Future NFL Financial Power Rankings

By: Michael GinnittiPublished: August 4, 2015

With the 2015 NFL season winding down, it's time to turn focus to 2016 rosters and salary cap tables. We've compiled a mini "power ranking" formula to determine the financial health of each team heading toward the new league year. This report will update automatically as transactions process.

How We're Calculating
What we've done here is carried over starting lineups for each 2015 NFL team and assessed how many of those players are under contract through the 2016 season. From there, we brought in Total 2016 Cap $, and using a projected $154M team cap limit, estimated cap space for each team. We then combined the 2016 cap hits for all signed projected starters to show how much of a team's 2016 total cap $ were being allocated to the starters specifically. And finally we ranked each team in accordance to Estimated Cap Space, Signed Starters, and Percent of Cap $ allocated to starters, to formulate a Future Power Ranking for 2016.

*Note: cap space does NOT include 2015 rollover $ or rookie draft pools as they are not yet confirmed.

A Future Look at 2016 NFL Team Caps vs. Projected Starters

A look at the # of players signed and total cap dollars allocated to 2016 for each NFL team, followed by the number of 2015 starters under contract in 2016 (11 Off, 11 Def, 2 S/T), and the percent of cap dollars currently allocated to those starters.

Power Rank	Team	2016 Signed	2016 Cap $	Rank	Est. Cap Space	Rank	Signed 2015 Starters	Rank	Signed Starters Cap $	Rank	% of Starters Cap vs. Total	Rank	Avg Rank
1	Cleveland Browns	55	$131,395,141	32	$45,291,153	1	19	3	$85,076,469	14	64.75%	3	2.3333333333333
2	Carolina Panthers	53	$140,404,900	30	$17,588,241	5	18	4	$86,852,471	11	61.86%	4	4.3333333333333
3	Green Bay Packers	51	$155,380,025	9	$8,059,264	13	20	2	$108,923,376	1	70.1%	2	5.6666666666667
4	Miami Dolphins	50	$152,560,347	14	$14,206,972	7	20	2	$86,060,725	13	56.41%	12	7
5	New Orleans Saints	53	$146,288,954	29	$9,273,108	10	19	3	$84,736,198	15	57.92%	10	7.6666666666667
6	Buffalo Bills	53	$152,340,574	16	$5,035,157	22	20	2	$108,006,043	2	70.9%	1	8.3333333333333
7	Jacksonville Jaguars	52	$151,632,217	19	$38,669,493	3	22	1	$79,560,154	21	52.47%	21	8.3333333333333
8	Tennessee Titans	53	$150,462,723	23	$25,895,103	4	20	2	$81,765,754	19	54.34%	19	8.3333333333333
9	Indianapolis Colts	53	$152,482,343	15	$8,126,686	12	17	5	$88,729,190	8	58.19%	9	8.6666666666667
10	Dallas Cowboys	51	$153,909,923	10	$5,351,260	19	19	3	$91,119,163	4	59.2%	7	9.6666666666667
11	New England Patriots	53	$148,847,888	26	$10,794,563	9	20	2	$81,127,462	20	54.5%	18	9.6666666666667
12	Denver Broncos	53	$147,213,128	28	$6,881,913	15	14	8	$89,502,430	6	60.8%	6	9.6666666666667
13	Washington Redskins	53	$147,289,126	27	$14,674,898	6	18	4	$79,502,422	23	53.98%	20	10
14	Houston Texans	53	$152,060,968	18	$5,125,112	20	16	6	$93,720,980	3	61.63%	5	10.333333333333
15	Detroit Lions	53	$150,891,669	21	$6,419,547	16	19	3	$84,329,091	17	55.89%	14	11
16	San Francisco 49ers	53	$134,002,183	31	$42,579,751	2	15	7	$63,363,678	31	47.29%	25	11.333333333333
17	Pittsburgh Steelers	53	$151,419,973	20	$6,209,005	17	19	3	$84,411,532	16	55.75%	15	11.666666666667
18	Philadelphia Eagles	52	$153,130,894	13	$8,439,468	11	20	2	$72,674,396	27	47.46%	24	12.333333333333
19	Atlanta Falcons	52	$153,820,903	11	$4,980,768	23	19	3	$86,144,707	12	56%	13	13
20	Seattle Seahawks	51	$150,301,345	24	$4,221,582	26	15	7	$87,522,331	10	58.23%	8	13.666666666667
21	New York Giants	53	$156,074,229	5	$11,245,930	8	16	6	$67,666,809	30	43.36%	30	14.666666666667
22	Arizona Cardinals	53	$155,855,865	6	$3,112,551	27	16	6	$88,790,183	7	56.97%	11	14.666666666667
23	Los Angeles Rams	53	$150,830,650	22	$4,834,539	24	18	4	$82,408,400	18	54.64%	17	15
24	New York Jets	54	$159,256,299	2	$-1,727,565	32	16	6	$90,725,416	5	56.97%	11	16.333333333333
25	Minnesota Vikings	53	$158,374,886	3	$-1,460,169	31	19	3	$87,652,392	9	55.34%	16	16.666666666667
26	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	54	$155,725,098	7	$5,413,268	18	18	4	$71,066,990	28	45.64%	28	16.666666666667
27	Kansas City Chiefs	53	$153,684,280	12	$4,271,650	25	19	3	$77,586,997	25	50.48%	23	17
28	Baltimore Ravens	53	$152,132,443	17	$3,046,312	28	20	2	$79,502,478	22	52.26%	22	17.333333333333
29	Chicago Bears	53	$149,496,553	25	$7,092,326	14	14	8	$61,033,831	32	40.83%	31	17.666666666667
30	Cincinnati Bengals	53	$157,569,246	4	$5,108,306	21	16	6	$69,351,340	29	44.01%	29	18.666666666667
31	San Diego Chargers	53	$155,470,367	8	$1,304,400	30	18	4	$73,455,020	26	47.25%	26	20
32	Oakland Raiders	53	$165,508,096	1	$2,824,657	29	17	5	$77,721,206	24	46.96%	27	20.333333333333

