2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Cap management has been extra complicated in the NFL this year. After ~70 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, teams were left with holes and plenty of available dollars to fill the gaps. At first, the ongoing uncertainty over next year’s salary cap had teams nervous about large-scale commitments. Now, it seems like we’re getting back to business as usual.
Recent deals for Saints star Alvin Kamara, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and others demonstrate the league’s long-term confidence. In turn, we’ve seen cap figures change dramatically in September.
Here’s the rundown of each team’s estimated cap space for the 2020 season, via Over The Cap:
- Cleveland Browns – $33.4MM
- New York Jets – $28.6MM
- Dallas Cowboys — $27.5MM
- New England Patriots – $26.3MM
- Washington Football Team – $25.8MM
- Denver Broncos – $25.7MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars – $25.2MM
- Philadelphia Eagles – $20MM
- Detroit Lions – $18MM
- Miami Dolphins – $16.7MM
- Baltimore Ravens – $14.2MM
- Los Angeles Chargers – $11.8MM
- Cincinnati Bengals – $11.6MM
- Arizona Cardinals – $11.4MM
- Indianapolis Colts – $11.3MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $11.2MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $10.9MM
- Chicago Bears – $9.9MM
- New York Giants – $9.6MM
- Houston Texans – $9.6MM
- Tennessee Titans – $9.4MM
- New Orleans Saints – $8.8MM
- Green Bay Packers – $8.7MM
- Los Angeles Rams – $7.7MM
- Las Vegas Raiders – $7.4MM
- Carolina Panthers – $6.9MM
- Kansas City Chiefs – $6.6MM
- Buffalo Bills – $6.5MM
- Seattle Seahawks – $6.2MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $3.7MM
- Atlanta Falcons – $3.3MM
- Minnesota Vikings – $2MM
Latest On Jalen Ramsey's Rams Deal
Here is the latest from the NFC West, moving first to the Rams’ resetting of the cornerback market.
- The Rams were slightly over the 2020 salary cap earlier this week, but their Jalen Ramsey extension solved that problem. They created $7.5MM through the Ramsey deal, Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets. Ramsey’s cornerback-record five-year, $105MM contract calls for only a $1.2MM base salary in 2020 — down from $13.7MM. The ensuing years, however, include base salaries of $17.5MM (2021), $15MM (’22), $17MM (’23), $14.5MM (’24) and $15.5MM (’25), Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This contract’s rolling guarantee structure will convert injury guarantees to full guarantees the year before, essentially tying Ramsey to Los Angeles’ payroll through at least 2024, Garafolo adds (via Twitter).
- Rams free agent signing A’Shawn Robinson qualified for the high-risk $350K stipend as an opt-out player, but his agent and the team reached a compromise that allowed the defensive lineman to avoid the opt-out list. The Rams instead placed Robinson on the non-football injury list and are paying him $500K this year, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Robinson was on track to opt out. Even though he did not officially do so, his two-year contract will toll to 2021 if he does not play this season. Robinson will keep his $6MM signing bonus, but his $3MM 2020 base salary will toll to 2021, Breer adds. Robinson could, however, come off the NFI list and play by Week 10.
Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Agree To Three-Year Deal
Cooper Kupp is sticking around Los Angeles for at least the next few years. The team announced that they’ve signed the wideout to a three-year extension. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth up to $48MM.
Earlier this week, there was some pessimism surrounding a Cooper Kupp/Rams extension, but the two sides apparently made up some ground. Earlier today, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported (via Twitter) that the organization and the wideout had “made significant progress on a large new contract extension.”
We heard on Wednesday that the Rams were still pushing for a deal, but reports indicated that there was still “a lot of work to be done.” It was always going to be tough for the Rams to give Kupp a significant pay increase on his $2MM salary for the upcoming season. The organization is right against the cap, especially after they inked cornerback Jalen Ramsey to a new deal. Of course, the Rams have some flexibility to pay Kupp in future seasons (although they were projected to have just $9MM in space in 2021 prior to this extension).
While the Rams’ lack of cap space was a concern, it was also going to be tough to settle on a final number. As our own Dallas Robinson noted earlier this week, Jarvis Landry is the only slot receiver to be in the top-15 highest-paid players at his position ($75.5MM). Kupp could probably argue for more than that, but you’ve got to assume that the front office was wary of overspending on the wideout.
