An Updated Look at Every Team's Cap Situation Heading into Free Agency
Being just over a month removed from the Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead (or Super Bowl 51—whatever you want to call it), we now transition into full-on offseason mode.
Over these next few months, we'll have a plethora of football content to contain our pigskin addiction until the season starts, including the combine, the draft and free agency (you know, the fun stuff!).
While the unrestricted-free-agent pool might be different each offseason, the struggle of losing players, franchise-tagging, tendering, extensions, cap casualties and playing within the rules of the salary cap stay the same.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the league salary cap has raised to $167 million in 2017.
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to be inundated with the word "million" following large numbers this month.
Let's get these guys paid.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
Available Cap Space: $16,987,989
NFL Rank: 26th
DE Calais Campbell
TE Jermaine Gresham
DT Frostee Rucker
SS Tony Jefferson
SS D.J. Swearinger
RB Chris Johnson
ILB Kevin Minter
RB Andre Ellington
2017 Offseason Strategy
With quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald returning in 2017, the Arizona Cardinals have two fewer issues to address this offseason.
Another key cog they've gotten out of the way is figuring out how to keep outside linebacker Chandler Jones—they did so via the franchise tag.
Money permitting, the Cardinals would love to extend Jones, but the money might be too much right now.
Beyond that, an extension for 28-year-old defensive tackle in Corey Peters might be in play as he is coming off arguably the best year of his career.
In order to save some money, we could see the Cardinals cut ties with inside linebacker Daryl Washington and cornerback Justin Bethel, who represent $6.545 million and $5.25 million cap hits, respectively, heading into 2017.
The Cardinals must also look ahead to linebacker Deone Bucannon's fifth-year option, which will need to be addressed at some point, with another contract extension possible despite landing on injured reserve in 2016.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
Available Cap Space: $17,922,023
NFL Rank: 25th
DT Jonathan Babineaux
QB Matt Schaub
ILB Paul Worrilow
G Chris Chester
TE Jacob Tamme
ILB Sean Weatherspoon
OLB Courtney Upshaw
OLB Philip Wheeler
FB Patrick DiMarco
2017 Offseason Strategy
Coming off a Super Bowl appearance (choke), the Atlanta Falcons will look to make their way back there in 2018, and it starts with free agency.
Fortunately, there aren't too many in-house unrestricted free agents to worry about, but there are some cornerstone players the Falcons may want to consider beginning extension talks with—quarterback Matt Ryan, cornerback Desmond Trufant and running back Devonta Freeman.
In order to do so, the Falcons may need to start shedding some cap. Someone like defensive lineman Tyson Jackson might become a cap casualty as he's set to deliver a $5.85 million cap hit in 2017.
Keeping the three-headed monster intact should be the Falcons' focus this offseason.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
Available Cap Space: $13,801,957
NFL Rank: 28th
CB Jerraud Powers
WR Kamar Aiken
SS Matt Elam
DE Lawrence Guy
FS Anthony Levine
DT Brandon Williams
G Vladimir Ducasse
FB Kyle Juszczyk
RT Ricky Wagner
2017 Offseason Strategy
The Baltimore Ravens (once again) find themselves in a precarious position with a lack of wide receiver depth, players on the offensive line hitting free agency, the secondary needing more help and another great player hitting the open market.
Looking at the wide receiver position, not only do the Ravens have Aiken hitting free agency, but the team will need to decide on what to do with fellow wide receiver Mike Wallace's $8 million club option. While it may be easy to say they should decline it, this would leave the Ravens with Breshad Perriman and Michael Campanaro as the only noteworthy wide receivers left on the roster.
Of course, the Ravens could always look to the draft or free agency to assist in this department. Wide receivers like former New York Jet Brandon Marshall and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Vincent Jackson should be available, and maybe they'd be willing to sign on the cheap.
Anchored by guard Marshal Yanda, the Ravens will need to decide on what to do with Ricky Wagner, who played over 94 percent of the teams snaps in 2016. Again, this is another issue the Ravens could address in the draft, but a team can only do so much there.
