Free agency is less than a month away and the 2025 cap has been set at $279.5 million. That means it’s time for teams to start making decisions about who will be on the roster for 2025 and who is on the way out. These are the potential cap casualties for all 32 teams.
Arizona Cardinals
RB DeeJay Dallas ($2.4 million in cap savings if released)
The Cardinals only have two players who save the team more than $4 million if cut: Jalen Thompson and Trey McBride. Neither player is going anywhere. That leaves the team with few options to save cap space. With $76 million to spend in the offseason, the lack of easy cuts isn’t an issue. Dallas is a solid special teamer and even recorded the first kick-six under the NFL’s new kickoff rules. The Cardinals also have Emari Demercado, who also returns kicks and handles RB3 duties on offense. The team doesn’t need to cut Dallas, but he could be competing with Demercado for a roster spot.
Atlanta Falcons
QB Kirk Cousins ($0 in cap savings if designated as a post-June 1 release)
Had the Cousins experiment not ended in such a catastrophic meltdown, the veteran quarterback would have had some interest on the trade market. A run of nine interceptions to one touchdown over his final five games of 2024 put any notions of an offseason deal to bed. Any team trading for Cousins would be forced to pay his $37.5 million in guaranteed salary, a price far too high for an age-36 quarterback in decline. Cousins is due a $10 million roster bonus on March 17th. He’s all but guaranteed to be cut with a post-June 1 designation before that date. It won’t save the team any cap space, but it will stop the bleeding, allowing Atlanta to move forward with Michael Penix.
Baltimore Ravens
S Marcus Williams ($2.6 million as a post-June 1)
The Ravens restructured Williams’ contract near the end of the season after benching him in favor of a Kyle Hamilton plus Ar’Darius Washington starting duo. The restructure was designed to make cutting him with a post-June 1 tag more manageable for Baltimore. His release is a formality at this point. Once official, it will give the Ravens $2.6 million in cap relief with a dead cap hit of $15.6 million spread over two years.
Buffalo Bills
EDGE Von Miller ($8.4 million)
Miller was brought into Buffalo during their all-in offseason of 2022. His six-year, $120 million contract quickly proved fateful after he suffered a torn ACL later that year. He also missed time because of a personal conduct suspension and has yet to look like the defensive superstar Buffalo signed. Miller took a pay cut to stay in Buffalo last offseason. After tallying just six sacks in 2024, a clean break is on the horizon. His cap relief jumps to $17.4 million if cut as a post-June 1 release, though the savings don’t become available until that date.
Carolina Panthers
RB Miles Sanders ($5.2 million)
Two seasons after signing a four-year, $25 million contract in Charlotte, Sanders has a grand total of 637 rushing yards and three scores with the Panthers. The Panthers have only listed him as their starting running back for seven games. Even with Jonathon Brooks possibly out for the 2025 season, the Panthers have Chuba Hubbard locked in as the starter and can do far better at RB2 than Sanders.
Chicago Bears
TE Gerald Everett ($5.5 million)
Everett was one of OC Shane Waldron’s guys. The two worked together for the first five years of Everett’s career and there was even some buzz that he would force a committee with Cole Kmet. That committee only lasted a few weeks before Everett was put on ice. A holdover from the previous staff, Everett is as good as gone.
Cincinnati Bengals
EDGE Sam Hubbard ($9.5 million)
The Bengals have Joe Burrow’s extension starting to kick in, an upcoming extension for Ja’Marr Chase, and a franchise tag at minimum for Tee Higgins. That is on top of EDGE Trey Hendrickson also barreling toward free agency. Hubbard is soon to be 30 years old and is coming off a career low in sacks at two. In an offseason where every dollar counts for the Bengals, Hubbard’s $9.5 million is far more valuable than his production.
Cleveland Browns
EDGE Ogbo Okoronkwo ($3.3 million as a post-June 1)
The Browns don’t have many good options for savings cap space this offseason. Right tackle Jack Conklin is the only player on the roster who can be cut to save more than $4 million without using a post-June 1 designation and he has value as a trade candidate. The “good” news is that Cleveland isn’t in a position to compete right now, so spending on free agents isn’t much of a priority. If they want to clear some space, Okoronkwo is a part-time pass-rush specialist who doesn’t bring much or play often against the run. He does, however, have 7.5 sacks to his name over the past two seasons.
