David Hawthorne - Pro Football Rumors

Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations

December 25th, 2014 at 10:18am CST by Rob DiRe

On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:

New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
New England Patriots – $1.945MM
San Francisco 49ers – $928,000

Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:

Saints

Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.

Cardinals

If the team is not going to release Larry Fitzgerald, it could hope that he takes a modest pay cut. A deal that would see him reduce his salary to $10MM per season would create enormous cap relief.
Daryl Washington has not seen the field during his suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he could be a cap casualty this offseason.
Carson Palmer‘s recent extension could be restructured despite him being out with injury, freeing up to $7.125MM in cap space.
The team may have to pass on retaining Antonio Cromartie, despite getting a very good year from the cornerback on a one-year deal.

Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger is in line for a new deal to keep him steady as the team’s franchise quarterback, but signing a new deal would likely bring less than $5MM in cap room.
Longtime Steeler and likely Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu may be a cap casualty if he does not retire, which would save the team $3.7MM in cap space.
Corry writes that is unusual for a team to admit a mistake so quickly, but Cortez Allen was terrible after receiving his extension in September. The team could open up a little cap space by releasing him after one season.
The team is unlikely to place the transition tag on Jason Worilds again, and could mitigate the loss of the outside linebacker if James Harrison suits up for another season with the team.

Patriots

The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.

49ers

The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.

NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner

December 13th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the resurgence of the Seahawks‘ defense, the team’s defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has re-emerged as a top head coaching candidate this offseason, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

The Saints are looking at salary cap hell in the coming seasons, which could lead the team to move on from some veterans. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints could release Brodrick Bunkley, David Hawthorne, and Marques Colston this offseason due to their high salaries.
The Falcons are 5-8 but in first place in the dismal NFC South. Despite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. Their biggest need is at pass rusher, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He writes that the team will also look closely at receivers, a receiving tight end, and linebackers.
Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez has played well in starter Nick Foles‘ absence, but has looked bad against the Seahawks and Packers. He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Eagles likely to only keep one of the two going forward into 2015, Sanchez could also be auditioning for next season.
With the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation potentially in ruins after losing Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries, thoughts of Kurt Warner returning to save the 10-3 Cardinals from an early playoff exit have been floated. Those hoping for Warner to save them shouldn’t hold their breath, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. He writes that while Warner may have thought about it, the idea of him stepping in after not playing for five years is unrealistic.
Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning has not been spectacular the last few seasons, but it isn’t time to look for his replacement, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The team has more pressing needs along the offensive line, at pass rusher, safety, and even possibly receiver, according to Vacchiano.
As the problems in Washington continue, Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland posed in interesting question to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: Would the fans be willing to give up the team to another city and go without NFL football for three years, with the promise of getting an expansion team (retaining the rights to the colors and name if they want it) along with a new ownership group? Definitely a loaded question, but Steinberg initially thought 75% of fans would make that trade, and based on response from fans, he thinks he may have underestimated that number.