NFL Free Agency 2021

LEE MEISTER — With the league lowering the salary cap for the 2021-22 season by 11.2%, many teams will be forced to cut highly talented players. Teams in salary cap trouble such as the Saints, Rams, Eagles, Steelers, and Bears are most at risk of losing key players before next season. However, these are not the only teams who will end up needing to part ways with players whom they won’t be able to re-sign. The three teams with the most cap space available are all poised to make moves, even if their rosters as they stand are by no means dangerous. The Jets, Jaguars, and Patriots all have more than $60 million in available cap space for next season, and this combined with the fact that there will be more free agent talent than usual on the market, will lead to these teams potentially seeing large roster improvements for next season (that is, if they can attract key free agents). Currently, of Pro Football Focus’s top 10 free agents, only 4 will become available on March 17^th, when free agency starts (WR Kenny Golladay, OT Trent Williams, S Anthony Harris, and TE Hunter Henry). The rest, most notably Dak Prescott signing a 4-year deal worth $160M, were either franchise tagged or re-signed by their current team. Bucs’ WR Chris Godwin, as well as Bears’ WR Allen Robinson were both tagged by their team, preventing them from entering free agency and potentially signing with another team. Whether your team is looking to make moves through the draft, free agency, the trading block, or some combination of the three, this off-season will be one to watch.