Dallas Cowboys
S Donovan Wilson ($5.4 million)
Wilson is more than comfortable stepping up in run-defense or as an extra pass-rusher. He totaled six TFLs and an impressive 4.5 sacks in 2024. However, he is a complete liability in coverage, allowing a 141.6 passer rating last year. That was his worst year as a pass defender and it’s no surprise that it came right after Dan Quinn left. Wilson still has value as a role player, but the cap relief of releasing him can’t be overlooked.
Denver Broncos
LB Alex Singleton ($5.6 million)
The NFL is a cruel business and that’s always apparent when teams are forced to value injured players. Singleton is 31 years old and suffered a torn ACL in September. That’s a disastrous combo for a player with a cap hit approaching $7 million dollars. The risk of his play falling off post-ACL is likely too much for Denver to stomach at this price.
Detroit Lions
EDGE Za’Darius Smith ($5.7 million)
Traded for at the deadline, Smith was always going to be a half-season rental. The Lions can cut him for $5.7 million in savings with no dead cap hit. There is also a $2 million dollar bonus if he is under contract on the third day of the league year. Smith was a solid addition for the Lions and totaled four sacks during his brief stint in Detroit. Presumably healthier this time around, the Lions won’t need his services in 2025 and the money is better spent elsewhere.
Green Bay Packers
CB Jaire Alexander ($6.8 million)
The Packers and Alexander appear to be heading for a split, the only question is how and when it happens. He has played more than seven games once in the past four years and the team has reportedly grown frustrated with both the frequency of his injuries and his inability to play through them. In a classic “doth protest too much” situation, GM Brian Gutenkunst insisted there was no disconnect between Alexander and the team after the season. The bigger question is whether the Packers can get something on the trade market for Alexander instead of cutting him.
Houston Texans
EDGE Denico Autry ($5.8 million)
Autry took a backseat to rising star Will Anderson and free agent addition Danielle Hunter (among others) in 2024. He totaled just three sacks across 10 games in a part-time role while both members of the aforementioned duo surpassed 10 takedowns. Autry is a backup making starter’s money and there isn’t room for his role to grow in Houston.
Indianapolis Colts
RT Braden Smith ($16.8 million)
Smith is a high-end starter with a few elite years under his belt, but the cap savings are hard to ignore for a right tackle. In addition to saving the team nearly $17 million, his release would only result in a $3 million dead cap charger. Smith missed the final month of the year with an undisclosed personal matter. Matt Goncalves started in his place and had previously made a handful of starts at left tackle. The third-round rookie didn’t take the world by storm but did hold his own. GM Chris Ballard may view Gonclaves and $17 million in cap space as the superior option at right tackle.
Jacksonville Jaguars
WR Christian Kirk ($10.4 million)
Kirk is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $72 million contract, but the emergence of superstar wideout Brian Thomas Jr. has made him expendable. He was the subject of trade rumors as the deadline approached last year, but a broken collarbone put the kibosh on any potential move. Kirk is coming off his worst year as a Jag by yards per game (47) and yards per route run (1.7). Between the draft and free agency, Jacksonville could see themselves in a position to find a suitable WR2 replacement this offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs
CB Joshua Williams ($3.3 million)
The Chiefs don’t have any easy cuts this offseason. Travis Kelce has been floated as a potential cut, though retirement is the more likely outcome to get him off the books. His retirement would clear $17.3 million in cap space. Williams entered the starting lineup late in the regular season but returned to the bench during the playoffs. He did not log a postseason snap on defense.
Las Vegas Raiders
QB Gardner Minshew ($6.3 million)
Minshew signed a two-year deal last offseason as a bridge quarterback for Vegas. What did that bridge lead to? We’ll get back to you on that. Minshew was the Raiders’ best option out of himself, Aidan O’Connell, and Desmond Ridder, but that isn’t saying much. He also ended the year on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. Minshew is a fine backup, but he doesn’t serve much of a purpose in Vegas anymore.
