Tag: NFL salary cap

Breaking down D.J. Reader’s free agent contract with the Lions

Breaking down D.J. Reader’s free agent contract with the Lions, which is different that originally reported

The Lions addressed the hole in the middle of the defensive line with one of the biggest free agents on the market in D.J. Reader. It turns out they filled the hole with less expense than expected.

Over The Cap has the contract figures for Reader and what the 30-year-old nose tackle signed for in Detroit. Although many originally reported it as two years and $27 million, in fact, it’s just $22 million for those two seasons.

It breaks down pretty favorably for the Lions:

$6.215 million signing bonus

2024 base salary of just $1.21 million, which is fully guaranteed

2025 base salary: $6.29 million

Total of $7.465 million guaranteed at signing

Three void years, which amortizes the signing bonus over five years at $1.243 million per year

There is a $5.303 million cap hit for 2024 that escalates to $12.243 for a cap figure in 2024.

Ranking all 32 teams (including the Ravens) by cap space after first wave of free agency

The Baltimore Ravens $14,074,766 ranks 24th in the NFL in available salary cap space after the first week of NFL free agency

The 2024 salary cap is set at $255.4 million.

Baltimore will look drastically different on both sides of the football field after undergoing massive changes in player personnel and the coaching staff.

Eric DeCosta started the off-season with urgency, signing Justin Madubuike, one of the league’s best defensive linemen, to an extension. After inking Madubuike to a deal, Baltimore seemed to win the first wave of the free agency period after getting Derrick Henry for two years and $16 million.

The talented running back could earn $20 million throughout the deal. However, the Ravens suffered significant free-agent losses. Patrick Queen (Steelers), Geno Stone (Bengals), and Gus Edwards (Chargers) were among eight free agents to sign elsewhere. Baltimore also traded Morgan Moses to the Jets and released Tyus Bowser in a cost-cutting move.

With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we’re looking at an updated ranking of salary cap figures for all 32 NFL teams.

All figures are via OverTheCap.com and official NFLPA records.

Breaking down Amik Robertson’s free agent deal with the Lions

Breaking down CB Amik Robertson’s free agent deal with the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions added former Raiders cornerback Amik Robertson as one of the team’s top free agent additions in 2024. The contract details are now available for Robertson, who will be in the mix at outside cornerback for the new-look Lions secondary.

Robertson’s deal is a modest one. Per Over the Cap, the fifth-year cornerback signed for two years and $9.25 million. It comes with a $3.3 million signing bonus and $4.5 million guaranteed, which includes the full signing bonus and $1.2 million in salary in 2024. He will count $2.85 million in cap room in 2024.

That $1.2 million figure is Robertson’s full salary in 2024. Other than the $1.65 million amortization of the signing bonus, nothing else is guaranteed for the second year of the contract.

There is a $500,000 roster bonus for Robertson in 2025 payable on the fifth day of the league year, as well as a $50,000 workout bonus for next season. His $4.2 million base salary in 2025 features no guarantees, which means the Lions can cut bait without creating much dead money if Robertson doesn’t work out for the team.

How much cap room the Lions have available to spend in free agency

How much salary cap room do the Detroit Lions have available to spend at the start of free agency?

As free agency kicks off with the legal tampering period ahead of the official start of the new NFL calendar year on Wednesday, March 13th, it’s a good time to look at just how much the Detroit Lions have available to spend. GM Brad Holmes, COO Mike Disner and the Lions front office have assembled a decent war chest to spend in free agency, if they so choose.

The two leading cap room authorities, Over the Cap and Spotrac, have pretty different figures for the Lions as of 11 a.m. on Match 11th.

Over the Cap calculates the Lions to have exactly $45,278,103 in available cap room. Their figure includes recent contracts to returning Lions Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Emmanuel Moseley and Michael Badgley.

Spotrac has the Lions with about $2 million more in cap room, at $47,412,723. Neither site includes Monday’s deal to re-sign RG Graham Glasgow, nor do they appear to include the upcoming rookie wage pool for draft picks. That would drop the figure down to around $36.8 million based on the Lions picking in their current draft slots.

