Tag: 2020 Salary Cap

Saints release veteran defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr.

The New Orleans Saints released veteran defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr., saving more than $2.3 million against the 2020 salary cap.

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The New Orleans Saints have started trimming their roster down to just 53 players, and there’s a bit of surprise to one of their first cuts: defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr.

Edwards signed with the Saints last summer and appeared in 14 games, totaling 293 snaps played on defense. But the Saints can save $2.345 million against the 2020 salary cap by parting ways with him, and improved depth along the defensive line made him too expensive of a luxury. That raises their salary cap estimate to about $9.3 million.

Expect the Saints to round out the rotation behind Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport with returning backup Trey Hendrickson and second-year pro Carl Granderson — unless they’re able to land pricey free agent Jadeveon Clowney. The salary cap resources saved by releasing Edwards may go a long ways towards fitting Clowney onto their books.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a heap of trouble if the salary cap goes down

If 2020 team revenues take a nosedive, so could the 2021 salary cap which would spell trouble for the Steelers.

I would not want to be general manager Kevin Colbert right now.

To tag Bud Dupree, sign three free agents (Stefen Wisniewski, Derek Watt, Chris Wormley) and still be cap-compliant in 2020, the Steelers pushed $21 million of salary into the next season.

Pushing money from one year to the next is nothing new in the NFL and especially not for the Steelers. It’s part of the salary cap game to restructure contracts to be at or under the cap without players they need and want winding up casualties.

However, that money was pushed with the understanding that there would be a substantial cap increase in 2021.

Of course, no one knows the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the NFL and its salary cap just yet, but the potential implications paint an ugly picture.

The current salary cap is set at $198.2 million. Historically, the cap has increased by $10 million or more per season. Per Over The Cap, the projected salary cap for 2021 is an estimated $215 million. But that projection is contingent on the league operating as usual with a full 17-game schedule and stadiums at full capacity.

The salary cap for the following season is based on the income that the teams earn during a league year. While previous years’ salary caps have been limited to defined gross revenues (money earned from national television contracts, ticket sales, and NFL merchandise sales), the new collective bargaining agreement was expanded to include all revenues. All revenues incorporate ticket sales, luxury box suites and premium seating, local and national broadcasting royalties, concessions, parking, local advertising, stadium leasing, and merchandising.

On a recent episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast, Schefter broke it down like this:

“Now I want people to think about this going forward — because it is something that the NFL and the NFLPA soon is going to have to be thinking about — and that is if there are no fans in the stands this season that would equate essentially to about on average roughly $100 million less in revenue per team for each of the 32 NFL teams in the NFL. If we multiply that $100 million by the 32 we get $3.2 billion in lost revenue, and why is that a big deal? Because the salary cap is based off the total revenue that comes in…

“So if there is $3.2 billion in less revenue, which is a rough number… but well within the range that is expected and as other people pointed out there are other financial losses as well, we are looking, potentially, at the salary cap dropping in 2021 by $70 to $80 million.”

As Schefter speculates, if games are played without fans in the stands or only a percentage of fans, revenue will be significantly impacted, and the salary cap for 2021 could take a massive hit. An even worse scenario is if the season is canceled. I’m not going to pretend like I know how players’ 2020 salaries would be affected if no games are played and how that even would roll into 2021. But I do know that the Steelers are in a heap of trouble if the salary cap is reduced in 2021.

Let’s say that the cap drops by $80 million in 2021. That would put the salary cap at roughly $118 million. That’s still a ton of money, right? Currently, the Steelers total cap liabilities are at $187 million for next year.

Gulp.

And that’s without taking into account the money they will need to pay to any players they want to save from becoming free agents next year. Among the laundry list of players are unrestricted free agents JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Cam Heyward, Bud Dupree, and Mike Hilton.

I’m just glad I’m not in Colbert’s shoes.

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How much are Bears spending on each position in 2020?

