Top 5 Worst Cap Sitations Going into the 2021 NFL Offseason
As we begin to enter the 2021 Offseason, teams are beginning to strategize and prepare for free agency and the draft to fill the holes in their roster for the upcoming NFL season. One of the most important assets for NFL teams during the offseason is cap space. It can be used to fill holes in the roster via free agency, but can also be detrimental to teams who currently find themselves to be over the salary cap. Today, we’re going to take a look at the NFL teams that are in the worst financial position heading into the 2021 offseason.
5) The Pittsburgh Steelers (-$30,601,664)
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in an awkward position in which a multitude of roster changes are needed in order to gear up for the 2021 NFL Season. They are currently looking to find their future quarterback, while still retaining their Hall of Fame quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers are currently 30 million dollars over the salary cap, and after an incredibly disappointing end to the 2020 NFL season, it is obvious they need to restructure their roster which will be difficult with their current cap limitations. Although the Steelers have a low amount of dead cap, they will absolutely look into restructuring contracts or releasing players such as Eric Ebron and David DeCastro to help free up some room for free agents that can be more impactful next season. The Steelers currently have key players like OLB Bud Dupree, ILB Avery Williamson, WR Juju Smith-Schuster, and HB James Conner expected to hit free agency this offseason.
4) The Los Angeles Rams (-$26,639,096)
The Los Angeles Rams find themselves in an incredibly interesting position heading into the offseason. They have a great roster on both sides of the ball with a strong mix of veterans and young players, and new quarterback addition Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. After trading for Matthew Stafford, it appears that the Rams are all in on this upcoming season to make another Super Bowl run. They have been knocking on the door for years now and it feels as if Mattew Stafford is exactly what this organization needed to get them over the hump. The reason why this cap situation is considered the fourth worst is because of the uncertainty that exists in the future of the Rams. If this Stafford trade does not result in deep playoff runs, the Rams have sacrificed their future for nothing. They are set to go seven consecutive years without a first-round pick and this is not a good situation for any team to be in, considering the fact that first-round picks are the best asset to obtain cheap, talented players.
3) Atlanta Falcons (-$31,668,889)
The age of the Matty Ice-led Falcons competing for a Super Bowl seems like it has come to an end. In the wake of this era, the Falcons find themselves over 30 million dollars over the cap limit, with huge contracts being given out to aging players, placing the Falcons in a difficult position. They are paying a high price for players past their prime while finding themselves no longer in contention for even a playoff spot, and as they should be preparing to rebuild their roster from the ground up. Their cap situation is concerning as they still owe Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Jake Matthews, Dante Fowler, and Grady Jarrett a total of 77.8 million dollars. Nearly half of the franchise’s cap space is stuck between only five players, which for a team that is on the decline with only 4 wins last year, should be troubling. It will be interesting to see how the Falcons plan to handle their cap space this year, as it should predict whether they are looking to rebuild, or run it back again and try to compete with the same broken roster.
2) New Orleans Saints (-$69,010,461)
The New Orleans Saints have the largest cap deficit in the NFL, but due to their recent playoff run and roster structure, they don’t have the NFL’s worst financial situation in my opinion. The Saints have a great defense, as well as a good offensive line and elite weapons in Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas. The Saints also currently have the flexibility to cut contracts, which could easily take the tremendous number of almost 70 million dollars over the cap and cut it in half. Releasing or restructuring the contracts of Taysom Hill, Emmanuel Sanders, and Cameron Jordan could save the Saints nearly 20 million dollars alone. Overall, the Saints are in a spot to compete for a Super Bowl again with a deep roster on both sides of the ball, as long as they can get average play from their quarterback and find ways to relieve themselves of this cap deficit without gutting their roster.
1) Philadelphia Eagles (-$49,049,596)
The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a devastating season where they had high expectations but ended up finishing last in the NFL’s worst division. They have a roster of aging stars signed to massive contracts that were continually restructured until they all clogged the cap space this 2021 offseason. They are currently nearly 50 million dollars over the cap, but that number should change a lot, and soon. They are shopping their “franchise quarterback”, Carson Wentz, and expect to trade him soon. The trade alone should put them past the Saints for the most money over the cap, as trading Wentz will bring along a price of 34.5 million dollars in dead money. In the event of a Wentz trade, the Eagles will be more than 80 million dollars over the salary cap with serious limitations in their ability to restructure. With an unproductive roster, aging stars on large contracts with large amounts of guaranteed money, the Eagles find themselves in a position where they are completely gridlocked in terms of cap space and are going to have to wait multiple years for all of their current contracts to expire before they will experience financial freedom.
