Here are Washington’s biggest cap hits for 2022 season

The Washington Football Team is currently embarking on their biggest offseason in recent memory. Between finding a new QB, unveiling a new name and uniforms, the draft and free agency, the pressure is undeniable.

For the sake of time, let’s focus on free agency. Projected to have over $40 million in cap space, Washington is well positioned to add talent. Who knows? If they unload multiple first-round draft picks for a star quarterback, that cap space could end up coming in handy as far as rounding out the roster.

It goes without saying, but that cap space will play a huge role in absorbing a potential star quarterback’s contract. While there are other teams in the market for a top-flight QB, very few are flush with cap space.

Take the Saints for example. They’re currently $71 million over the cap.

As always, Washington could tinker with some of the deals on their payroll to manufacture more room for potential deals. Luckily for them, they only have a handful of players whom have what would qualify as expensive cap hits.

To give fans a better idea of what Washington is working with this offseason, here are the biggest cap hits on the roster for 2022.

Here are the Washington Football Team’s biggest cap hits for 2022.

• Landon Collins – $16.2 million
• William Jackson – $14 million
• Curtis Samuel – $12.9 million
• Kendall Fuller – $11.13 million
• Chase Roullier – $10.06 million
• Ereck Flowers – $10 million
• Jonathan Allen – $9.5 million
• Chase Young – $9.42 million

Of course, Collins’ contract sticks out like a sore thumb.

The former All-Pro safety comes with a dead cap charge of $9.6 million, so Washington could save over $6 million by cutting him. Then again, would that be a wise decision after he showed new life as a box linebacker?

You can see both sides of the argument, but the simple solution would be to approach Collins about a potential restructuring. Find a way to see to it that he’s still one of the team’s highest-paid players while lowering that cap hit.

Jackson’s cap hit is pretty hefty, but he showed real improvement over the second half of the season after an ugly start. He clearly showed more comfort in the system and seems adjusted to playing with new teammates.

Samuel, clearly, is the other outlier.

Considering his talent, his $12.9 million cap hit should be a steal. Instead it looks like a gross overpay after injuries limited him to just five games after he signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract with Washington last offseason.

The other five players, though, are some of the more consistent on the roster in terms of playing winning football. To start, Fuller allowed just a 66.3% completion rate and three touchdowns on 101 targets.

Roullier’s cap hit is something to monitor in terms of how he performs after he fractured his left fibula in November. If he returns to pre-injury form (one of the best centers in the NFL) that $10.06 million cap hit would look like a bargain.

Flowers, meanwhile, took another step forward in 2021. He was exceptional in pass protection, allowing 26 pressures and just three quarterback hits, helping him receive an elite 78.2 pass-blocking grade from PFF.

Jonathan Allen’s name speaks for itself. Nothing to elaborate on there.

As for Young, we’re all pulling for him to make a swift recovery from ACL surgery and be ready to contribute by the start of next season. With that said, fans should give him a long leash in his first games back. Allow him some time to get his feet back under him and re-acclimate himself to the speed of the game.

All in all, this is a solid place to be in if you’re Washington.

Stay tuned for free agency (and perhaps new of a few extensions) to see if anyone joins this group near the top of Washington’s 2022 payroll.