The NFL’s legal tampering period — the moment teams can officially unofficially leak their big free agent signings for the 2024 season, begins at noon E.T. March 11. That gives all 32 franchises roughly a month after Super Bowl 58 to get their priorities in order and shuffle around their payroll in order to carve out plenty of spending room under this season’s yet-to-be-announced (but almost certainly historically high) salary cap. The early stages off the offseason aren’t just about addition. Every team in the league has a list of pending free agents who were instrumental to their success (or lack thereof) in 2023. Some teams will have to make decisions on whether to re-sign All-Pros and future Hall of Famers for massive sums. Others will have to address which role players will return and which will test their value on the open market. There’s one veteran who stands out at the top of each team’s “might leave” list. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have huge decisions to make. Others like the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons have the option to head into 2024 with their cores mostly intact. Let’s take a look at the biggest free agent decision each team has to make. And to help understand how vital each player is, let’s include their overall ranking from FTW’s top 102 free agents alongside each franchise’s estimated salary cap space. All cap space estimates come from the incredibly useful Over the Cap, but are working from a $242.5 million estimate rather than the $250 million-plus the cap could be, so teams may have more spending room than we expect.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Overall rank: 27
Cap space: $55,115,463
Arizona traded away a first round pick to acquire Brown but was unable to reach a big money contract extension with the former 1,000-yard wideout. He hasn’t been amazing as a Cardinal, but would be a valuable piece of the team’s passing game alongside a healthy Kyler Murray (and whatever receiver the team might draft with the fourth overall pick).
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Overall rank: n/a
Cap space: $38,454,508
Landman is an overlooked asset; a former undrafted free agent who started 14 games last season. As an exclusive rights free agent, he should be an inexpensive re-signing for the Falcons even with a new head coach at the helm.
Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Overall rank: 7
Cap space: $18,538,828
Baltimore is loaded with priority free agents, including Patrick Queen, Kevin Zeitler and Geno Stone. None may be as valuable as Madubuike, who broke out with 13 sacks and 33 quarterback hits in an All-Pro 2023 anchoring the middle of the Ravens’ defensive line.
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Overall rank: 57
Cap space: -$40,071,454
Floyd is an aging pass rusher but an effective one; he had 10.5 sacks at 31 years old last season. Keeping him around would help soften the blow of trading or releasing Von Miller after the All-Pro’s frustrating 2023.
