Sam Bradford, Quarterback, St. Louis Rams
2014 Salary: $17.6 Million
2014 Savings: $13.7 Million
The dead money hit here woud be about $3.9 million. This means that the Rams can get out from under Bradford's contract without any long-term ramifications. With that said, the decision here needs to be a football decision. Do Jeff Fisher and Les Snead believe Bradford is their best option in 2014 and beyond? If so, he will be retained at nearly $18 million in 2014. If not, the Rams will be looking elsewhere.
Looking at how the Rams performed with Kellen Clemens on the field instead of Bradford for the second half of the season, it's easy to come to the conclusion that the latter really doesn't up the play of the offense all too much. That's something else Snead and Co. will take into account.
St. Louis could decide to roll with the veteran Clemens in 2014 and draft a young quarterback. It has two first-round picks and could target one of the upper-echelon prospects at that position. Should the Houston Texans go in a different direction than quarterback at No. 1, St. Louis will have the pick of its litter...Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel etc.
The Rams will not be able to find a trade partner with Bradford set to count nearly $18 million against the cap. Instead, they will have to release him. Teams such as the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans would be likely possibilities.
Matt Schaub, Quarterback, Houston Texans
2014 Salary: $14.1 Million
2014 Savings: $3.6 Million
Houston would take a tremendous cap hit if it released Schaub outright. That's $10.7 million for those of you who didn't major in math. On the surface, there is absolutely no way that the Texans would do this. However, the near $4 million that they would save by releasing a quarterback that doesn't fit into their 2014 plans could be used to sign a solid free agent at a need position or help them extend a player like J.J. Watt.
You can fully expect the Texans to look for a trade partner, but there is no way any team is going to pay Schaub $14.1 million. In fact, they would likely have to come to an agreement on an extension and eat some dead money in 2014 and beyond. The most likely scenario is that Houston sends Schaub packing and releases him.
Schaub has been connected to both the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, who are in need of a veteran to compete for a starting job. These reports suggest an annual salary of between $4 and $5 million.
Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, New York Jets
2014 Salary: $13.1 Million
2014 Savings: $8.3 Million
Much like the two quarterbacks ahead of him on this list, Sanchez will likely be released prior to the start of the new league year next month. New York would save over $8 million by releasing Sanchez with a dead money hit of just $4.8 million. That's no too shabby, especially considering that it extended Sanchez just a couple offseasons ago.
Unlike the two quarterbacks ahead of him on this list, Sanchez won't be competing for a starting job in 2014. The best he can hope for is going to into a situation as a backup for a season and regaining some sort of value. Prior to missing the entire 2013 season, Sanchez led the NFL in turnovers the previous year.
Frank Gore, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers
2014 Salary: $6.5 Million
2014 Savings: $6.5 Million
As crazy as it might sound, Gore could be suiting up for a new team next season. He's set to make $6.5 million and has zero dead money remaining on his deal. Despite putting up a 1,000 yards for a franchise record seventh time last season, Gore is on the wrong side of 30 and is a part of one of the deepest backfields in the NFL. He will have to take a pay cut in order to remain in a 49ers uniform in 2014. That $6.5 million tag places Gore as the 10th-most expensive running back in the NFL. This isn't sustatinable for a 49ers team that has Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James and Marcus Lattimore in this mix.
While it's a good bet that Gore agrees to a smaller deal this offseason, there is a possibility that San Francisco either trades or releases him before the draft in May. If so, at least a dozen teams around the league would be interested in his services.
Chris Johnson, Running Back, Tennessee Titans
2014 Salary: $10 Million
2014 Savings: $6 Million
Johnson is as good as gone in Tennessee. His $10 million cap hit would be the second-highest in the NFL next season. There is no way that the Titans take on that type of a load for someone who has struggled even getting to the 1,000-yard mark over the past few seasons. A trade is also unlikely considering that Johnson still has $29 million remaining on his deal.
The Oakland Raiders have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Johnson. That seems to make a ton of sense considering that the blocking scheme that they run fits Johnson's talent a great deal. The Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets could also show interest.
Miles Austin, Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys
2014 Salary: $8.3 Million
2014 Savings: $5.5 Million
Look for Dallas to attempt a trade here. Fortunately for Austin and Co., a release would mean only $2.8 in dead money for the 2014 season. There also could be a decent market for Austin should he decide to take on a restructured deal for a new team. Despite a ton of injuries over the past two seasons, Austin has proven he can be an impact player when on the field. We'd likely be looking at a late-round pick with some sort of condition placed on it.
The San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are all contenders that could show interest.
Santonio Holmes, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
2014 Salary: $10.8 Million
2014 Savings: $8.3 Million
Reports indicate that the Jets will release Holmes, who is set to be the 13th highest-paid receiver in the NFL next year. That's obviously not going to be the case when the veteran hooks on with a new team. Holmes has played in a total of 15 games over the past two seasons, catching 43 passes and scoring just two touchdowns. Wide receiver-needy teams like the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams could show interest.
Sidney Rice, Seattle Seahawks
2014 Salary: $9.7 Million
2014 Savings: $7.3 Million
Boy has Rice been a bust in Seattle. Prior to missing the final eight games this past season, Rice recorded just 15 receptions in eight games. He's set to make nearly $10 million in 2014 but has a dead money hit of just $2.4 million. Knowing Seattle's salary cap situation and its need to retain valuable young players on long-term deals, Rice might as well have already packed up his house in the Pacific Northwest. On the free agent market, Rice is nothing more than a low-risk and lower-reward player. Maybe San Francisco nabs a former Seahawks on a one-year deal for depth.
Zach Miller, Tight End, Seattle Seahawks
2014 Salary: $7 Million
2014 Savings: $5 Million
Decent production up until this past season for Seattle, but Miller completely flamed out as a pass catcher and is worth nowhere near the amount of money he's set to earn. John Schneider and Co. will go ahead and set Miller loose at some point prior to the start of the league year. If so, there will be a muted market for the 28-year-old tight end who caught 33 passes in 2013.
* All salaries provided by Spotrac.com