NFL: Top 5 teams with the most cap space in 2021
The new NFL season is set to get underway this autumn on September 9. Five days prior to the regular season, each franchise is required to trim its roster down to 51 players and it’s at this point that league financiers can finally get a firm take on whether or not the said team has come in under the salary cap.
If a team fails to limit its spending and pokes over the cap limit, that team will face financial penalties and even the loss of picks at future draft events.
There are, however, several teams that will have very little to worry about as September 5 approaches; teams that, even after snapping up the best rookie talent available to them in the recent 2021 NFL Draft, are still millions of dollars under the cap limit and, as such, still able to make waves in the free agency market and perhaps even via trades.
Top 5 NFL teams with the most cap space available
All figures are taken from Spotrac.com.
(In descending order…)
5. Detroit Lions
New signal-caller Jared Goff signed on for big money earlier in the offseason – the former Ram stands to earn $134,000,000 over the next four years. But even with Goff on mega-money and even after the likes of rookies OT Penei Sewell and DT Levi Onwuzurike have their wages added to the Spotrac database, the Detroit Lions are and will be in sound financial shape.
The Lions still have $5,032,483 in available cap and that figure is expected to go up to as high as $23,579,149 once the Lions register their final 51 rostered squad members for the start of the new season.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have been busy during free agency, snapping up much-needed upgrades at tight end in Jared Cook, and center in Corey Linsley. Thankfully, both veterans signed up on reasonable deals: Cook is set to earn just $3,500,000 in base salary in 2021, and Linsley is just ahead of him on $4,000,000.
The Chargers have done good business during the offseason and, as such, the franchise is still way under cap with $7,253,210 available, a figure expected to drop significantly once the final 51 is announced.
Spotrac estimates that the Chargers could have as much as $21,2333,210 in available cap by the time the season gets underway.
3. Denver Broncos
Despite having bolstered their ranks with QB Teddy Bridgewater, who the Broncos will hope can put pressure on and raise the performance of the incumbent Drew Lock, Denver still has $8,961,514 in available cap room.
This figure is expected to almost triple by the time the Broncos get done trimming their squad: the final estimate for the completed 51-man roster is expected to be about $26,301,544.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Even though the Bengals have been willing to flash the cash during the offseason by bringing in the likes of the former Vikings CB Trae Waynes and the former Saints DE Trey Hendrickson (and on decent money, too), Zach Taylor’s team still comes in with cap space to spare: $12,811,463 to be precise.
Once the Bengals narrow down to their final 51, this figure should stand at approximately $25,951,463, meaning Cincinnati fans have a right to expect a few more savvy signings between now and the autumn.
1.Jacksonville Jaguars
It may have felt as though the Jaguars were on the draft clock every hour for the first three rounds of last week’s 2021 NFL Draft, but head coach Urban Meyer’s new team will still have cap space aplenty once incoming rookie stars QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne and co. have each had their respective rookie wages added to the Spotrac database.
At present, the Jaguars have $16,048,310 available. Once the rookie wages are added and the final 51 are announced, this figure will be nearer to $39,448,309, meaning there’s plenty of cash available should Meyer wish to add fresh faces in time for the big kick-off on September 9.