The NFL free agent signing period does not open up for another month, but now that the Super Bowl is over and the Seattle Seahawks are champions, we can look forward to this offseason and some veteran players that could be salary cap casualties includes names like Julius Peppers, Sidney Rice, Sam Bradford, Chris Johnson, Terrell Suggs, DeMarcus Ware and Antrel Rolle.
Some players have already started to restructure their contracts to avoid any issues, including Larry Fitzgerald with the Cardinals, but many other players will be unwilling to do that and one includes Johnson with the Titans. According to ESPN.com, Johnson has said that he will not re-do his contract with the team and the Titans could end up cutting him to avoid dealing with his contract. The Cardinals worked on Fitzgerald's deal to help get out of his $18 million cap hit for next season and now some of these players could follow suit, or they could end up on the free agent market.
The Chicago Bears have some issue heading into the offseason on defense and Julius Peppers could be first on the line for a release, as he has a cap hit like Fitzgerald's at $18.2 million and coming off of a mediocre season is never a good sign. Peppers has enjoyed his time in Chicago and he should be one player that restructures, as he is 34-years-old and likely will not cash in as a free agent. The team is unlikely to cut him due to the $8 million in dead money that it would cost and one alternative, according to SI.com, could be to make him a post June 1 cut, meaning the money could be spread over two years. The team could be looking at saving $10 million
The Seattle Seahawks just won the Super Bowl, but they have some major decisions to make, including on Chris Clemons and Sidney Rice, as they now have Percy Harvin on a big deal and a number of players to sign in Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas and that could mean Rice or Clemons is on his way out. Rice is coming off of a serious knee injury and they could save $7 million and they may need it once they get into free agency.
The Rams have one of the most interesting situations when it comes to quarterback Sam Bradford, as he is coming off serious ACL surgery and is making a ton of money at $14 million in base salary after his rookie deal was one of the last big ones before the new system. The team could end up saving $10.4 million if they cut him and since they have the number two pick in the draft, they could take a young quarterback to make up for it like Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater.
Other players facing possible hits includes Jason Campbell, Terrell Suggs, Antrel Rolle and DeMarcus Ware, as he will cost $16 million and the Cowboys are already projected to be over $20 million over the cap. Those teams could make big moves and there could be more to come.