Cleveland Browns

The Browns appear to be starting from scratch yet again, both as a staff, and at the QB position. They'll take a cap hit by releasing Johnny Manziel, but with $45,291,153 to work with, they can certainly handle it. WR Travis Benjamin and OT Mitchell Schwartz highlight an uninspiring list of pending UFAs, and both are likely to remain in Cleveland.
Biggest Contract Needs: QB, WR, ILB, S

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Joe Haden	CB	35	$11,700,000
Joe Thomas	LT	40	$10,200,000
Paul Kruger	OLB	38	$8,200,000
Alex Mack	C	39	$8,000,000
Desmond Bryant	DE	38	$7,000,000
Donte Whitner	SS	39	$6,750,000
Tramon Williams	CB	41	$6,500,000
Karlos Dansby	ILB	43	$5,500,000
Josh McCown	QB	45	$3,916,666
Randy Starks	DE	40	$2,968,750
John Greco	G	39	$2,825,000
Danny Shelton	DT	31	$2,659,924
Gary Barnidge	TE	39	$2,562,500
Andy Lee	P	42	$2,050,000
Joel Bitonio	G	33	$1,241,295
Andrew Hawkins	WR	38	$1,000,000
Christian Kirksey	ILB	32	$707,625
Armonty Bryant	DE	34	$691,375
Isaiah Crowell	RB	31	$603,334

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers carry over a nice cap situation into 2016, boasting $17,588,241 in cap space, with 53 already under contract - including 18 starters from 2015. Josh Norman, Roman Harper, and Peanut Tillman highlight a list of 39 pending UFAs.
Biggest Contract Needs: DB, DT, WR

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (18)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Charles Johnson	DE	38	$20,020,000
Cam Newton	QB	35	$13,000,000
Ryan Kalil	C	39	$11,795,000
Jonathan Stewart	RB	37	$9,550,000
Thomas Davis	LB	41	$5,900,000
Greg Olsen	TE	39	$5,100,000
Luke Kuechly	ILB	33	$4,002,283
Graham Gano	K	37	$3,100,000
Star Lotulelei	DT	34	$2,619,409
Michael Oher	RT	38	$2,421,875
Ted Ginn Jr.	WR	39	$2,350,000
Roman Harper	SS	41	$1,800,000
Kurt Coleman	FS	36	$1,534,375
Kawann Short	DT	35	$1,262,754
Trai Turner	G	31	$644,950
A.J. Klein	OLB	33	$632,825
Corey Brown	WR	32	$605,000
Andrew Norwell	G	33	$514,000

Green Bay Packers

The Packers have 20 of their 2015 starters under contract next year. Add in $8,059,264 in current cap space, and as usual, Green Bay are in a nice position to build upon their roster. They'll have decisions to make on RB James Stark, DT B.J. Raji, and LB Nick Perry, who highlight a list of 37 pending UFAs.
Biggest Contract Needs: DE/OLB, TE, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Aaron Rodgers	QB	41	$18,250,000
Clay Matthews Jr.	OLB	38	$12,700,000
Julius Peppers	DE	44	$12,000,000
Randall Cobb	WR	34	$9,150,000
Sam Shields	CB	37	$9,062,500
Jordy Nelson	WR	39	$8,800,000
Mike Daniels	DT	35	$7,400,000
Josh Sitton	G	38	$7,000,000
T.J. Lang	G	37	$5,800,000
Morgan Burnett	SS	35	$5,131,250
Bryan Bulaga	RT	35	$3,568,750
Datone Jones	DT	34	$2,455,280
HaHa Clinton-Dix	FS	31	$1,895,114
Tim Masthay	P	37	$1,340,000
Eddie Lacy	RB	33	$1,079,404
Richard Rodgers	TE	32	$739,004
Nate Palmer	ILB	35	$699,724
David Bakhtiari	LT	33	$698,850
Sam Barrington	ILB	34	$597,250
Corey Linsley	C	33	$556,250

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins enter 2016 with one of the worst cap situations in the league. They'll soon find a chunk of relief with a base salary restructure to Ndamukong Suh, but will still need to manuever to fill some other holes. On the positive side, Miami has 50 players under contract, including 20 2015 starters.
Biggest Contract Need: CB, OL, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Branden Albert	LT	40	$10,725,000
Cameron Wake	DE	42	$10,450,000
Brent Grimes	CB	41	$10,000,000
Jordan Cameron	TE	36	$9,500,000
Reshad Jones	SS	36	$7,712,942
Mike Pouncey	C	35	$7,000,000
Ndamukong Suh	DT	37	$6,100,000
Koa Misi	OLB	37	$4,878,000
Ryan Tannehill	QB	36	$4,873,364
Earl Mitchell	DT	37	$4,500,000
DeVante Parker	WR	31	$2,471,942
Ja'Wuan James	RT	32	$1,915,545
Jamar Taylor	CB	34	$988,950
Jarvis Landry	WR	32	$947,703
Dallas Thomas	G	35	$761,594
Billy Turner	RT	33	$723,000
Walt Aikens	FS	33	$703,977
Jelani Jenkins	OLB	32	$703,172
Jay Ajayi	RB	31	$580,203
Matt Darr	P	32	$525,333

