The first wave of free agency brought the Chiefs four new players, two players cut, and one player traded away. That means the salary cap has changed quite a bit. Here’s a quick rundown of what the Chiefs are dealing with in terms of cap space.
According to Over the Cap the Chiefs have $26.8 million in cap space, which is good for No. 12 in the NFL. This only includes the contracts of Carlos Hyde, Tyrann Mathieu, and Damien Wilson. Here’s what first year cap hits look like for each of those players:
- Carlos Hyde: $2.7 million
- Tyrann Mathieu: $5.9 million
- Damien Wilson: $1.8 million
Exact contract details for Alex Okafor haven’t yet been revealed. Though we know it’s a 3-year contract worth a total of $24 million. Additionally Bashaud Breeland will sign with the Chiefs, but it hasn’t been made official yet. His contract is worth up to $5 million.
Let’s say the combined cap hit between the two players is $8.5 million in the first year. That’d leave the Chiefs with $18.3 million in cap space. It’s more than enough to navigate a few more signings and sign a draft class of eight picks. The Chiefs could still create some more cap space if they decided to trade for a player, or go after multiple remaining free agents.
When the Chiefs released Justin Houston, they freed up $14 million of cap space. Houston was identified as a cut candidate for the Chiefs, but he was the only one of the five players that could bring substantial cap savings. The Chiefs could free up another $8.7 million in cap space. To do so they need to release Eric Murray, Daniel Sorensen, Xavier Williams, and Reggie Ragland. The player with the single-most savings is Williams with $2.8 million.
The Chiefs definitely have more moves to come in free agency and ahead of the draft, but they also won’t rush into anything. They can keep some cap space in the event of a late cut or a trade opportunity arises. They can also roll over any unused space into the 2020 NFL season.
