NFC East Offseason Financial Analysis

Michael Ginnitti
Michael Ginnitti, Managing Editor & NFL/MLB ExpertJanuary 12, 2023
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#dallas cowboys #new york giants #philadelphia eagles #washington commanders
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Our NFL Offseason Series continues with analysis for each team’s notable free agents, projected financials, & a few extension or roster bubble candidates heading toward the offseason.

SPOTRAC'S OFFSEASON SERIES
AFC: NORTH | SOUTH | EAST | WEST
NFC: NORTH | SOUTH | EAST | WEST
POSITIONAL: QB | RB | WR

Dallas Cowboys

2023 Cap Space: $5.2M
Rostered Players: 43
Draft Pick: TBD

It’s an offseason of weapon decisions for Jerry, with CeeDee Lamb ready for an extension, Dalton Schultz & Tony Pollard pending free agents, and Zeke Elliott in a contract nobody else in America would want him in.

Notable Free Agents

Extension Candidate

CeeDee Lamb (WR, 24)
Lamb is now extension eligible for the first time in his career, fresh off his best season to date (107 receptions, 1,359 yards, 9 TDs). He’s a 4 year, $90M player in our system, but A.J. Brown’s $25M per year is certainly within reason.

Trevon Diggs (CB, 25)
Expecting another 11 INT season was never reasonable, but Diggs’ 2022 looked a lot like his 2020 rookie campaign (50 tackles, 3 picks). If he was a $20M player for one season, and a $12M player for 2 - let’s call it 4 years, $56M right now.

Bubble Candidate

Ezekiel Elliott (RB, 27)
Despite 22 rushing TDs over the past two seasons, most of the metrics surrounding Elliott have declined, including a career low 3.8 yards per attempt in 2022. The contract holds 4 years, $52.9M remaining, but there are no early guarantees or bonuses built in from here out. A Pre June 1st release leaves behind $11.86M of dead cap, freeing up $4.86M.

Tyron Smith (OT, 32)
Smith missed 14 games this season, and relinquished his left tackle spot to Tyler Smith upon return. He enters a contract year in 2023, set to earn $13.6M ($17.6M cap figure). Moving on frees up $9.5M of space.

New York Giants

2023 Cap Space: $55M
Rostered Players: 40
Draft Pick: TBD

QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley, and literally every pass catching weapon remain up in the air for 2023. Let’s start there this offseason.

Notable Free Agents

Extension Candidate

Andrew Thomas (LT, 23)
He’s gotten better every year, finishing 2022 as the 3rd highest graded offensive tackle according to PFF, and his now extension eligible for the first time. The #4 overall pick from 2020 holds a fully guaranteed 1 year, $5M, plus a 5th-year option in 2024, and projects to a 5 year, $107M extension in our system.

Dexter Lawrence (DT, 26)
Lawrence enters the 5th-year option salary of his rookie deal, set to earn a fully guaranteed $12.4M in 2023. He put together his most productive season by far in 2022, finishing with 7.5 sacks, 68 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles. He projects to a 4 year, $56M extension in our system.

Bubble Candidate

Kenny Golladay (WR, 29)
This one’s messy, as Golladay has a fully guaranteed $4.5M roster bonus due March 17th. The relationship has gone so poorly, it might still make sense for the Giants to pay it and cut him loose anyway, taking on a $14.7M dead cap hit, saving $6.7M in 2023.

Philadelphia Eagles

2023 Cap Space: $10M
Rostered Players: 43
Draft Pick: #10 (from NO, TBD

The Eagles have a slew of defensive starters to retain or replace, and a QB1 ready for an extension. There’s a trade or 6 in there as well if we know this front office.

Notable Free Agents

Extension Candidate

Jalen Hurts (QB, 24)
The Eagles aggressively expanded this roster to put Jalen Hurts’ future on notice. He passed every test, late season injury notwithstanding, and now finds himself extension-eligible for the first time. The 2020 2nd rounder enters a contract year in 2023, set to earn a non-guaranteed $1.4M. He projects to a 6 year, $265M extension in our system.

Bubble Candidate

Darius Slay (CB, 32)
This one won’t be popular, as Slay is still an upper echelon defensive player, but even the best teams in football can’t keep everyone, and Slay is set to count $26.1M against the cap in 2023. The issue? He already holds $21.2M of dead cap against that figure, so it’s possible a standard contract restructure (or a small extension) actually work better for both business and football purposes. 

Washington Commanders

2023 Cap Space: $11.5M
Rostered Players: 56
Draft Pick: 16

The Commanders are going back to the well at the QB position again, but the rest of the roster appears to be in pretty decent shape, as is evident by 50+ players under contract right now.

Notable Free Agents

Extension Candidate

Montez Sweat (EDGE, 26)
Enters a contract year in 2023, including a fully guaranteed $11.5M option salary. He posted 8 sacks & 45 tackles in 22, and projects to a 4 year, $66M contract in our system.

Da'Ron Payne (DL, 25)
Payne is slated for unrestricted free agency this March, but there appears to be mutual interest to keep this relationship together long-term. He’s consistently produced around 60 tackles per season, but added a new wrinkle to his game in 2022 - 11.5 sacks. The new found production lifts him to a 5 year, $97M valuation in our system.

Bubble Candidate

Carson Wentz (QB, 30)
Wentz has a $5M roster bonus due March 17th. The Commanders will free up $26.1M of cap by releasing him before that.

Logan Thomas (TE, 31)
None of the final 2 years, $13.5M remaining on Thomas’ contract is fully guaranteed, and the Commanders can free up $5.25M of space by moving on this March.


#dallas cowboys #new york giants #philadelphia eagles #washington commanders
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