Baltimore Ravens

Currently, projected at $3M in Salary Cap space for 2015 (per Overthecap.com)

Notable Free Agents: Torrey Smith, Justin Forsett, Owen Daniels, Terrence Cody

Potential Salary Cap Casualties, Candidates for Re-structures, and/or Extenions: DT Haloti Ngata is in the final year of his contract and we’ll know soon enough how the team really feels about him – an extension at a reduced number this year (currently $16M) or he plays the season out and they let him walk. OG Marshall Yanda is due $8.5M w/ $5.5M available in cap space at any time, CB Jimmy Smith is in the final year of contract, all $7M can be cleared at any time by scrapping him, DT Chris Canty is in the final year of his deal and can be cut to clear almost all of his $3M salary

Notes:
We’ve learned to Trust in Ozzie. You get the feeling Baltimore will appear to over-pay Torrey Smith, then the next thing you know you’ll be eating crow. Young skill players WR Kamar Aiken and RB Fitzgerald Toussaint intrigue us. We will ask Ravens brass about both at the NFL Combine. RB, WR, CB, DL, and OG will be positions to watch in Baltimore this offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Currently, projected at a $1.7M Salary Cap deficit for 2015

Notable Free Agents: Jason Worilds, Ike Taylor, James Harrison, Will Allen, Ben Tate

Potential Salary Cap Casualties, Candidates for Re-structures, and/or Extenions: QB Ben Roethlisberger enters enters the final year of his contract playing the best football of his life at a very reasonable $18M cap number, S Troy Polamalu can be cut after 6/1 to clear $6M of his $8M cap number. All of DE Cameron Heyward $7M salary can be cleared from the cap, DT Cam Thomas can be released to clear the majority of his $2.5M salary – the same goes for DE Brett Keisel and his $1.75M at 36 years old in the final year of his deal. WR Lance Moore has been rendered useless and will likely be released to clear most of his $1.8M figure.

Notes:
Long-time defensive coordinator, and Hall of Famer, Dick Lebeau was the tip of the iceberg. A complete defensive overhaul in Pittsburgh is impending for 2015 and 2016. Troy Polamalu, a potential Hall of Famer himself, may not even be offered the opportunity to take a massive pay cut. If he is, he’ll either swallow the medicine or be released. After a busy offseason extending and signing players in 2014, it could be a more quiet offseason in 2015 in Pittsburgh, focused on trimming the financial fat the from the roster.

Cincinnati Bengals

Currently, a projected $34M in Salary Cap space for 2015

Notable Free Agents: Rey Maualuga, Jermaine Gresham, Terrance Newman, Jason Campbell, Cedric Peerman, Brandon Tate, Eric Winston

Potential Salary Cap Casualties, Candidates for Re-structures, and/or Extenions: WR AJ Green is a prime candidate for a contract extension and could come at a relative bargain, CB Leon Hall has hit 30 and has an injury history – in the final year of his contract $8/9M can be cleared against the cap, OT Andre Smith enters the final year of his deal at a very reasonable $6M, $5M of which could be cleared in a cut – he was PFFs #47 overall ranked OT in 2014. CB Dre Kirkpatrick made more plays in 2014 but it could be a wait-and-see situation at $2.7M, S Reggie Nelson is in the final year of his deal and can be cut to clear almost all of his $4.7M cap figure. DT Domata Peko’s $3.7M figure can be completely relieved from the cap, despite a down season the team believed in him just one year ago providing an extension in March of 2014 and he comes at a very reasonable price tag for 2015. CB Adam “Pacman” Jones enters the final year of his deal and can be released to clear nearly the entirety of his $2.5M cap figure – we think he stays at the number, he still makes some big plays

Notes:
The Bengals have built a really good young roster with cap flexibility. While they’ve had trouble getting over the hump, it appears they should be competitive for the foreseeable future. If we were Mike Brown’s daughter, we’d work on extending AJ Green right now. Cincy is in good cap shape to do it, and he could come at a relative bargain after a bit of a down season, coupled with a potentially deep free agent WR market, and the big influx of talented and ultra-cheap rookie WR options that flooded the market in 2014.

Cleveland Browns

Currently, projected at over $51M in Salary Cap space for 2015

Notable Free Agents: Ahtyba Rubin, Miles Austin, Jabaal Sheard, Brian Hoyer, Jim Leonhard, Jordan Cameron, Buster Skrine

Potential Salary Cap Casualties, Candidates for Re-structures, and/or Extenions: DL Desmond Bryant can be released post 6/1 to relieve $6/7M against the cap with minimal future salary cap ramifications, DT Phil Taylor started his career off hot but has hit an injury skid the last few seasons and enters the final year of his deal- all $5M of his cap figure an be relieved in a roster cut

Notes:
This year’s Browns remind of us of last year’s Raiders, go figure. Truckloads of money to spend, but it’s hard to see them attracting free agents. If his medicals check out, DT Phil Taylor would be an interesting and potentially cheap option on the open market if he’s released by Cleveland. He flashed dominance to begin his career and is only 26 years old. At $5M, we believe the Browns should ride out 2015 and see if he can return to form. It’s too bad Jordan Cameron doesn’t want to return, he’s the kind of security blanket a young quarterback needs. Perhaps his concussions will turn out to be somebody else’s financial headache.