New Orleans Saints

It's been no secret that the Saints are currently in "cap hell", and the solution doesn't appear to be easy. New Orleans stands at $9,273,108 in space, with 53 under contract, and hold 57 pending UFAs. It's a bad situation about to get worse. Drew Brees' $30M cap figure certainly can't stand, so some sort of move is fortcoming - likely a restructure/extension. Long-time WR Marques Colston is likely on his way out, along with a few other notable bubble players.
Biggest Contract Need: OLB/DE, OG, CB, Backup QB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Drew Brees	QB	45	$26,400,000
Jahri Evans	G	41	$7,000,000
Marques Colston	WR	41	$5,900,000
Jairus Byrd	FS	38	$5,500,000
Max Unger	C	38	$4,500,000
Keenan Lewis	CB	38	$4,500,000
Cameron Jordan	DE	35	$4,169,000
David Hawthorne	ILB	39	$4,010,000
Mark Ingram	RB	34	$4,000,000
Thomas Morstead	P	38	$3,400,000
Zach Strief	RT	41	$3,200,000
Kenny Vaccaro	SS	33	$2,570,376
Brandon Browner	CB	40	$2,400,000
Brandin Cooks	WR	31	$2,286,396
Dannell Ellerbe	OLB	39	$1,900,000
Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	32	$957,511
Terron Armstead	LT	33	$769,359
John Jenkins	DT	35	$746,890
Bobby Richardson	DE	32	$526,666

Buffalo Bills

The Bills look to be in a bit of a cap mess ($5,035,157 in est. space), but a few quick moves can get them back on track. Unfortunately those moves will likely come in the form of cap casualties, notably DE/OLB Mario Williams. Buffalo will likely take a wait-and-see approach with QB Tyrod Taylor in 2016, who carries a $2.1M cap hit next season. LT Cordy Glenn, LB Nigel Bradham, and OG Richie Incognito lead a small list of pending UFAs. However the Bills do have 20 2015 starters under contract currently.
Biggest Contract Need: OT, OG, LB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Mario Williams	DE	39	$19,400,000
Marcell Dareus	DT	35	$14,550,000
Charles Clay	TE	35	$13,500,000
LeSean McCoy	RB	36	$7,675,000
Kyle Williams	DT	41	$6,950,000
Eric Wood	C	38	$6,650,000
Jerry Hughes	DE	36	$6,175,000
Sammy Watkins	WR	31	$5,436,983
Leodis McKelvin	CB	39	$4,900,000
Corey Graham	FS	39	$4,450,000
Aaron Williams	SS	34	$3,900,000
Stephon Gilmore	CB	34	$3,844,959
Manny Lawson	OLB	40	$3,100,000
Dan Carpenter	K	39	$2,362,500
Robert Woods	WR	32	$1,548,518
Tyrod Taylor	QB	35	$1,133,333
Preston Brown	ILB	32	$702,000
John Miller	G	31	$605,030
Colton Schmidt	P	34	$600,000
Seantrel Henderson	RT	32	$522,720

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars took a step forward in 2015, and boast a whopping $38,669,493 in current space to work with. Additionally 22 of 24 starters from last year are already under contract in 2016, for a total of 52 on the cap. The triplet of Bortles, Yeldon, and Robinson appears to have the Jaguars positioned well.
Biggest Contract Needs: OC, Backup QB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (22)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Jared Odrick	DE	36	$9,000,000
Jermey Parnell	RT	38	$8,000,000
Julius Thomas	TE	36	$7,300,000
Paul Posluszny	OLB	40	$6,885,416
Davon House	CB	35	$6,000,000
Luke Joeckel	G	33	$5,782,254
Zane Beadles	G	38	$5,000,000
Blake Bortles	QB	32	$4,694,275
Sen'Derrick Marks	DT	37	$4,675,000
Dan Skuta	OLB	38	$4,600,000
Chris Clemons	DE	43	$4,000,000
Roy Miller	DT	37	$3,850,000
Sergio Brown	FS	36	$2,500,000
John Cyprien	SS	34	$1,491,574
T.J. Yeldon	RB	31	$1,344,040
Allen Robinson	WR	31	$957,510
Brandon Linder	C	32	$655,400
Demetrius McCray	CB	33	$601,741
Allen Hurns	WR	33	$601,668
Telvin Smith	OLB	33	$562,763
Luke Bowanko	C	33	$533,513
Jason Myers	K	33	$525,000

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are in a nice spot to get better quickly, holding $25,895,103 in space, with 53 under contract (20 2015 starters). Their pending UFA list is a bit light, but points to the fact that the defensive line needs an overhaul. The #1 overall pick will certainly help to that effect.
Biggest Contract Need: DL, OT, S

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Andy Levitre	G	38	$8,600,000
Jason McCourty	CB	37	$8,600,000
Jurrell Casey	DT	35	$8,120,000
Michael Griffin	FS	39	$8,100,000
Kendall Wright	WR	35	$7,320,000
Delanie Walker	TE	40	$5,275,000
Brian Orakpo	OLB	38	$4,468,750
Marcus Mariota	QB	31	$4,402,541
Derrick Morgan	OLB	38	$4,000,000
Da'Norris Searcy	SS	36	$3,625,000
Perrish Cox	CB	37	$3,333,333
Chance Warmack	G	33	$3,318,177
Taylor Lewan	LT	33	$2,610,228
Ryan Succop	K	38	$2,466,666
Brett Kern	P	38	$2,000,000
Ryan Succop	K	38	$1,916,666
Justin Hunter	WR	33	$1,725,865
Brian Schwenke	C	33	$701,065
DaQuan Jones	DT	32	$623,850
Avery Williamson	ILB	32	$558,613