The 2017 third-round pick has been a productive member of the Rams offense since his rookie season, but he took it to a new level in 2019 after appearing in 16 games for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old set career-highs in receptions (94), receiving yards (1,161), and touchdowns (10). With Brandin Cooks now out of the picture in Los Angeles, Kupp will have a chance to build off those numbers in 2020.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/20
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Raymond Calais
- Placed on non-football injury list: DE Terrell Lewis
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on injured reserve: P Blake Gillikin
Latest On Rams WR Cooper Kupp
While the Rams are working on an extension for wide receiver Cooper Kupp, it doesn’t appear that a new contract will be in place before Week 1, according to Steve Wyche and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Los Angeles is hoping to get a fresh deal finalized for Kupp before the Rams open their season on Sunday Night Football, per Wyche, but there is “a lot of work to be done” before an extension is complete. Garafolo adds there’s “not a lot of optimism” that a deal is inked this weekend, but that obviously doesn’t mean an extension couldn’t be worked out in-season.
The Rams are already in a tight position from a salary cap perspective. Los Angeles extended star cornerback Jalen Ramsey earlier today, and that move should help them financially — the Rams had been roughly $600K over the cap before Ramsey’s new deal, but the ability to spread out his signing bonus should actually reduce his 2020 cap charge.
Kupp, on the other hand, is only making a tad over $2MM in 2020, so it could be difficult to reduce his 2020 cap figure. A substantial signing bonus would add to his cap number, and new salaries for Kupp over the next few seasons could also do harm to LA’s budget, as the club is only projected to have ~$9MM in cap space in 2021.
Projecting a Kupp extension is difficult given that the majority of top-end pass-catcher deals have been handed to outside receives. Among the top-15 highest-paid wideouts, the only player who spends most of his time in the slot is Browns receiver Jarvis Landry, who inked a five-year, $75.5MM deal in 2018. Kupp, who has arguably been more productive than Landry was at the time of his extension, would likely aim to top that annual value.
Kupp, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, has been a key part of LA’s offense over the past three seasons. 2019 marked his best campaign to date, as the 27-year-old posted 94 receptions for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Aqib Talib Retires From NFL
Longtime NFL cornerback Aqib Talib is calling it a career. Talib announced his retirement on his talk show, where he’ll be turning his full attention. 
“Aqib Talib is officially retired, and I’m bringing my talents to the booth,” Talib said (Twitter link). “Football gave me so much in life. Once that negative thought crossed my mind, I was like, my heart, my competitive edge … like, I ain’t really in it like that no more… I just wasn’t feeling it no more, honestly.”
Talib, 34, appeared in five games with the Rams last year before suffering a rib injury. Then, just before the October trade deadline, he was shipped to the Dolphins. The deal was effectively a salary dump for Denver – Talib never suited up in Miami, and the Dolphins got a fifth-round pick out of the swap.
Still, there were opportunities for the hard-nosed veteran. Talib claims the Patriots offered him a one-year deal worth up to $6MM to help cover tight ends in specific packages. Ultimately, Talib turned it down, because the fire wasn’t there.
Talib entered the league as a first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2008 and starred for them up until 2012, when he was shipped to the Patriots in a midseason trade. Talib captured his first Pro Bowl nod with the Pats in 2013 and later won a championship ring with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. He leaves the game with 462 career tackles, 125 pass breakups and 35 interceptions across 148 games.
Rams Sign Jalen Ramsey To Extension
The Rams have locked down their shutdown corner. On Wednesday, the Rams announced a brand new five-year deal for Jalen Ramsey. It’s a five-year add-on worth $105MM, making Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The pact, which averages out to $21MM per year, also comes with $71.2MM guaranteed at signing, another new record for the position. The deal comes after months of talks between the two sides, though recent word was that the talks were not moving in the right direction. Ultimately, the Rams were motivated to find middle ground, especially since they sent a wealth of draft capital to the Jaguars to acquire him.
The Rams shipped two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to the Jaguars for Ramsey last October. Between his three games with the Jaguars and nine games with the Rams, Ramsey recorded just 50 tackles and one interception. He didn’t play up to his usual standards in L.A., but the belief is that he’ll play up to his whopping new deal.
