Landon Collins is about to save Commanders a ton of cap space

Much has been made about the Washington Commanders‘ offseason. Besides the Carson Wentz trade, the front office has been hesitant to spend money despite having enough cap space to exploit loopholes and make further additions.

As of this writing, the Commanders have $7.396 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap, placing them in the bottom third of the NFL. Of course, teams like the Saints, Rams and Buccaneers, among others, have made high-profile moves all offseason despite being pressed right against the cap, if not over it.

There’s something to be said about an NFL team being responsible with its cap management and it’s clearly benefited Washington. Per Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, the Commanders rank No. 5 in PFF’s ‘Cap Health Rankings.”

That’s all well and good, but the lack of urgency displayed by Ron Rivera entering a pivotal year three has fans up in arms. Could the veteran head coach and front office be biding their time for Landon Collins’ release to become official, though?

Designated as a post-June 1 cut, Collins’ contract will come off the books on Thursday and Washington will reap the benefits.

How much cap space will the Commanders save when Landon Collins’ release becomes official?

Collins’ release will free up an additional $11.88 million in salary cap space, meaning Washington will have close to $20 million by this time tomorrow. That’s absolutely massive news considering the remaining holes on the roster.

Linebacker is obviously the top priority, but some of the Commanders’ newfound financial flexibility can be spread amongst potential depth pieces, whether it be at cornerback, defensive tackle, defensive end, tight end or safety. As presently constructed, each of those positions could use an additional player.

With Collins’ release becoming official, the Commanders free up $12 million of his whopping $15.7 million cap hit. The move leaves behind manageable dead cap charges of $3.825 million this year and an additional $4.65 million in 2023. Given their “cap health,” though, those figures will amount to pocket change.

Of course, the big kicker here is the $11.88 million. As of 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, Washington will be free to use that money however they so choose. Fans obviously have their preferences, but they shouldn’t expect all of it to be spent.

After all, there’s a reason they rank so highly by PFF’s “cap health” evaluation, which considers active draft capital, effective cap room spanning 2022-24, prorated money, top 51 roster valuation and 2023 unrestricted free agent valuation.

While impressive, it’s time the team steps outside its comfort zone and focuses on rounding out its roster before the offseason kicks into high gear.