Indianapolis Colts

After a heavy dose of "life without Luck" in 2015, the Colts will look to regroup in the offseason. They carry over 17 2015 starters, and hold $8,126,686 in estimated cap space to start things off. LB Jerrell Freeman, and TEs Coby Fleener/Dwayne Allen highlight a list of 56 pending UFAs to be decided on.
Biggest Contract Need: DB, DE/OLB, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (17)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Vontae Davis	CB	36	$11,250,000
T.Y. Hilton	WR	35	$11,000,000
Anthony Castonzo	LT	36	$9,800,000
Andre Johnson	WR	43	$7,500,000
Robert Mathis	OLB	43	$7,470,586
Arthur Jones	DT	38	$7,100,000
Andrew Luck	QB	35	$7,034,363
D'Qwell Jackson	ILB	41	$5,750,000
Erik Walden	OLB	39	$4,250,000
Kendall Langford	DE	38	$4,250,000
Frank Gore	RB	41	$4,000,000
Pat McAfee	P	37	$3,200,000
Mike Adams	FS	43	$3,100,000
Jack Mewhort	G	33	$974,673
Hugh Thornton	G	33	$821,345
Khaled Holmes	C	34	$690,027
Denzelle Good	T	33	$538,196

Dallas Cowboys

While the Cowboys are currenty low on cap space ($5,351,260), they've done well to get their core under contract for the short-term. Their 2016 cap contains 51 players, 19 of which were starters in 2015. Morris Claiborne, Greg Hardy, and Jeremy Mincey highlight a list of 48 pending UFAs, making it clear that Dallas will be using free agency and their #4 overall draft pick to likely target the defensive side of the ball.
Biggest Contract Needs: Defensive Line, Guard

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Tony Romo	QB	44	$14,973,000
Dez Bryant	WR	36	$13,000,000
Brandon Carr	CB	38	$12,717,000
Tyrone Crawford	DE	35	$8,750,000
Jason Witten	TE	42	$7,412,000
Sean Lee	OLB	38	$5,450,000
Tyron Smith	LT	33	$5,039,000
Orlando Scandrick	CB	37	$4,382,271
Barry Church	SS	36	$3,250,000
Doug Free	RT	40	$3,000,000
Dan Bailey	K	36	$2,500,000
Darren McFadden	RB	37	$2,150,000
Zack Martin	G	34	$2,038,136
Travis Frederick	C	33	$1,873,644
DeMarcus Lawrence	DE	32	$1,251,511
Chris Jones	P	35	$1,000,000
Terrance Williams	WR	35	$872,368
J.J. Wilcox	FS	33	$751,517
Anthony Hitchens	ILB	32	$708,716

New England Patriots

The Patriots are actually up against the cap a bit early on ($10,794,563 in est. space). But with 53 under contract (20 of which were 2015 starters), they may just be rolling over the roster for another year. They'll likely cut ties with a few players on the bubble to free up some dollars, and should be fine when it all matters.
Biggest Contract Need: CB, WR

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Tom Brady	QB	47	$14,000,000
Nate Solder	LT	36	$10,322,666
Sebastian Vollmer	RT	40	$7,020,833
Rob Gronkowski	TE	35	$6,650,000
Jerod Mayo	ILB	38	$6,100,000
Devin McCourty	FS	37	$6,000,000
Julian Edelman	WR	38	$4,750,000
Rob Ninkovich	OLB	40	$4,750,000
Brandon LaFell	WR	38	$3,800,000
Stephen Gostkowski	K	40	$3,600,000
Chandler Jones	DE	34	$2,600,659
Dont'a Hightower	ILB	34	$2,457,637
Patrick Chung	SS	37	$2,000,000
Dominique Easley	DT	32	$1,991,877
Dion Lewis	RB	34	$1,087,500
Ryan Allen	P	34	$1,085,500
Jamie Collins	OLB	35	$1,025,727
Logan Ryan	CB	33	$745,813
Bryan Stork	C	34	$629,250
Malcolm Butler	CB	34	$510,000

Denver Broncos

The $6,881,913 in est. 2016 cap space is a bit deceiving, as Denver has just 53 under contract currently in 2016. Additionally, OLB Von Miller, ILB Danny Trevathan, and QB Brock Osweiler headline a list of 58 UFAs pending. The Broncos should pick up an additional $8-$9M in space with the release of veteran OT Ryan Clady.
Biggest Contract Needs: OT, OG, QB, LB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (14)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Peyton Manning	QB	48	$17,500,000
Demaryius Thomas	WR	36	$15,200,000
DeMarcus Ware	OLB	42	$8,666,666
T.J. Ward	SS	37	$7,750,000
Aqib Talib	CB	38	$6,968,750
Derek Wolfe	DE	34	$6,800,000
Louis Vasquez	G	37	$6,250,000
Emmanuel Sanders	WR	37	$6,000,000
Owen Daniels	TE	42	$4,500,000
Chris Harris	CB	35	$3,000,000
Britton Colquitt	P	39	$2,350,000
Sylvester Williams	DT	36	$2,067,750
Darian Stewart	FS	36	$1,750,000
Ty Sambrailo	T	32	$699,264

Washington Redskins

The Redskins' cap space will increase mightily when RG3's $16.155M option comes off the table soon. With 53 (18 returning starters) under contract, cuts are likely coming in order to make a few splashes in free agency. Getting Kirk Cousins under contract (likely via the franchise tag to start) will be priority number one. WRs Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are both on the cap casualty list this offseason.
Biggest Contract Needs: Running Back, Defensive Tackle

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (18)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Trent Williams	LT	36	$10,668,750
Pierre Garcon	WR	38	$10,200,000
DeSean Jackson	WR	38	$9,250,000
Ryan Kerrigan	DE	36	$6,238,000
Jason Hatcher	DE	42	$5,203,125
DeAngelo Hall	CB	41	$4,812,500
Kory Lichtensteiger	C	39	$4,300,000
Stephen Paea	DT	36	$4,250,000
Chris Culliver	CB	36	$4,250,000
Perry Riley	ILB	36	$4,049,804
Dashon Goldson	FS	40	$4,000,000
Shawn Lauvao	G	37	$4,000,000
Brandon Scherff	G	32	$3,857,388
Jeron Johnson	SS	36	$1,243,750
Trent Murphy	DE	33	$1,016,545
Jordan Reed	TE	34	$833,166
Morgan Moses	RT	33	$729,394
Dustin Hopkins	K	34	$600,000

