Analysis
11/8/22
3 min read
Struggling Jaguars, Panthers, Saints Face Dire 2023 Cap-Space Concerns
As NFL teams begin to analyze what’s happened midway through the 2022 season and start to think about how they will get themselves straightened out for 2023, the attention for poorly performing teams gets turned to the salary cap.
It’s a telling piece of information about how NFL front offices run their organizations. The ones that are struggling and have a poor cap outlook usually signify two things: 1) They thought they would be better than they currently are, and 2) they will be forced to drag themselves out of a hole.Â
Here are three compelling examples from this season (all cap numbers courtesy of Spotrac):
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6)
2022 Cap: +$1.9 million (27th in NFL)
Projected 2023 Cap: -$23.237,702 (30th)
After starting the season 2-1, the Jaguars have lost five of their last six games and are set to have the third-least amount of cap room next year. So much of their cap obligations for next year come from contracts signed in 2021 and cannot get out for another year or two. Right now, they are set to take on cap hits of $10 million or more for 11 players.
Carolina Panthers (2-7)
2022 Cap: +$9,294,323 (4th)
Projected 2023 Cap: -$3,442,124 (24th)
Like the spiraling Jaguars, the Panthers have lost five of their last six games and will likely end up with a top-five pick in the NFL draft. They are projected to be more than $3 million over the 2023 cap, the ninth-least amount of space in the league. More than $28 million of their cap obligations in 2023 come from dead-money hits, which resulted from trades they made prior to last week’s deadline. They have a large number of needs and a couple of expensive young players they need to re-sign in the next few years in pass rusher Brian Burns and defensive tackle Derrick Brown.
New Orleans Saints (3-6)
2022 Cap: +$1,755,184 (28th)
Projected 2023 Cap: -$62,680,802 (32nd)
New Orleans is just a game ahead of the Panthers in the NFC South after losing Monday night to the Ravens, the team’s third defeat in the last four games. The Saints clearly underestimated the effect of losing Sean Payton in the offseason as well as Drew Brees two years ago. They made trades in the offseason to acquire players primarily to fill short-term needs. With a 3-6 record, the Saints likely are headed for a top-10 pick (which the Eagles hold), and they have the least amount of available cap room, on paper, in 2023. This represents a fairly significant number of organizational mistakes to have a terrible record and be in this kind of cap situation.
WATCH MORE: Jags' Ridley Trade Points to 2023 Commitment