It's also safe to say that safety Matt Elam's time with the team may be over after his recent arrest in Florida.
Like last offseason with guard Kelechi Osemele, the Ravens are likely set to lose another fantastic player—this time, defensive tackle Brandon Williams.
While the Ravens cap space might be low, they will most likely cut ties with outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil, defensive back Lardarius Webb and tight end Benjamin Watson, who, cumulatively account for nearly $20 million in cap hits.
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
Available Cap Space: $22,550,833
NFL Rank: 22nd
CB Stephon Gilmore
QB EJ Manuel
RT Jordan Mills
DT Corbin Bryant
ILB Zach Brown
WR Robert Woods
OLB Lorenzo Alexander
WR Marquise Goodwin
2017 Offseason Strategy
Headlined by the debacle surrounding quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Buffalo Bills also have other issues they need to address this offseason.
As time wears on, it seems more and more like the Bills will cut ties with Taylor and look to the draft, free agency or a potential deal with the Dallas Cowboys for Tony Romo to address their impending quarterback deficit.
Not only do the Bills have quarterback problems to worry about, but standout players like Gilmore, Brown, Alexander and Woods are all set to hit the open market when free agency begins.
Next up, extending Brown and Alexander should be on the to-do list.
While Woods was phenomenal during the absence of fellow wide receiver Sammy Watkins, he might command too much money on the open market and may take the Bills out of the race.
As we saw during the subsequent injuries of Watkins and Woods, the Bills really need wide receiver help. Ironically, Woods shining for as long as he did for the Bills may end up being their kryptonite as other teams with more cap space will look to acquire his services.
Letting go of Taylor, safety Aaron Williams, and maybe (just maybe) defensive tackle Kyle Williams (or bringing him back at cheaper money) will allow for the Bills to keep more of their in-house guys like those listed above and perhaps even beginning extension talks with offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio.
P.S: Don't worry about Watkins' fifth-year option—that will definitely be picked up.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
Available Cap Space: $36,630,761
NFL Rank: 15th
DT Paul Soliai
DE Charles Johnson
RT Mike Remmers
WR Ted Ginn Jr.
FB Mike Tolbert
2017 Offseason Strategy
The majority of the work that the Carolina Panthers needed to do this offseason has been taken care of—franchise-tagging defensive tackle Kawann Short and extending fellow defensive linemen Wes Horton and Mario Addison.
Drafting inside the top 10 and potentially taking LSU running back Leonard Fournette, the Panthers could look to cut ties with running back Jonathan Stewart who is set for a $8.25 million cap number.
As far as their own, the Panthers would love to bring back every guy on the list above (except for Soliai as he was cut).
Ranking 15th in the NFL in cap space, the Panthers have an opportunity to do so, but they will at some point need to address an extension for the tagged Short and fellow defensive stalwart Star Lotulelei.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
Available Cap Space: $51,223,002
NFL Rank: 8th
WR Alshon Jeffery
QB Brian Hoyer
QB Matt Barkley
G Ted Larsen
2017 Offseason Strategy
Let's start with the big two here: Jeffery and quarterback Jay Cutler—what to do with them?
The Bears would love to extend Jeffery, but he is likely to be paid a large amount of money—something that the Bears may not be able to do considering all their positional holes.
Letting go of Cutler may be the best decision, but then the Bears are left without a quarterback. The team could keep Cutler and a young guy like Barkley, draft one or even join the Tony Romo sweepstakes.
Along with Cutler, if the Bears were to release wide receiver Eddie Royal and cornerback Tracy Porter, they would save roughly a combined $25 million in cap space.
Look for the Bears to be active in free agency—they have plenty of work to do.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
Available Cap Space: $41,873,339
NFL Rank: 11th
LT Andrew Whitworth
DT Domata Peko
WR Brandon LaFell
CB Dre Kirkpatrick
G Kevin Zeitler
RT Eric Winston
2017 Offseason Strategy
Extend Whitworth and Zeitler. Extend Whitworth and Zeitler. Extend Whitworth and Zeitler.