Houston Texans

The Texans have 53 players under contract, and still hold $5,125,112 in estimated cap space. That likely still won't stop them from moving on from long-time RB Arian Foster, whose release will clear $6.625M from their cap. OL Ben Jones and Brandon Brooks highlight their modest list of UFAs, and it's possible an overhaul to the offensive line is on the horizon. Not to mention they'll likely look to upgrade from Brian Hoyer at QB.
Biggest Contract Needs: QB, OC, OG,

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (16)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
J.J. Watt	DE	35	$13,969,000
Johnathan Joseph	CB	40	$11,750,000
Arian Foster	RB	38	$9,500,000
Duane Brown	LT	39	$9,500,000
Brian Cushing	ILB	37	$7,891,250
Kareem Jackson	SS	36	$7,453,125
Brian Hoyer	QB	39	$5,218,750
Jadeveon Clowney	DE	31	$5,062,045
Derek Newton	RT	37	$4,500,000
Garrett Graham	TE	38	$4,000,000
Vince Wilfork	DT	43	$3,500,000
Rahim Moore	FS	35	$3,000,000
Whitney Mercilus	OLB	34	$2,979,030
DeAndre Hopkins	WR	32	$2,426,678
Akeem Dent	ILB	37	$1,709,375
Xavier Su'a-Filo	G	33	$1,261,727

Detroit Lions

A year ago the Lions wouldn't be 5 miles from the top of an "efficient cap" ranking, but they've turned the corner on many bloated contracts and are setup nicely through 2016. Their $6,419,547 in estimated cap space could increase another $13M should Calvin Johnson retire. The defense boasts a number of notable free agents that will need to be addressed.
Biggest Contract Need: Defensive Line, Linebackers

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Calvin Johnson	WR	39	$24,008,000
Matthew Stafford	QB	36	$17,721,250
Golden Tate	WR	36	$6,350,000
Stephen Tulloch	ILB	39	$5,800,000
Ezekiel Ansah	DE	35	$5,071,232
DeAndre Levy	OLB	37	$4,406,240
Glover Quin	FS	38	$3,572,500
Eric Ebron	TE	31	$3,340,676
Riley Reiff	T	36	$2,543,450
Laken Tomlinson	G	32	$1,943,237
Rashean Mathis	CB	44	$1,625,000
Darius Slay	CB	33	$1,442,537
Matt Prater	K	40	$1,437,500
Kyle Van Noy	ILB	33	$1,391,482
Ameer Abdullah	RB	31	$944,574
Larry Warford	G	33	$849,250
Travis Swanson	C	33	$699,868
Sam Martin	P	34	$625,075
Caraun Reid	DT	33	$557,220

San Francisco 49ers

The fact that only 15 2015 starters are currently under contract might be a blessing for a 49ers team that took a huge step back. San Fran has 53 players allocated to their cap table, and still hold $42,579,751 in est. space. OG Alex Boone, WR Anquan Boldin, and DT Ian Williams lead a small but potent list of pending UFAs.
Biggest Contract Needs: WR, OG, OT, DT

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (15)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Colin Kaepernick	QB	37	$15,265,753
Navorro Bowman	ILB	36	$7,654,000
Torrey Smith	WR	35	$7,600,000
Joe Staley	LT	40	$7,600,000
Ahmad Brooks	OLB	40	$7,055,000
Antoine Bethea	FS	40	$4,750,000
Erik Pears	RT	42	$3,350,000
Tramaine Brock	CB	36	$2,790,000
Eric Reid	SS	32	$2,312,931
Arik Armstead	DE	31	$1,789,569
Quinton Dial	DT	34	$720,413
Marcus Martin	G	31	$712,812
Aaron Lynch	OLB	31	$649,500
Kenneth Acker	CB	32	$630,150
Bradley Pinion	P	30	$483,550

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a bit of work to do, with an estimated $6,209,005 to work with currently. It's possible that a few long-time veterans may become cap casualties this offseason in order to build for the future, as 19 2015 starters are currently under contract.
Biggest Contract Needs: OG, OLB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Ben Roethlisberger	QB	42	$17,245,000
Lawrence Timmons	ILB	38	$12,566,250
Antonio Brown	WR	36	$12,037,500
Cortez Allen	CB	36	$6,981,000
Cameron Heyward	DT	35	$6,400,000
Heath Miller	TE	42	$5,666,668
Maurkice Pouncey	C	35	$4,296,000
Marcus Gilbert	RT	36	$3,256,000
Mike Mitchell	FS	37	$2,508,750
David DeCastro	G	34	$2,486,240
Jarvis Jones	OLB	35	$2,374,228
Ryan Shazier	ILB	32	$2,160,730
Arthur Moats	OLB	36	$1,483,333
Le'Veon Bell	RB	32	$1,311,100
Stephon Tuitt	DE	31	$1,047,601
Markus Wheaton	WR	33	$842,844
Shamarko Thomas	SS	33	$698,288
Jordan Berry	P	33	$525,000
Chris Boswell	K	33	$525,000

Philadelphia Eagles

With the Chip Kelly era in the rear-view, the Eagles are back to square one at the QB position (though Mark Sanchez is signed through 2016). Philly needs to upgrade nearly all pieces of the offensive line as well, and should be free agent players with $8,439,468 in space to work with currently. 20 2015 starters are under contract in 2016, and QB Sam Bradford leads a list of 34 pending UFAs.
Biggest Contract Need: OG, QB, OT

