Top Potential NFL Cap Casualties Who Could Be Steals for Other Teams in 2023
The NFL offseason will bring about a fresh round of salary-cap casualties. As teams look to cut costs and get cap compliant for the 2023 campaign, it is all but inevitable that a slew of highly paid veterans will be released.
While some of these players have seen their production fall off a cliff and will be hard-pressed to continue their careers with other franchises, others are still in the primes and have the potential to be major contributors with the clubs they next land with.
James Bradberry is a good example of how one team's cap casualty can become another's star. The New York Giants released the cornerback last year to save over $10 million, freeing him up to sign with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. The 29-year-old paid dividends on his one-year, $7.3 million deal, becoming a key contributor on a Super Bowl defense and making a second-team All-Pro appearance.
With that in mind, here are five cut candidates who could be steals for another team in 2023.
Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
1 of 5
After Derek Carr got benched at the end of the regular season and stepped away from the team, it seems like it is only a matter of time before the veteran quarterback is playing for another organization.
A trade is possible given how many clubs are desperate for a quarterback this offseason. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that the New Orleans Saints are a potential suitor for the four-time Pro Bowler, but it remains to be seen if they are willing to cough up much, if anything, for a player who could soon get released.
While the Las Vegas Raiders would obviously prefer to return some value for their longtime signal-caller, it won't be easy to trade Carr because of his contract. His hefty $32.9 million salary become fully guaranteed Feb. 15. According to ESPN, Carr has said he's not interested in moving that date back, and he has a no-trade clause.
With transactions unable to be made official until the new league year begins March 15, Vegas may simply cut the signal-caller rather than risk getting stuck footing the bill if a trade partner goes back on a handshake deal.
The Raiders would save some money this way, as releasing Carr would free up $29.3 million in cap space. But the team is projected to be $17.5 million under the cap already and doesn't need to make any drastic moves right now.
Still, there was a clear falling out between the team and its second-round pick in 2014, one that seems irreconcilable.
The 31-year-old may have had a rough 2022, but he earned a Pro Bowl nod after completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Carr is only a year removed from throwing for a career-high 4,804 yards and hadn't had lower than a 67.3 percent completion rate before this year since 2017.
Whether he lands with the Saints, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts or another of the myriad of teams without a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback on the roster, it's all but guaranteed he will be starting for one of them next year and represents a massive improvement over any of their current options under center.
Corey Davis, WR, New York Jets
2 of 5
Corey Davis was the top receiver off the board back in 2017, but the No. 5 overall pick hasn't lived up to that lofty draft status during the first half-decade of his NFL career.
The 28-year-old has been limited by injuries—missing multiple games in all but his sophomore season—and drops (he had five in just nine games in 2021 before undergoing season-ending surgery). But he's also yet to play with an elite quarterback.
He had a revolving door of signal-callers targeting him during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans and has seen more of the same since signing with the Jets in 2021. He had a career-best year in 2020—catching 65 passes for 984 yards and five scores—but only totaled a pedestrian 1,028 yards and six scores on 66 catches over the past two years combined.
With Garrett Wilson establishing himself as Gang Green's No. 1 pass-catching threat during his rookie campaign in 2022, Davis could find himself back on the open market as the Jets look to retool once again this offseason.
Davis still has a season remaining on his three-year, $37.5 million deal, but he could be released to save over $10 million, with the team only incurring a $666,667 dead-cap hit.
It appears that is the direction the Jets are going, as The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt found that they "are operating under the assumption that Corey Davis will be a cap casualty."
Should Davis land with a receiver-needy squad that has a decent quarterback in place already—the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants fit the bill—there is a real chance he will finally realize his potential.
Russell Gage, Wr, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3 of 5
Russell Gage was expected to round out a stacked Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers room when he was lured away from the rival Atlanta Falcons last year. That wouldn't come to fruition, however, as injuries and ineffectiveness ravaged the Tampa offense during what would become future Hall of Famer Tom Brady's final NFL season.
Although Gage did score a career-high five touchdowns in 2022, his reception (51) and yardage (426) numbers were pedestrian. Hamstring issues limited him to 13 games and seemed to impact his effectiveness when he was on the field.
