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2024 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 27th, 2024 at 7:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the trade deadline nearing, more player movement can be expected during the coming days. Of course, a key factor in any deals will be the financial situation for contenders aiming to bolster their rosters for the second half of the campaign.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is an updated look at each teams’ cap space:

  1. San Francisco 49ers: $54.13MM
  2. Cleveland Browns: $45.16MM
  3. New England Patriots: $36.61MM
  4. Las Vegas Raiders: $34.59MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $27.53MM
  6. Washington Commanders: $23.44MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.75MM
  8. Arizona Cardinals: $19.44MM
  9. Tennessee Titans: $18.26MM
  10. Jacksonville Jaguars: $17.12MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $13.96MM
  12. Indianapolis Colts: $11.11MM
  13. Philadelphia Eagles: $10.36MM
  14. Minnesota Vikings: $9.48MM
  15. Cincinnati Bengals: $8.98MM
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers: $8.93MM
  17. Seattle Seahawks: $8.19MM
  18. Atlanta Falcons: $8.16MM
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7.83MM
  20. Los Angeles Chargers: $7.72MM
  21. Chicago Bears: $6.14MM
  22. Houston Texans: $6.01MM
  23. New York Jets: $5.1MM
  24. Miami Dolphins: $5.02MM
  25. Baltimore Ravens: $4.36MM
  26. Buffalo Bills: $2.37MM
  27. Kansas City Chiefs: $2.35MM
  28. New Orleans Saints: $2.15MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.91MM
  30. Denver Broncos: $1.77MM
  31. New York Giants: $1.51MM
  32. Carolina Panthers: $1.12MM

Just like last year, the 49ers find themselves with considerable cap space to work with. The team has several reasons to roll over as many funds as possible into the offseason, however, with Brock Purdy eligible for an extension and the likes of Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir and Talanoa Hufanga on track for free agency. Major investments including a commitment beyond 2024 would thus come as a surprise.

San Francisco is among the teams to watch regarding an addition, and major injuries on both sides of the ball could lead to a stop-gap solution being targeted. The 49ers may also be open to moving away players before the deadline, though, with Ward being named as potential candidate to be dealt. Sitting at 3-4, the team’s bid to return to the Super Bowl has not gone as planned to date, but a notable midseason addition could certainly change things.

Having lost Aidan Hutchinson until at least the Super Bowl, the Lions have an obvious need along the edge. Replacing his production with any one addition will not be feasible, but bringing in at least a rotational option would not come as a surprise. Indeed, Detroit has been involved in the edge market with respect to showing interest in some of the veterans who could be on the move.

That list no longer includes Haason Reddick, but the Lions have also been connected to Za’Darius Smith. The Browns have already moved Amari Cooper, so it would come as little surprise if the team were to deal away the three-time Pro Bowler in a move which would allow him to return to the NFC North. Smith certainly seems to be open to a trade, and Detroit would easily be able to absorb the remainder of his $1.2MM 2024 salary.

While Smith could be on the move, fellow Cleveland edge rusher Myles Garrett is (understandably) seen as untouchable. That is also the case for Raiders start Maxx Crosby, with owner Mark Davis making it clear a trade will not be considered before or after the deadline. Even though the Titans have been active already on the trade front, they too will not entertain a deal involving two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. While talks have taken place related to Cooper Kupp, the Rams do not expect to move on from the former Super Bowl MVP.

The receiver position remains one to watch even with Davante Adams (Jets), Cooper (Bills) and DeAndre Hopkins (Chiefs) already joining new teams. As the Panthers consider selling off pending free agents, Diontae Johnson could be available for a mid-round pick. In the case of the Jaguars, Christian Kirk is still a candidate to be dealt (although he is not a pending free agent). Teams like the Steelers and Chargers have yet to add a pass-catcher, but they have shown interest and could pull off a move in the coming days.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/26/24

October 26th, 2024 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturdays minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Cowboys Planning To Promote RB Dalvin Cook

October 26th, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Dalvin Cook is set to make his season debut on Sunday night. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Cowboys are planning on promoting the veteran running back from the practice squad. Dianna Russini of The Athletic definitively adds that Cook will play tomorrow night against the 49ers.

