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2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 2nd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, the NFL revealed its 2023 salary cap. Teams can now budget for their offseasons, knowing a $224.8MM ceiling is in place. This year’s nonexclusive franchise and transition tag numbers also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here is where every team stands in terms of cap space:

Chicago Bears: $90.91MM
Atlanta Falcons: $56.42MM
New York Giants: $44.28MM
Houston Texans: $37.56MM
Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55MM
New England Patriots: $32.71MM
Seattle Seahawks: $31.04MM
Baltimore Ravens: $26.87MM
Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78MM
Arizona Cardinals: $14.47MM
Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96MM
Detroit Lions: $13.83MM
Indianapolis Colts: $12.59MM
Denver Broncos: $9.07MM
San Francisco 49ers: $8.28MM
Washington Commanders: $8.24MM
Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24MM
Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03MM
New York Jets: $1.31MM over the cap
Dallas Cowboys: $7.18MM over
Carolina Panthers: $8.94MM over
Los Angeles Rams: $14.19MM over
Cleveland Browns: $14.64MM over
Miami Dolphins: $16.45MM over
Green Bay Packers: $16.48MM over
Buffalo Bills: $17.88MM over
Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38MM over
Jacksonville Jaguars: $22.35MM over
Minnesota Vikings: $23.43MM over
Tennessee Titans: $23.67MM over
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03MM over
New Orleans Saints: $60.47MM over

These figures (courtesy of OverTheCap) will change dramatically in the coming weeks, but this is where each team stands ahead of Super Bowl LVII. After that point, cap-casualty cuts can begin taking place. Restructures, extensions and trades will commence as well, with the Saints of recent years doing well to prove there are a few roads to cap compliance.

While New Orleans is in its usual February place, the team actually was further over the 2021 and ’22 caps at this point on the NFL calendar. Using void years to load up its roster during Tom Brady‘s three-year stay, Tampa Bay has seen much of that bill come due. If Brady does not re-sign a procedural deal, which would allow for the Buccaneers to spread out his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1MM dead-cap charge this year.

The Browns led the league by a wide margin in cap carryover from 2022, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cleveland carried over $27.6MM in cap space. The Browns paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, bracing for the Deshaun Watson contract’s spike. As of now, Watson’s cap figure will balloon from $9.4MM to $54.9MM. No NFL player has ever played a season on a cap number higher than $45MM.

The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders rounded out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8MM to $6.7MM. Chicago ate considerable dead money via the Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team is still paying most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to secure a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have quite the opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles‘ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have $12MM-plus in Deion Jones dead money on their 2023 payroll, but the team is rid of Matt Ryan‘s record-setting dead-cap hit ($40MM).

Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. GM Eric DeCosta said he has not decided if the team will place the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the nonexclusive number — $32.42MM — will dramatically change the Ravens’ budget ahead of free agency. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in just north of $45MM.

Falcons Hire Ryan Nielsen As DC

January 27th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Nielsen will jump within the NFC South, moving from New Orleans to Atlanta. The Falcons announced Friday they have hired the Saints’ co-defensive coordinator to be their DC.

Working alongside Kris Richard in the Saints’ co-DC setup on Dennis Allen‘s staff this season, Nielsen has been with New Orleans for the past six years. This move will reunite Nielsen with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot, who came over from the Saints in 2021.

This Atlanta search featured some moving parts. Needing to replace the re-retired Dean Pees, the Falcons interviewed some high-profile names. They reached out to two coaches who have already gone through head coaching interviews — Brian Flores and Ejiro Evero — and interviewed ex-Denver HC Vic Fangio. Flores has been closely tied to the Cardinals’ HC job, while Evero has interviewed twice with the Colts and Texans. The Broncos, however, quickly blocked an Evero-Falcons meeting. Because Evero holds play-calling responsibilities in Denver and is under contract, a block maneuver could ensue. Fangio has also interviewed with three teams and looms as an option to return to the 49ers if/once DeMeco Ryans lands a top job elsewhere.

Nielsen, 43, had also interviewed with the Vikings about their DC job. No block could commence with Nielsen, due to he and Richard’s atypical arrangement. This will be Nielsen’s first crack as a play-caller, as Allen continued to run the show on that side of the ball despite succeeding Sean Payton as head coach.

Nielsen spent his time in New Orleans coaching defensive linemen. He worked as the Saints’ D-line coach — or as DC with D-line responsibilities — throughout that Louisiana run. During that stretch, Cameron Jordan (one Pro Bowl in his first six seasons) emerged on the Hall of Fame radar. Breaking the Saints’ career sack record, Jordan has made five Pro Bowls over the past six years. New Orleans also received quality work from defensive tackle David Onyemata under Nielsen.