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Jason Peters	LT	42	$9,050,000
Byron Maxwell	CB	36	$8,700,000
DeMarco Murray	RB	36	$8,000,000
Connor Barwin	OLB	38	$7,000,000
Brandon Graham	DE	36	$6,000,000
Malcolm Jenkins	FS	36	$5,666,666
Lane Johnson	RT	34	$5,225,974
Jason Kelce	C	37	$4,400,000
Fletcher Cox	DT	33	$3,258,036
DeMeco Ryans	ILB	40	$3,000,000
Nelson Agholor	WR	31	$2,131,221
Donnie Jones	P	44	$2,083,333
Zach Ertz	TE	34	$1,711,563
Allen Barbre	G	40	$1,450,000
Andrew Gardner	G	38	$1,358,333
Jordan Matthews	WR	32	$1,349,801
Bennie Logan	DT	34	$818,523
Kiko Alonso	OLB	34	$795,946
Caleb Sturgis	K	35	$675,000
Vinny Curry	DE	36	$0

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons seemed to right the shape to round out 2015, and will look to bolster things in year two of the Dan Quinn experiment. With a few more likely cap casualties to come, Atlanta will soon build up the $4,980,768 in est. cap space, which should be allocated mostly to the defensive side of the ball. OL Chris Chester and Jake Long highlight a list of notable pending UFAs.
Biggest Contract Need: TE, LB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Matt Ryan	QB	39	$19,500,000
Julio Jones	WR	35	$15,900,000
Roddy White	WR	43	$6,137,500
Andy Levitre	G	38	$5,375,000
William Moore	SS	39	$5,368,750
Paul Soliai	DT	40	$4,400,000
Tyson Jackson	DE	38	$3,850,000
Jake Matthews	LT	32	$3,733,978
Matt Bosher	P	37	$3,355,000
Brooks Reed	OLB	37	$3,140,000
Vic Beasley	DE	32	$2,635,496
Matt Bryant	K	49	$2,483,333
Desmond Trufant	CB	34	$2,227,117
Justin Durant	OLB	39	$2,210,416
Jacob Tamme	TE	39	$1,800,000
Ra'Shede Hageman	DE	34	$1,212,691
Michael Person	G	36	$1,166,666
Robert Alford	CB	36	$927,654
Devonta Freeman	RB	32	$721,106

Seattle Seahawks

Certainly one of the stories of the offseason, the Seahawks have positioned themselves to stay relevant, if they can keep their finances in order. While the $4,221,582 seems like plenty, with just 51 players signed (15 of 24 2015 starters) there are major holes to fill. LTRussell Okung and LB Bruce Irvin highlight a group of 55 UFAs pending. The future of Marshawn Lynch is also a question mark, and his Post June 1st trade/release/retirement would clear $9M from their cap.
Biggest Contract Needs: OT, OLB/DE, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (15)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Richard Sherman	CB	36	$12,200,000
Marshawn Lynch	RB	38	$11,500,000
Jimmy Graham	TE	38	$9,000,000
Cliff Avril	DE	38	$8,000,000
Michael Bennett	DE	39	$8,000,000
Earl Thomas	FS	35	$7,400,000
Russell Wilson	QB	36	$7,054,868
Kam Chancellor	SS	36	$5,650,000
Doug Baldwin	WR	36	$5,600,000
K.J. Wright	OLB	35	$4,750,000
Steven Hauschka	K	39	$3,325,000
Bobby Wagner	ILB	34	$2,970,663
Justin Britt	C	33	$942,800
Garry Gilliam	RT	34	$604,000
Drew Nowak	C	34	$525,000

New York Giants

The Giants start the offseason in "average shape", boast ing $11,245,930 in est. space, with 53 under contract. But a pending UFA of 55 players leaves plenty of holes to fill, and the Giants will likely be extremely active next month.
Biggest Contract Need: DE/OLB, RB, DB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (16)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Eli Manning	QB	43	$24,200,000
Victor Cruz	WR	38	$9,900,000
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	CB	38	$7,250,000
Jon Beason	ILB	39	$4,154,166
Geoff Schwartz	G	38	$2,845,833
Odell Beckham, Jr.	WR	32	$2,838,054
Rashad Jennings	RB	39	$2,812,500
Ereck Flowers	G	30	$2,616,676
Justin Pugh	G	34	$2,276,154
J.T. Thomas	OLB	36	$2,000,000
John Jerry	G	38	$1,900,000
Marshall Newhouse	RT	36	$1,300,000
Landon Collins	FS	30	$1,112,828
Weston Richburg	C	33	$1,108,489
Jay Bromley	DT	32	$805,969
Devon Kennard	OLB	33	$546,140

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are built to win for the immediate future, with 16 2015 starters currently under contract, accounting for nearly 56.97% of their total cap $. They're sitting with around $3,112,551 in space (projected $154M cap) and will likely look to get younger at the outside pass rush this offseason. 50 are currently pending free agency.
Biggest Contract Needs: DB, DE/OLB, TE

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (16)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Larry Fitzgerald	WR	41	$15,850,000
Patrick Peterson	CB	34	$14,791,491
Calais Campbell	DE	38	$14,750,000
Jared Veldheer	RT	37	$8,500,000
Carson Palmer	QB	44	$7,375,000
Michael Floyd	WR	35	$7,320,000
Mike Iupati	G	37	$6,700,000
Jonathan Cooper	G	34	$3,967,910
Corey Peters	DT	36	$2,666,666
Frostee Rucker	DE	41	$2,181,875
Kevin Minter	ILB	34	$1,197,354
Tyrann Mathieu	SS	32	$855,937
A.Q. Shipley	C	38	$735,000
Alex Okafor	DE	33	$703,607
David Johnson	RB	32	$684,843
Chandler Catanzaro	K	33	$510,500