That’s a healthy amount to take to the free agency negotiations. The Lions rank in the top 10 overall in available cap room. This particular Lions regime has been enthusiastic about buying more cap room by adding void years onto bigger contracts. Those shift some of the cap hit to a later time, allowing more immediate flexibility and availability of funds.

It’s also worth noting the report from Justin Rogers of the Detroit News regarding the philosophy Holmes & Co. value in team-building,

Teams aim to leave a buffer for future accounting costs. For example, only the top 51 salaries are included in the cap calculation during the offseason, but once the regular season hits, the full 53-man roster, plus the 16-man practice squad, count. Additionally, teams have to be prepared for injuries and additions, whether via free agency, waivers or trades. Detroit’s organizational preference is to leave between $15-20 million in funds.

That’s not a terribly uncommon strategy; many teams keep an in-season “slush fund” to deal with the inevitable injuries and practice squad transactions, among other things. The $15-20 million Rogers cites would certainly be on the higher end of any NFL team, however.

Let’s work off the $15 million figure for the in-season cushion. That would leave the Lions with around $22 million to spend in free agency. Keep in mind that includes internal re-signings like Glasgow, as well as any potential contract extensions to players like Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jared Goff.

What does Commanders’ cap room look like after Friday’s moves?

Washington’s cap space looks even better after Friday’s moves.

The Washington Commanders are in a position to make some serious moves in free agency. In listening to the general manager Adam Peters recently, it doesn’t sound like he plans to go on a spending spree when free agency opens, though.

Heading into this week’s NFL combine, Washington had over $70 in available salary cap space. On Friday, the Commanders added to that number, releasing left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and tight end Logan Thomas. Washington will also release center Nick Gates when the new league year opens on March 13.

The release of Leno saves Washington an additional $7.2 million in salary cap space for 2024. The Commanders will incur an $8.25 million dead cap charge in 2024.

The release of Thomas saves the Commanders $6.5 in cap space. Thomas’ release has a $1.75 million dead cap charge for 2024.

Gates’ release isn’t a big money-saver for Washington. He signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract last March and still had some guaranteed money remaining. So the Commanders only save $333K in 2024 by releasing Gates and will incur a $5.7 dead cap hit for 2024 to get out of the contract. That’s not surprising, seeing how Gates struggled last season.

Overall, Friday’s moves saved the Commanders approximately $14 million in salary cap space for 2024.

According to Over the Cap, Washington has the second-most cap space for 2024, with over $91.5 million. The Commanders have $80.5 million in effective cap space, ranking second to New England.

Washington has multiple holes to fill in free agency. Will the Commanders look for value, familiarity, or make a splash?

Free agency begins on March 13 with the legal tampering period opening on March 11.

Commanders to release C/G Nick Gates at start of the new league year

The Commanders moving on from Gates who they signed to a three-year contract last March.

The Washington Commanders moved on from a pair of starters on Friday in preparation for the new NFL league year in less than two weeks. Next, the Commanders will move on from one of their free-agent signings from last March.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Washington will release offensive lineman Nick Gates at the start of the new league year on March 13.

Gates, 28, signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal last March with $8 million guaranteed to be Washington’s starting center. Gates spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the New York Giants after going undrafted in 2018.

Gates started the first seven games at center and struggled. Veteran Tyler Larsen replaced Gates and, while not dominant, proved to be an upgrade over Gates. With Larsen injured late in the season, Gates returned to the lineup and started the final three games. Gates played better the second time around, but not enough to convince Washington’s new regime he should stick in 2024.

With Gates leaving and Larsen a free agent, will the Commanders turn to Ricky Stromberg as the starting center? The former All-SEC performer at Arkansas was a third-round pick last year and barely played before his season ended with a knee injury.

Commanders release veteran tight end Logan Thomas

The Commanders are moving on from Logan Thomas, too.

