Top Potential NFL Cap Casualties Who Could Be Steals for Other Teams in 2025

With just two teams left in Super Bowl contention, there are already 30 general managers around the league eyeing up their respective team's roster and cooking up ways to improve it during the upcoming season.

There may be some unexpected free agents for these GMs to consider adding in the coming months.

While the salary cap is projected to rise up to $275 million for the 2025 season, teams will inevitably still part ways with veterans under contract to free up space for extensions and new signings. These released players are considered cap casualties with prices too prohibitive for their cash-strapped squads to continue paying.

Although most of the players who end up being released early are past their prime or dealing with injury-related issues, not every cap casualty is washed up. Several of these potential releases stand out for their potential to quickly land with another organization and contribute at a high level next season.

With that in mind, here are five likely cap casualties who could make a difference at a budget cost in 2025.

The New Orleans Saints are once again at a crossroads. Despite a noticeable lack of success in the post-Drew Brees era, the team has long been avoiding a complete rebuild. New Orleans attempted to shortcut itself back into contention by signing Derek Carr following his release by the Las Vegas Raiders after the 2022 campaign, but the squad has gone just 14-20 since acquiring the veteran quarterback.

While New Orleans doesn't have a suitable alternative to Carr under contract right now, the team may opt to move on from the 33-year-old rather than pay him $40 million for another mediocre campaign that doesn't result in either a playoff berth or top draft pick.

A trade would be the ideal way for the Saints to split from their signal-caller, but Carr's expensive contract and advancing age likely won't result in many suitors even if Carr is willing to waive his no-trade clause. Teams that would have some interest in Carr—such as the Tennessee Titans or Pittsburgh Steelers—realize they could land the quarterback for pennies on the dollar if the cash-strapped Saints do elect to release him.

If New Orleans does decide to cut ties with Carr it will have to act quickly. The QB has another $10 million in salary that becomes guaranteed at the start of the new league year, although the team will still have to take on a shade over $50 million in dead money by cutting him.

Such a maneuver would undoubtedly kick off the type of ground-up rebuild the Saints have been desperately avoiding, but it's one that could help the Saints find stability in the long run. It would also benefit one of the many QB-needy teams out there, who could ink Carr to an affordable, short-term deal to serve as a bridge option.

Carr is still just two years removed from the most recent of his four career Pro Bowl nods. He has fared relatively well despite playing behind a weak offensive line and inconsistent supporting cast during his tenure in the Big Easy. He's completed over 68 percent of his throws and has racked up 40 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 27 starts for the Saints—numbers that suggest Carr has some tread left on his tires as he prepares for an age-34 campaign.

The San Francisco 49ers may have to make a tough decision regarding Deebo Samuel this offseason. The team will struggle to afford a market-value deal for the wideout—especially after making a long-term commitment to Brandon Aiyuk this past offseason—and must save wherever it can to make room for extensions to key talent like quarterback Brock Purdy.

While moving on from Samuel after June 1 will only save a bit over $5 million, that may be the difference between retaining another core playmaker, such as tight end George Kittle, and having to part ways this offseason.

This split may have seemed inconceivable a few seasons ago after Samuel landed on the All-Pro team for his breakout 1,770-yard, 14-touchdown campaign in 2021, but he's failed to get back to that level in recent years. He's missed time due to injury in three consecutive seasons and just failed to eclipse the 700-yard receiving mark for the second time in three years.

Some trade interest may ultimately emerge for Samuel because of his rare skillset, but it wouldn't be too far-fetched to envision the 49ers outright cutting him if they don't receive a suitable offer. If that happens, it won't take long at all for Deebo to catch on with a new team.

Although Samuel has fallen off a bit in San Francisco, he's still on the right side of 30—he only recently turned 29—and could still be an asset in a system that could better feature his unique talents. He's capable of contributing both as a pass-catcher and runner, the latter evidenced by his 1,143 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground across 202 career totes, and may be better off in a less-crowded offense where he can truly shine.

