An NFL roster is a zero-sum game, thanks to the salary cap. Paying one player more means you have to pay another player less. To offset larger premium contracts, each team is trying to get as much value as it can out of its veteran contracts.
Below I've analyzed the rosters of all 32 NFL teams based on present value, future value and percent of the salary cap tied up to try to select the most valuable contract on each roster. And these aren't necessarily the cheapest contracts on each team -- one player on the list signed one of the largest contracts in sports -- but rather a calculation of how much value the team is getting for the amount it is paying.
There was one rule: I did not use drafted players on rookie contracts because then the entire list would be rookie contracts. A good player on a rookie contract is immensely valuable, as you have likely learned from the discourse about teams with good, young quarterbacks being able to field better teams around them. However, I did consider players on undrafted free agent contracts because any team has a shot at them.
All contract information used was cobbled together from OverTheCap data. Future cap percentages are based on OverTheCap estimates, including a $256 million cap in 2024. Stats listed are through Week 12 unless otherwise noted.
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC
Baltimore Ravens: John Simpson, LG
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1 million (0.5%)
Simpson was a fourth-round pick of the Raiders and was their 2021 starter at left guard. However, he was benched two games into the 2022 season and eventually cut near the end of the season. The Ravens picked him up on the practice squad and this season he won a camp battle at left guard over Ben Cleveland and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.
Simpson has started all 12 games for the Ravens, and it's not easy to find a starting guard out there for a million bucks. He has been pretty good, too. While he has a below-average run block win rate (66.1%), he is tied for 14th among all guards with a pass block win rate of 93.7%. Simpson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Buffalo Bills: Jordan Poyer, S
Age: 32
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $4.9 million (2.1%)
2024: $7.5 million (2.9%)
Finding a good value veteran contract on the Bills is a bit tough because so many of the cap numbers balloon next season. For example, edge rusher Leonard Floyd is a great value with a $2.6 million cap number, but his contract voids after this league year and the Bills must carry $4.4 million in dead money on their cap in 2024. It's good to have Dion Dawkins ranked sixth (92.6%) among tackles in pass block win rate and just 15th in left tackle salary with a cap number of $11.0 million, but his number is $16.6 million next season and then the contract voids leaving $5.4 million of dead money in 2025.
So I'm going with Poyer here, still one of the finest deep safeties in the NFL. He is one of the reasons why the Bills are No. 3 in DVOA against passes in the middle of the field, and his stop rate of 44% (how often his defensive plays prevent offensive success) is well above the safety average of 37%. Poyer's contract for this season ranks 26th among safeties, and while it goes up next year, the Bills could keep him at $7.5 million or cut him and carry just $2.0 million in dead money.
Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Hilton, CB
Age: 29
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $6.0 million (2.6%)
2024: $7.45 million (2.8%)
Hilton doesn't come cheap. The former Steelers nickelback signed a four-year contract with Cincinnati in 2021, and his 2023 cap hit ranks 35th among all cornerbacks. However, he brings a lot of value. I've been experimenting with a new version of DVOA for cornerbacks that rates them based on how much passing success they allow in coverage compared to their total coverage snaps. And among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps through Week 10, Hilton ranked second in DVOA.
Hilton is also important in the run game. His total of 29 run tackles through Week 12 ranks third in the NFL among cornerbacks, and his average depth of run tackle is 4.6 yards, closer to the line of scrimmage than the cornerback average, which is roughly 6 yards per carry. Taron Johnson of the Bills and Kenny Moore II of the Colts are the only corners who have been involved in a higher percentage of their teams' run tackles.
Cleveland Browns: Anthony Walker Jr., LB
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.2 million (0.5%)
Myles Garrett is the strongest engine powering the league-best Cleveland defense, but middle linebacker Walker might be the heart. Walker has signed three different one-year contracts with Cleveland after leaving the Colts in 2021. His current salary is $4.25 million, but most of the deal is spread across 2024-2026 void years for salary cap purposes.
Walker generally plays about 75% of the defensive snaps and is very strong against the run. His average depth of tackle is 3.0 yards on runs, which ranks 11th this season among off-ball linebackers with at least 20 run tackles. Walker missed most of Week 11 and all of Week 12 in concussion protocol, and earlier this week he was listed as questionable for the game against Rams this weekend.
Denver Broncos: Courtland Sutton, WR
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $18.3 million (7.9%)
2024: $17.3 million (6.7%)
2025: $17.8 million (6.3%)
The Broncos don't have a lot of good, cheap veteran value contracts right now. What they have are more expensive players who are earning their high salaries. That includes left tackle Garett Bolles, safety Justin Simmons and Sutton.
Sutton through Week 12 has 560 receiving yards and eight touchdowns with a career-high 71% catch rate. He's 13th in receiving DVOA among qualifying wide receivers and 18th in the ESPN receiver tracking metrics (RTM). That's pretty good for a player whose average contract value is currently 20th among wide receivers. (Remember, the 13th-best receiver should rank higher than 13th in contract value because some of the receivers above him will still be on rookie contracts.)