Gage may be coming off his lowest receiving yardage total since his rookie campaign, but there is a good chance the 27-year-old still has plenty left in the tank as he gears up for his sixth professional season.
Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, there is a real chance his bounce-back year won't be in the same uniform. The team is mired in salary-cap hell, as Spotrac estimates that the Saints are the only squad that's further over the cap. Given that the Bucs are over $55 million in the red, they'll need to make some sweeping changes to get under cap.
They can get some cap relief in 2023 by pushing the dead money from Brady's contract to next year, but they'll have tough decisions to make regarding several veterans, including Gage.
While half of his $10 million base salary has already been guaranteed, the Buccaneers can still save nearly $3 million by releasing him this offseason. With Mike Evans going into the final year of his deal with a cap hit of nearly $24 million, Tampa must find a way to free up any money it can for an extension if it doesn't wish to deal the star.
Teams like the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans—as well as several other clubs with glaring holes in the receiving corps—should be intrigued if Gage becomes available.
He had a strong two-year stretch between 2020 and 2021 in which he racked up 1,556 yards and eight touchdowns on 138 receptions and could easily regain that form on a budget-friendly free-agency deal.
.jpg?w=256 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
Shaquill Griffin, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
4 of 5
The Jacksonville Jaguars splurged to sign Shaquill Griffin in the spring of 2021. The move didn't quite shore up their secondary the way they had imagined, but Jacksonville still managed to become a contending team this past season without Griffin playing a major role.
The 27-year-old participated in 14 games during an abysmal 2021 campaign for the Jags. He was a quality asset for the defense that season, earning a 72.0 grade at Pro Football Focus. But he landed on injured reserve in 2022 after seeing action in only five games and wasn't part of Jacksonville's late-season playoff run.
The UCF product will soon enter the final season of his three-year, $40 million contract, although the Jags could free up some much-needed finances by releasing him. The defensive back has a cap hit of $17.2 million, but Jacksonville would only take on $4 million in dead money if it cuts him.
That may be the tough, but it's the correct decision for a team that Spotrac projects to be more than $32 million over the cap.
If Griffin does hit the open market, there should be at least a handful of clubs intrigued by the 2019 Pro Bowler.
While he has missed time in each of the last four seasons, he has been a consistently strong cover man when he is on the field. A third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, Griffin quickly ascended to a starting job early in his career and may still have quite a few prime years left if he can stay healthy.
Getting some cap relief and giving both sides a fresh start isn't a bad way to end this relationship.
Griffin should quickly find a new home. Cornerback-needy franchises like the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all stand out as potential landing spots. The Jags could draft his replacement and spend money to improve other positions of need.
Khalil Mack, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers
5 of 5
Khalil Mack has been one of the top edge-rushers of his generation, but that won't stop him from soon potentially playing for his fourth team since he was the No. 5 overall pick in 2014.
Salary-cap issues have caused Mack to bounce around the league and could once again force him to a new franchise. The pass-rusher has an exorbitant $27.4 million cap hit for 2023, a figure that doesn't line up with his recent production.
The 31-year-old hasn't recorded a double-digit-sack tally since 2018—his first year with the Chicago Bears—and missed 10 games during the 2021 campaign. While he returned to start all 17 contests this past season, notching eight sacks, the cash-strapped Los Angeles Chargers could move on if Mack isn't willing to rework his deal.
The Athletic's Daniel Popper noted that cutting Mack would save the Chargers nearly $23 million if he's designated as a post-June 1 release. Spotrac projects Los Angeles is nearly $20 million over the cap heading into the offseason.
It's a good year to be in the market for the edge position, especially for a team looking to find a cost-effective option. Twenty-two of the top 150 prospects on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest big board fill that role, giving the Bolts no shortage of high-end choices.
While the nine-year veteran may not fit in L.A.'s future plans, he would have no shortage of suitors if the team parts ways with him. His 71.1 PFF grade for 2022 was a career-low, but that is still a respectable score and indicates he probably has some good years left in the tank.
It's conceivable Mack will want to land with a potential contender. A ring still eludes his decorated career. The seven-time Pro Bowler would fit well with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns, especially if he's willing to sign a more team-friendly deal than his current contract.
.jpg?w=480 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Chiefs Rookies Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Vikings Cowboys Football")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
