3 Cuts That Could Create Cap Space for the Baltimore Ravens

Life in the NFL isn't easy, but the offseason can be the most strenuous period mentally for players, even those under contract.

That's because in the blink of an eye, players are cut throughout the offseason, most of the time in order for a team to free up cap space.

Unfortunately for the Baltimore Ravens, they'll likely be making several cuts of their own with their salary-cap space being so low.

Over the Cap projects the Ravens to have just $3.2 million of cap space, which is barely enough to sign a few free agents and the NFL draft picks they'll have to get under contract.

Key players like Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels, Pernell McPhee and Justin Forsett are hitting the market this year. That means several Ravens will need to be cut in order for Baltimore to re-sign most, if not all, of those guys. 

Here is a look at which players the Ravens could end up cutting this offseason. 

Chris Canty

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The Ravens defensive line was among the best in football this past year, and Chris Canty was a key contributor to that. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Canty played in 423 snaps this past year while being the full-time starter at defensive end. Canty finished with the seventh-best run-stopping grade of any Ravens defender in the regular season. 

He was part of the reason why Baltimore finished with the No. 4 rush defense this year, but Canty's replacement may already be on the roster. 

Timmy Jernigan was drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft to eventually become a starter along Baltimore's defensive line, and he became a force down the stretch.

He finished his rookie year with the ninth-best PFF grade of any Ravens defender, and his pass-rushing grade was the sixth-best. Jernigan finished with 330 snaps as a rookie, many of which were at defensive end. 

While it would be nice to keep both Canty and Jernigan, there are going to be some tough cuts made, and Canty could be one of them. 

Savings if cut: $2.66 million

Jacoby Jones

Steven Senne/Associated Press

The Ravens have relied heavily on wide receiver Jacoby Jones as their primary returner since 2012. However, he doesn't do much else, making him a bit of a burden to keep on the roster.

Jones is set to make $3.375 million in 2015 after catching just nine passes for 131 yards this past season. He did average 30.6 yards per kickoff return, but that doesn't make him worth that kind of cap hit.

If the Ravens cut Jones and designate him a post-June 1 cut, they'll save $2.5 million next year. Having that extra money could go a long way in getting Torrey Smith re-signed. He's far more important to the team.

Jones is a great returner who would be tough to lose, but there are more important players needing to be re-signed.  

Savings if Cut: $2.5 million

Lardarius Webb

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Ravens may have to make a very tough decision and part with cornerback Lardarius Webb this offseason. 

Webb was once a Pro Bowl-level defender for the Ravens, but since tearing his ACL in 2012, his level of play hasn't been the same. 

This past year, Webb finished with the fourth-worst grade of any Baltimore defender this past year, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF also ranked him 41st out of 54 corners who played in at least 60 percent of their team's defensive snaps. 

Needless to say, Webb isn't worth the $12 million cap hit he's set to count for in 2015. The Ravens can save $8 million if  they designate Webb a post-June 1 cut. 

It would be a very tough call to make, but Baltimore simply cannot pay Webb his current salary in 2015 if they want to re-sign at least some of their key free agents. 

Savings if Cut: $8 million

Note: All salary-cap information courtesy of Over The Cap, unless otherwise indicated.