The former Pro Bowl RB has been sitting on the Cowboys practice squad since August. However, with the Cowboys coming off their bye, there seemed to be increasing optimism that Cook would make his Dallas debut in Week 8. That will end up being the case, and Cook could have a chance to immediately contribute to an underwhelming RBs room.

The Cowboys have rushed for a league-low 463 yards this season. The front office didn’t do a whole lot to replace starter Tony Pollard, who left for the Titans via free agency. The organization reunited with old friend Ezekiel Elliott, but the veteran has seen an inconsistent role while contributing only three yards per carry. Rico Dowdle leads the team with 59 rush attempts for 246 yards, but the 26-year-old has yet to find the end zone.

Of course, Cook shouldn’t expect to be some sudden savior for the RB corps. While the veteran isn’t even two seasons removed from topping 1,400 yards from scrimmage, he appeared to take a clear step back in 2023. Cook averaged a career-low 3.2 yards-per-attempt in 15 games with the Jets before the sides decided to mutually part ways. Cook caught on with the Ravens and made his team debut in the Divisional Round, collecting 23 yards on eight carries.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Cook has been “tearing it up in practice.” While it’d be wishful thinking to believe Cook can reach his Vikings production, the Cowboys would simply benefit from a slight improvement from his dreadful 2023 campaign.

Cowboys’ Dalvin Cook Could Play In Week 8

October 25th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Cowboys search for a spark in the running game coming off their bye, a new backfield option could be introduced. Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Dalvin Cook could make his season debut in Week 8.

“Dalvin is ready,” McCarthy said on Friday (via Nick Harris of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram). “I really like the work that he’s putting in. I think he’s clearly crossed over the threshold of the communication and the understanding [of the offense].”

Cook had a forgettable 2023 campaign split between the Jets and Ravens, logging only 75 combined carries between the two teams. During the offseason, he (along with Ezekiel Elliott) was linked to a Cowboys deal. One day after the roster cutdown deadline, Dallas did indeed parlay Cook’s workout into a practice squad agreement. The four-time Pro Bowler has yet to be elevated to the active roster since, but that could change this week.

McCarthy’s comments suggest Cook will be one of the Cowboys’ two gameday elevations for Week 8; a final call on that front will be made tomorrow. Provided the former Viking is indeed added to the gameday roster, he will have the opportunity to contribute to a rushing attack which has not fared well in the absence of Tony Pollard. Pollard expectedly departed on the open market after playing out the 2023 season on the franchise tag.

To replace his production, the Cowboys have relied on a reunion with Elliott along with an increased workload for Rico Dowdle. Overall, the team sits last in the NFL with an average of 77 yards per game on the ground, and Elliott recently spoke with the team about his lack of usage during short-yardage situations in particular. He, along with Dowdle and Hunter Luepke, will aim to deliver higher production in the running game as Dallas attempts to improve on a 3-3 start.

Cook rushed for at least 1,135 yards every year from 2019-22, but he was let go by Minnesota last offseason in a cost-shedding move. A strong showing in whatever capacity he finds himself in with Dallas would help his free agent stock this spring, but at the age of 29 his prospects in that regard could be limited. In any case, it will be interesting to see how much Cook is used when he makes regular season debut.

Cowboys TE John Stephens Suffers Torn ACL

October 24th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

John Stephens has once again suffered a season-ending knee injury. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News) the second-year tight end tore his ACL.

The injury occurred during practice yesterday, and Stephens will miss the remainder of the campaign as a result. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports the injury affected Stephens’ left knee, which represents another unfortunate element of today’s news. The former UDFA also tore the ACL in his left knee last year during the preseason.

