2017 NFL Salary Cap Casualties: Likely Fate of the Biggest Names
By Erik Lambert
Who will be the 2017 NFL salary cap casualties? The players who were once considered stars who have become too expensive for their teams to keep.
It’s a fair question because there are some every year. Teams living in a salary cap world know that once in awhile they have to make hard business decisions. Sometimes that means sacrificing a player they and the fans have come to love. Former agent Joel Corry wrote up an article for CBS Sports detailing what goes into making a cap casualty.
"“A player getting released because his performance doesn’t justify his salary is a way of life in the NFL, where contracts aren’t fully guaranteed. When a player is released or traded, the remaining proration of the salary components that are treated like signing bonus immediately accelerate into his team’s current salary cap.”"
He went on to list several key names around the league who fit the contract situation that he deems movable. There were plenty of well-known names, some of them a tad surprising. This will be a rundown of several of them, detailing why they’re in such a situation and where they might fit best at their next job. Where better to start than the quarterbacks?
Tony Romo
The Dallas Cowboys have a tough decision to make. Jerry Jones has always been a huge fan of Tony Romo, but the rise of Dak Prescott makes his time there all but finished. The 37-year old is running out of time and will want to play somewhere. Dallas could try to trade him, but the odds are better he will be cut after June 1st when they gain over $14 million in cap space. Expect him to seek out a contender to start for.
New home: Denver Broncos
This is a case of two sides needing each other. Denver still has a Super Bowl-caliber roster. They just need a trigger man at QB who can made some big plays.
Jay Cutler
One must admire his toughness and resilience to keep trying for eight years to help the Chicago Bears win. In the end though Jay Cutler just couldn’t find the luck or consistency to pull it off. Now at 33-years old his time there is likely done. No doubt GM Ryan Pace may try to trade him for a mid-to-late round pick but odds are he’ll be released. Chicago gains $14 million in cap space and he will seek out a team that might give him a shot at competing for a starting job.
New home: Miami Dolphins
Ryan Tannehill is still the starter in Miami, but Adam Gase has a history with Cutler. The two did some good things during their one year in Chicago together.