Let’s take a look at how the 2020 salary cap breaks down for the Bears by position.

With the conclusion of free agency and the NFL Draft upcoming, the Chicago Bears have roughly $11 million available in salary cap space for 2020.

The Bears have allocated the most money to tight ends and linebackers in the entire NFL. Chicago is paying tight ends more than $22 million and linebackers roughly $45 million in 2020.

On the flip side, Chicago is spending the second least amount of money on running backs, for which they’re allocating just $3.9 million in 2020.

Let’s take a look at how the salary cap breaks down for the Bears in 2020 by position, according to Spotrac.

Quarterbacks

PLAYER CAP DOLLARS % OF CAP
Mitchell Trubisky $9.327M 4.39%
Nick Foles $5.3M 2.51%
Tyler Bray $795K 0.37%

Total cap hit: $15,455,924

% of cap: 7.27%

NFL rank: 19

Running Backs

PLAYER CAP DOLLARS % OF CAP
Tarik Cohen $2.291M 1.08%
David Montgomery $945K 0.44%
Ryan Nall $675K 0.32%

Total cap hit: $3,912,597

% of cap: 1.84%

NFL rank: 31

Wide Receivers

PLAYER CAP DOLLARS % OF CAP
Allen Robinson $15M 7.06%
Cordarrelle Patterson $5.75M 2.71%
Anthony Miller $1.46M 0.69%
Riley Ridley $845K 0.4%
Javon Wims $773K 0.36%
Reggie Davis $610K 0.29%
Thomas Ives $610K 0.29%
Alex Wesley $610K 0.29%

Total cap hit: $25,659,727

% of cap: 12.39%

NFL rank: 11

Tight Ends

PLAYER CAP DOLLARS % OF CAP
Trey Burton $8.55M 4.02%
Jimmy Graham $6M 2.82%
Adam Shaheen $1.88M 0.88%
Demetrius Harris $1.65M 0.78%
Ben Braunecker $1.618M 0.76%
Eric Saubert $829K 0.39%
Jesper Horsted $675K 0.32%
Darion Clark $610K 0.29%
Dax Raymond $610K 0.29%

Total cap hit: $22,423,376

% of cap: 10.23%

NFL rank: 1

Offensive Line

PLAYER CAP DOLLARS % OF CAP
Charles Leno $10.294M 4.84%
Bobby Massie $8.3M 3.91%
Cody Whitehair $4.2M 1.98%
James Daniels $1.895M 0.89%
Germain Ifedi $887K 0.42%
Corey Levin $834K 0.39%
Rashaad Coward $825K 0.39%
Alex Bars $675K 0.32%
Dino Boyd $610K 0.29%
Sam Mustipher $610K 0.29%

Total cap hit: $29,130,998

% of cap: 13.71%

NFL rank: 26

Read on for the defense

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Time is now for the Dolphins’ spending on offense to jump

The Miami Dolphins rank dead last in the NFL on offensive salary cap allotments.

The Miami Dolphins are entering this offseason with a relatively blank slate — the team has locked in a good deal of their young talent in an effort to create a long-term foundation for success. But this team is projected to lead the NFL in salary cap space and has a boatload of draft picks for the 2020 NFL Draft, all of which will help keep the sustainability of Miami’s rebuild healthy and thriving.

But one area that the Dolphins definitely need to ramp up the intensity is with their offensive spending. As pointed out by Hayden Winks of Rotoworld, the Dolphins currently rank dead last in the NFL in offensive spending for 2020.

With the 2020 NFL Draft looking to provide Miami with some value at offensive tackle and the running back position, Miami can target established veterans on the interior offensive line. Miami’s “big” investment in offense will come through the draft when the team commits to a new franchise quarterback — that decision won’t lead to new cash commitments until three to five years down the line.

That means Miami shouldn’t be bashful about their free agent spending — the team will have the cap flexibility to push guarantees into the short-term, which allows the team to part ways with failed investments if they need to.

