Just how good is the Browns' cap position?

“I’m hearing about the Browns’ good cap position.  How good is it?”

Short answer:  Browns are in better shape, cap-wise, than any other team.

Only the Bengals have a lower current cap hit number (65MM) than the Browns (73MM).  But the Bengals need to sign Andre Smith and Michael Johnson… and there are quite a few other UFAs the Bengals need to sign or replace.

After Bengals and Browns, the Colts sit at 76MM.  All other teams are over 90MM.

Not only that:  many teams are in a world of hurt.

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I’ve been consulting spotrac.com/nfl for my data in this 2013 FA project.  I subscribed; not sure what I’m getting that you may not.  (Please let me know if I’m giving out inaccessible links.)  It seems a pretty up-to-date source.  For example, here’s their transaction tracker.

Anyway… if you look at the Browns’ 2013 cap hit page, we’re sitting at $74MM.  I don’t know, I don’t claim to know exactly what this means.  I understand it to be a snapshot of the Browns’ cap situation as it stands now.

It seems useful as a point of reference in relation to other teams’ cap situations.  For example, here are the teams whose FAs we’ve been coveting:

• Bills = $100.5MM (with Byrd a priority, I’m tipping my hand on FA #3.);
• Ravens = Disaster.  $106.5MM (Flacco, Kruger, Ellerbe, Pitta -and Reed- all unsigned; but Ray Lewis relief seems probable);
• Steelers = Disaster.   $133.5MM (Roeth restructure, Harrison dump seem inevitable);
• Browns = $74.5MM (Sheldon Brown, Cribbs, Dawson are only notable UFAs).
  

  Still $20MM burning a hole in my pocket.
  (Not my money.)

.

With the 2013 cap looking like ~$120MM it seems like these teams will figure out something.

But when the Browns are a solid $30MM below all these teams, you can see that we have a rare opportunity to make hay this season.

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From here, it looks like even if we use $10MM cap hit on each of the three FAs I’ve targeted (which seems a tad high), there is still dough left to be in the Alex Smith game if we want to be.

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More 2013 Team Cap numbers, links.

Niners, $124MM :: will drop Smith, 10MM; won’t re-sign UFA Moss;

Pats, $104MM :: drop Lloyd, don’t re-sign Welker — here’s a home for Wallace, keeping UFAs Vollmer and Talib will be tough.  Patrick Chung might be nice, cheap partner for Ward and also an Oregon Duck;

Giants, $116MM :: Cruz is RFA.

Jets, $143MM :: Disaster.  Nine players over $9MM 2013 cap hit:  Harris, Sanchez, Holmes, Jason Smith, Pace, Cromartie, Ferguson, Mangold, Revis.  Dustin Keller, Leron Landry UFAs.

Saints, $141MM :: Disaster. Two of top five hits are OGs:  Jahri Evans 9.9MM and Ben Grubbs 7.3MM.

Cowboys, $140MM :: Disaster. 16MM tied up in CB Brandon Carr.  11 sack Anthony Spencer is UFA.

Falcons, $117MM :: Brent Grimes is only notable UFA.

Cardinals, $123MM :: Kolb, 13.5MM.   UFA Quentin Groves has been mentioned as possible OLB target.  Me not a fan… we’d be his 4th team since 2008.  I don’t want anyone from the Eagles or Cardinals… there was disease in those locker room and I’d rather avoid all of it.

Panthers, $130MM :: Disaster.  Johnson, Gross, Gamble, Kalil, Beason, Williams.

Bears, $110MM ::

Bengals, $65MM :: Andre Smith, Michael Johnson are priorties.  Maualuga?  Pacman?  No big problems with UFAs.

Broncos, $105MM :: Clady is big UFA.

Lions, $120MM :: Stafford 21MM.  Cliff Avril UFA, I think he’s coming off franchise so they can’t use that again.

Packers, $111MM :: Rodgers 10MM.  UFAs Benson, Jennings, Shields.

Texans, $115MM :: Schaub 11MM.

Colts, $76MM :: Freeney is UFA.

Jags, $96MM :: Cox is UFA.

Chiefs, $106MM :: Dwayne Bowe UFA.

Dolphins, $78MM :: Bush, Hartline, Long, S. Smith UFAs.

Vikings, $108MM :: Henderson UFA.

Raiders, $122MM :: Seymour, Lechler UFA.  Palmer 15MM.

Eagles, $96MM :: DRC, Dunlap UFAs.

Chargers, $115MM :: Rivers 17MM,

Seahawks, $106MM ::

Rams, $125MM :: Amendola UFA.

Bucs, $90MM :: DE Bennett UFA.

Titans, $102MM ::

Skins, $124MM :: Fred Davis UFA.

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2013 NFL Franchise Tag numbers, FYI.

The NFLPA recently released the projected franchise tag values for the 2013 season, barring any increase in the overall salary cap. — Dec. 28, 2012 (premium)

Position	2010	2011	2012	2013
Quarterback	$16.4 million	$16 million	$14.4 million	$14.6 million
Running Back	$8.15 million	$9.56 million	$7.74 million	$8.07 million
Wide Receiver	$9.52 million	$11.4 million	$9.51 million	$10.35 million
Tight End	$5.9 million	$7.28 million	$5.44 million	$5.96 million
Offensive Lineman	$10.73 million	$10.11 million	$9.38 million	$9.66 million
Defensive Tackle	$7.00 million	$12.47 million	$7.96 million	$8.30 million
Defensive End	$12.39 million	$13 million	$10.60 million	$10.98 million
Linebacker	$9.68 million	$10 million	$8.86 million	$9.45 million
Cornerback	$9.56 million	$14 million	$10.28 million	$10.66 million
Safety	$6.45 million	$8.8 million	$6.21 million	$6.79 million
Kicker/Punter	$2.81 million	$3.17 million	$2.65 million	$2.92 million