Have they done it yet? No?
Well, I'll say it again: Extend Whitworth and Zeitler.
Whether they need to let go of cornerback Adam Jones, inside linebacker Rey Maualuga and even defensive end Michael Johnson, the Bengals need to absolutely 100 percent keep Whitworth and Zeitler heading into next season.
Do I make myself clear?
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
Available Cap Space: $102,441,922
NFL Rank: 1st
QB Josh McCown
CB Tramon Williams
G Austin Pasztor
2017 Offseason Strategy
Getting a quarterback and extend wide receiver Terrelle Pryor are the two biggest headlines for the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
After locking up linebacker Jamie Collins long term, the Browns solved one of their three biggest puzzles.
After letting go of McCown, the Browns should do the same with Robert Griffin III—it's time for the Browns to use their draft capital and allow head coach Hue Jackson to get his guy. On the other hand, the rumor being reported by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports surrounding the Browns being interested in Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor makes for a potentially intriguing marriage.
In addition to doing all they can to re-sign Pryor, bringing back Pasztor and extending fellow guard John Greco might also be in play for the Browns.
Expect to see the Browns make it rain in free agency, along with the NFL reinstating wide receiver Josh Gordon.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
Available Cap Space: $3,202,937
NFL Rank: 32nd
CB Brandon Carr
ILB Rolando McClain
CB Morris Claiborne
G Ronald Leary
SS Barry Church
WR Terrance Williams
2017 Offseason Strategy
Getting out of cap hell and figuring out what to do with quarterback Tony Romo are at the top of the Dallas Cowboys' list of things to do this offseason.
In order to control their cap situation, the Cowboys will need to cut ties with running back Alfred Morris ($2.1 million), renegotiate tight end Jason Witten's deal at cheaper money ($12.2 million) and work out a contract restructure with wide receiver Dez Bryant. With that, expect most (if not all) of the free agents listed above to be elsewhere in 2017, including Leary, who has become a bit more expendable with fellow guard La'el Collins in the fold.
For the Cowboys, trading Romo would be best, but that is highly unlikely given his injury history, age and his contract.
This one is simple: do right by Romo and let him go—this will also save over $5 million in cap space.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
Available Cap Space: $42,105,799
NFL Rank: 10th
OT Russell Okung
OLB DeMarcus Ware
DE Vance Walker
DT Sylvester Williams
CB Kayvon Webster
2017 Offseason Strategy
The Denver Broncos have some money to spend this offseason, but if they're able to get their hands on Tony Romo, that number could definitely shrink.
Looking at their notable free agents, it's hard to imagine the Broncos pounding the table in order to find ways to keep them—they've been so successful building through the draft.
As we saw in 2016, the Broncos will need to address their offensive line—especially if they acquire Romo.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
Available Cap Space: $31,875,242
NFL Rank: 18th
WR Anquan Boldin
OT Riley Reiff
G Larry Warford
2017 Offseason Strategy
For the immediate future, the Detroit Lions will look at ways to bring back both Reiff and Warford to help the young buck in offensive tackle Taylor Decker. If they are unable to retain Reiff, pursuing the oft injured former New England Patriots offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer would make for a solid consolation prize.
We should also expect the Lions to be in the market for a cornerback to pair with Darius Slay—perhaps Houston Texans free agent A.J. Bouye?
Beyond that, quarterback Matthew Stafford is entering the final year of his contract and will likely become the highest paid football player ever.
Shoring up the offensive line, finding a buddy for Slay and locking up Stafford are at the top of the Lions' list this offseason.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
Available Cap Space: $39,537,981
NFL Rank: 13th
CB Sam Shields
OLB Julius Peppers
G T.J. Lang
OLB Nick Perry
RB Eddie Lacy
TE Jared Cook
2017 Offseason Strategy
The Green Bay Packers are probably the most well-known team when it comes to not spending on free agents, but this year that will need to change in order for the Packers to continue to succeed.