Atlanta ranked outside the top 20 in points and yards allowed in each of Pees’ two seasons, but the team made no secret of its rebuild path. Nielsen will be tasked with elevating the young talent on the Falcons’ defense — including the likes of Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone and Troy Andersen. The Falcons’ 21 sacks ranked as the NFL’s second-worst total; only Grady Jarrett totaled more than four.

The Falcons shifted to a 3-4 scheme under Pees, so it will be interesting to see if Nielsen brings the Saints’ 4-3 alignment to Atlanta. Allen oversaw New Orleans’ defense throughout Nielsen’s tenure, making it premature to determine if the latter would make that change. But the Falcons are changing up their staff on defense.

As should be expected, Nielsen will be bringing in much of his own position coaches to Atlanta. The Falcons fired outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino, D-line coach Gary Emanuel and secondary coach Jon Hoke, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter (on Twitter). A former Colts DC, Monachino joined the Falcons upon Pees being hired. Ditto Emanuel, who worked under Monachino in Indianapolis and who has been in coaching since the early 1980s, and Hoke.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Matthews

January 25th, 2023 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer provided rare transparency about his team’s first-round decision ahead of last year’s draft, indicating the team was likely down to quarterback or left tackle at No. 6 overall. The pick became Ikem Ekwonu, and the non-Kenny Pickett QB contingent tumbled into the third round. Carolina scooped up one of those arms, Matt Corral, but he missed the season due to injury. With Sam Darnold ticketed for free agency, the Panthers face another offseason of QB questions.

Both Fitterer and assistant GM Dan Morgan spent much of the fall scouting the top four quarterbacks in the 2023 class in person, according Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). Some of these passers will be gone by the time the Panthers pick at No. 9. Mel Kiper Jr.’s first 2023 mock draft has Carolina, however, taking the fourth quarterback in this year’s class — Florida’s Anthony Richardson — in Round 1. The scouting missions to see Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis and the team’s long-running need at the position will connect it to a potential trade-up maneuver. The Bears, who traded up for Justin Fields after the Panthers passed on Stroud’s Ohio State predecessor two years ago, are open for business at No. 1. It remains to be seen which non-QB-needy teams from Nos. 2-8 will join them.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

The Saints are retaining offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael for what will be his 14th season in the role, but Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes they moved on from their second-longest-tenured offensive staffer. The Saints parted ways with Dan Roushar after 10 seasons. Roushar, 62, had held a number of key roles on New Orleans’ staff since 2013 — offensive line coach and running backs coach among them — but was working as the team’s run-game coordinator and tight ends coach over the past two seasons. The Saints ranked 18th and 19th on the ground, respectively, over the past two years. A former college OC, Roushar has only coached for the Saints at the NFL level.
As more details surface on Michael Thomas‘ recent restructure, the likelier it appears the Saints will release him. The former All-Pro’s reworked deal includes a $31MM roster bonus due on Day 3 of the 2023 league year, and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football adds Thomas would collect a whopping $30MM if he is active for four games next season (Twitter link). So, if Thomas is on the Saints’ roster absent another restructure, he would collect a cool $61MM. That reality seems … unlikely to commence. If Thomas is designated as a post-June 1 cut, the Saints would only be tagged with $11MM-plus in dead money this year.
In more Saints restructure news, the team pushed back the void-year vesting dates for David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport. Both D-linemen’s contracts are now set to void March 14, as opposed to February 17, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That gives the team more time to negotiate extensions with each free agent-to-be, and GM Mickey Loomis said recently (via Underhill) the team is interested in re-signing both. Due to restructuring Davenport’s fifth-year option, the Saints would be tagged with $7.6MM in dead money absent an extension before March 14 — the final day of the 2022 league year. A $10.2MM bill would come if Onyemata is not extended by that date.
The Falcons created $4.2MM in 2023 cap space by doing another Jake Matthews restructure. The team accelerated $7MM of the left tackle’s 2023 roster bonus onto its 2022 payroll, Yates tweets. After eating considerable dead money over the past two years — much of it from the Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and Deion Jones trades — the Falcons are set to hold the second-most cap space in the NFL — more than $56MM.

Titans To Interview Charles London For OC; Titans, Rams Seeking Justin Outten Meetings

January 19th, 2023 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Charles London‘s schedule is filling up. In addition to his Thursday interview with the Commanders, the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach will meet with the Titans, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets.

