As teams finish up their second wave of free-agent signings and start to transition into prep mode for the 2020 NFL draft, now is a good time to check in on the cap situations for front offices across the league to get an idea of which teams still have the means to add players and which teams will have to make some roster moves just to free up enough space to pay their draft picks.
Most teams have enough free money to do the latter, and then there are the Kansas City Chiefs. While other teams still have enough money to sign a player to the veteran minimum, the reigning Super Bowl champs don’t have enough to pay your cable bill.
ESPN’s Field Yates has the numbers…
Official cap space by team (teams 24-32):
24. BAL: 13,513,779
25. GB: 12,966,433
26. MIN: 12,495,443
27. SEA: 11,317,846
28. NO: 9,237,537
29. PIT: 8,667,814
30. ATL: 7,530,188
31. NE: 891,775
32. KC: 177— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 30, 2020
The Chiefs have $177 in cap space. One hundred and seventy-seven dollars.
That $1,200 stimulus check cannot come soon enough.
The Super Bowl champs are broke. And to better illustrate how broke they are, I put together a list of 10 things the Chiefs can’t afford with their available cap space…
1. A football signed by Patrick Mahomes
I suppose they could just ask Mahomes to sign a football for free, but footballs are pretty expensive.
2. An authentic Chiefs helmet
Not only will the Chiefs have problems playing their draft picks, but providing them with a helmet could also prove difficult.
3. This levitating football
Honestly, I’m surprised that a levitating football doesn’t cost more. This is sorcery, after all.
(I realize it’s just magnets, but still.)
4. A set of Chiefs bobbleheads
I have serious questions for anyone paying that much money for some toys.
5. A round trip from Kansas City to Miami (non-stop)
If the Chiefs wanted to head back to South Beach to relive their Super Bowl triumph, they’d have to take a layover in Atlanta.
6. NFL Sunday Ticket
The Chiefs will be busy most Sundays, but if they wanted to watch some football during the bye week, they’d have to settle for whatever game is on the local channels.
7. Two weeks salary at Joe Exotic’s zoo
Cost: $200
The Tiger King’s employees were pulling in a cool $100 a week. The Chiefs could afford one week of Erik Cowie, but not two.
8. An iPod
Not an iPhone. Not even an iPod touch. We’re talking the old school iPod. The Chiefs could get a Zune, I suppose. Remember Zunes?
9. This Hawaiian shirt
Little known fact: Andy Reid likes to splurge for his Hawaiian shirts. Not this year. Times is tough.
10. Both Chris Jones AND Sammy Watkins
They can’t keep both. The Chiefs can free up $14 million in cap space by trading (or cutting) Sammy Watkins. Or they could flip Super Bowl hero Chris Jones, who’s set to play under the franchise tag in 2020, for some draft capital and save about $16.1 million in the process.
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