Who Has The Most Cap Space In The NFL For 2022?
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The NFL offseason is in full swing and teams are already looking ahead to next year. Who has the most cap space in the NFL for 2022?
NFL Teams with the Most Cap Space in 2022
The NFL has a salary cap that all teams must stay under. For the 2022 season, the salary cap is $208.2 million per team. That may seem like a lot of money, but it goes quickly when you have to pay all of your players. Some teams are in better shape than others when it comes to the salary cap. Here are the teams that have the most cap space for the 2022 season.
Buffalo Bills
With an estimated $84.9 million in cap space, the Buffalo Bills currently have the most room to work with heading into the 2022 offseason. That number could increase if the team decides to part ways with some of their higher-priced veterans, such as defensive end Mario Williams ($19.9 million) and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander ($9.6 million). The Bills also have several young players who will be due for new contracts soon, including offensive tackle Cordy Glenn and wide receiver Sammy Watkins, so they will need to be mindful of how they spend their money in order to stay under the salary cap in future years.
Other teams that are currently projected to have plenty of cap space next offseason include the San Francisco 49ers ($78.5 million), Cleveland Browns ($74.4 million), and New York Jets ($69.4 million).
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins currently have the most projected cap space in the NFL for the 2022 season. They are projected to have over $100 million in cap space to work with. The Dolphins have been one of the most active teams in free agency over the last few years, and they could be active again this offseason. Some of their key free agents include WR Jarvis Landry, TE Charles Clay, C Mike Pouncey, and LB Kiko Alonso. The Dolphins may also look to extend some of their young players, like QB Ryan Tannehill, WR DeVante Parker, and DE Charles Harris.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL for the 2022 season. They are projected to have $69 million in cap space, which is more than any other team in the league. The Patriots have a lot of young talent on their roster, and they could use this cap space to extend the contracts of some of their key players.
The Patriots are followed by the Miami Dolphins, who are projected to have $62 million in cap space. The Dolphins have a lot of needs on their roster, and they could use this money to sign some free agents or make a trade for a player that they need.
The New York Jets are third on the list, with $61 million in cap space. The Jets are in rebuilding mode, and they could use this money to sign some free agents or draft picks that can help them build for the future.
The San Francisco 49ers are fourth on the list, with $50 million in cap space. The 49ers could use this money to sign some impact players in free agency or make a trade for a player that they need.
The Indianapolis Colts round out the top five, with $48 million in cap space. The Colts could use this money to sign some free agents or make a trade for a player that they need.
New York Jets
The New York Jets have the most cap space in the NFL for 2022, with over $74 million in available space. The team has made a concerted effort to clear cap space over the past few seasons, and it has paid off in a big way. The Jets are in a great position to make a splash in free agency this offseason and add some much-needed talent to the roster.
NFL Teams with the Least Cap Space in 2022
The NFL has a salary cap that all teams must stay under in order to be compliant. This season, the salary cap is set at $182.5 million per team. That means that, on average, each team can spend $5.5 million per player. The following teams have the least amount of cap space in the NFL for the 2022 season.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens currently have the least amount of cap space in the NFL for the 2022 season. As of right now, they are projected to have just over $12 million in cap space. This is based on their current roster commitments and estimated salaries for their draft picks.
The Ravens will need to make some tough decisions this offseason as they try to create more cap space. They will likely need to restructure some contracts and release a few players. One player who could be a candidate for release is tight end Benjamin Watson. Watson has a base salary of $5 million for the 2022 season and is scheduled to count $6 million against the salary cap.
The Ravens may also look to trade away one of their star players, such as wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Watkins is scheduled to count $22 million against the salary cap in 2022 and would free up a significant amount of cap space if he were traded.
Dallas Cowboys
Entering the 2021 offseason, the Dallas Cowboys are in some serious trouble with their salary cap. As it stands right now, they are projected to have just $4 million in cap space for the upcoming season. That number could change depending on what happens with a few of their pending free agents, but it’s still not going to be much.
The Cowboys will need to make some tough decisions this offseason in order to create more cap space. They may need to restructure a few contracts or even release some players that they would prefer to keep. It’s going to be a tough few months for the front office, but they will need to figure it out if they want to be competitive in 2022.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have the least amount of cap space in the NFL for the 2022 season. They are projected to have just over $44 million in cap space, which is less than half of what the next team on the list (the Detroit Lions) has. The Texans’ lack of cap space is due to a number of factors, including their high payroll and several large contracts that are set to expire after the 2021 season.
Some of the Texans’ biggest contracts belong to players who are no longer with the team, like quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller. Osweiler was released after just one season with the Texans, while Miller was let go this offseason. The team also has a number of players who are entering the final year of their contracts, including wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
The Texans will need to free up some cap space if they want to re-sign any of their key players or add any impactful free agents next offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently projected to be $36.1 million under the salary cap in 2022, which is the least of any NFL team. This is mainly due to the contracts of QB Ben Roethlisberger and DE Stephon Tuitt, which account for $41.4 million and $15.8 million respectively. The team also has several other high-priced players such as LB T.J. Watt ($13.6 million) and CB Joe Haden ($11.9 million).