Tennessee is also interested in Justin Outten, though it is not certain the Denver OC is on the radar to replace Todd Downing. The Titans want to interview Outten for an unspecified staff position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Nathaniel Hackett brought Outten over from Green Bay, making it unlikely he stays in Denver. Additionally, Pelissero tweets the Rams want to meet with Outten. Both the Rams and Titans are looking for an OC, but each team is requesting an Outten meeting for an unspecified job on their offensive staff.

London has been Atlanta’s QBs coach for two years, coming over shortly after Arthur Smith was hired, and has a history with the Titans. Although London’s roles as position coaches have come elsewhere, he stopped through Tennessee as an offensive assistant in 2011. That may be less relevant than London having spent two seasons working under Smith. The Titans have promoted their past two OCs (Smith, Downing) from within.

Outten went through a rather complicated year in Denver. Hackett attempted to interview Adam Stenavich and Jason Vrable, but the Packers blocked those moves. Those denials led to Outten’s Denver arrival. At the time, the Denver OC job was a non-play-calling opportunity. That changed down the stretch, with the embattled Hackett handing play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak. This move bypassed Outten, who was previously the Packers’ tight ends coach. Outten, however, called plays during Denver’s final two regular-season games.

The Titans have already reached out to two Chiefs staffers — Eric Bieniemy and Matt Nagy — about the OC position. Because Andy Reid is the Chiefs’ primary play-caller, the Chiefs cannot block Bieniemy from taking the interview; the next Titans OC will call plays. More names should enter the equation soon, however.

The Rams’ OC search has not heated up yet, with Sean McVay recently indicating he will be back for a seventh season. An Outten hire for an unspecified position would be more interesting for the Titans, considering their play-caller is not yet in place. McVay is the Rams’ play-caller and has gone without an OC before.

Teams Expect Ravens QB Lamar Jackson To Be Available

January 18th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a prolonged injury absence (and a curious no-show during Baltimore’s playoff loss), many have questioned if Lamar Jackson has played his final snap for the Ravens. Many NFL GMs are asking the same question, and some executives have surmised that the quarterback is indeed available. “Rival teams perceive Jackson to be available,” executives told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. Some of these possible suitors have already started identifying assets that they could give up in a potential trade.

There are a handful of wrinkles when it comes to a potential Jackson trade. Besides preferring to send Jackson out of the AFC, the Ravens would also be eyeing a deal that nets them both draft picks and young talent. Further, Jackson would have a say in where he’s sent, as no team would sacrifice valuable future assets without an assurance that the quarterback would sign a long-term deal. Plus, assuming Baltimore hits Jackson with an exclusive franchise tag, he would have a de facto no-trade clause until he signs the tender.

Still, there will surely be some teams that are willing to make the blockbuster move. Executives pointed to the Panthers and Falcons as potential suitors, with both teams having made strong runs in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. For Carolina, La Canfora tosses out an idea of a package based around Jaycee Horn, the No. 9 pick, a future first-round pick, and a future second-round pick, and an NFL GM suggested that’s the kind of trade haul it will take.

“You’ve got to find an owner who hasn’t been able to find his guy [at quarterback] and won’t be scared off by the price tag,” one GM told La Canfora. “And it’s probably a team that is going into next year on the brink. It’s kind of a make-or-break year for the coach or the GM.”

On the flip side, Joel Corry of CBS Sports believes the Ravens won’t trade Jackson in 2023, with the former agent describing 2024 as the “year of reckoning.” A second franchise tag would have the QB eyeing a whopping $54MM haul for the 2024 campaign, and Jackson would still have the ability to finally hit the open market in 2025. Corry opines that the Ravens don’t have to rush a trade right now (especially when they’re in a position to compete), but they’ll be eyeing a significant decision in 2024. If Baltimore doesn’t trade Jackson next offseason, then they’d be running the risk of committing more than $100MM to him for 2023 and 2024 and then being left with just a compensatory pick when he signs elsewhere as a 2025 free agent.

