Tag: salary cap space

How much salary cap space will the Broncos have in 2021?

The Broncos are projected to have the 10th-most salary cap space in the NFL next offseason.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a salary cap floor of $175 million for the 2021 season. Depending on how much revenue the NFL makes this season, the cap could be higher than that, but it won’t be lower.

This year, the cap was about $198 million. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cap was expected to increase to more than $200 million in 2021.

A lower-than-expected cap next year could cause problems for several NFL teams. The Denver Broncos wouldn’t be in terrible shape.

If the cap is set at exactly $175 million, the Broncos will have $29,077,049 in cap space next season, according to an estimate from OverTheCap.com. Denver would have the 10th-most cap space in the NFL and the second-most in the AFC West (the Los Angeles Chargers would have $73,768,409).

The Las Vegas Raiders would be $9,813,777 above the salary cap and the Kansas City Chiefs would be in the hole $25,708,490, according to OTC.

The Broncos’ list of players set to become free agents next year includes safety Justin Simmons, kicker Brandon McManus and running back Phillip Lindsay, who would be a restricted free agent.

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Vikings salary cap estimate for 2021 if cap space was moved to $175 million

Do you think the Vikings will try to cut or trade players on big contracts to free up more salary cap space?

During a large stretch of the offseason, Minnesota was right up against the salary cap for 2020.

And while having little salary cap space is a sign of a team in contention, it also helps to have plenty of space in order to sign free agents.

Over The Cap recently projected salary cap space for each NFL team in 2021. Based on the Vikings estimate, it looks like the team won’t have space to work with, unless it wants to cut or trade away players to free up space.

Minnesota is projected to be $4,557,579 over the salary cap for 2021 if the NFL moves to $175 million in cap space. Minnesota is one of eight teams in the league that would be over the cap for the 2021 season if the total space moved to $175 million.

Of course, a lot can change and the Vikings can go about freeing up space in a plethora of different ways.

How much will the Broncos’ draft class cost this season?

The Broncos’ draft class will have a reasonable net salary cap hit this season.

The Denver Broncos have yet to sign their 2020 draft class. Just how much will it cost to sign their 10-player class?

The team’s drafted rookies will have a combined cap hit of $9,980,665 this season, according to Spotrac.com. But that doesn’t simply mean $9.9 million should be subtracted from the current cap total to calculate a new number.

During the offseason, only the 51 most-expensive players count against an NFL team’s salary cap. So some of the Broncos’ rookies will knock off several players currently counting against the Top 51 cap total.

Here’s a look at the draft class and the previous Top 51 players (knocked off players have their cap hits crossed out, including a few rookies).

Rookie Previous Top 51
Jerry Jeudy ($2,762,359) Phillip Lindsay ($755,000)
K.J. Hamler ($1,297,660) Davontae Harris ($750,000)
Michael Ojemudia ($863,890) Alexander Johnson ($750,000)
Lloyd Cushenberry ($846,544) Trey Marshall ($750,000)
McTelvin Agim ($824,317) Tim Patrick ($750,000)
Albert Okwuegbunam ($797,260) Juwann Winfree ($717,813)
Justin Strnad ($669,443) Malik Reed ($680,000)
Netane Muti ($661,448) Calvin Anderson ($675,000)
Tyrie Cleveland ($628,872) Andrew Beck ($675,000)
Derrek Tuszka ($628,872) Fred Brown ($675,000)
Rookie Pool: $9,980,665 Top 51 drop-offs: $6,761,448

When we subtract the 10 players that will be bumped down ($6,761,448) from the rookie pool/new bottom 10 players ($9,980,665) the net addition to the salary cap is just $3,219,217. So, in salary cap terms, the Broncos’ draft class will only cost a little more than $3.2 million.

Denver is projected to have $16,862,356 in cap space by Spotrac and $17,250,120 by OverTheCap.com, an average of $17,056,238. After subtracting the rookie net cap hit from that average, we project that the Broncos have approximately $13,837,021 in remaining salary cap space.

If Denver does not use all of its cap space this season, the unused cap will roll over to be added to the team’s salary cap total in 2021.

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Broncos have 2nd-cheapest QB-WR-RB trio in the NFL

The Broncos have the second-cheapest quarterback-wide receiver-running back trio in the NFL.

The Denver Broncos have the second-cheapest starting quarterback-wide receiver-running back trio in the NFL, according to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac.com.

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock and receiver Courtland Sutton are still playing on their rookie contracts, which makes them bargains at their positions. Lock will have a cap hit of $1,593,368 this season and Sutton will have a cap hit of $1,865,978 this year.

Melvin Gordon, who is expected to serve as Denver’s starting running back, has a cap hit of $7 million. That brings the trio’s total to $10.4 million.

The Broncos would have the cheapest trio in the league if Phillip Lindsay was considered Denver’s starter. Lindsay, still on his rookie deal, will have a cap hit of $755,000 this season. The trio of Lock-Sutton-Lindsay have combined cap hits of $4,214,346, a huge bargain.

The Dallas Cowboys ($54.3 million) have the most expensive trio in the NFL and the Washington Redskins ($7.4 million) have the cheapest trio.

