NFL Contract commitments for 2011

[balta1701-A]

As of right now, these amounts are the contracts that each team in the NFL has committed for 2011.

* Arizona $83 million

* Atlanta $102.1 million

* Baltimore $101.3 million

* Buffalo $96.4 million

* Carolina $73 million

* Chicago $104.9 million

* Cincinnati $90.7 million

* Cleveland $99.2 million

* Dallas $136.6 million

* Denver $125 million

* Detroit $113.8 million

* Green Bay $129.8 million

* Houston $118.4 million

* Indianapolis $115.5 million

* Jacksonville $78.1 million

* Kansas City $74.7 million

* Miami $103.1 million

* Minnesota $108.4 million

* New England $102.3 million

* New Orleans $105.2 million

* New York Giants $126.3 million

* New York Jets $128.5 million

* Oakland $85.8 million

* Philadelphia $80.8 million

* Pittsburgh $116 million

* San Diego $85.8 million

* San Francisco $100.9 million

* Seattle $81.1 million

* St. Louis $102.4 million

* Tampa Bay $59.7 million

* Tennessee $107.4 million

* Washington $115.2 million

It's good information but there are a lot of details to add. First, the cap in 2009, the last year that a cap existed, was about $130 million. Second, these numbers exist prior to basic offseason moves, like cutting people with non-guaranteed contracts, making qualifying offers to restricted free agents, and attempting to use the franchise/transition tag. Third, there are no holds for draft picks. Fourth, this will change rapidly if players are extended before the CBA runs out.

 

If the owners succeed in forcing cuts to the salary cap in the future, especially if there is no rewriting of current contracts, then the teams at the upper end of this distribution could have trouble holding onto people.

 

Take home message; at this point, the Bears have the most room of anyone in the NFC North to add players if there is such a thing as FA (or to extend current players like Forte), and the Packers have the least and will likely have to do some player shedding to get under whatever cap is established.