1 cost-saving veteran cut or trade for all 32 NFL teams, from Justin Fields to Jimmy Garoppolo

The 2024 NFL salary cap hasn’t been set yet, but may approach a record $250 million. That’s great news for teams and free agents alike — but it’s also going to lead to tough decisions when it comes to some of the league’s highest paid veterans.

The NFL’s hard spending cap will leave all 32 teams to examine their rosters and create as much space as possible to retain key players and lure new ones. That won’t be too difficult for teams like the Washington Commanders, New England Patriots or Chicago Bears, all of whom could have more than $70 million in cap space before March even begins. But for teams like the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints, all of whom are well over next season’s expected spending limit, it’ll be a problem.

That means steady veterans and once-hyped prospects could be en route to new locales (or the UFL) as teams trim their budgets via releases and trades. We’ve already seen a minor smattering of moves as the Patriots and Steelers shed costs. There will be much more in store.

So what’s that going to look like? After paring over each team’s salary cap, scheduled payouts and ability to restructure deals in order to shed cap obligations without losing players, I came up with one notable veteran — some much more notable than others — who could be traded or cut this spring.

Numbers for each team’s cap space and how much can be saved through either releasing or trading a player are all courtesy of Over The Cap, which remains an invaluable cap management resource.