Thanks to the owner-friendly labor agreement resulting from last year’s lockout, the NFL salary cap is barely budging this season.
Just in time for the start of free agency at 4 p.m. tomorrow, the league announced yesterday the cap will be $120.6 million per team, an increase of $225,000 from last year and much less than the $122 million-$124 million that many analysts had predicted.
The Giants should be about $2 million under the cap after reworking Eli Manning’s contract and releasing Brandon Jacobs on Friday, though general manager Jerry Reese is expected to redo more deals to create further room.
The Jets are expected to have roughly $14 million in operating room under the cap due to recent contract maneuvers with quarterback Mark Sanchez and D’Brickashaw Ferguson and their ability to carry over roughly $7 million in unused space from last season.