Tag: Bengals cap space

B/R offers interesting cap-saving move for Bengals with Sam Hubbard

Here’s one way the Bengals could save some cap space.

The Cincinnati Bengals currently have roughly $23.5 million in free cap space, which gives them plenty of flexibility to add outside free agents and make other general moves over the summer and next season.

Bleacher Report recently detailed ways each team could free up further cap space though and one of the interesting items was restructuring the contract of defensive end Sam Hubbard:

The other money-saving option among the defensive ends is to restructure Sam Hubbard’s current deal. That would clear up to $6.1 million in space and adding a void year would spread the impact over multiple seasons.

Hubbard currently has the seventh-biggest cap hit on the team in 2024 at $10.1 million.

It’s an interesting topic because Hubbard just had a “down” year before undergoing surgery. Alongside names like B.J. Hill ($10.8 million cap hit in 2024), he’s certainly one of those names the team would look at if the need for more cap space came up.

Otherwise, the writeup suggests the usual items like trading Tee Higgins or Trey Hendrickson. But those are extremes and not on the table for the team as realistic when it comes to the franchise-tagged Higgins and now that things are patched over with Hendrickson.

Keep in mind, too, that restructures and even extensions can shift money around to free up space, so a long-term deal could also free up immediate space, too.

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Bengals cap space update after Trent Brown contract details revealed

An updated look at Bengals cap space.

It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals secured a starting right tackle with Trent Brown on a prove-it deal that leaves the team with plenty of cap flexibility before the draft.

Given Brown’s affordable cap hit now that his contract details have been revealed, the team has about $23.6 million in free cap space, per OverTheCap.

That’s a number that can change plenty over the next month. Beyond needing to budget for a draft class and keeping emergency funds at the ready, the number could also increase. Extensions for the likes of Tee Higgins could boost free cap space.

So could contract restructures for some of the Bengals’ biggest cap hits in 2024, highlighted by names like Sam Hubbard.

For now, the Bengals have room to go out and improve depth in free agency if desired, with plenty of ways to create more cap space, too.

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Bengals win big with comp pick and cap space via Vonn Bell’s return

Two big wins for the Bengals while bringing back Vonn Bell.

The Cincinnati Bengals get Vonn Bell, a compensatory pick and free cap space in one free-agency move.

More important than anything is Bell’s return to help fix communication errors that led to a young secondary coughing up more explosive plays than other any team last year.

But the fine details sure don’t hurt, either.

For example, as Over The Cap’s Nick Korte pointed out, the Bengals earned a sixth-round compensatory pick that came in part because of Bell’s departure, yet he’ll be on their roster the same year as said draft pick.

To top it all off, the Panthers will effectively pay Bell’s salary for next season. By cutting him after the first year of his contract, Carolina pays him $6 million this year. The Bengals, meanwhile, signed him for the veteran minimum.

These are small side notes to Bell’s return. But getting an extra draft pick and watching another team essentially pay up for him to play in Cincinnati in 2024 are nice bonuses. The team, of course, will be more focused on how he can rotate with and mentor Dax Hill and Jordan Battle alongside new free agent arrival Geno Stone.

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How much are the Bengals paying free agent Zack Moss?

A Bengals cap space update and look at Zack Moss’ contract.

The Cincinnati Bengals made sure to outpsend a team like the Dallas Cowboys while agreeing to sign running back Zack Moss in free agency.

That feat, plus a pretty unique two-year structure for the club, was a testament to just how much the team liked the versatile running back, who they will pair with Chase Brown in a committee to replace the Joe Mixon era.

And that aggressiveness is merely a two-year contract worth $8 million with $4.525 in Year 1. Mixon, on the other hand, had an $8.85 million cap hit next year and a $3 million roster bonus due on March 17 (hence the quick move).

So on paper, the Bengals saved that $3 million and saved a chunk of cap space, too, in the $6.1 million range.

Tack on Geno Stone’s arrival via free agency, which is estimated to be a roughly $6 million cap hit in Year 1, and the Bengals should have roughly $30 million in free cap space after accounting for a draft class that includes a newly-awarded third-round compensatory pick.

This roughly $30 million will change dramatically in the coming days, if not hours, as the Bengals make further signings. They can even save cap space, too (cutting Nick Scott after Stone’s arrival, for example, or a Tee Higgins extension and/or trade). But the ultimate takeaway is the Bengals got younger and more versatile while saving a small chunk of change with the Moss signing.

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Bengals cap space update after Tee Higgins’ franchise tag

A cap space update for the Bengals after franchise tagging Tee Higgins.

The Cincinnati Bengals project to have more than $50 million in free cap space even after applying the franchise tag to wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Word went out Friday night that the Bengals have informed Higgins that they will apply the $21.8 million tag, making him the second-highest cap hit on the team in 2024 behind Joe Burrow ($29.7 million).