There’s even a chance that Jackson re-signs with the Ravens. It was just last week that we heard the Ravens were still “all-in” on an extension for their franchise player, even with the “powers-that-be” having become “frustrated to the point of exasperated” with the player’s absence. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic cautions that any new deal between the two sides surely won’t be agreed to by the March 7 franchise-tag deadline.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/18/23

January 18th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Atlanta Falcons

G Kyle Hinton

Carolina Panthers

DB Myles Dorn

Minnesota Vikings

DE Curtis Weaver

New England Patriots

LB Olakunle Fatukasi

Philadelphia Eagles

DB Tristin McCollum

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

OT Michael Niese, LB J.J. Russell

According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter), there was a bit of competition for offensive lineman Kyle Hinton’s services. The 2020 seventh-round pick spent much of the season on the Vikings practice squad, and they looked to sign him to a reserve/futures contract. However, he ended up opting for the Falcons, who gave him an $100K signing bonus.

Falcons Conducting DC Interview With Vic Fangio; Brian Flores Interested In Position

January 18th, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Sam Robinson

NFC South rivals are the first to bring in Vic Fangio for interviews. After interviewing for the Panthers’ defensive coordinator position, the respected defensive coach is meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Fangio, who took this season off, has said his NFL return would likely be as a coordinator. The former Broncos HC will undoubtedly have extensive options, given his resume. The Falcons have already reached out to Brian Flores and Al Holcomb about the job Dean Pees recently vacated, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes the former — his place in the Cardinals’ HC derby notwithstanding — has shown interest in the gig.

Flores has never held the defensive coordinator title, residing as a position coach in New England and Pittsburgh and a head coach in Miami. But the Patriots employed Flores as a de facto DC in 2018, after Matt Patricia left for the Lions. And Flores shined in that season, which ended in a sixth Pats Super Bowl title thanks largely to a defense that limited the Rams to three points in Super Bowl LIII.

Flores’ Dolphins tenure became rather polarizing, especially in the wake of his discrimination lawsuit after a surprise 2022 firing, but he has continued to generate interest around the league. Four teams interviewed him for their HC positions last year, and the Cardinals are planning on an interview soon. Arizona hiring ex-Patriots executive Monti Ossenfort as GM has drawn a line to Flores, who was in New England for most of Ossenfort’s tenure with the team.

The Falcons could be a fallback option for Flores, who was in the running for the Browns’ DC gig until the end (when the team hired Jim Schwartz). But Fangio is one of the most experienced defensive coaches in NFL history. A staffer dating back to the mid-1980s, Fangio was a DC for five teams — including the Panthers, back in the ’90s — prior to his Broncos HC stay. Fangio concepts are being used around the league, and his top-tier 49ers defenses helped bolster Jim Harbaugh‘s reputation. Fangio elevated the Bears to a No. 1 defense in 2018, leading to his Broncos opportunity. While injuries and and the Broncos’ evergreen quarterback problem doomed Fangio’s HC chance, it certainly appears he will be back in the league soon.

It will be interesting to see if Fangio takes an early DC offer or waits out some of the HC hires — and Sean Payton‘s decision, considering the two were linked recently — to see what other jobs are available.

Commanders Interview Pat Shurmur For OC; Darrell Bevell, Charles London On Radar

January 17th, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a season off, Pat Shurmur is back in the offensive coordinator mix. The veteran assistant/HC is meeting with the Commanders for their OC vacancy Tuesday. The team’s search is starting to come into focus.

In addition to Shurmur, Washington wants to interview Miami quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell and Atlanta QBs coach Charles London, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (Twitter links). The team has either interviewed or has requests out to all three options. Commanders QBs coach Ken Zampese is also on the radar to succeed Scott Turner.

Considering what happened after the Broncos did not retain Shurmur, his work during two seasons in Denver looks a bit better. The Broncos finished 23rd in scoring under Shurmur in 2021 but dropped to last in the Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson 2022 one-off. Shurmur, 57, has been an OC for four teams — the Rams, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos — dating back to the late 2000s and enjoyed HC opportunities with both the Browns and Giants.

Although Shurmur went two-and-done as a head coach in Cleveland and New York, his most notable OC run came in Minnesota. The Vikings losing starter Sam Bradford and still going 13-3 — behind a stunning season from Case Keenum, who finished first in quarterback DVOA — in 2017 put Shurmur back on the HC radar. The Broncos won seven games with Teddy Bridgewater as their starter in 2021, before losing each of Drew Lock‘s starts that year. The 2022 season marked Shurmur’s first year out of the NFL since 1998. Landing the Commanders gig would put Shurmur one notch away from the NFC East cycle, as Shurmur was an Andy Reid staffer in Philly for 10 years prior to beginning his run as a play-caller.