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Updated 2020 Saints salary cap space after latest roster moves

The New Orleans Saints have been crafty in using the NFL veteran minimum salary benefit to work around the salary cap, preserving resources.

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Smart NFL teams are always looking to maximize their resources, and the New Orleans Saints might be the leading innovators for that movement. Between their use of the veteran’s minimum salary benefit and “ghost years” woven into contracts (spreading salary cap hits out into years in which the player won’t be signed to New Orleans), the Saints have done everything possible to, well, get into creative accounting.

It’s left them with one of the league’s strongest rosters and a hair above $8.2 million in salary cap space for the 2020 season; to be exact, we estimate them with $8,207,233 in funds. The analysts at Over The Cap have the Saints with a little north of $8.88 million to spend, but that doesn’t account for their contract with Ty Montgomery or projected rookie deals, all of which will subtract roughly $680,000 from the total. Our number includes those details and the recent signings of James Hurst, Anthony Chickillo, and Johnson Bademosi.

Following the release of Pro Bowl guard Larry Warford, just five players count for more than 4% of the total salary cap: Drew Brees ($23.65 million), Demario Davis ($9.9 million), Cameron Jordan ($9.09 million), Jared Cook ($9 million), and Terron Armstead ($8.35 million). Only a few others are taking up 3% or greater of the cap, between Sheldon Rankins ($7.69 million), Michael Thomas ($7 million), and Malcom Brown ($6 million). That reflects how many mid-level salaries the Saints have on the books as well as their success in drafting young, affordable talent.

So how does that compare with the rest of the NFL? The Saints have more salary cap space right now than the reigning Super Bowl champions (OTC lists the Kansas City Chiefs with $4.87 million to burn), as well as Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (also at $4.87 million). But no team is working tighter against the cap than the New England Patriots, left with only $1.33 million after Brady’s departure. The Pittsburgh Steelers ($5.7 million) and Los Angeles Rams ($5.39 million) are also trailing the Saints in cap resources.

This is familiar territory for the Saints, and it sets them up well to navigate a quiet stretch of the offseason. They could begin hammering out extensions for members of the 2021 free agent class, which will be expensive — Davis, Alvin Kamara, and Marcus Williams each have grounds to start the bidding at $12 million in annual salary. The Saints got a jump on that process last summer by signing Jordan, Thomas, and Wil Lutz to multiyear extensions, and they might be wise to follow that strategy again.

On the other hand, NFL ownership is wringing its hands over potential lost revenue if fans are unable to attend games due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Saints alone project to lose $440 million if the Who Dat Nation is forced to watch from home. They might be better off rolling this excess spending-room over into the 2021 fiscal year to help offset a possible salary cap decline.

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Colts’ salary cap update as training camp approaches

Colts have over $23 million left in salary cap space.

Through free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts are preparing to make a run for the division as training camp approaches.

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Even though we don’t fully know what the preseason will hold for the Colts and the rest of the league, it’s still important to keep an eye on where they sit in terms of salary cap.

They have eight of their 10 draft picks already signed to rookie deals—only Michael Pittman Jr. and Julian Blackmon are left to sign their deals.

With that, the Colts have $23.448 million in salary-cap space, per Over The Cap. That is good for the seventh-most in the NFL.

What does this mean for the Colts? After they get their rookie deals signed, they should have still a lot of space left if they need to make a move. However, it is more likely that general manager Chris Ballard will use that left-over salary cap space to roll over for the 2021 offseason, a move he likes to make every offseason.

The Colts have some high commitments for the 2020 season, led by the $25 million right arm of Philip Rivers, but they still have enough to make a move if they feel like adding a veteran on a one-year deal.

What will come of the rest of the offseason remains to be seen, but the Colts are in good shape when it comes to salary-cap space.

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Broncos can use salary cap space to reward players already on roster

The Broncos should give contract extensions to running back Phillip Lindsay and safety Justin Simmons.

The Denver Broncos still have around $17 million in remaining salary cap space entering the summer. Denver still has to sign its draft class but even after doing so, the team will have enough cap space to sign one or two more bargain free agents.

The Broncos might consider bringing in a few more free agents but rewarding some of their own players should be the top priority.

After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, running back Phillip Lindsay probably deserves more than $750,000 this year (especially considering Melvin Gordon will earn $7 million this season).

At the end of March, Denver general manager John Elway said he had spoken with Lindsay’s agent and said the team will see what they can do with Lindsay’s contract situation “later on,” presumably meaning sometime after the draft, which has since passed.

Another player who deserves a contract extension is safety Justin Simmons, who would earn $11.441 million in 2020 if he plays on the franchise tag.

Simmons’ market value is estimated to be about $14.4 million a year, according to Spotrac.com. That would make him the second-highest paid safety in the NFL behind Eddie Jackson ($14.6 million per season).

The Broncos have until July 15 to reach a long-term contract extension with Simmons. If a deal is not reached before that deadline, Simmons will play on the franchise tag this year and become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

Denver should give Lindsay and Simmons extensions this summer.

