The preseason is over but the regular season doesn’t kick off until a week from Wednesday. So, what are the 32 National Football League franchises doing now?
The most important decisions an organization can make is who to keep on their 53-man roster, who to put on their practice squad and who to cut loose. The draft is important, it is most often the foundation for a successful franchise, but who to keep and who to acquire in trades and free agency is equally vital to building a winner.
It is not all based on talent.
Salary cap consideration can end careers, both for players and general managers who mismanage their team’s allocation of funds to attract talent. Some teams seem to always find ways to get what they want despite salary cap situations that appear destined to curb their ability to attract and sign talent.
Cap space or the lack of it doesn’t necessarily point to a winner or loser.
Consider the Miami Dolphins, they have roughly 16 million in cap space, but they have a huge amount of money committed to players no longer on their roster. This is mismanagement, and the reason the Dolphins have recently gone through both a general manager and head coach change.
The team with the least amount of cap space is the Pittsburgh Steelers with only $1.1 million. They are expected to keep four quarterbacks on their roster this season while Aaron Rodgers plays what has been announced as his final season. The team with the most cap space might surprise you, it is the San Francisco 49ers. They have 68.1 million available.
The Detroit Lions, who have the tenth lowest cap room available, $11.6 million, are in big trouble. They built a winner while acquiring top talent through the draft with both their own picks and those acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles.
Head Coach Dan Campbell built a winner in the long-suffering franchise, but in the seasons to come the Lions will be challenged to keep their talent when their contracts come due.
Another team in big trouble based on salary cap restrictions is the Kansas City Chiefs. They have the second fewest cap dollars available, $4 million, and have an aging roster with a quarterback that deserves to be the highest paid player in the league.
Still, the Chiefs are one of their brighter organizations, and as interesting as watching Patrick Mahomes recovering from his late season injury this season will be how Kansas City weaves its way out of cap considerations.
As for football, when it begins a week from Wednesday, the Monday Night Football opener is one of many attractive first week matchups. The Chiefs host the Denver Broncos, and while Kansas City is favored at home in this game, it is the Broncos that have the better chance of winning the AFC West and the Super Bowl this season.
More on that to come.