Cap Notes: Bills, Giants, Browns, Texans

Bills safety Jairus Byrd will need to be tendered at $8.3MM if the team wants to keep him under the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Back-to-back franchise tags call for the affected player’s salary to be increased by 120%. Byrd, widely considered one of the best safeties in the NFL, was displeased with being franchise tagged last year, having hoped to work out a long-term extension. Recent extensions by comparable safeties include those of Eric Weddle, who was guaranteed $19MM by the Chargers, and Dashon Goldson, to whom the Buccaneers guaranteed $18MM (numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.com).

Some other cap notes from around the league:

• The Giants have about $13.7MM in cap space, estimates Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. However, they can clear approximately $14 million more by cutting players like Chris Snee, Mathias Kiwanuka, David Baas, Brandon Myers, and Corey Webster. Still, even with $27 million to work with, the Giants will might be strapped as the need to bolster a porous offensive line, add offensive play-makers to potentially replace Hakeem Nicks and David Wilson, and improve a defense that was among the league’s worst.
  
• Within the same article, Graziano suggests the Giants designate Baas as a post-June 1 cut, spreading the hit over two seasons, and enabling the team to sign someone like Alex Mack. Graziano also thinks the team should sign defensive tackle Linval Joseph to an extension before free agency starts.
• Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com does not believe the Browns will place the franchise tag on safety T.J. Ward, instead attempting to sign him to an extension, or waiting to match an offer from another team. This is contrast to the opinion of ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi, who noted he does think the Browns will tag Ward.
• The Texans will likely part ways with quarterback Matt Schaub and his $14.5MM 2014 cap number, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, Johnathan Joseph, Owen Daniels, and Danieal Manning, all of whom have significant cap figures, appear to be safe.