1. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

The league’s 2015 Most Valuable Player has missed much of the last two seasons with shoulder and foot injuries. It remains to be seen if he’ll ever be healthy again. More importantly, the Panthers are in full rebuild mode. That means Newton is expendable. The Panthers can clear $19.1 million toward the cap by releasing him.

Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.