NFL Projects 2016 Salary Cap to Be Between $150-$153.4 Million

Spending in NFL free agency has been on the rise for years, and it's only set to escalate when the 2016 offseason rolls around.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday that the NFL has informed team executives it's anticipating the salary cap to spike from $143.28 million to somewhere between $150 million and $153.4 million for the next league year. 

Teams paid out over $788 million in guarantees in free agency last year, according to the Denver Post's Nicki Jhabvala, and if recent trends are any indication, that number should continue to climb toward the $1 billion mark as a result of the higher cap ceiling.

A clause in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement requiring teams to meet the salary-cap floor—89 percent of cash spent, per Jhabvala—has also helped precipitate an increase in spring splurging.

Entering the 2016 offseason, several up-and-coming squads figure to be big players in free agency based on available cap room. According to Spotrac, the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers are slated to have the most free cash:

Rank	Team	Projected Cap Space
1	Oakland Raiders	$72,563,823
2	Chicago Bears	$60,087,775
3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	$51,655,878
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	$44,702,658
5	San Francisco 49ers	$40,429,085
6	St. Louis Rams	$39,280,845
7	New York Giants	$38,241,292
8	Kansas City Chiefs	$34,589,946
9	San Diego Chargers	$33,054,603
10	Cincinnati Bengals	$32,384,630

Since the Raiders' projected cap space clocks in nearly $12.5 million higher than the second-place Bears, the AFC West hopefuls are shaping up to be one of 2016's most intriguing squads.

With rising stars such as quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Amari Cooper to go with defensive centerpiece Khalil Mack, the Raiders could make some noise if they're able to entice a few big-name free agents to don the silver and black next season.