Teams are bracing for tight budgets
It’s too early to know where the NFL salary cap will end up in the range of $180 million to $198 million coming off a pandemicdominated season that was completed on time but still cost the league billions of dollars in revenue.
A glimmer of good news for teams came this week in the potential floor of the cap going up to $180 million after an initial agreement between the league and the players’ union that it wouldn’t be lower than $175 million.
The higher figure in the possible range is the 2020 number, and simple economics seem to make it all but certain that a seven-year run of the salary cap going up at least $10 million per season will end.
It’s also a potential problem for the Dallas Cowboys if they can’t get a longterm deal with quarterback Dak Prescott, which would cause his cap charge to hit $37 million with another franchise tag after being around $31 million last year.
Dallas, however, is third among clubs with significant carryover cap space from 2020 at $25.4 million. Only Cleveland ($30.4 million) and the New York Jets
($26.7 million) have more, according to figures released by the union.
Even without a reduction from the 2020 salary cap, NFL teams will be in an uncomfortable place. Based on year-over-year increases from most of the past decade, the 2021 cap would be approaching — if not exceeding — $210 million.
If the cap ended up at $185 million, that’s still $25 million less than teams would have to spend without the lost revenues of 2020. And that’s more than the franchise tag figure at every position except quarterback.
Jacksonville, the Jets and New England have the most room under the cap, according to overthecap.com. The Jaguars will have somewhere around $80 million to spend, possibly more, and could have a relatively inexpensive quarterback if Trevor Lawrence is drafted No. 1 overall and ends up starting for new coach Urban Meyer.
The Chiefs are among 13 teams currently over the cap, according to overthecap.com, which is projecting a $180 million cap right now. Of those 13, eight made the playoffs, including New Orleans. However, two of the postseason qualifiers in Buffalo and Tennessee are marginally over the cutoff, and would be under if the cap ends up at $185 million or higher.
ELSEWHERE
A Courts: Kellen Winslow II has agreed to a change in his rape-case plea deal so he could lock in a 14-year prison sentence. Once a first-round NFL draft pick out of the University of Miami and the highest paid tight-end in the league, the 37-year-old had faced between 12 to 18 years in prison following his convictions for raping a homeless woman and charges linked to misconduct with other women.
A Eagles: DeSean Jackson’s second stint with the Eagles has come to an end. The team announced its decision to release the 34-year-old wide receiver Friday, a move that was widely expected because of the Eagles’ salary cap conundrum combined with Jackson’s decline. The Los Angeles native has spent eight years with the team, and he’s currently third all-time in Eagles history in career receiving yards with 6,512, behind only Harold Carmichael and Pete Retzlaff.
A CTE: Vincent Jackson’s brain was donated for research to discover whether he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a family spokeswoman confirmed. The former wide receiver was found dead Monday in a Tampa-area hotel room. Jackson, 38, played for the Buccaneers and Chargers during a 12-year career.