Report: Jaguars to Enter 2021 Offseason With Fourth-Highest Adjusted Cap
The Jacksonville Jaguars got more good news this week as it pertains to their standing with the salary cap heading into the 2021 offseason.
ESPN's Field Yates reported the finalized adjusted cap figures for each NFL team on Thursday, numbers that are officially set 14 days before the league year each season. The Jaguars, predictably, are among the teams with the highest adjusted salary cap figure, meaning their cap room this offseason is actually set to be more than whatever the cap ceiling will ultimately be set at.
Under CBA rules first implemented in 2011, teams are allowed to carry unused cap space into the following season. The Jaguars, according to Yates, are bringing an extra $26,740,156 to the table this offseason, the fourth-highest among all teams.
The only teams with highest adjusted cap figures than the Jaguars are the Cleveland Browns ($29,409,691), New York Jets ($28,097,814) and the Dallas Cowboys ($27,462,159). Essentially, this means the Jaguars' cap ceiling for the 2021 offseason would be $206,740,156 if the league's salary cap is set at $180 million, which has yet to officially happen.
If this is confusing, Brian McFarland did a wonderful explanation of adjusted salary cap space for BaltimoreRavens.com in 2017.
"The league-wide salary cap for 2017 has been set at $167 million. However, most teams will actual have a salary cap figure that is higher or lower than the $167M. This is what is known as the team's Adjusted Team Cap and includes the league-wide cap, plus any excess cap space carried over from the prior year and also includes the positive or negative incentives adjustment from the prior year. This adjusted team cap then operates as the maximum salary cap amount for the team," McFarland wrote.
The Jaguars have undoubtedly known about this influx of extra cap space from the previous year and included it in their offseason plans, but it is a positive development for the NFL's youngest roster.
The Jaguars finished 1-15 last season and have question marks at nearly every position group in new head coach Urban Meyer's first NFL season. Considering Meyer would likely want to start winning sooner than later, it stands to reason the Jaguars could be big spenders when free agency begins at 4 p.m. on March 17.
According to Over The Cap, the Jaguars presently lead the NFL in available cap space with $85,243,714.
