The league has officially informed teams that the 2014 NFL salary cap will be set at exactly $133MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The projection is about $7MM higher than had initially been expected, and is an increase of more than 9% on last year’s $123MM figure.
The added flexibility for the coming season should have an effect on teams’ roster moves, as clubs may be less inclined to release players or renegotiate contracts with oversized 2014 cap hits. However, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today, the cap is continued to take large steps forward over the next couple years, and could reach $150MM by 2016. In that case, teams may end up being more willing to push player salaries or dead money into future seasons.
The new NFL salary cap figure is good news for teams like the Panthers, Saints, and Cowboys, who were facing a cap crunch in both the short- and long-term. It also bodes well for teams hoping to retain their own star free agents, since they’ll have a little extra cap flexibility with which to work.