Cap Crunch: NFL Teams Slash, Shuffle Rosters Before Free Agency

NFL franchises are beginning to make roster moves with major financial implications ahead of the new league year starting next week. 

The 2025 salary cap has been set at $279.2 million, and teams cannot exceed that number when free agency begins March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. Clubs can begin negotiating with players and agents at midnight on March 10, also known as the “legal tampering” period.

As of Wednesday evening, five franchises still needed to cut cash to become salary-cap compliant, according to Spotrac: the Dolphins, Falcons, Bills, Browns, and Saints.

The Saints are a league-high $46 million over the cap, leaving them with plenty of work to do ahead of next week. The Browns are second-highest, needing to shed nearly $23 million, and are dealing with Deshaun Watson’s $72.7 million cap hit in 2025. Cleveland’s superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett, who has requested a trade, is set to count $19.7 million against the cap next season.

Money Moves

On Wednesday, the Chiefs agreed to trade guard Joe Thuney to the Bears, which freed up $16 million of cap space, almost exactly how much they needed to become cap-compliant, despite the move leaving Kansas City with a $10.9 million dead-cap hit.

The Cowboys freed up $56.6 million in 2025 cap space by restructuring the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks released veteran receiver Tyler Lockett to create $17 million of cap space, and the Jets cut Davante Adams, saving the team $29.9 million.

Expect the financial moves to continue throughout this week and early next week, as the NFL’s free-agency frenzy ramps up once again.