Shouldered by the play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers over-achieved in 2016 when you consider how poorly their wide receivers and secondary played.
Bringing back Lang and Perry will be on the Packers' to-do list, but again, participating in free agency to assist in the secondary and other areas needs to be towards the front of general manager Ted Thompson's mind.
At some point, the Packers will need to address linebacker Clay Matthews' massive contract, too—he's slated to have a cap figure of over $15 million this season.
Also, this is the end of the line for Lacy in a Packers uniform, leaving Ty Montgomery as the only notable running back on the roster.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
Available Cap Space: $23,517,929
NFL Rank: 22nd
CB A.J. Bouye
SS Quintin Demps
DT Vince Wilfork
P Shane Lechler
2017 Offseason Strategy
The Houston Texans are a quarterback away. Yup, even with Brock Osweiler, they are still a quarterback away. Given that, the Texans should get rid of him, but that would be difficult considering his contract and there being absolutely no way any team would want to trade for him.
While he will command top dollar, the Texans should look for a way to keep Bouye on their roster, but again, it will be difficult given other teams' needs for a top-flight cornerback.
If the Texans can keep Bouye, do away with Osweiler and extend their elite wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, they're off to a heck of a start this offseason.
After that, addressing a pedestrian offensive line will also be in play.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
Available Cap Space: $53,279,812
NFL Rank: 7th
TE Jack Doyle
CB Darius Butler
2017 Offseason Strategy
Looking at the in-house free agents, locking up Doyle will need to be addressed—he was a breakout player in 2016.
With that out of the way, let's look at the gigantic elephant in the room: The Indianapolis Colts' offensive line downright stinks.
With over $53 million in cap space, the Colts could definitely headline the offensive line market later this month.
Cutting ties with defensive lineman Arthur Jones would be a good idea to create more space—he represents a cap hit of nearly $7.5 million.
If Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler hits free agency, the Colts better be on the phone with him immediately.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
Available Cap Space: $76,486,043
NFL Rank: 3rd
OT Kelvin Beachum
DE Jared Odrick
CB Prince Amukamara
G Luke Joeckel
SS Jonathan Cyprien
DT Tyson Alualu
2017 Offseason Strategy
One year after signing both Beachum and Amukamara, the Jaguars are now faced with a decision on both players.
With Beachum, the Jaguars will need to decide whether or not they want to pick up his $5 million option. According to Pro Football Focus, Beachum was the 67th-best tackle in 2016, so they could be open to bringing him back, but maybe at a small number.
For Amukamara, he played well enough to warrant the Jaguars bringing him back, but after a solid season, there may be other cornerback-needy teams willing to pay Amukamara more.
The Jaguars need to address their offensive line and basically everything else on defense minus the defensive line.
While there is plenty of speculation surrounding quarterback Blake Bortles, expect him to remain with the team and to be the starter. However, if you're reading this article a year from today, we might have a different story to tell.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
Available Cap Space: $4,342,707
NFL Rank: 31st
DT Dontari Poe
2017 Offseason Strategy
Good news: the Kansas City Chiefs locked up safety Eric Berry to a long-term deal.
Bad news: they could lose Poe to the open market.
While cutting ties with longtime running back Charles, it was a move the Chiefs needed to make to create more cap space. In addition, the Chiefs should let go of both quarterback Nick Foles and punter Dustin Colquitt. Foles carries an option of over $6 million and Colquitt represents a cap hit of nearly $5 million.
If they are able to lock up Poe, the Chiefs should put themselves in the wide receiver market and get someone to go with Tyreek Hill and Jeremy Maclin.
First order of business: lock up Poe.