Miami has been very clear: they hope for a sustainable rebuild but they also aren’t interested in a long-term drop off in the quality of their play. So if they’re serious about getting competitive sooner rather than later, they ought to take note of their current spending situation and be sure to selectively attack options for improving this 2020 roster.

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Broncos move on from contract negotiator Mike Sullivan

The Broncos are parting ways with contract negotiator Mike Sullivan about two months before the start of NFL free agency.

The contract for Mike Sullivan — the Broncos’ contract negotiator/salary cap manager — has expired and Denver does not plan to bring him back, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis first reported on Wednesday evening.

Sullivan joined the team in 2012 and helped Denver negotiate contracts for free agent stars including Peyton Manning (2012), DeMarcus Ware (2014), Aqib Talib (2014) and Emmanuel Sanders (2014). In 2016, Sullivan helped finalize a six-year, $114.1 million extension for Von Miller.

With NFL free agency about two months away, Broncos general manager John Elway has decided to go in a different direction. It’s unclear if Elway plans to hire a replacement to fill Sullivan’s old position.

Denver currently has about $60 million worth of 2020 salary cap space and if the team moves on from Joe Flacco and Ron Leary this offseason, that number could jump to nearly $80 million. The Broncos will likely be busy once free agency begins in March.

Klis reports that Sullivan is not retiring — he will likely land with another NFL team. Before joining Denver’s staff, Sullivan worked for 25 years as a player agent. His client list once included Packers star Aaron Rodgers.

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10 most-expensive Bills against 2020 salary cap

The Buffalo Bills top-10 salary cap hits entering the 2020 season.

The Buffalo Bills face a favorable salary cap situation entering the 2020 offseason. The team is projected to have approximately $89 million in cap space ahead of the free agency period, according to figures from Spotrac.

Buffalo has plenty of room to make a splash signing or two, if they wish. However, with several major contributors still playing on their rookie deals, the Bills may be cautious with how they spend their money this offseason.

For now, let’s take a look at the top-10 players who are eating up the most cap space for the 2020 Bills:

1. Mitch Morse

2020 cap hit: $11.625

Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse. Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The center signed a four-year, $44.5 million contract last offseason. Mitch Morse was the team’s marquee signing last year, brought in to help stabilize and revamp a porous offensive line in 2018.

2. Star Lotulelei

2020 cap hit: $10.1 million

Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Star Lotulelei was another piece of the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline. He signed a five-year, $50 million contract in the 2018 offseason. His familiarity with head coach Sean McDermott’s defensive scheme was a plus when the Bills were looking to strengthen their front-four on defense.

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How does Eddie Jackson’s contract extension impact Bears’ salary cap?

Details about Eddie Jackson’s four-year extension were revealed, and it looks good for the Bears’ 2020 salary cap.

When the Chicago Bears signed two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson to a mega four-year extension last week, it was a surprise given how the Bears already had such little salary cap space heading into 2020.

Details about Jackson’s $58.4 million extension have trickled out, and general manager Ryan Pace found a way to structure Jackson’s contract in a way that allows Chicago to have some decent cap space heading into free agency on March 18.

Jackson’s cap hit is projected to be $3.71 million this season, according to Over The Cap.

While the Bears are catching a break with Jackson’s cap hit in 2020, the same can’t be said in the future. Here’s a breakdown of what that cap hit is expected to look like over the next five years.

  • 2020: $3.71
  • 2021: $11.45
  • 2022: $13.5
  • 2023: $15.5
  • 2024: $16.55

Pace can free up more cap space by releasing veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara ($8 million) and negating outside linebacker Leonard Floyd’s fifth-year option ($13.22 million) before the start of the new league year on March 16.  Then there’s right guard Kyle Long, who announced his retirement, which will free up $8.1 million in cap space.

Altogether, that would free up $29.32 million in salary cap space, should the Bears choose to move on from Amukamara and Floyd.

