Previewing Washington Redskins' 2015 Salary Cap Situation

Two years removed from being slapped with a $36 million salary cap penalty, the Washington Redskins' newfound ability to spend has done little to improve the product on the field.

The 2014 campaign marked the fifth season in six years the team finished with a losing record. A season that opened with just four new starters from outside the organization could result in a purging of the roster. 

Addressing the media at the conclusion of his inaugural season in Washington, via ESPN's John Keim, head coach Jay Gruden hinted a housecleaning could be in order:

"

Sometimes the best addition to your team is subtraction. That's what we've got to figure out. Being with these guys for a long time, there are things you want to address. You want to make sure you bring the right people in here. I'm not saying all 53 guys are my type of guys. There are some changes that are going to be made.

"

Seeing long-time defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has already been shown the door, a mutual decision between him and the organization according to SI.com, these changes won't just apply to the players.

Speaking of which, though, as things currently stand, the Redskins will enter the 2015 offseason with 48 players under contract, per OverTheCap.com. With the cap projected to be $140 million, this leaves the team with roughly $15 million in cap room. And mind you, this is prior to the team re-signing any of its own free agents, like Brian Orakpo.

In light of this, the team will have to cut bait with its share of overpaid veterans if it's to truly make over its roster.

With that said, let's take a look at some potential cap casualties:

Chris Chester

USA TODAY Sports

A member of Washington's beleaguered offensive line, Chris Chester may want to have his bags packed. Not only do the Redskins have a prospect in Spencer Long with whom to potentially replace him—he can't be any worse, right?—but they have a financial motive to bid adieu to the underachieving Chester.

Despite the fact he's slated to earn a base salary of $3.5 million in 2015, his cap number stands at $4.8 million. With his ouster, though, the team would save $4 million in cap space.

Stephen Bowen

Coming off of microfracture knee surgery, Stephen Bowen predictably contributed little to Washington's defense. Placed on the physically unable to perform list to start the year, Bowen appeared in eight games and registered just 11 tackles. And all while carrying a cap number of $4.6 million.

Slated to count $8 million against the cap in 2015, in addition to a base salary of $5.4 million, Bowen's release would net the Skins $5.5 million.

Tracy Porter

USA TODAY Sports

The Redskins were Tracy Porter's fourth team in four seasons. Limited to three games because of injury, it's likely he'll be searching for a fifth team this offseason.

If his play, or lack thereof, wasn't enough of a reason, the team would save $2.8 million if it bid Porter farewell.

While there are a wave of smaller cuts the team could make to clear more space—to a Logan Paulsen or a Kedric Golston, maybe—it's these three players that hold the key to Washington's spending ability. Between the three, the team would net more than $12 million in cap space.

With a total of around $27 million to spend, the possibilities aren't endless, but Washington would have enough to shore up the weaknesses it can't address in the 2015 NFL draft.

In need of a stabling force or two in the secondary, the team would be wise to address the safety position with these funds. A potential free agent, Devin McCourty should be one such target. Not only is he in the prime of his career, but with his experience playing cornerback he'd bring some versatility to the team's secondary.

Looking to Washington's other chief need, the interior of the offensive line could also be addressed. Whether it's to challenge or backup Kory Lichtensteiger, the addition of a true center like Samson Satele would bolster this unit. As for the guard position, it'd be worth it to the team to make a go at guard Mike Iupati.

Shawn Lauvao was underwhelming in his first season in D.C., and the combination of Iupati and Trent Williams would give the Skins an elite tandem on the left side of the line.

Coming off a breakout year, Ryan Kerrigan is also in line to receive a long-term deal.

All told, with so many holes to fill across the roster, even with owner Daniel Snyder, the Redskins don't have enough money to simply throw at their problems. Playoff contention may not be a realistic forecast for the 2015 season because of this, but with a full allotment of draft picks, this is something Washington can overcome if it maximizes the avenues it has to improve.

All salary cap and free agency information is courtesy of OverTheCap.com.