NFL Power Rankings, Financially

It may be a surprise to some that the Seattle Seahawks top the list, but generally speaking they did enough on the field last year, and on paper this offseason to earn a preseason perch at #1. We'll break down the Seahawks financials by position to show how they've put themselves together for the 2013 campaign.
ESPN Rank | Team | Team Cap (Rank) |
---|---|---|
1 | Seahawks | $129,360,409 (2) |
2 | Falcons | $115,444,339 (25) |
3 | 49ers | $117,956,133 (19) |
4 | Broncos | $127,264,591 (3) |
5 | Packers | $115,833,757 (24) |
6 | Patriots | $117,959,874 (18) |
7 | Texans | $123,891,890 (8) |
8 | Ravens | $117,189,847 (21) |
9 | Bengals | $116,472,937 (22) |
10 | Redskins | $105,578,198 (32) |
11 | Colts | $117,753,393 (20) |
12 | Giants | $121,299,572 (12) |
13 | Saints | $120,086,527 (14) |
14 | Bears | $126,501,662 (4) |
15 | Rams | $121,997,204 (10) |
16 | Steelers | $120,025,931 (15) |
17 | Vikings | $125,026,499 (7) |
18 | Cowboys | $112,320,780 (28) |
19 | Chiefs | $136,386,610 (1) |
20 | Dolphins | $107,276,142 (31) |
21 | Lions | $116,242,896 (23) |
22 | Buccaneers | $122,508,326 (9) |
23 | Panthers | $112,987,851 (27) |
24 | Chargers | $114,126,373 (26) |
25 | Eagles | $125,668,470 (5) |
26 | Cardinals | $118,688,539 (17) |
27 | Titans | $125,328,450 (6) |
28 | Browns | $110,248,988 (30) |
29 | Jaguars | $121,444,007 (11) |
30 | Bills | $110,362,076 (29) |
31 | Raiders | $119,557,667 (16) |
32 | Jets | $120,098,106 (13) |
Here's a look at how the Seahawks are built positionally this year in terms of money against the cap and how this ranks across all NFL teams:
Position | Cap Spending | % of Cap | NFL Position Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks: | $1,521,085 | 1.11% | 32nd |
Running Backs: | $9,707,647 | 7.38% | 5th |
Wide Receivers: | $11,695,833 | 8.87% | 10th |
Tight Ends: | $11,656,212 | 8.82% | 1st |
Left Tackles: | $9,540,000 | 6.95% | 6th |
Right Tackles: | $4,805,000 | 3.5% | 6th |
Guards | $5,459,046 | 4.69% | 17th |
Centers: | $6,555,000 | 4.78% | 4th |
Defensive Ends: | $24,871,667 | 18.13% | 2nd |
Defensive Line: | $6,435,000 | 5.42% | 14th |
Outside Linebackers: | $3,996,202 | 2.91% | 25th |
Inside Linebackers: | $2,645,712 | 2.28% | 20th |
Cornerbacks: | $2,713,600 | 2.35% | 30th |
Safeties | $9,261,402 | 6.75% | 11th |
Kickers: | $620,000 | .45% | 20th |
Punters: | $2,713,600 | 1.02% | 30th |
Long Snappers: | $767,500 | .56% | 14th |
The Seahawks have clearly defined their financial important to the "edges" of their depth chart, i.e. durable and plentiful options at Tight End, Defensive End, and the offensive Tackles. They trimmed plenty of veteran cash in the secondary in the past two seasons, and did well to extend (restructure) their young talent (Kam Chancellor, etc...) in an effort to manage their numbers long-term. While an injured and expensive Percy Harvin is an obvious hit to the cap/roster, they can enjoy base minimum figures for Russell Wilson and less than $9M per year cap figured for Marshawn Lynch through 2015.
The Seahawks are built to win right now on the field, and financially stable for the near future - a win win situation.