NFL teams will have a lot more money to spend for the 2014 season.
The salary cap is projected to rise by 5 percent to $130 million — up from $123 million in 2013 — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Previously, the salary cap was expected to rise to $126 million, so this news increases spending by $4 million from the projected amount and $7 million from last season.
The cap bump could allow the New England Patriots to hold onto free-agent wide receiver Julian Edelman and cornerback Aqib Talib. If the cap increases to $130 million, the Patriots have $7.8 million to spend this offseason. They can free up more cap room by cutting and restructuring the contracts of overpaid veterans.
The franchise tag is tied to the salary cap. So even with the bump in cap room, the Patriots still are unlikely to tag Talib or Edelman, since they would be more affordable in 2014 if given long-term contracts.
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