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Even if the NFL offseason doesn’t officially begin until mid-March, now is the right time to take a closer look at the NFL teams with the most cap space in 2023.
These will be the NFL teams with the most money to spend when free agency begins and will therefore be the most active on the free-agent market.
NFL teams most cap space 2023
For fans who need free agency explained or the salary cap explained, the NFL teams with the most cap space in 2023 will be able to offer free agents more money than teams that have a lot of money committed for next season.
In other words, before evaluating the best players available by position or making free agency predictions, we need to know the NFL teams with the most money to spend. Fortunately, we’ve run the numbers for you, so let’s look at the NFL teams with the most cap space in 2023.
10. Lions – $15.8 Million
The Lions were close to getting to the playoffs last season, and now they have a chance to take another step forward in 2023 with the help of over $15 million in cap space. There are a few key players hitting free agency, including wide receiver DJ Chark, but nobody that Detroit will consider irreplaceable.
Keep in mind that Dan Campbell and the Lions have put together a young roster over the past couple of seasons, and those players will have a chance to get better next season and beyond.
The Lions will have to look at what they have in place and try to supplement their current strengths with a few veterans using that $15. 8 million. Look for most of that money to be spent on the defensive side of the ball, although an affordable veteran running back could also be a target for Detroit.
9. Raiders – $18.4 Million
The Derek Carr situation will be the headline for the Raiders this offseason. However, they also have two starting offensive linemen and half a dozen defensive starters hitting the open market, not to mention wide receiver Mack Hollins.
That doesn’t exactly give Las Vegas a lot of wiggle room to be aggressive with the top free agents available. Instead, they’ll need to keep relying on players like Chandler Jones and Davante Adams who they signed last offseason.
8. Ravens – $28.8 Million
Baltimore’s cap space is a little misleading. It looks good on paper, but a huge chunk of that will either go toward a new contract for Lamar Jackson or using the franchise tag on him.
Other than Jackson, the Ravens don’t have to worry about losing too many key players in free agency other than cornerback Marcus Peters. Once they get the Jackson situation figured out, the Ravens won’t have too much money left to spend. But they should have some to use toward a wide receiver or a pass rusher.
7. Seahawks – $31.3 Million
After getting to the playoffs, Seattle’s $31.3 million in cap space must seem a lot larger than it would have if they were just another rebuilding team.
Of course, they’ll have to either re-sign Geno Smith or find another solution at quarterback. That will use up some of that money and be the dominant storyline of their offseason. But the Seahawks don’t have any other players hitting free agency that they can’t afford to lose.
Kenneth Walker will lead their backfield in 2023 while the receiving tandem of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are both under contract as well, which means the Seahawks can afford to be a little aggressive with their cap space, perhaps looking for some impact defensive players on the open market.
6. Texans – $37.1 Million
It’s no secret that the Texans need a lot of help. It seems reasonable that they’ll draft a quarterback with the no. 2 overall pick, but they also need to use their $37 million in cap space to address other areas of need.
Adding a top-flight safety or a game-changing pass-rusher could both do wonders for the Houston defense. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to sign a proven wide receiver or a veteran running back to help whichever young quarterback they draft.
5. Patriots – $38 Million
Granted, the last few seasons have been disappointing for the Patriots. But Bill Belichick and the Pats are usually good about spending money wisely, so New England having more cap space than most teams is worth watching closely.
Plus, the Patriots aren’t exactly losing a lot of key players to free agency this year. That will give Belichick and company a great opportunity to make a big splash in free agency.
4. Giants – $44.5 Million
After getting to the postseason and then winning a playoff game, the Giants must be excited heading into the offseason, especially with so much money to spend. But that excitement should be tempered a little with Saquon Barkley hitting free agency.
Either they lose him or take up a significant chunk of that cap room to keep him. The quarterback position is once again a big question with Daniel Jones hitting free agency. The Giants also have a decent amount of their defensive depth heading into free agency as well, so there is some work to do and important questions to answer.
3. Bengals – $44.5 Million
Imagine being in Cincinnati’s position right now. The Bengals have been to the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons behind the efforts of players like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, who are in the early stages of becoming one of the greatest players in league history at their position.
On top of that, they have the third-most cap space this offseason. That being said, that $44.5 million might not feel like so much when you consider players like Jessie Bates, Germaine Pratt, Vonn Bell, Eli Apple, Hayden Hurst, and others are all hitting the free-agent market.
The Bengals will have some tough decisions to make regarding retaining key starters. But the good news is they don’t have a lot of glaring weaknesses to address this offseason.
2. Falcons – $56.4 Million
Atlanta is close to the top in terms of NFL teams with the most cap space in 2023, and they’re going to need it after five straight losing seasons. Depending on how they feel about Desmond Ridder, adding a veteran quarterback could be part of their offseason plans, taking up a significant chunk of that cap space.
Adding another receiver to complement Drake London isn’t a bad idea either, although there aren’t too many high-level receivers available. At the same time, the Falcons could also use an infusion of talent in their front seven, which could end up being Atlanta’s top priority in the free-agent market.
1. Bears – $98.6 Million
The silver lining for the Bears is that after finishing with the worst record in the league, they’ll have the most money to spend this offseason. Of course, that explains why they had the worst record.
Keep in mind Chicago also has the top overall pick in the draft and they still have a young quarterback in Justin Fields. The priority for the Bears with all of that cap space has to be finding better playmakers to put around Fields.
After all, Fields was the team’s leading rusher last season while tight end Cole Kmet was their leading receiver. However, the Bears also gave up the most points in the NFL in 2022, so they will need to allocate their available funds equally to both sides of the ball.
