The Cincinnati Bengals releasing former starting offensive tackle La’el Collins has some noteworthy cap ramifications for the team.
On paper, the move should free up roughly $6 million or so this season and $7 million the next. Spotrac currently has the Bengals at $12.99 million in free cap space.
That said, it’s a little unclear on exact numbers from an outsider’s perspective. Collins was on the PUP and might’ve earned a Week 1 salary and we also don’t have clarification on if there were injury protection benefits.
Either way, the Bengals save a nice chunk of change with the move. It might not necessarily mean another move is on the way, either. The team just entered a season with one of its lowest totals in free space ever, so this might have simply been a way to create a little more breathing room (for injuries or even trade deadline flexibility).
Given that Collins was on the PUP and making near-starter money, there’s always a chance the two parties link back up on a cheaper deal at a later date, too.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]