The Cleveland Browns are trending toward a full-blown rebuild this offseason. With the Deshaun Watson trade looking like one of the most disastrous decisions in league history and Myles Garrett now asking for a trade, the team should be willing to tear it down and start over. One of the ways the Browns can clear up a decent amount of sorely-needed cap space—money it could use to sign youthful, high-upside talent—is by getting right tackle Jack Conklin off the books.

That won't be a difficult endeavor. Conklin is one of the handful of players who can be released before June 1 and still clear cap room—$4.6 million in this case. Waiting until after that date would allow the Browns to save an additional $10 million, so it's pretty clear he'll be up for grabs at some point this offseason.

While Conklin hasn't been playing up to the four-year, $60 million extension he signed with the Browns in December 2022, there's almost always a need for offensive line help around the league, and the 30-year-old tackle could draw some heavy interest due to this.

The two-time All-Pro missed nearly all of 2023 after tearing his ACL and MCL in the opener. He returned to participate in 12 games this past season, but only earned a middling 66.2 PFF grade for his efforts. While he's getting up in age and has a concerning injury history, Conklin could still provide valuable depth and even continue to start on the right side for a team needing help in the offensive trenches.

Although teams won't be desperate enough to trade for Conklin at his current price tag, he's still an ideal swing tackle at this stage in his career. It wouldn't be a shock to see him stabilize a contender's offensive line at an extremely cheap cost following his inevitable release.

The Los Angeles Chargers may have fond memories of Joey Bosa, but it's becoming painfully apparent that he's no longer the game-breaking edge-rusher he was earlier in his career.

Bosa—the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year—has struggled to stay on the field in recent years. He's missed 23 games over the past three seasons and hasn't recorded a double-digit sack campaign since 2021. While he did participate in 14 contests in 2024, he only tallied five sacks and had a career-low pressure percentage of 12.5 according to SISDataHub.com

Considering he's set to account for a massive $36 million cap hit this upcoming season, it's tough to picture Bosa sticking around L.A. without taking a significant pay cut. The Bolts may shop him around for a while, but they'll likely find the offers lacking without taking on a large portion of his salary.

Cutting Bosa will save the club a cool $25 million, money it could use to shore up several problem areas within a roster that showed immense growth under new head coach Jim Harbaugh last season but still suffered an embarrassing Wild Card round loss.

Bosa should have no shortage of interest if he lands in free agency this spring. He's a veteran leader with a proven ability to get after the quarterback—an invaluable asset in the modern game. Even though he's lost a step and isn't likely to get back to elite form during his age-30 season, the four-time Pro Bowler should still find a way to play a decent percentage of defensive snaps for a contender seeking some juice on the edge.

The Baltimore Ravens are once again seeking answers on the heels of yet another disappointingly early playoff exit. The team doesn't have much financial flexibility to find these solutions either, an issue the team may have to make some tough cuts to remedy.

One of the harder choices Baltimore's front office will have to make involves standout cornerback Marlon Humphrey. The defensive back is set to count for $25.4 million against the Ravens' cap in 2025, giving Humphrey the largest hit on the roster outside of Lamar Jackson.

While Humphrey's work earlier in his career would unquestionably warrant this, he missed seven games in 2023 due to injury and was also sidelined for five contests in 2021. The corner returned and thrived in 2024, however, recording a career-high six sacks and even returning one for a touchdown for the first time since entering the NFL as a first-round pick back in 2017.

Humphrey clearly still had what it took to be a top corner last year, but his shaky availability and rising age—he'll be 29 in July—could lead the Ravens to make an extremely difficult choice to cut him if they can't hammer out an extension or restructuring to bring down costs.

If Humphrey does become available, expect plenty of contenders to bring him in for meetings. He should have at least one more elite campaign left in him and could provide immense value for a Super Bowl hopeful.