Alvin Kamara and Aaron Jones are two NFC cut possibilities who could be the casualty of the free agency fever.
While signing new contracts is usually the main focus of the NFL free agency frenzy, teams’ annual decisions to make cuts in order to obtain cap space can have just as much of an influence. Franchise stars like Derek Carr and Adam Thielen were cut during the previous offseason, and there are a ton of possible big-name releases in 2024.
Here are a few of the NFC’s top names that are on cut watch in anticipation. For a rundown of the AFC, go here.
Formerly the dependable guardian of Aaron Rodgers’ blind side, Bakhtiari has missed 38 of the last 51 games during the regular season. He will turn 33 early in the upcoming season and has the largest cap charge of any offensive lineman in the league, $40 million. Although the $19 million in dead money isn’t ideal and it will be difficult for Green Bay fans to say goodbye after 11 years, the $21 million in cap savings are vital for a front office that is currently losing money. Rasheed Walker, a seventh-round pick in 2022 who played 15 games the previous season, will probably take over as the starting left tackle going forward.
During his twelve years with the Vikings, the former first-round pick has made six Pro Bowls. However, Harrison’s stellar career as a safety in Minnesota is probably coming to an end at the age of 35, having finished the 2023 season with just three passes defensed and zero interceptions. Smith has the fifth-highest cap charge of any safety at $19.2 million; his release would save $11.4 million (2024) and $18.1 million (2025) against the cap. This is as straightforward as they come.
With the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, there are complicated aspects to both the play valuation and the contract issue. He has a $14.2 million cap hit in 2024, and in 2025, the first of his contract’s four vacant years would result in a $29.4 million cap hit. However, Tampa Bay will only save $4.9 million this season against the cap even if Barrett is cut after June 1 since the remaining amount is dead money that is locked up in a prorated bonus. Despite this, the NFL sack leader for 2019 has missed nine games in 2022 and has had fewer than five sacks in each of the previous two seasons. He turns 32 in November. In case the savings aren’t that great, it could be time to move on.
While 1,100 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns may seem like a huge underperformance, the Kamara that New Orleans signed a $75 million contract extension for back in 2020 was averaging about 1,600 yards and fifteen touchdowns per season. In fact, his 2023 yard total was a career low, and since that 2020 season, he hasn’t reached double-digit touchdowns. Although there would be $7.1 million in dead money, the Saints would theoretically have to cut their star running back with a post-June 1 designation, freeing up $11.7 million in cap space. However, given that the team is expected to be a league-high $84 million over the cap and that the RB has the highest cap hit at the position, it might be necessary.
