NFL Lockout: 3 Teams in the Best Position to Take Advantage of the Lockout's End

With the lockout's last days in sight, the excitement that comes with the prospect of free agency is overwhelming football-starved fans.

For some fans, that excitement is derived from the anticipation of wondering which of their favorite players will depart as casualties of the renewed salary cap. For others, the excitement comes with the possibility of bringing in new faces who could potentially turn their franchises' fortunes around.

In a recent article on ESPN, the highly respected John Clayton presented the public with the salary situations for each NFL team in relation to the projected salary cap.

As you would expect, teams like the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers were comfortably under the cap and will have a lot of money to spend in free agency, should they choose to.

Others, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts, are already over the salary cap and will be focusing on re-signing their own stars rather than improving their roster with key additions.

What was most interesting about these figures to me was what teams were in the best positions to improve with cap room. The three teams that stood out were the San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Of the three, Tampa Bay is in the best position financially, with a reported $59.2 million to spend. The Buccaneers philosophy, however, is to focus on its youth movement. That does not mean Raheem Morris and Co. are not willing to spend money on veterans to help them win now.

The Buccaneers re-signed veteran cornerback Ronde Barber before the lockout commenced. Morris obviously understands the value of experience to guide his youth, as the team came close to a playoff spot last season.

Should a salary cap floor be introduced that forces the Buccaneers to spend significant sums on new additions the team could become a front-runner in the strong NFC South.

The difference between a team like the Buccaneers opposed to the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals—who have the second- and third-most money to spend—is that they have the right pieces in place to build on.

With Josh Freeman at quarterback, Donald Penn at left tackle and Mike Williams just needing a better supporting cast, the Buccaneers have the offensive base to build on that is rarely put together in free agency. But it can be brought to the next level with some key additions.

With the team potentially being forced to spend upwards of $35-40 million on free agents, big-time playmakers such as Santonio Holmes would be under consideration. The team could also re-sign their biggest potential free agent, guard Davin Joseph.

Defensively, the Buccaneers have already improved their pass rush through the draft but could use some more of that significant cap space to improve the secondary. Aqib Talib should be able to play this year, at least, presuming the team doesn't release him for his off-the-field issues. Making a play for a guy like Eric Weddle could give the secondary a major boost either way.

The Buccaneers are well on their way to becoming an NFL powerhouse on the shoulders of Freeman. This free-agency period could be the moment they leap into the elite standings of the league.

The Chicago Bears are the only team of the three that have made big moves in free agency recently. I was surprised to see the team had so much cap space despite making it to the NFC Championship game last season.

I wasn't a major fan of the Bears last season. Even though they kept winning, I could never get past their offensive line issues and lack of quality receivers. However, with $37 million to spare under the new salary cap, the Bears have no excuses not to properly complement their outstanding defense.

The addition of Julius Peppers to the defense last season had the desired effect and should encourage Lovie Smith to lobby for similar additions to the offense this year. Unlike many in the media and around the league, I don't doubt Jay Cutler.

His toughness shouldn't be in question to anyone who watched the brutal beatings he fought through during the regular season. What I do doubt about the Bears is the cause of that beating. They have already added Gabe Carimi, who should give them a reliable right tackle.

The Bears have the ability to give Cutler the best chance to carry the Bears to the next step if they can bring in a new left tackle to take care of his blind side. Orlando Pace was brought in with Cutler during his first season, but the aging veteran was well past his prime.

That should not deter the team from spending money on a veteran like Matt Light, who would be a solid addition without breaking the bank, allowing them to also potentially add a guard.

The left tackle position is valued higher than any other offensive line position for the most part. If the Bears follow this guideline, they may look to spend a bigger bulk of their cash on Jared Gaither, Tyson Clabo or Doug Free.

The Bears will also be looking to add a legitimate first-choice receiver. They have a good group of receivers but lack a legitimate first choice. Johnny Knox would benefit vastly from moving to the second slot on the depth chart behind a Mike Sims-Walker, Sidney Rice or Holmes.

Each of the above players would be able to play in Mike Martz's offense, while also offering a proper complement to what the team already has.

Finally, the team undoubtedly in the best position to make a move to the Super Bowl this coming season because of their moves in free agency is the San Diego Chargers.

The Chargers were arguably the best team in the league last year—outside of their special teams play. For this reason, I was shocked to see they are projected to be $19.4 million below the salary cap. They may have a few key free agents to re-sign, but Philip Rivers has shown he can succeed without Vincent Jackson. Darren Sproles really won't be missed, should he leave.

The Chargers haven't made big splashes in free agency over the years, but a salary cap floor may force them to spend some money outside of just locking up their own key players.

There are very few teams in the league that are as talented as the Chargers, and most of those that are are either over the cap or very close to it.

The team doesn't have any major holes. Re-signing Eric Weddle will be massive for their defense, but offensively, an improvement at right tackle is their biggest problem.

Rivers may be potentially losing two of his starting receivers from last season, Malcom Floyd and Jackson, but Floyd is replaceable and Jackson has been franchise-tagged. Rivers is—in my mind—in a group with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers as the best four quarterbacks in the league.

Rivers will succeed with whoever he is throwing passes to, and he will definitely have his most important piece next season in Antonio Gates. This gives the offense an elite quarterback, a stud left tackle—Marcus McNeill—and a future Hall of Fame tight end still in his prime.

With what looks like a very strong draft class, a defense that was first in yardage last season and an offense ranked second overall despite missing key players, the Chargers could become the best team in the league with just a few free agent additions.

A.J. Smith may not be a fan of spending money on free agents, but the new salary cap floor may force him to better his team's short-term future.

Free agency is going to be an exciting time for every NFL fan simply because there has been no excitement around the league for the most part of this calender year.

These three teams, however, have the most reasons to be excited looking forward to this coming season.

Serial tweeting about NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA, Soccer and Rugby  @Cianaf

I also write for Irish Central and Fantasy Football Life.