Dead Money refers to the amount of cap space consumed by NFL players no longer on a teams roster. Doesn't matter if they retired, got released or traded away. But for the most part the dead money should be controlled and kept under 4 to 5 million as a ceiling. Anything WAY over that, in my option, shows poor management by the team, especially if it's year after year, like the Saints.
No surprised to see Dallas, Carolina, New Orleans and the Cardinals atop the list. But the Bills? With their record... that's just funny.
Salary Cap Update (as of Feb. 17)
| TEAM | CONTRACTS | TEAM CAP | DEAD MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | 51 | $106,211,063 | $17,840,241 |
| Buffalo Bills | 51 | $113,022,321 | $12,070,113 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 51 | $140,391,944 | $11,809,439 |
| New Orleans Saints | 51 | $114,876,957 | $10,450,051 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 51 | $112,367,452 | $10,087,468 |
| Oakland Raiders | 51 | $58,550,888 | $9,311,192 |
| San Diego Chargers | 51 | $121,903,028 | $8,674,983 |
| New England Patriots | 51 | $117,981,660 | $8,533,721 |
| Washington Redskins | 51 | $94,287,281 | $7,470,233 |
| Cleveland Browns | 51 | $98,116,243 | $7,194,157 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 51 | $111,064,814 | $5,922,507 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 51 | $90,916,679 | $5,600,511 |
| Miami Dolphins | 49 | $106,939,831 | $4,942,896 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 51 | $135,547,583 | $4,552,933 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 46 | $111,530,107 | $4,422,216 |
| Detroit Lions | 51 | $118,699,984 | $4,069,438 |
| Denver Broncos | 51 | $117,495,501 | $3,992,330 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 51 | $122,249,251 | $3,505,823 |
| Houston Texans | 51 | $121,864,346 | $3,247,174 |
| New York Giants | 51 | $110,933,676 | $2,778,141 |
| Green Bay Packers | 51 | $104,945,045 | $2,677,484 |
| Tennessee Titans | 51 | $124,496,884 | $2,449,725 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 51 | $121,006,338 | $1,934,689 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 51 | $100,295,665 | $1,783,163 |
| Chicago Bears | 47 | $120,490,330 | $1,476,671 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 51 | $122,146,621 | $1,348,343 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 51 | $110,316,240 | $984,283 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 51 | $129,006,413 | $907,367 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 51 | $92,102,422 | $800,734 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 51 | $120,539,123 | $139,119 |
| St. Louis Rams | 51 | $125,548,963 | $133,805 |
| New York Jets | 51 | $107,679,921 | $48,958 |
| Source: ESPN Roster Management System | |||