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (18)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Robert Quinn	DE	34	$16,744,111
Chris Long	DE	39	$12,500,000
Jared Cook	TE	37	$8,300,441
Rodger Saffold	G	36	$8,250,000
Kenny Britt	WR	36	$4,850,000
Greg Robinson	LT	32	$4,837,295
James Laurinaitis	ILB	38	$4,275,000
Tavon Austin	WR	34	$4,057,137
Todd Gurley	RB	30	$3,141,632
Michael Brockers	DT	33	$3,029,727
Akeem Ayers	OLB	35	$3,000,000
Johnny Hekker	P	34	$2,373,773
Aaron Donald	DT	33	$2,303,750
Alec Ogletree	ILB	33	$1,917,282
T.J. McDonald	FS	33	$786,426
Rob Havenstein	RT	32	$721,822
Barrett Jones	G	34	$696,300
Jamon Brown	G	31	$623,704

New York Jets

The Jets stand with an estimated $-1,727,565 in space to work with early on, but with 54 under contract, it's not as bad as it looks. Unfortunately their starting QB (Ryan Fitzpatrick), and breakout RB (Chris Ivory) along with one of their top defensive linemen in Mo Wilkersonare set to hit free agency. Cap relief is likely coming in the form of a few cap casualties and the Jets haven't been shy with trading away assets in the offseason either.
Biggest Contract Need: OLB, OT, OG, QB, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (16)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Darrelle Revis	CB	39	$16,000,000
D'Brickashaw Ferguson	LT	40	$11,698,666
Nick Mangold	C	40	$10,407,100
Brandon Marshall	WR	40	$9,500,000
Eric Decker	WR	37	$8,000,000
David Harris	ILB	40	$7,500,000
Antonio Cromartie	CB	40	$7,000,000
Breno Giacomini	RT	39	$5,125,000
Sheldon Richardson	DT	34	$3,199,000
Marcus Gilchrist	SS	36	$3,125,000
James Carpenter	G	35	$2,375,000
Calvin Pryor	FS	32	$1,946,194
Jeff Cumberland	TE	37	$1,900,000
Geno Smith	QB	34	$1,368,983
Brian Winters	G	33	$868,969
Lorenzo Mauldin	OLB	32	$711,504

Minnesota Vikings

With $-1,460,169 in estimated space currently, and 53 players already on the cap, the Vikings don't necessarily NEED to make drastic changes. With somewhat thin free agent pools and WR/OG (their top needs), it's possible that Minnesota will simply look to restructure a few of their own to clear up some space. With 19 2015 starters currently under contract, the Vikings are in a great spot heading toward the offseason.
Biggest Contract Needs: WR, OG, DB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Mike Wallace	WR	38	$11,500,000
Adrian Peterson	RB	39	$11,000,000
Everson Griffen	DE	36	$8,200,000
John Sullivan	C	39	$7,333,333
Kyle Rudolph	TE	35	$7,300,000
Phillip Loadholt	RT	38	$6,750,000
Matt Kalil	LT	35	$6,290,644
Brian Robison	DE	41	$5,650,000
Linval Joseph	DT	36	$4,600,000
Brandon Fusco	G	36	$3,485,000
Anthony Barr	OLB	32	$2,896,250
Harrison Smith	SS	35	$2,271,355
Blair Walsh	K	34	$2,239,483
Sharrif Floyd	DT	32	$2,202,600
Xavier Rhodes	CB	34	$2,129,046
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	32	$1,556,705
Joe Berger	G	42	$1,035,000
Jeff Locke	P	35	$631,048
Stefon Diggs	WR	31	$581,928

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay boasts a strong $5,413,268 in estimated cap space, enough to make a dent both in free agency and on draft day. They'll be looking to get younger and better in the secondary and at the interior of their O-Line, while also deciding on whether to bring back RB Doug Martin, or shop elsewhere.
Biggest Contract Needs: DB, OG, RB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (18)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Gerald McCoy	DT	36	$14,595,000
Vincent Jackson	WR	41	$12,209,777
Lavonte David	ILB	34	$10,000,000
Logan Mankins	G	42	$7,000,000
Jameis Winston	QB	30	$4,609,323
Alterraun Verner	CB	35	$4,250,000
Mike Evans	WR	31	$3,990,410
Evan Smith	C	38	$3,750,000
Demar Dotson	RT	39	$2,500,000
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	32	$1,433,161
Johnthan Banks	CB	35	$1,288,997
Donovan Smith	LT	31	$1,103,429
Connor Barth	K	38	$1,000,000
William Gholston	DE	33	$775,136
Akeem Spence	DT	33	$706,071
Ali Marpet	G	31	$686,106
Kwon Alexander	ILB	30	$644,580
Jake Schum	P	35	$525,000

Kansas City Chiefs

Getting Justin Houston under contract for the long-term was a big step forward for this Chiefs franchise, who still have $4,271,650 in space to try to reel in some of their 43 pending UFAs, notably Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson.
Biggest Contract Needs: Secondary

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (19)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Alex Smith	QB	40	$15,600,000
Jeremy Maclin	WR	36	$12,400,000
Eric Fisher	LT	33	$7,060,613
Eric Fisher	LT	33	$6,051,954
Jamaal Charles	RB	37	$6,000,000
Justin Houston	DE	35	$5,100,000
Dustin Colquitt	P	42	$3,800,000
Dontari Poe	DT	34	$3,601,822
Allen Bailey	DE	35	$3,231,250
Travis Kelce	TE	35	$2,948,226
Ben Grubbs	G	40	$2,400,000
Marcus Peters	CB	31	$2,178,217
Ron Parker	FS	37	$2,000,000
Josh Mauga	ILB	37	$1,750,000
Mitch Morse	C	32	$1,062,062
Phillip Gaines	CB	33	$655,278
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	G	33	$633,575
Albert Wilson	WR	32	$603,334
Cairo Santos	K	33	$510,666