Bevell, 53, brings similar experience but is also in the running for the Jets’ OC position. The Jets are planning an interview, and the veteran OC is viewed as a frontrunner for the Gang Green gig. Bevell has not earned any HC opportunities like Shurmur has, but he is a Super Bowl-winning OC who spent this season overseeing a breakthrough from Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins saw the former No. 5 overall pick show considerable improvement, throwing 25 touchdown passes despite only finishing 12 starts. Known mostly for his seven-year role in Seattle, Bevell has been in the NFL since 2000. He may well finish this year’s hiring period with his fifth OC chance.

London, 47, does not hold similar experience. The Falcons assistant has not been a coordinator previously and arrived in Atlanta in 2021 after coaching the Texans and Bears’ running backs from 2014-21. The Georgia native has spent the past two seasons working under Arthur Smith and OC Dave Ragone but has generated some coordinator interest recently. The Dolphins and Rams interviewed London for their OC posts last year.

Falcons Request DC Interviews With Brian Flores, Al Holcomb

January 15th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of potential candidates to fill the Falcons’ defensive coordinator vacancy continues to grow. Atlanta has requested interviews with Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores and Panthers DC Al Holcomb (Twitter links via Josina Anderson of CBS Sports and ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Flores has received interest in multiple coaching opportunities this offseason, including a recent interview with the Browns for their DC position. A move to Cleveland would represent a step up in title relative to his current arrangement in Pittsburgh, though the 41-year-old played a more sizeable role on Mike Tomlin‘s staff than an average position coach, of course.

The Cardinals have also reached out to Flores seeking an interview for their head coaching vacancy. If he were to land that job, it would mark a quick turnaround from his firing by the Dolphins last offseason. That move ended his three-year tenure in Miami, one which has been followed by his ongoing racial discrimination suit against the NFL in general and several teams in particular. The controversy surrounding his exit – and its subsequent effect on the 2022 coaching cycle, among other things – was a key storyline around the league.

Holcomb, 50, has been an NFL staffer since 2009. His lone season as a full-time defensive coordinator came with the Cardinals in 2018, under head coach Steve Wilks. The pair were reunited in Carolina, and Holcomb spent the 2020 and ’21 campaigns serving as the Panthers’ defensive run game coordinator. Following the firing of Matt Rhule – and the subsequent departures of multiple members of his staff, coupled with Wilks taking over – Holcomb was promoted to the role of interim DC to finish the season.

This news comes after it was reported earlier today that the Panthers put in an interview request for Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. That meeting is likely to concern Carolina’s DC position, so Holcomb’s future will be worth monitoring as the coaching (and coordinator) cycles take shape in the coming days. He and Flores join the Packers’ Jerry Gray and the Saints’ Ryan Nielsen as targets for Atlanta to replace Dean Pees following his retirement.

Falcons Request DC Interviews With Jerry Gray, Ryan Nielsen

January 14th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons have reportedly hit a roadblock with their first target to take on their vacant defensive coordinator position. Two new names have quickly emerged as candidates the team is interested in meeting with, however.

Atlanta has put in an interview request with Packers defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Jerry Gray, per Benjamin Albright of KOA Colorado (Twitter link). A sit-down is expected to take place next week, Albright adds. That news comes as little surprise, given the fact that Gray was quickly named as a candidate to replace Falcons DC Dean Pees following his retirement announcement.

Gray, 60, has NFL coaching experience dating back to 1997. His time on the sidelines at the pro level began in Tennessee, and includes a stint as the Bills’ DC from 2001-05. Gray ultimately found himself back with the Titans in 2011, when he took charge of their defense. His unit put up generally sub-par numbers during his time in Nashville, aside from his first year in charge where the team’s defense ranked eighth in scoring.

In addition, the Falcons have their eyes on the Saints’ Ryan Nielsen, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. The 43-year-old has exclusively worked with New Orleans during his time as an NFL staffer, beginning with the team in 2017. He spent five years working strictly with the defensive line, before being promoted to the role of co-DC this past offseason.

That move was necessitated by Dennis Allen being promoted to New Orleans’ head coach, of course, and increased Nielson’s importance (along with that of Kris Richard) to the Saints’ defense. The unit delivered a strong performance in 2022, ranking fifth in the league in yards allowed and ninth in scoring. That wasn’t enough to guide the Saints to a postseason berth given their offensive struggles, but it likely boosted Nielson’s stock as a high-end coordinator candidate.

Either option would bring significant experience to the rebuilding Falcons’ defense, so they could be serious candidates for the job. Atlanta is expected to cast a wide net in their search for Pees’ successor, however, so their list of interviewees is likely to grow in the coming days.

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