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Ryan Anderson’s career day will force Redskins to make decision about Ryan Kerrigan

The third-year LB had a better day on Sunday than Kerrigan has had all season, and it could lead to a contract decision for the Redskins.

There was doom and gloom in Washington when it was announced that the Redskins star linebacker Ryan Kerrigan would miss the remainder of the season as he was being sent to the injured reserve list following a Week 14 calf injury.

However, with all due respect to Kerrigan, he wasn’t missed much on Sunday, as the Redskins fell to the Eagles 37-27 at home. In his absence, third-year linebacker Ryan Anderson stepped up, and he put on a career performance that nearly aided Washington in a victory celebration at home.

“The main thing today was I just really didn’t want to let [Kerrigan] down,” Anderson said, via The Washington Post. “He’s been talking to me all week, helping me out with the scout and personnel stuff. That game, I played for him. He’s been awesome since I got here. I couldn’t ask for a better guy to mentor me and show me the ropes.”

The five tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles from Anderson on Sunday were better than any single game performance that Kerrigan has had this season, and it came at a great time for the 2017 second-round pick, as the team may start to look for younger options on their roster with an eye towards the future. The 31-year-old Kerrigan is entering the final year of his contract in 2020, where he is due to earn just under $12 million. On the flip side, Anderson’s deal doesn’t expire until 2021, and he’s set to make just under $1.7 million next season.

It’s too small of a sample size to make any major decisions just yet, but if Anderson can keep up the type of play he showed on Sunday, it could be his job to lose going forward, as the team may decide to move on from an aging Kerrigan.

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Dolphins appear primed for spending as NFL reveals projected 2020 cap

The NFL has released their projected 2020 salary cap figure to each of teams — and it is great news for the Miami Dolphins.

The NFL has revealed to each of the 32 clubs across the league what the expected 2020 NFL salary cap range will be and it is great news for the Miami Dolphins. Reports have surfaced that the reported amount will land somewhere between $196M and $201M in salary cap room, a figure that serves as a 40% increase in allotted team spending versus just five years ago according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

For the Miami Dolphins, the new cap figure will mark a monumental amount of spending power for the team this offseason — the Dolphins are currently listed as owning $122M in cap commitments for the 2020 NFL season, according to Over the Cap. Factor in the Dolphins’ ability to roll over the $20M in surplus salary cap that the team is in possession of already this season and the Miami Dolphins will enter the 2020 calendar year with over $100M in salary cap spending power — before veteran cuts.

Among the cuts on the table for Miami? Safety Reshad Jones, who could clear an additional $7.54M in cap room if he’s cut before June 1st. Wide receiver Albert Wilson is also a significant candidate to be cut — his pre-June 1st cut would net the Dolphins an additional $9.5M in salary cap space for 2020. Center Daniel Kilgore is another logical cut candidate, as Miami could save his entire $3.625M salary against the cap if he’s cut this offseason.

It’s shaping up to be quite a thrilling offseason for the Dolphins. Between all of their draft capital and the surplus of cap room (and room to add even more), the Dolphins can be as aggressive as they’d like to be in bolstering the roster next spring.

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2020 NFL Salary Cap projections give Redskins some room to work in free agency

A projected 2020 salary cap between $196- and $201 million will give the Redskins room to work in free agency is they rid of some contracts.

Per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the 2020 NFL Salary Cap is projected to increase to somewhere between the range of $196.8 million to $201.2 million.

The increase marks a significant jump from where it was back in the 2015 season, when the cap sat at $143.4 million.

According to Rapoport, this is the 7th consecutive year where the cap is projected to climb more than $10 million per club, year over year. Since 2011, the cap has increased roughly 65 percent and $76 million per club.

The Washington Redskins currently have just over $163 million committed to the 2020 salary cap, which would leave them with approximately $40 million in salary cap going into the new year. This number could also grow if they are to cut ties with aging and expensive players like Josh Norman, Trent Williams, Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis.

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