Los Angeles Chargers
17 of 32
Available Cap Space: $5,146,314
NFL Rank: 29th
RB Danny Woodhead
SS Jahleel Addae
DT Sean Lissemore
ILB Manti Te'o
2017 Offseason Strategy
In their first offseason as the Los Angeles Chargers, the team is faced with a few players that could hit the open market.
First, the Chargers did franchise-tag outside linebacker Melvin Ingram—expect them to make headway on an extension with him.
Next, the Chargers will need to look at bringing back Addae, who had a strong finish to the end of his season.
After Addae, Te'o and Woodhead are both guys that the Chargers lost early in the season due to injury (like most of their team).
Woodhead is an extremely valuable asset to have, but it could depend on how his knee is recovering.
The trenches have been big issues for the Chargers over the years, so addressing the offensive line will be at the top of the list for the Chargers.
Hopefully the Chargers are able to address this position enough so they are not forced to move on from two of their better offensive lineman in King Dunlap and D.J. Fluker.
Los Angeles Rams
18 of 32
Available Cap Space: $20,274,280
NFL Rank: 24th
WR Kenny Britt
QB Case Keenum
WR Brian Quick
K Greg Zuerlein
SS T.J. McDonald
2017 Offseason Strategy
With no first-round draft pick, the Los Angeles Rams will depend on free agency and later portions of the draft to improve their team.
After franchise-tagging cornerback Trumaine Johnson, it would be wise to figure out a way to lock him up long term and avoid any controversy that could come from tagging him two years in a row.
McDonald might be a player the Rams look at bringing back as they are rather thin in the secondary, but they may be able to find similar value in free agency.
Looking at the top of the notable free agents list, the Rams should do all they can to bring back Britt as he was the only person on their offense with a pulse in 2016. The Rams need playmakers to help second-year quarterback Jared Goff, and losing Britt would be disastrous.
Miami Dolphins
19 of 32
Available Cap Space: $41,050,292
NFL Rank: 12th
DE Mario Williams
DE Andre Branch
TE Jordan Cameron
WR Kenny Stills
2017 Offseason Strategy
While bringing back Stills may be high on the list for the Miami Dolphins, he is likely to fetch quite a bit of cash out on the open market, making it hard for the Dolphins to compete financially.
Letting go of Williams was a smart move considering his $10.5 million cap hit, but now the team is faced with another defensive end to deal with in Branch. After some blunders in the past, Branch was able to find a place on the Dolphins in 2016, but, like Stills, he may be able to get decent value on the open market given the need for the position.
One of the more underrated tasks Miami will have this offseason is locking up a tight end in some way, shape or form—Cameron is set to hit the open market, as well as fellow tight end Dion Sims. Yes, they acquired Julius Thomas, but from what we've seen of him since his tenure in Denver, he's not a totally reliable option.
The Dolphins know they will have to address their top wide receiver in Jarvis Landry's contract, though, which is set to expire after next season.
The Dolphins have some money to play with, and they'll need to spend it on the offensive line as well as finding replacements for potentially both Williams and Branch.
Minnesota Vikings
20 of 32
Available Cap Space: $37,990,218
NFL Rank: 14th
OT Matt Kalil
G Brandon Fusco
RT Andre Smith
CB Terence Newman
WR Cordarrelle Patterson
RB Matt Asiata
2017 Offseason Strategy
Leading the way for the Minnesota Vikings is figuring out what to do about AP. On the open market, plenty of teams will be vying for his services and it will just be a matter of the highest bid wins (most likely).
Without AP, the Vikings are left with fellow running back Jerick McKinnon, who was dreadful in 2016.
One of the most notable weaknesses for the Vikings in 2016 was their offensive line, and they really need to address it this offseason.
With no first-round pick on hand and hardly any production from last year's first-round pick, Laquon Treadwell, the Vikings will need to use some draft capital at receiver as well as quarterback given the uncertainty around quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
It's simple: Figure out whether to try to re-sign AP, get some bodies on the offensive line and have a receiving core to help incumbent starting quarterback Sam Bradford.
