The 49ers’ salary cap may not get as dire as it seemed off-season. With the salary cap skyrocketing from $ 175 million to $ 180 million and the ability to do some maneuvers to free up space, San Francisco could gain more flexibility than initially anticipated. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer in his MMQB column reported that the 49ers are ninth in the competition with a week to go before the legal sabotage window opens.
Breer imposed all cap-space numbers from Sunday through the salary cap chief of an NFL team, and San Francisco with $ 28.02 million in available space is sitting at a ceiling of $ 183 million.
Here’s what the top 10 look like:
1. Jaguars: $ 86.42
2. Jets: $ 78.96 million
3. Foals: $ 70.89 million
4. Patriots: $ 68.74 million
5. Washington: $ 56.77 million
Broncos: $ 45.48 million
Bengal: $ 42.55 million
8. Panthers: $ 31.25 million
9.49ers: $ 28.02 million
10. Chargers: $ 25.60 million
By the time the dust settles on maneuvering the cap, the 49ers could be working with anything closer to $ 40 million. They were able to save $ 5.7 million by parting ways with DE Dee Ford and another $ 3.3 million by letting go of C Weston Richburg. That alone would earn them $ 37 million in rooms.
With LT Trent Williams, FB Kyle Juszczyk and CB K’Waun Williams all entering the free agent market, this off-season will be critical to having financial flexibility, especially with a team like the Jets, who are due to the the familiarity of new coaching staff with San Francisco.
It still won’t be easy off-season, but the 49ers seem to be in much better shape than when last season ended.