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Here are Christian Covington’s contract details with Broncos

Here’s how much salary cap space the Broncos have left after signing defensive lineman Christian Covington.

The details of Christian Covington’s one-year contract with the Broncos are now known.

Covington’s contract is worth $1.5 million, including a $1.25 million base salary, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Of that $1.5 million, $625,000 is guaranteed. Covington can also earn $250,000 through per-game roster bonuses, according to Klis.

Covington (6-2, 300 pounds) has totaled 93 tackles and 8.5 sacks in five seasons, playing mostly as a rotational defensive lineman.

In Denver, Covington will join a defensive line room that already includes Shelby Harris, Mike Purcell, Jurrell Casey, DeMarcus Walker, Dre’Mont Jones and McTelvin Agim. Last year, the Broncos carried six defensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster.

After adding in Covington’s cap hit, OverTheCap.com estimates that Denver has $17,250,120 in remaining 2020 salary cap space. The Broncos still have to sign their 10-player draft class but the team could make a few more bargain signings if they want to.

Denver will likely want to have around $10 million in cap space going into the season to sign injury replacements. If they do not use all of their 2020 cap space, unused cap will roll over and be added to the team’s 2021 cap total.

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Colts’ draft class projected to take up $7.9M in salary cap

Colts have roughly $25 million in salary-cap space left.

Even after a busy offseason in free agency, the Indianapolis Colts have plenty of salary-cap space remaining relative to the rest of the league—and that includes the money for the draft pool.

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Though it isn’t official because none of the draft picks have signed with the Colts as of this writing, the draft class is projected to take up just over $7.9 million in salary-cap space, per Spotrac.

That’s a pretty low number considering the Colts didn’t have a first-round pick, which is usually what takes up the bulk of the draft pool money.

These are the estimated values against the cap for the draft class:

Name Position Selection Estimated cap hit
Michael Pittman Jr. WR Round 2, Pick 34 $1,565,973
Jonathan Taylor RB Round 2, Pick 41 $1,423,482
Jonathan Blackmon S Round 3, Pick 85 $841,609
Jacob Eason QB Round 4, Pick 122 $793,066
Danny Pinter OL Round 5, Pick 149 $697,174
Robert Windsor DT Round 6, Pick 193 $653,505
Isaiah Rodgers CB Round 6, Pick 211 $646,281
Dezmon Patmon WR Round 6, Pick 212 $642,353
Jordan Glasgow LB Round 6, Pick 213 $642,353

It should be noted that these are estimates for each draft slot and the official salary cap hit for each pick could and likely will differ when it’s signed. This period is typically used for agents and the team to discuss the language of a contract.

Even with the draft pool, the Colts are projected to have just over $25 million in salary-cap space following the signings of undrafted free agent rookies and the nine selections in the draft.

So if the Colts wanted to bring in any other free agents for depth, they could. But we also know how much Chris Ballard likes to roll over to the next season so that is most likely the route they will go with their remaining salary-cap space.

The Colts’ rookie class is a blend of immediate contributors and players to develop, but the group as a whole shouldn’t have a massive impact on the salary cap.

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Updated Saints salary cap figure after Larry Warford release

The New Orleans Saints could extend their contract with Alvin Kamara or pursue a veteran like Everson Griffen after releasing Larry Warford.

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The New Orleans Saints freed up $7.75 million in spending-room beneath the 2020 salary cap, but what do they plan to do with it? And how much cap space will they have to work with once they’re finished signing undrafted rookies and their four draft picks?

Thankfully, the analysts at Over The Cap have answers. While the details on slot receiver Austin Carr’s new one-year contract with the Saints have yet to be reported, the OTC team estimates the Saints to have about $9.37 million in salary cap space. But it’s a little more complicated than that.

While no one in this year’s college free agent class figures to qualify for the top-51 contract rule, three of the four rookie draft picks will. Those deals haven’t been signed yet, but the cap values are already determined based off draft slots. Cesar Ruiz ($2,305,310), Zack Baun ($874,672), and Adam Trautman ($818,073) will each push less-valuable contracts off the books, leaving us with a projected cap space figure just north of $8.62 million. Let’s be clear: the Saints did not cut Warford because they couldn’t afford to sign their rookies. The money was already there.

That number will decrease slightly once Carr’s contract terms are reported, but not by much. He may qualify for the veteran minimum benefit and count just $887,500 against the salary cap, much like Michael Burton, Johnson Bademosi, Dwayne Washington, and Margus Hunt. But stay tuned for confirmation.

But let’s circle back to the original question: what are the Saints going to do with these new resources? Last year, New Orleans took the initiative in extending their contracts with team leaders like Cameron Jordan and Michael Thomas. They could take a similar approach with Demario Davis or Alvin Kamara later this summer.

It’s fun to think of the Saints going for broke in pursuit of a difference-maker on defense like Everson Griffen or Logan Ryan, but their past investments up front (in David Onyemata and Malcom Brown) and on the back end (to Malcolm Jenkins and Janoris Jenkins) might shift their focus elsewhere. Whichever direction the Saints go next, they’ll have plenty of options.

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