Stephens has therefore yet to make a regular season appearance in his career. Dallas’ decision to keep him in the fold this past offseason speaks to how the organization views his upside as at least a depth contributor, however. It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys once again elect to hold onto the 25-year-old as he undergoes a lengthy rehab process for the second consecutive year.

Dallas has Jake Ferguson atop the tight end depth chart; the former fourth-rounder has established himself as a key figure on offense as one of Dak Prescott‘s favorite targets. Dallas’ other options at that position are 2023 second-rounder Luke Schoonmaker and undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford. Stephens could still find himself in that mix next year, but for the time being his attention will shift to his upcoming surgery and the resultant recovery which will be needed.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/24

October 23rd, 2024 at 7:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: LS Matt Orzech
  • Waived: DL Jonathan Ford

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

The Bears should soon be getting some offensive reinforcement. Most notably, lineman Larry Borom returned to practice today after missing the first chunk of the season with an ankle injury. The former fifth-round pick has been a reliable swing OT for the Bears over the past three years, starting 23 of his 39 appearances. The team will also welcome back Travis Homer, who has been sidelined since Week 3 with a finger injury. The veteran RB may have a tough time cracking the rotation upon his return with D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert currently leading the depth chart. The Bears will have 21 days to activate either of the two players to the 53-man roster.

Jordan Phillips was back at Cowboys practice today after landing on IR in mid-September. The defensive lineman’s injury wasn’t ever made particularly clear; the Cowboys claimed the player was favoring his previously repaired wrist, although the player later hinted that he was forced to the sideline because of conditioning. After more than a month on the shelf, the veteran will now get another look. The Cowboys acquired Phillips from the Giants back in August, and the veteran only got into about one fourth of his team’s defensive snaps before landing on IR. Phillips appeared in 26 games for the Bills between 2022 and 2023, collecting 35 tackles and four sacks.

Jerry Jones Criticizes Cowboys’ Offensive Scheme

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jerry Jones‘ frustration with the Cowboys’ offense boiled over into public criticism of the team’s scheme under head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

“We’re designing bad plays, or we’re designing bad concepts,” Jones said, per Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS.

The Cowboys finished the 2023 season with the most points and fifth-most yards in the league. Their offense has taken a significant step back this year, ranking 20th in points per game (21.0) and 12th in yards per game (336.5), with an anemic running game producing just 77.2 rushing yards per game and two total touchdowns, both dead-last in the NFL. Dak Prescott is still fourth in the league with 267 passing yards per game, though his six interceptions are the third-most.

However, the Cowboys have not been efficient through the air or on the ground, ranking in the bottom 11 in both EPA/pass and EPA/rush, per NextGen Stats (subscription required). That has especially been an issue in the red zone, where Dallas has converted just six touchdowns on 16 total trips (37.5%), the second-lowest rate in the league.

McCarthy, of course, is the rare HC on a lame-duck contact. Jones cited the wild-card loss to the Packers as the reason why McCarthy is back without an extension. Bill Belichick rumors emerged at different points during the offseason, and this figures to be one of the teams the coaching legend-turned-omnipresent media figure monitors ahead of the 2025 coaching carousel.

The Cowboys declined to add high-level playmakers in free agency or the draft this offseason, re-signing Ezekiel Elliott instead of pursuing Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing for the Ravens. Jones was asked about Henry on 105.3 The Fan and shot down any ideas that the All-Pro could have helped the Cowboys’ offense.

“Derrick is having a career year. I don’t know if he’d be having a career year in our situation,” said Jones, via The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov. “We don’t run that type of offense at all.” Jones also blamed the salary cap for his inability to offer Henry a competitive contract, though his $8MM-per-year average was only the fifth-highest among running back free agent contracts signed this offseason.