Los Angeles Chargers
EDGE Joey Bosa ($25.4 million)
The last time Joey Bosa had more than 6.5 sacks was 2021. The last and only time he reached a dozen was in 2017. His stunning cap hit of $36.5 million leads all defenders and is easily the highest among edge rushers. The disconnect between Bosa’s contract and his play is too large for the Chargers not to address. With one year left on his current deal, a simple restructure is off the table. The Chargers could add void years to his contract or extend Bosa to reduce his 2025 cap impact, but something has to give.
Los Angeles Rams
WR Cooper Kupp ($7.5 million)
Kupp has already announced the Rams’ intentions to trade him, but it remains to be seen if there will be any takers. A team trading for Kupp before March 16—when his $7.5 million roster bonus is due—would be on the hook for $20 million in 2025. With one year left on his deal after the upcoming season, Kupp likely wants an extension as well, further complicating a potential trade. If the Rams can’t work out a deal before that date, they will likely cut their losses and send Kupp to free agency.
Note: I wrote more about potential landing spots for Kupp here.
Miami Dolphins
K Jason Sanders ($3.3 million)
The Dolphins already announced the release of their most obvious cut candidates in Raheem Mostert, Durham Smythe, and Kendall Fuller. I don’t expect any more big names to be cut, including Sanders. With the salary cap skyrocketing to $279.5 million this year, they are technically under the cap right now, though they need to make room for their draft picks and free agent signings. Sanders struggled early in the year, going 10-of-14 on field goal tries through six weeks. He never missed another field goal all year, though he did fail two PAT attempts. Miami could use the draft to backfill his role before cutting him.
Minnesota Vikings
RG Ed Ingram ($3.3 million)
The former second-round pick was benched in Week 11 and never took another snap on offense. His cap hit isn’t exorbitant, but it’s enough for a team tight on space to look at. If the Vikings don’t plan on giving him another shot at the starting job, it makes sense for them to move on from him a year before the end of his rookie contract.
New England Patriots
WR Kendrick Bourne ($4.9 million)
The Patriots don’t have to cut anyone if they don’t want to. They have $128 million in cap space. If they are looking for more money between the couch cushions, Bourne could be on the chopping block. Bourne suffered a torn ACL in 2023 that cost him the first four games of 2024. He quickly reclaimed his starting role but failed to make much of it, averaging a paltry 25 yards per game. Bourne was even benched for one game before returning to his starting gig as if nothing happened. As weak as the Patriots’ receiving room is, Bourne is largely part of the problem, not the solution.
New Orleans Saints
TE Taysom Hill ($10 million as a post-June 1)
This is all but a done deal. Hill is a fan favorite and was shockingly efficient last year at the age of 34, scoring six touchdowns on 39 rush attempts. However, a torn ACL ended his season early and he is a holdover from the Sean Payton/Dennis Allen regimes. Unless Kellen Moore is drawing up special plays for a quarterback/tight end/running back/punt gunner as we speak, the savings from cutting Hill are too good to pass on.
New York Giants
DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches ($3.6 million)
Nunez-Roches has been an average interior defender for most of his career and his play continued to slide in 2024. He ranked as PFF’s No. 99 defensive lineman and that was the better of his two ranks while playing in New York. The Giants are paying for replacement-level play and getting substantially less than that.
New York Jets
WR Allen Lazard ($6.6 million)
The Jets have already announced Aaron Rodgers’ release. He will be cut as a post-June 1 designation, resulting in a $49 million dead cap charge spread over two years. The move generated $9.5 million in cap space this year. With Rodgers sent packing, his buddies will be kicked out next, starting with Lazard. The former Packer was a disaster without Rodgers in 2023 and was even a healthy scratch at the end of the season. With the Batman to his Robin back on the field last year, Lazard managed six touchdowns and 530 yards in a dozen games. Lazard’s release will result in $6.6 million in both cap savings and dead cap.