Ramsey’s contract vaults him ahead of Tre’Davious White, who grabbed the mantle of highest-paid corner just days ago with $17.5MM/year. He also passed Byron Jones on a rocket ship for the most guaranteed cash paid to a cornerback. Jones, who inked his own sizable deal with the Dolphins earlier this year, secured roughly $57MM in guarantees.
Ramsey told the club that he wouldn’t hold out in 2020 if he didn’t have a new deal in place, but there were no promised made regarding a potential franchise tag in 2021. Without that safety net in place, the Rams did not want to roll the dice.
Rams Claim LB Justin Hollins, Add 15 To Practice Squad
The Rams left their roster at 52 players after cutdown day, and the team filled the roster spot with a player familiar with their new defensive coordinator.
Los Angeles submitted a waiver claim for Justin Hollins, a linebacker whom Denver cut Saturday, and the 2019 draft pick will rejoin Brandon Staley. The Broncos used Hollins at both inside and outside linebacker spots last season; Staley coached Denver’s outside linebackers in 2019.
This will bring another ex-Staley pupil to L.A. The Rams already signed Leonard Floyd, whom Staley coach in Chicago, to be a starter. Hollins, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon, profiles as a depth piece.
The Rams also set their practice squad Sunday. All 15 players were in camp with the Rams this year, so for those hoping to go in fresh for the Hard Knocks finale next week, this is the spoiler warning.
Here is how the Rams’ practice squad looks:
- LB Daniel Bituli
- TE Kendall Blanton
- C Cohl Cabral
- DT Marquise Copeland
- CB Donte Deayon
- G Jamil Demby
- DT Michael Hoecht
- DB JuJu Hughes
- WR J.J. Koski
- DB Tyrique McGhee
- LB Derrick Moncrief
- LB Natrez Patrick
- QB Bryce Perkins
- LB Christian Rozeboom
- DE Jonah Williams
Falcons To Carry Two QBs On Practice Squad
The Falcons agreed to add 14 players to their practice squad Sunday. Teams can re-sign players they cut to P-squads if they clear waivers after Saturday’s cuts.
Atlanta will take the unusual step of carrying two P-squad quarterbacks. The team cut both Kyle Lauletta and Kurt Benkert on Saturday, but both landed on the Falcons’ taxi squad. Teams are allowed to carry 16 players — up from 10 in 2019 — on their squads.
Benkert, who was with Atlanta in 2019, and Lauletta — a recent Giants draftee who recently joined the Falcons — will play behind active-roster QBs Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub. Here is the Falcons’ full squad:
- CB Delrick Abrams Jr.
- QB Kurt Benkert
- S Jamal Carter
- DE Austin Edwards
- WR Juwan Green
- CB Tyler Hall
- OL Sean Harlow
- CB Josh Hawkins
- QB Kyle Lauletta
- P Cameron Nizialek
- TE Jared Pinkney
- LB Edmond Robinson
- WR Chris Rowland
- OL John Wetzel
Rams Make Roster Cuts
The Rams are one-upping everyone else, making a slew of roster cuts to get down to *52* players, as Adam Schefter passes along on Twitter. Presumably they’re planning on making another move imminently and not starting the year with one less player than everyone else.
Los Angeles had already made a bunch of cuts, so it’s a smaller group getting the axe now:
- DT Marquise Copeland
- DB Donte Deayon
- DT Michael Hoecht
- LB Clay Johnston
- LB Natrez Patrick
- QB Bryce Perkins
- LB Christian Rozeboom
- DE Jonah Williams
- LB Justin Lawler (waived/injured)
- LB Travin Howard (added to injured reserve)
- DT A’Shawn Robinson (added to NFI list)
Deayon and Johnston have both been featured prominently on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ during camp, so there will surely be some fans bummed about those cuts. Both are good bets to be back on the practice squad since Johnston was a draft pick and Deayon was on the active roster at times last year.
Perkins had plenty of electrifying moments as Virginia’s quarterback, but the UDFA apparently wasn’t ready to make it as an NFL passer. Howard and Robinson aren’t getting cut but are rather being put on IR and the non-football injury list respectively. Howard, who was supposed to play a big role on defense, will be out for the season while Robinson will have to miss at least the first six games.