Big-name NFL veterans may face cuts
Before NFL teams can begin their annual bidding war against one another, a swath of franchises will make moves to attempt to rightsize their financial future.
The start of the new league year on March 15 means the official opening of free agency.
By that time, of course, all teams must be compliant with the league’s salary cap, which is set to $224.8 million – a $16.6 million boost from the previous year’s figure.
And while several front offices are mapping out a strategy to spend, others have some significant paring back to do in the coming days and weeks.
The moves have already started, too, with the Tennessee Titans seemingly kicking things off last week by dropping four key contributors, including threetime Pro Bowl offensive tackle Taylor Lewan.
Here’s a look at some notable veterans who could be in jeopardy of being cut in the near future:
Chargers WR Keenan Allen: Would a Chargers team that bet big last offseason with marquee acquisitions moves on from a longtime franchise leader in 2023? If they do, the decision was likely set in motion partially by that spending spree. Los Angeles is more than $20 over the cap, and there’s only so much restructuring the team can do without inhibiting its future flexibility.
Allen, 30, would likely yield the largest fiscal help of any of the team’s options for release, as he would create $14.8 million in space as a pre-June 1 cut. While parting with the five-time Pro Bowler might prove too difficult for the franchise, Allen’s effectiveness looks to be waning after he played in just 10 games last year, and the receiving corps is due for a makeover.
Chiefs DE Frank Clark: At more than $30 million, Clark is set to have the second-largest cap hit in 2023 of any defensive end. Even after the eight-year veteran enhanced his postseason legend with another prolific stretch in Kansas City’s Super Bowl 57 run, that figure almost certainly will have to come down. But the Chiefs could – and probably should – try to resolve this via contract restructuring for a second consecutive offseason to keep one of their key pass rushers in place for their repeat bid.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook: As Minnesota looks to recapture the magic of its 13-4 run in 2022, letting go of a player who recorded 1,468 yards from scrimmage last season might seem like an odd move.
But a recession looks imminent for the top of the running back market, and Cook’s $14.1 million cap hit leaves him on uncertain ground.
Jets WR Corey Davis: A top-notch blocker and overall solid pass catcher, Davis still hasn’t managed to live up to his draft billing or the three-year, $37.5 million contract he signed with the Jets in 2021. The Jets can clear his $10.5 million salary by walking away, which is likely a necessity for a team that has signaled its intention to pony up for a veteran quarterback.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott: Jerry Jones has some thinking to do about how he can keep Dallas’ spending at running back from getting out of control. There’s the matter of what to do with impending free agent Tony Pollard, the breakout allpurpose threat who could be a candidate for the franchise tag even after fracturing his fibula in the divisional playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. More important, however, is the decision on Elliott, whose $16.72 million cap hit is set to be the most of any back in 2023.
Jaguars CB Shaquill Griffin: A back injury ended Griffin’s 2022 season after just five games, and Jacksonville’s defense flourished down the stretch once Darious Williams moved from the slot to the outside role opposite Tyson Campbell. That dynamic doesn’t leave an easy return for Griffin, who hasn’t come close to justifying the three-year, $40 million contract he landed two offseasons ago.
Giants WR Kenny Golladay: An overpriced, underachieving relic of a previous regime, Golladay is essentially a lock to be dismissed by Giants GM Joe Schoen, who has to clean up several mistakes left on the books by his predecessor in Dave Gettleman. The only question is how the Giants spread out Golladay’s dead money hit.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon: Was the AFC championship game – in which Mixon totaled 23 snaps to Samaje Perine’s 43 – a harbinger of a changing of the guard in the Bengals’ backfield? Mixon managed just 3.9 yards per carry last year, and Cincinnati could recoup $7.3 million against the cap by moving on.
Lions DE Romeo Okwara: The trimming in Detroit began Thursday with the release of defensive tackle Michael Brockers, and it likely won’t end there. Despite already being well under the cap, the Lions can create more space for freeagent spending by parting ways with Okwara, who has played in just nine games the last two years due to a torn Achilles.
Colts QB Matt Ryan: A separation between the 37-year-old signal-caller and team determined to invest in a young quarterback is sure to come some time before March 17, when Ryan would be due an additional $17.2 million in guaranteed money (Indianapolis is already on the hook for $12 million).
Buccaneers OT Donovan Smith: Tampa Bay’s daunting fiscal outlook – a league-worst $56 million over the cap with a horde of soon-to-be free agents unsigned – leaves plenty of candidates to be sent packing, including running back Leonard Fournette and offensive guard Shaq Mason.
Smith’s situation, however, creates a dilemma. The Buccaneers won’t have any easy replacement at left tackle if they do bid farewell to the eight-year veteran, who had a down year after suffering an elbow hyperextension in September.
Panthers LB Shaq Thompson: It’s never easy to send a team leader and captain packing, and new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said Thompson would be a fine fit for his 3-4 scheme. But a $24.4 million cap hit is likely prohibitive for an off-ball linebacker who offers next to nothing as a blitzer and has been uneven in coverage. Carolina can save almost $13.2 million by walking away.
Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky: With Kenny Pickett entrenched as the starter, no point in seeing through the the twoyear, $14.3 million deal Trubisky inked with Pittsburgh last summer. The Steelers likely will need to find a veteran backup for Pickett given that Mason Rudolph is set to become a free agent, but there’s no reason they can’t find a more cost-effective option than Trubisky.