That chunk of change might have hurt the Bengals more were it not for the news that came down earlier in the day that same Friday — the NFL revealed the 2024 salary cap number as much higher than anticipated, leaving the Bengals as big winners.

As of now, with the cap adjusted to $255.4 million and accounting for the Higgins cap hit and $10.7 million in rollover money from last year, Spotrac still has the Bengals at $52,463,511 in free cap space.

That’s a massive number the team will stretch to sign a draft class, retain other key free agents (Jonah Williams, Tyler Boyd, DJ Reader, etc.), sign outside free agents and otherwise after spending massive money the last few offseasons around Joe Burrow.

Don’t count out the Tee Higgins situation, either. The team has until July 15 to reach an extension with him now and the early tag could mean they will consider a trade, which would remove the cap hit from the books.

But for now, the Higgins tag was never going to hurt a team with a top-10 cap number. That’s even more so the case after the massive $30ish million spike to the salary cap.

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4 reasons Bengals are big winners from salary cap jump

Why the Bengals are big winners of the surprise salary cap raise.

Each fanbase likely thinks its team emerged big winners from this week’s announcement of the 2024 NFL salary cap.

But Cincinnati Bengals fans, especially, would be right.

The 2024 salary cap is a massive upswing in the $30 million range that, as of this writing, gives the Bengals around $70 million to work with — at least $10 million more than most projections used when looking at this offseason.

For a team right in the middle of a championship window after extending a star quarterback in a massive way, every little bit helps.

Here’s a look at a few reasons the Bengals are notable winners after the reveal of the cap.

Bengals emerge big winners with updated cap space after 2024 cap reveal

The Bengals are going to have more cap space than initially thought.

The Cincinnati Bengals have more cap space than expected.

That’s thanks to the NFL announcing on Friday that the 2024 salary cap will come in at a massive $255.4 million. Meaning, the number jumps all the way up from 2023’s $224.8 million.

Previous reporting on the topic suggested that the cap going over the $250 million mark would be the high end of things.

Alas, it’s even higher than expected and the Bengals will reap the benefits. Spotrac, for example, used a $242 million estimation while saying the Bengals had more than $60 million in space.

The massive number just made official by the league means the Bengals have north of $70 million (nearly $73 million, really) after rollover from the year prior. That’s money they will put to work on keeping Tee Higgins via tag or extension, as well as other key free agents of their own and from the outside. It could also mean more flexibility on extensions for the likes of Ja’Marr Chase.

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Could Bengals benefit from higher than expected 2024 salary cap?

Buzz says the salary cap could be higher than expected in 2024, which could help the Bengals.

As of this writing, the Cincinnati Bengals project to have one of the highest amounts of free cap space this offseason.

But some of that depends on where the salary cap actually ends up.

That remains a point of speculation because the number has yet to be finalized. And according to Pro Football Talk, the number might have a floor of $242 million. It could even escalate up to the $250 million mark.

Most cap projections use the $242 million. At Spotrac, that currently puts the Bengals at a little more than $61 million in free cap space.

Things get interesting, though, if we can tack on another $6 million or so because the final number comes in even higher.

One could argue the excess number just means inflated numbers for players, sure. But with the Bengals having so many high-profile things to figure out — including a likely franchise tag for Tee Higgins — every little bit helps.

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Cap numbers for all Bengals players under contract in 2024

A look at the current Bengals cap hits for next season.

As Cincinnati Bengals fans surely understand, the team has some critical free agents heading to the market this offseason, headlined by Tee Higgins and Jonah Williams.

But what about the guys under contract in 2024?

As of this writing, the Bengals have 48 players under contract in 2024 so far, per the numbers at Over The Cap. They continue to boast one of the league’s biggest free cap space numbers, but that’s before signing a draft class, re-signings and possible signings in free agency.

Here’s a look at the current player-by-player cap hits in 2024 from biggest to smallest, starting right at the top with Joe Burrow on his new big-money extension.

Bengals cap space update after season ends

A look at Bengals cap space as the offseason begins.

The Cincinnati Bengals enter a critical offseason with plenty of cap space to work on the roster.

After landing at 9-8 in one of the toughest divisions ever and making a first wave of offseason moves, the Bengals have roughly $60 million in free cap space entering the offseason, per the numbers at Spotrac.

That’s good for the sixth-highest mark in the NFL right now, with the top spot sitting on $85 million (Washington).

Of course, the catch when looking at this number is that the Bengals have a massive list of free agents, including names like Tee Higgins, DJ Reader, Jonah Williams and Tyler Boyd, to name a few.

On top of that, the Bengals will need to pay up on another draft class, and outside free agents and potential extensions for now-eligible guys like Ja’Marr Chase.

For now, though, the Bengals appear to have plenty of flexibility before making any other moves that might free up even more cap space.

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