New England Patriots
21 of 32
Available Cap Space: $61,917,426
NFL Rank: 5th
DE Jabaal Sheard
TE Martellus Bennett
OLB Barkevious Mingo
WR Michael Floyd
ILB Dont'a Hightower
RB LeGarrette Blount
CB Logan Ryan
OT Sebastian Vollmer
DE Chris Long
2017 Offseason Strategy
As you can see from the list above, the New England Patriots have plenty of notable free agents set to hit the open market in 2017.
Let's get this out of the way: I'm almost positive that we can expect Bennett, Long, Vollmer, Ryan, and Floyd to be gone, leaving the Patriots with decisions on Sheard, Mingo, Hightower and Blount to worry about.
Sheard was fantastic in 2016, whereas Mingo is definitely replaceable.
It's interesting that the Patriots decided against tagging Hightower, but as we've seen with them, they can make the most unlikely of players shine.
Even though he's reached his 30s, Blount is perfect for the Patriots—he'll be fairly cheap, and would maybe even take less to stay with the team, and he's been highly productive in this system.
However, with guys like Eddie Lacy and Adrian Peterson hitting the market, maybe the Patriots are intrigued by the idea of bringing in one of them cheap.
To help create more cap space, the Patriots are likely to cut ties with wide receiver Danny Amendola, who represents a cap hit of nearly $7.8 million.
Moving on from free agents, the biggest storyline surrounding the team is what to do with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
With quarterback Tom Brady set to play until he is on an oxygen machine, there may be no way of allowing the artist also known as Jimmy G to be the starter for the Patriots in the near future.
With the 32nd pick in hand, the Patriots may be able to get another first for Jimmy G.
If they are able to, maybe it's possible they flip that pick for someone like New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who the Patriots are reportedly interested in, according to Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Bringing back Sheard (if he's not too expensive) and trading Garoppolo should be the two in-house names to deal with—it appears Hightower is on his way out.
New Orleans Saints
22 of 32
Available Cap Space: $27,342,617
NFL Rank: 19th
FS Jairus Byrd
DT Nick Fairley
OLB Paul Kruger
2017 Offseason Strategy
According to Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the New Orleans Saints are listening to offers for receiver Brandin Cooks.
Considering the depth at receiver and the promise that Michael Thomas showed in his rookie season, the Saints are smart to make this move and also avoid giving Cooks a massive contract after the 2017 season.
The Byrd experiment has failed—the Saints will cut him after nearly three years with the team, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
After back-to-back solid seasons, Fairley is a player the Saints should bring back, but he will be a hot commodity on the open market, making it no slam dunk he returns to the team in 2017.
It's no secret that the Saints defense is the joke around the NFL (although it did improve as the year progressed), so with their available funds they need to address it as well as spend draft resources on it.
Trading Cooks and trying to bring back Fairley are the immediate tasks at hand for the Saints.
New York Giants
23 of 32
Available Cap Space: $14,097,520
NFL Rank: 27th
TE Larry Donnell
OT Marshall Newhouse
WR Victor Cruz
RB Rashad Jennings
2017 Offseason Strategy
After letting go of Cruz and Jennings, the Giants are now on the hunt for a running back. With Peterson, Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray and Lacy all set to become free agents, the Giants may not need to look far.
Franchise-tagging defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was a no-brainer, and the Giants pulled the trigger on that.
Like most teams, the Giants offensive line—most notably the left tackle spot—needs to be taken care of as I'm not even sure if Ereck Flowers knows how to play football.
Looking ahead to the draft, this may be the year that the Giants seek out quarterback Eli Manning's replacement as he is approaching the big 4-0 quickly.
To free up some money, the Giants could do away with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who accounts for a $9 million cap hit in 2017.
A running back, future quarterback and offensive line help are three important quests for the Giants to set out on this offseason.
