The NFL released the official salary cap number for 2015.
With the free agency period beginning next Tuesday, NFL teams were today informed of the official salary cap number for the 2015 season. According to various reports it has been set at $143.28 million, above the $138 million estimate of last fall and the $133 million of last season. It is also the second straight season that the cap has gone up $10 million or more from the previous year.
OvertheCap.com has set its cap estimates based on $143 million and calculates that the Seahawks have $25.7 million available. That ranks Seattle 17th in available cap space.
Seattle general manager John Schneider said at the Super Bowl that the pending contract extension for Russell Wilson “presents challenges” in terms of the cap, and the team is also hoping to get an extension done with Marshawn Lynch and Bobby Wagner.
The conventional wisdom is that Seattle is likely to play free agency similarly to how it did last season, mostly staying out of the fray for big-ticket guys but picking up some players at positions of need.
Intriguingly, though, Ndamukong Suh will be available in free agency as the Lions announced today they will not use their franchise tag on him.