The Washington Commanders are moving on from veteran tight end Logan Thomas. On Friday, the team announced it had released tight end Logan Thomas and left tackle Charles Leno Jr.

Thomas, 32, signed a two-year contract with Washington in 2020 and was one of the most successful free-agent moves of the Ron Rivera era. In his first season, Thomas enjoyed a breakout campaign, catching 72 passes for 670 yards and six touchdowns.

Before the 2021 season, the Commanders signed Thomas to a contract extension, but injuries would follow him throughout the next three seasons.

In 2021, a hamstring injury cost him several games, and when he returned, a dirty hit by a Raiders defensive end sidelined him with a torn ACL. Thomas would return for the start of the 2022 season, but he wasn’t the same, at least initially.

He appeared in 16 games last season, catching 55 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns. In his four seasons in Washington, Thomas appeared in 52 games, with 184 receptions, 1,685 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Coming to Washington was a homecoming for the former Virginia Tech quarterback. Thomas was a record-setting quarterback for the Hokies and came into the NFL as a quarterback. He changed positions a few years into his career and enjoyed success.

Thomas, like Leno, was a beloved locker-room leader.

Commanders to release left tackle Charles Leno Jr.

Commanders move on from veteran left tackle Charles Leno Jr.

The Washington Commanders began clearing more salary cap space on Friday by releasing veteran left tackle Charles Leno Jr.

Leno, 32, signed with Washington in May 2021 after the Chicago Bears released him. Leno spent the first seven years of his career in Chicago. He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 with the Bears. A seventh-round pick from Boise State in the 2014 NFL draft, Leno appeared in 102 games with 94 starts for Chicago.

In Washington, Leno initially signed a one-year deal. However, late in the 2021 season, he signed a three-year extension. In three seasons with the Commanders, Leno started all 47 games he played. He did not miss a game during his first two seasons but missed the final four games of the 2023 season.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Leno is scheduled for hip surgery next week.

Leno was a steady presence for Washington’s offensive line, which struggled overall. Leno was active in the community, participating in multiple charities, and was a finalist for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

Leno’s wife,  Jen, took to X to thank the Washington community.

 

View the salary cap space for all 32 NFL teams ahead of free agency

Ahead of NFL free agency, Tennessee has the most salary cap space in the league. The Broncos rank among the bottom-four teams in cap space.

The NFL announced its 2024 salary cap ($255.4 million per team) last week, and it’s a massive increase from last year ($224.8 million).

The rising salary cap is good news for the Denver Broncos, who are expected to lose a significant amount of cap space when they release quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Broncos have several notable in-house free agents the team will likely want to re-sign, so Denver will need to make some cap-related roster moves to create more cap space ahead of free agency.

NFL teams can begin negotiating with pending free agents from other teams on March 11, but no deals can become official until the new league year begins on March 13.

The Broncos have the fourth-worst cap situation in the league.

Keep in mind that these numbers are subject to change quickly as teams make roster moves. The numbers are also projections (courtesy of OverTheCap.com), so the cap space for some teams might not be exact.

With that in mind, here’s a quick list of the salary cap space for all 32 teams ahead of the official start of NFL free agency later this month.

Ravens’ biggest winners from NFL raising the 2024 salary cap to $255.4M

We’re looking at the Baltimore Ravens biggest winners from the NFL raising the salary cap to $255.4 million

The 2024 NFL offseason is underway for Baltimore, and the Ravens’ focus will shift to reshaping the roster on both sides.

The NFL announced a massive $30.6 million increase from 2023, under the original salary cap set in 1994 of $34.6 million.

The 2024 cap is officially $255 million, and where things currently stand, Baltimore is expected to have roughly $18,538,828 available, according to Over The Cap.

The Ravens are set to have 26 pending free agents, and with another likely retool schedule on defense, the organization could conjure up a scheme for more flexibility.

With the added cap space now official, we’re looking at the biggest winners from the news.