New York Jets
24 of 32
Available Cap Space: $33,238,320
NFL Rank: 17th
CB Darrelle Revis
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
WR Brandon Marshall
C Nick Mangold
OT Ryan Clady
OG Breno Giacomini
K Nick Folk
G Benjamin Ijalana
2017 Offseason Strategy
If, after the 2015 season you told me that the New York Jets would release Revis, Marshall and Fitzpatrick all just over a year later, I would have laughed.
Well, they have done it.
The Jets are quite clearly resorting to their mediocre and "rebuilding" ways again.
Drafting or signing a bridge quarterback will be on the Jets' list, as will needing to find a way to replace Revis. There are also glaring offensive line holes with Mangold, Clady, Giacomini and Bejamin Ijalana all set to test the free-agency waters this month.
Maybe this is also the time to trade defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson too.
Oakland Raiders
25 of 32
Available Cap Space: $43,048,488
NFL Rank: 9th
ILB Malcolm Smith
FS Nate Allen
CB D.J. Hayden
WR Andre Holmes
RB Latavius Murray
2017 Offseason Strategy
If not for quarterback Derek Carr getting hurt, the Oakland Raiders would have made plenty more noise in the postseason, but football tends to hurt people (in case you didn't know).
What's moderately surprising is that the Raiders plan to let Murray hit the open market, making running back an area of need heading into the offseason.
Other than running back, finding a solid tight end to go with Clive Walford is also an area of need.
Simply put: get some viable guys for two skill position slots and work on extending Carr and defensive end Khalil Mack forever.
Yes, forever—sign them to 35-year extensions.
Philadelphia Eagles
26 of 32
Available Cap Space: $8,686,350
NFL Rank: 30th
CB Leodis McKelvin
ILB Stephen Tulloch
CB Nolan Carroll
2017 Offseason Strategy
Headlining the Philadelphia Eagles' offseason is convincing one of their better players to take a pay cut. In this case, we're talking about offensive tackle Jason Peters, who is set to have a cap hit of over $11 million.
Also of note is wide receiver Jordan Matthews—he's entering a contract year.
Another smart plan may be to try to trade quarterback Chase Daniel considering all of the quarterback-needy teams we have this season (it seems like there are more than ever, am I right?).
One could argue that the Eagles' biggest need is finding a legitimate wide receiver to go alongside Matthews.
If they resort to signing a receiver and need to clear more cap space, letting go of running back Ryan Mathews ($5 million cap hit) is a great place to start.
Getting some extra resources via a Daniel trade is something the Eagles should explore this offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers
27 of 32
Available Cap Space: $$20,996,692
NFL Rank: 23rd
ILB Lawrence Timmons
OLB Jarvis Jones
WR Markus Wheaton
SS Shamarko Thomas
QB Landry Jones
2017 Offseason Strategy
With the inside linebacker draft class and free agency pool so shallow this year, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to most likely have to prepare a goodbye cake for Timmons unless he wants to stay with the team.
Locking up wide receiver Antonio Brown needed to happen, and next the Steelers are working on extending running back Le'Veon Bell—another great move.
Next up on the extension list, the Steelers should attack inside linebacker Ryan Shazier.
Jarvis Jones is an interesting name to keep an eye on for a return to Pittsburgh as he had probably the best year of his career in 2016.
To save some money, the Steelers could part ways with tight end Ladarius Green. While Green had his moments, he dealt with concussion issues among other things—maybe the Steelers can bring him back at a cheaper rate.
Extending Bell and Shazier are absolute musts for the Steelers.
P.S: Let Landry Jones go. He stinks.
San Francisco 49ers
28 of 32
Available Cap Space: $93,480,264
NFL Rank: 2nd
DE Glenn Dorsey
ILB Gerald Hodges
2017 Offseason Strategy
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the San Francisco 49ers have signed wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to a three-year, $10.5 million extension.
Expect Kerley to be one of very few in-house free agents the San Francisco 49ers work to bring back with the exception of Hodges who is still young at 26 and played well in 2016, most notably against the run. However, it would be best to bring him back on a team-friendly deal since he is more of a rotational player.