Philadelphia Eagles
S James Bradberry ($4.7 million as a post-June 1)
Bradberry was part of the vaunted 2022 Eagles defense that collapsed in 2023. He entered last year looking for redemption, but a torn Achilles suffered in training camp prevented him from playing a snap. The Eagles were looking at moving him to safety before the injury. Bradberry has since said he wants to return to corner. There’s not much room for him on the roster at either position. Three of the five starters in the secondary are standouts on rookie contracts. The other two are veterans coming off rebound seasons in C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Darius Slay.
One avenue for Bradberry to stay in Philly is to take Slay’s spot as the CB2. Slay can be cut to save $4.3 with a post-June 1 designation. Bradberry, who also needs to be designated as a post-June 1 release to generate any savings, gives Philly slightly more cap space with less of a dead cap charge if cut. Slay has already said 2025 will be his last year and he wants it to be with the Eagles, so he may be willing to rework his contract to stay in town.
Pittsburgh Steelers
DT Larry Ogunjobi ($7 million)
Linebacker Preston Smith was the Steelers’ easiest cut candidate and that move has already been announced, netting Pittsburgh roughly $13 million in cap space. Ogunjobi is a similarly obvious candidate. The veteran defensive linemen averaged just over five sacks per season as a starter in Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Steelers haven’t gotten anything resembling that level of production from him. Ogunjobi has 5.5 sacks in total across three years in Pittsburgh.
San Francisco 49ers
EDGE Leonard Floyd ($1.5 million)
49ers GM John Lynch has already said that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will be cut as a post-June 1 release. His contract was restructured late in the year for this purpose, allowing San Francisco to take on $8.6 million of his cap hit in 2025 and $17.5 million next year. Floyd could be the next defensive lineman to go. Floyd finished less than one sack behind Nick Bosa at 8.5, but the latter blew him out of the water in pressures with a 69-44 advantage despite playing three fewer games. Floyd also struggled in run defense and will soon be 33 years old. A post-June 1 designation ups the cap savings to $8 million, though teams are only allowed to designate two such cuts.
Note: Deebo Samuel is also a potential cut. I wrote more about his prospects as a trade asset here.
Seattle Seahawks
WR Tyler Lockett ($17 million)
Lockett has been a Seattle staple for a decade, but a $30.9 cap hit for a No. 3 receiver is untenable. Jaxon Smith-Njigba emphatically overtook him on the target totem poll in 2024 and Lockett’s production collapsed to a measly 600 yards. At 33 years old, a bounceback isn’t likely. Head coach Mike Macdonald even acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Lockett’s future at the end of the season, only saying the team is “working through that.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
S Jordan Whitehead ($4.5 million)
Whitehead began his career in Tampa Bay but spent two years with the Jets. He returned to the Bucs on a two-year, $9 million contract last offseason. His homecoming didn’t go as planned. After four consecutive years ranking as a top-50 safety by PFF, Whitehead fell to 72nd and missed five games due to injury. He allowed a disastrous 130.8 Passer Rating when targeted. Whitehead and corner Jamel Dean both have cap hits that will force the Bucs to make hard decisions, but Dean is still playing at a high level, likely forcing the front office’s hand with Whitehead.
Tennessee Titans
LB Kenneth Murray ($7.7 million)
Murray signed a two-year, $15.5 million deal with the Titans last offseason. He did so after the Chargers declined his fifth-year options off the heels of an underwhelming rookie contract in LA. PFF ranked Murray just short of dead last among linebackers last year and he is expected to be out 4-6 months while recovering from wrist surgery. A holdover from the previous regime with just $2.5 million in dead cap, Murray will be playing for a new team next year.
Washington Commanders
CB Marshon Lattimore ($18 million)
Lattimore is about to turn 29 years old, has no dead cap on his contract, and last played a near-full season in 2021. The Commanders acquired him at the trade deadline, but a lingering hamstring issue limited him to a pair of regular season games plus three playoff appearances. He’s on the books for $36.5 million over the next two years. Because the Saints ate all of his guarantees when they traded him, Lattimore can be cut without any sunk costs. That is, of course, aside from the third and fourth-round picks Washington spent on him. Luckily for the Commanders, they have $82 million in cap space. Even if Lattimore looks like a cut candidate on paper, Washington can keep him for another year if they deem it worth the cost.
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