more than $35 million.

 

[brokeu91]

That number can't be accurate. JT says it's closer to 12 million and he would have a better idea. It really doesn't matter that much right now anyway, since I don't see the Rams making a huge splash between now and the beginning of the season.

 

[Alan]

brokeu91 with this:
That number can't be accurate. JT says it's closer to 12 million and he would have a better idea. It really doesn't matter that much right now anyway, since I don't see the Rams making a huge splash between now and the beginning of the season.

It is $12 million as per the article above.

 

[max]

There is plenty of money if they want to sign an expensive player. A lot of the money they need to sign the draft picks will come from guys they cut or trade. They can pick up about $3mil this year just by dumping Pead, Cudjo, and Pettis.

 

[VARAMS]

Need to look at FA as picking up depth at this point vs. picking up starters. There must have been a long term plan to make sure we aren't in a bind the next couple of years for the next round of contracts. So - where do we need depth - OL/WR/S/CB:

There is still some good depth picks for OL. What about Incognito for less than $1M for a 1 year contract. Then we can reserve the 1st round for best available and pick up a solid Ol in 2nd round.

WR looks like slim pickings and we are resisting a relatively cheap option in Kenny Britt - I hope that means they are going after a true #1 in draft (Watkins, Evans or Lee).

S & CB look like they have been picked clean - so again that looks like we will be trying to pick up 1-2 possible starters in draft. The one area we could improve in FA is backup QB - Shaun Hill or Fitzpatrick seem like decent options- both seem like an upgrade from Clemons

 

[Alan]

I'd like to pick up a cheap non-guaranteed OG to compete in TC.

I'll bet they'll try and get Clemens for S "experience" if no one else is biting. That might be a good deal but I'd like our young guys to get the work.