In his first season with the team, new head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have already brought in defensive tackle Earl Mitchell to bolster their defensive line after switching to a 4-3 defense.
After declining his option, Kaepernick will hit free agency along with fellow quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Hey, what do you know—the 49ers don't have any quarterbacks under contract. You know what that means—they're drafting one or going after Tony Romo.
While Shanahan would have liked to have had Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Redskins slapped the franchise tag on him, making him stay put for another season.
Bringing in free agents, getting a quarterback, building through the draft and building a new, stable culture should all be on the 49ers' minds this offseason.
Seattle Seahawks
29 of 32
Available Cap Space: $25,931,999
NFL Rank: 20th
K Steven Hauschka
LT Bradley Sowell
DT Tony McDaniel
OLB Michael Morgan
2017 Offseason Strategy
This is just an "overhaul the offensive line" kind of offseason, it appears.
Yup, the Seattle Seahawks are yet another team that needs to not only address its offensive line, but rebuild the majority of it. Free agency and the draft will be key in that effort to find players to go with fellow offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.
The Seahawks are also not in a position where they need to resort to cap casualties—the same cannot be said for every other team.
It's pretty simple: Rebuild the offensive line and bring back McDaniel. The Seahawks will be right back in the thick of things in 2017.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
Available Cap Space: $66,177,718
NFL Rank: 4th
WR Vincent Jackson
CB Alterraun Verner
OT Gosder Cherilus
QB Mike Glennon
RB Jacquizz Rodgers
2017 Offseason Strategy
Replacing wide receiver Vincent Jackson and deciding on running back Doug Martin's future are the top two items on the Buccaneers list this offseason.
With over $66 million in cap space, they will also be big spenders, making the idea of cutting Martin and letting go of VJax that much easier.
They can solve both of these issues by spending their monstrous amount of resources on Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
An offense consisting of quarterback Jameis Winston, tight end Cameron Brate, wide receiver Mike Evans, DJax and AP is enough to make any fantasy football player's mouth salivate.
Moving on from the big-name players, the Buccaneers will also need to look towards patching up the hole left by cutting cornerback Alterraun Verner.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Glennon is set to command $14-15 million per season (whew) out on the open market (so he'll definitely be gone), but maybe the Bucs can create a scenario in which they are able to trade the NC State product.
Bringing in big names on the offensive side of the ball along with shoring up the secondary are the focal points of what should be a fun offseason for the Buccaneers.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
Available Cap Space: $61,471,464
NFL Rank: 6th
OG Chance Warmack
WR Kendall Wright
FS Rashad Johnson
DT Karl Klug
SS Daimion Stafford
2017 Offseason Strategy
There's not a huge emphasis on much of anything for the Tennessee Titans to attack this offseason outside of wide receiver. With Wright likely gone, and fellow wide receiver Harry Douglas likely a cap casualty, the Titans could make a splash in signing Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery or trading the No. 18 pick to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Getting some weapons for quarterback Marcus Mariota to allow him and the Titans to take over the AFC South are absolutely necessary.
Washington Redskins
32 of 32
Available Cap Space: $34,600,921
NFL Rank: 16th
WR DeSean Jackson
DE Chris Baker
2017 Offseason Strategy
After franchise-tagging quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Washington Redskins are bracing themselves for the loss of both of their top two wide receivers in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson.
With that in mind, the team should turn its focus to locking up Baker, who was an absolute stud in 2016.
It will be interesting to see if the Redskins are content with letting Cousins play under the tag again, and divorcing themselves from him after 2017, or signing him to a long-term deal.
Should the Redskins lose both of their top wide receivers, that position becomes an obvious need, but they can address that in the draft without blowing their cap on a big-name receiver.
Reaching a conclusion on Cousins, re-signing Baker and replacing the production of Garcon and Jackson top the Redskins' priority list this offseason.
Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Cap figures courtesy of Over The Cap.
Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.
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