Dallas most recently suffered a 47-9 embarrassment at the hands of the Lions, who held the Cowboys to just 251 total yards and a measly 3.9 yards per play while committing five turnovers. They travel to San Francisco in Week 8 to play the 49ers on Sunday, where a win will be paramount to keeping up with the Commanders and the Eagles in the NFC East.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/16/24

October 16th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Malik Knowles

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Cowboys Not Expected To Be Active At Trade Deadline

October 16th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Jones has continually been asked to explain his franchise’s 2024 inaction regarding outside augmentations. Most recently, the longtime Cowboys owner/de facto GM fired back at radio hosts — during his 105.3 The Fan appearance — when this topic came up.

Issues at running back and at both defensive end and defensive tackle have come up since training camp, with the pass-catching situation beyond CeeDee Lamb being an issue essentially since the team’s post-Amari Cooper offense revealed itself. The Cowboys checked on Davante Adams but quickly bowed out when it became clear the Raiders wanted a team to pick up his full salary.

The Cowboys still managed a 12-5 record in each of the post-Cooper seasons, but they have been on the wrong side of two NFC blowouts this year and sit 3-3 after the second — a 47-9 Lions dismantling — brought more concerns about Mike Zimmer‘s defense.

Jones already responded in the negative when asked about potential coaching or coordinator changes, showing faith this batch will craft a turnaround. Though, the owner already put Mike McCarthy in a rare lame-duck season due to how poorly the team played in a wild-card loss to Green Bay. As far as roster improvements at the deadline, however, Cowboys fans should not be expecting much. Jones told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini the team will not be active in deals before the Nov. 5 deadline.

Although the Cowboys beat the Bills by six years in trading for Cooper to spark a midseason turnaround, Jones said this Dallas team has “great personnel” and is not leaning toward an aggressive direction he once did. The Cowboys then considered the 2019 receiver free agent class to be shaky, leading to the team giving up a first-rounder for Cooper. That acquisition helped Jones’ perception given what happened following the Joey Galloway and Roy Williams trades. The Raiders import helped turn Jason Garrett‘s team from 3-4 to a making a divisional-round appearance.

That round has been a rather infamous stage for Jones’ franchise in the years since Super Bowl XXX, as the team’s streak of seasons without an NFC championship game berth has reached 28. Thanks to the Lions’ cameo last season, only Washington surpasses Dallas’ run of active seasons without an NFC title game berth. McCarthy has gone 36-15 during the past three regular seasons but is now 1-3 in the playoffs in his second-chance HC gig.

Zimmer’s defense, which has played the past two games without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence while going the full season without DaRon Bland, ranks 27th in DVOA. More damning, McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer‘s offense is 25th despite Lamb’s big- ticket extension and Dak Prescott‘s market-resetting payday hours before Week 1’s kickoff. Following those deals, the Cowboys hold $21.7MM in cap space — seventh-most in the NFL. They are in the bottom 10 for projected 2025 cap space, however, and Parsons will then be due a monster extension.

The Cowboys ranked first in scoring offense last season; they now sit 19th. The run game, which the team did not reinforce this offseason, ranks last in total yardage and YPC (3.5). Dallas added Dalvin Cook to its practice squad but has yet to elevate the former Vikings 1,000-yard rusher. Jones has famously said he could not afford Derrick Henry, to whom the Cowboys were connected dating back to 2023, but beyond the Ezekiel Elliott signing (which has produced scant production), the team punted on the backs in free agency and did not draft one. Pro Football Focus also ranks the Cowboys’ O-line 22nd after Week 6.

Although Parsons will have a chance to come back in Week 7, both Lawrence and second-round pick Marshawn Kneeland have gone down with injuries expected to sideline them into November. Third-year DE Sam Williams is out for the season. The Cowboys signed K.J. Henry off the Bengals’ practice squad, doing so after trading for Jordan Phillips (now on IR) and signing Linval Joseph in August. Departing DC Dan Quinn also poached regulars Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Tyler Biadasz in free agency. Dallas’ run defense ranks 26th.

The collection of Cowboys rostered will face significant pressure following the team’s bye week, but Jones has said McCarthy is safe for at least this season. The team will begin its inward-focused post-bye mission in San Francisco.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.

The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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