The start of the new league year in the NFL is fast approaching, and teams will need to get their books in order by the time free agency kicks off in mid-March. Already we've seen several teams begin clearing cap space to get under the league-mandated threshold, which has resulted in a number of notable names being thrust into the open market.
So, far, the Tennessee Titans have been the biggest player in this regard, slashing a significant amount of space. To this point, the Titans have cleared nearly $38 million off their books by releasing the likes of Taylor Lewan, Robert Woods, and others. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions are among the teams that have also begun stripping players off the roster to get under the cap, and more are soon to follow.
Because of this, a new talent pool of players is now able to be had by the rest of the league. Below, we'll highlight each player who has been a cap casualty and note how much their former team saved by releasing them.
OT Taylor Lewan
Former team: Tennessee Titans
Cap savings: $14,841,000
Lewan had been a fixture along the Titans offensive line for the past nine seasons after the team selected him with the 11th overall pick at the 2014 NFL Draft. The 31-year-old was limited to just two games this past season after he suffered a knee injury that put him on season-ending injured reserve. When healthy, Lean is a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle who should be able to bring some veteran experience to whichever team he ultimately lands on.
LB Bobby Wagner
Former team: Los Angeles Rams
Cap savings: $5,000,000
The Rams and Bobby Wagner decided to part ways after just one season together. At the time of Wagner's signing with L.A., it was looked at as another savvy veteran addition for a Rams club that was looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions. However, the team's season turned sideways due to injury, which left it with a 5-12 record and on the outside of the playoffs. Despite being on a struggling team, Wagner continued to play at a high level and was a second-team All-Pro in 2022 after totaling 140 tackles and two interceptions.
WR Robert Woods
Former team: Tennessee Titans
Cap savings: $12,016,666
Robert Woods' tenure in Tennessee was a bit underwhelming, but it's worth pointing out that the veteran receiver was playing in his first season back from a torn ACL. He was acquired in a trade with the Rams last March for a 2023 sixth-round pick. He played all 17 games for the Titans during the regular season and caught 58.2% of his targets. While his lone season with the Titans may be a forgetful moment in his career, Woods does have multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons on his résumé, so if he lands in the right offense he could prove to be a valuable piece, especially as he gets further away from his knee surgery.
DT Michael Brockers
Former team: Detroit Lions
Cap savings: $10,000,000
Brockers had spent the past two seasons in Detroit after being acquired in a trade with the Rams back in 2021. This decision for the two sides to part ways this offseason isn't much of a surprise. On top of being able to clear $10 million in cap space, Brockers played just 29% of the defensive snaps last season. In his six games played (five starts), the former first-round pick totaled four tackles and one pass breakup.
LB Zach Cunningham
Former team: Tennessee Titans
Cap savings: $8,926,466
Cunningham has been with Tennessee ever since the club claimed him off waivers in December of 2021. The 28-year-old was limited to six games last season due to injury. In that time he was able to see the field, he started each game and totaled 24 tackles and one pass breakup.
DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
Former team: Chicago Bears
Cap savings: $4,000,000
Muhammad spent just one season in Chicago after signing a two-year deal with the organization last offseason. While the team decided to create $4 million in space by letting him go, he did have a sizable workload in 2022 playing in 59% of the defensive snaps. In 16 games played (nine starts), Muhammad finished with 29 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
K Randy Bullock
Former team: Tennessee Titans
Cap savings: $2,130,000
Bullock had been with the Titans dating back to the 2021 season. During his tenure in Tennessee, he connected on 84.3% of his field goal attempts and 95.9% of his extra points. Last season, Bullock hit seven of his 10 field goal attempts of 40 yards or further.