NFL free agency is approaching quickly and the Arizona Cardinals do not have a ton of salary cap space. There are a few moves they can make that will free up some space.
What are some salary-saving moves can the Cardinals make to create some financial flexibility in building their 2023 roster?
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Cut WR Chosen Anderson
This move is a certainty. It has been expected and has been reported. Cutting him saves $12 million in cap space with no dead money penalties.
Anderson was a huge disappointment after he was acquired in a midseason trade.
Trade WR DeAndre Hopkins
The Cardinals won’t cut Hopkins. That doesn’t make sense.
They are, though, actively shopping him.
However, he has $19.45 million in salary due this year and will count more than $30 million against the cap.
Trading him will save more than $8.1 million against the cap but will create $22.6 million in dead money because of past signing bonuses and restructures.
That said, it still saves more than $8 million.
Trade LT D.J. Humphries
Humphries has been a staple at left tackle and doesn’t have a horrible contract, but Josh Jones’ play at left tackle while Humphries was injured was good. It could allow the Cardinals to play Jones and save money this year.
Humphries’ cap hit in 2023 is nearly $17.9 million.
He has an $8 million roster bonus due this month but, if I recall, it is fully guaranteed, so cutting him will not avoid paying him.
They will lose cap space by cutting him.
However, if they trade him, they would save more than $13 million in actual cash due him in the roster bonus and salary. They would save $5.1 million in cap space, although it would cause almost $12.8 million in dead money for his prorated signing bonus last year.
Extend WR Marquise Brown
Brown’s cap hit in 2023 is more than $13.4 million. A contract extension would lower that cap hit, although it would pay him more down the line.
Depending on the salary and structure of the new deal, the Cardinals could save up to $10 million in cap space.
Cut J.J. Watt
Watt has retired but his contract still has a cap hit because of voiding years.
The Cardinals can do one of two things.
Before his retirement, he redid his deal to make 2023 an actual year on his contract. He technically counts $3.6 million against the cap this year.
If they place him on the reserve/retired list or cut his contract as a post-June 1 designation, they will save $1.17 million and carry $2.4 million in dead money this year.
If they do the post-June 1 cut designation, they do not get relief until June 2. Placing him on the retired list should give them relief immediately.
Without the redone deal, he would have counted $7.2 million against the cap in dead money.
Cut or trade Markus Golden
Golden will make more than $2.9 million in 2023 and will count almost $4.2 million against the cap in 2023.
After only 2.5 sacks and a new defensive scheme in 2023, he might not be a great fit this season.
By cutting or trading him, the Cardinals save almost $3.1 million in cap space but incur almost $1.1 million in dead money charges to this year’s cap.
Cut Dennis Gardeck
After getting a three-year, $12 million contract last offseason, he had only one sack last season, although he continued to be great on special teams.
Does he fit in this year’s defensive scheme?
While he probably will remain on the roster for special teams, as Jeff Rodgers remains as the assistant head coach and special team coordinator, the Cardinals could move on from Gardeck.
He is due nearly $3.3 million in salary and will count more than $4.2 million against the cap.
Cutting him will save almost $2.9 million against the cap but will incur more than $1.3 million in dead money charges.
