Salary Cap

NFL Problems #4: Salary Cap Limits

The 2015 NFL salary cap for each of the 32 teams is $143,280,000. Most teams are fine with this salary cap, but some teams are looking to make a push to the playoffs for the first time in years. They require the money needed to sign high impact players to make that push. Listed below are the teams that will be in trouble when 2016 rolls around. (Player salaries in parenthesis are over various numbers of years, not just one year.)

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers active contracts add up to $142,062,271, which is under the limit but, they will need to pay some of their best players next year. They will need to create money to pay for one of the league's best receivers, Antonio Brown, Tackle Kelvin Beachum, Cornerbacks Brandon Boykin and William Gay, and Linebacker Sean Spence. Their highest paid players are Ben Roethlisberger ($99 million), Maurkice Pouncey ($46 million), Cameron Heyward ($59 million), Marcus Gilbert ($30 million), and Cortez Allen ($26 million).

4. Buffalo Bills

The Bills active contracts add up to $145,979,708, which is about $2.6 million over the limit. The Bills will need to clear up a lot of cap space next year in order to pay some of their best players, either by releasing some of their players, trading, or restructuring some of their big contracts. In 2016, the Bills will need to pay Linebacker Nigel Bradham, Left Tackle Cordy Glenn, Wide Receiver Percy Harvin, Guard Richie Incognito, and Safety Bacarri Rambo. Their highest paid players are, Charles Clay ($38 million), Marcell Dareus ($103 million), Jerry Hughes ($45 million), LeSean McCoy ($40 million), Mario Williams ($96 million), Aaron Williams ($26 million), and Eric Wood ($28 million).

3. New York Jets

The Jets active contracts add up to $152,909,924, which is about $9.6 million over the limit. The Jets are in a must win year, so their team needed to pay out the big bucks. They will need to slim down next year though, because they have to resign Cornerback Antonio Allen, Linebacker Demario Davis, Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Linebacker Calvin Pace, and Defensive End Muhammed Wilkerson. Their highest paid players right now are, Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis ($70 million), Antonio Cromartie ($32 million) and Buster Skrine ($25 million), Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall ($26 million), Center Nick Mangold ($57 million), Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson ($74 million), and Wide Receiver Eric Decker ($36 million).

2. New Orleans Saints

The Saints active contracts add up to $157,940,226, which is about $14.6 million over the limit. This number is surprising because the Saints don't have a very talented roster, but going into their rebuilding phase, they will need to clear up some cap space. The players they need to resign next year are Safety Rafael Bush, Linebacker David Hawthorne, Tight Ends Ben Watson and Josh Hill, Quarterback Luke McCown, and Running Back Khiry Robinson. Their highest paid players are Drew Brees ($100 million), Jarius Byrd ($54 million), Marques Colston ($36 million), Cam Jordan ($61 million), and Dannell Ellerbe ($34 million).

1. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins active contracts add up to $160,324,653, which is about $17 million over the limit. The Dolphins are making a push for the playoffs this year and needed to sign big players. Next year, they will need to clear space for Safety Louis Delmas, Wide Receiver Rishard Matthews, Running Back Lamar Miller, Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, and Defensive End Olivier Vernon. Their highest paid players are Ndamukong Suh ($114 million), Branden Albert ($46 million), Brent Grimes ($32 million), Reshad Jones ($30 million), Mike Pouncey ($52 million), and Ryan Tannehill ($95 million).