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' lack of cap space ($3,046,312) is large in part to QB Joe Flacco's $28.55M cap figure for the upcoming season. A restructured/extension should help fix that (for now). Until then, Baltimore needs to upgrade his WR arsenal, lock in a usable backup QB, re-sign K Justin Tucker, and improve the pass rush.
Biggest Contract Need: DE/OLB, WR, Backup QB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (20)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Joe Flacco	QB	39	$14,550,000
Lardarius Webb	CB	39	$9,250,000
Marshal Yanda	G	40	$7,985,882
Eugene Monroe	LT	37	$7,700,000
Will Hill	SS	34	$4,590,000
Steve Smith	WR	45	$4,166,668
Terrell Suggs	OLB	42	$3,950,000
Daryl Smith	ILB	42	$3,875,000
Justin Forsett	RB	39	$3,700,000
Jeremy Zuttah	C	38	$3,700,000
Jimmy Smith	CB	36	$3,600,000
Sam Koch	P	42	$2,400,000
C.J. Mosley	ILB	32	$1,997,273
Breshad Perriman	WR	31	$1,978,481
Chris Canty	DE	42	$1,735,000
Kendrick Lewis	FS	38	$1,266,666
Timmy Jernigan	DT	32	$996,114
Crockett Gillmore	T	33	$726,504
Brandon Williams	DT	35	$713,750
Ricky Wagner	RT	35	$621,140

Chicago Bears

The Bears took a step forward in 2015, with injuries holding back what could have been a decent season numbers-wise. While RB Matt Forte, and WR Alshon Jeffery highlight the list of pending UFAs, Chicago would do best to prioritize the pass rush this offseason.
Biggest Contract Need: DE/OLB, DB, WR

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (14)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Jay Cutler	QB	41	$16,500,000
Jermon Bushrod	T	40	$8,050,000
Pernell McPhee	OLB	35	$6,675,000
Martellus Bennett	TE	37	$6,310,000
Antrel Rolle	SS	41	$5,000,000
Eddie Royal	WR	38	$4,500,000
Robbie Gould	K	42	$3,600,000
Matt Slauson	G	38	$3,267,500
Kyle Long	G	36	$2,263,896
Kyle Fuller	CB	32	$2,201,591
Ego Ferguson	DT	33	$934,819
Charles Leno	LT	33	$611,628
Adrian Amos	FS	31	$583,070
Pat O'Donnell	P	33	$536,327

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals ended 2015 on a sour note (to say the least), but are in a position to build upon their success. They'll need to address major potential free agent losses to CB Adam Jones, FS Reggie Nelson, and SS George Iloka. The good news? They hold an estimated $5,108,306 in space heading through January, with 51 players allocated to the cap. However only 16 of them were starters in 2015.
Biggest Contract Needs: DB, LB, OT

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (16)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Andy Dalton	QB	37	$9,600,000
Geno Atkins	DT	36	$9,000,000
Andrew Whitworth	LT	42	$8,000,000
Rey Maualuga	ILB	37	$7,137,500
Vontaze Burfict	OLB	34	$5,175,000
Clint Boling	G	35	$5,100,000
Carlos Dunlap	DE	35	$4,900,000
Domata Peko	DT	40	$3,700,000
Kevin Huber	P	39	$2,770,000
Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	35	$2,743,680
Tyler Eifert	TE	34	$2,626,909
Michael Johnson	DE	37	$2,600,000
Kevin Zeitler	G	34	$2,400,427
Mike Nugent	K	42	$1,950,000
Jeremy Hill	RB	32	$1,023,710
Russell Bodine	C	32	$624,114

San Diego Chargers

With Rivers under contract, the Chargers can focus on filling holes elsewhere and carry $1,304,400 in space and the #3 overall draft pick to do so. The loss of Malcolm Floyd to retirement combined with the pending free agency of Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green make the WR/TE positions an easy priority. Toss in the worst-graded play from the center position, and and a total of 55 pending UFAs, and plenty of change appears to be coming.
Biggest Contract Needs: WR/TE, OC, Backup QB

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (18)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Philip Rivers	QB	42	$21,000,000
Corey Liuget	DT	34	$10,000,000
Donald Butler	ILB	36	$5,480,000
Orlando Franklin	G	36	$4,400,000
Mike Scifres	P	44	$4,347,500
Brandon Flowers	CB	38	$4,250,000
King Dunlap	LT	39	$4,125,000
D.J. Fluker	G	33	$3,628,067
D.J. Fluker	G	33	$3,109,771
Danny Woodhead	RB	39	$3,000,000
Melvin Ingram	OLB	35	$2,672,166
Jason Verrett	CB	33	$1,792,955
Manti Te'o	ILB	33	$1,410,660
Sean Lissemore	DT	37	$1,250,000
Jeremiah Attaochu	OLB	31	$955,250
Keenan Allen	WR	32	$843,450
Chris Watt	C	34	$663,535
Josh Lambo	K	34	$526,666

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have 17 of their 2015 starters already in the fold - a whopping 46.96% of their overall cap total thus far. Toss in $2,824,657 in space to work with, and a fast-improving team can get better quickly. The defense will be the focus this offseason, with Charles Woodson retiring, and OLB Aldon Smith highlighting a list of 41 free agents.
Biggest Contract Needs: OT, S

» View Projected 2016 Signed Starters

Player (17)	Pos.	Age	2016 Cap
Rodney Hudson	C	35	$13,000,000
Michael Crabtree	WR	37	$11,000,000
Dan Williams	DT	37	$8,000,000
Nate Allen	FS	37	$7,000,000
Curtis Lofton	ILB	38	$6,500,000
Austin Howard	RT	37	$5,900,000
Amari Cooper	WR	30	$5,150,708
Khalil Mack	OLB	33	$4,244,773
Malcolm Smith	OLB	35	$4,000,000
Sebastian Janikowski	K	46	$3,610,000
D.J. Hayden	CB	34	$2,815,554
Lee Smith	TE	37	$2,750,000
Derek Carr	QB	33	$1,220,864
Latavius Murray	RB	34	$701,550
Gabe Jackson	G	33	$672,844
Justin Ellis	DT	33	$628,172
Travis Carrie	CB	34	$526,741