Houston Texans: Noah Brown, WR
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $2.8 million (1.2%)
Nobody really batted an eye when the Texans signed the former Cowboys veteran receiver to a one-year contract this offseason. In Dallas, Brown wasn't trusted to do much, and he ended up with an average DVOA and very little after-the-catch production. This season, Brown has enjoyed a breakout -- when he has been able to get into the lineup. He has only played in five games, but in those games, he has 21 catches for 439 yards, an average over 20 yards per reception. Brown ranks No. 1 in receiving DVOA among all secondary receivers, those with 10-45 targets.
When healthy, Brown has effectively replaced Robert Woods as the No. 3 receiver in Houston -- or more accurately, replaced Tank Dell (as Dell replaced Woods as the No. 2 option).
Indianapolis Colts: Zaire Franklin, LB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $3.0 million (1.3%)
2024: $3.4 million (1.3%)
Franklin became a starting linebacker in 2021, his fourth NFL season, and is now a stalwart of the Indianapolis defense. He has played 100% of the defensive snaps in most games this season, currently leads the NFL with 79 solo tackles and has been involved in 20% of Colts defensive plays (tackles, PDs, turnovers, etc.) -- which ranks fourth in the league behind Foyesade Oluokun, T.J. Edwards and Roquan Smith. He even has an impressive 30% pass rush win rate when he blitzes. Franklin's contract value ranks just 44th among linebackers, and he's a good value again in 2024.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Adam Gotsis, DT
Age: 31
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.3 million (0.6%)
2024: $1.6 million (0.6%)
The Jaguars are one of the youngest rosters in football, making them a difficult team to pin down for this exercise. Most of their biggest contributors on both sides of the ball are either still on their rookie contracts or were aptly paid in free agency. So let me bring your attention to Gotsis, whose contract currently ranks 100th in average annual value among interior defensive linemen.
That's a bargain for a player who has started six games and plays about 35-45% of snaps on a weekly basis. Gotsis generally plays as a 5-tech defensive end, and he's more of a run-stopper than a pass-rusher. He has been with the Jaguars for four years after starting his career in Denver.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, QB
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $37.1 million (16.9%)
2024: $57.4 million (22.1%)
2025: $60.9 million (21.6%)
2026: $63.3 million
2027: $59.4 million
2028: $27.2 million
2029: $35.0 million
2030: $45.5 million
2031: $48.3 million
Mahomes has the highest cap number of any quarterback in 2023, but he's now third in 2024 behind Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott. He's eighth among current quarterbacks in average value per year. Mahomes' deal currently has no guaranteed money past 2025, but I assume the Chiefs will restructure the contract annually to guarantee more money and move those big salary cap hits in the $60 million range further down the line. The main form of payment in the Mahomes contract comes in the form of roster bonuses, which can easily be converted to a signing bonus before a season begins.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs get the best player in the game for a reasonable cap hit every season. Mahomes may not be the most valuable player in 2023 -- he's just fourth in QBR, for example -- but going into every new year, he's the player most likely to be the best player in the league.
Is Mahomes' contract still too rich for your blood? Another possible Chiefs choice would be punter Tommy Townsend. He was first-team All-Pro last season -- the most valuable punter in the league by my metrics -- and he's having another good season in 2023. He ranks 11th among punters in average annual contract value. Then again, given the presence of Mahomes, how much do the Chiefs really need to pay their punter?
Las Vegas Raiders: John Jenkins, DT
Age: 34
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.1 million (0.5%)
I really wanted to list Jakobi Meyers in this space, since he's having a very strong first season with Las Vegas. Meyers ranks 14th in RTM and 26th in receiving DVOA. His cap number this year is just $4.15 million. But the problem with designating Meyers as the best Raiders value contract is that his contract also includes the next two years, and the amounts jump substantially. He currently has a cap number of $13.6 million for both 2024 and 2025. I assume some sort of restructure is coming to push some of that money down the road.
So instead, let's go with another cheap starting defensive tackle. Jenkins left the Dolphins for Las Vegas in March on a one-year deal, and his average annual contract value ranks 111th among interior defensive linemen. Jenkins has played 56% of the Raiders' defensive snaps this season and has made 44 plays (including tackles, assists and PDs). That ranks third among all interior defensive linemen behind only Harrison Phillips of the Vikings and Derrick Brown of the Panthers.
Los Angeles Chargers: Will Clapp, C
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.1 million (0.5%)
This is Clapp's first season as a regular starter after four seasons in New Orleans and last season with the Chargers. He was the backup to Corey Linsley at center but took over the job when Linsley went on injured reserve at the start of October. Since then, Clapp ranks eighth among all centers in pass block win rate (94.4%). He committed his first penalty of the entire season last Sunday, too.
He might not be Pro Bowl-caliber -- he's currently eighth from the bottom in run block win rate (63.6%) -- but the Chargers are getting a good performance for very little money here. Clapp hits free agency after this season and may be surprisingly in demand as a cheap veteran depth option.
Miami Dolphins: Kendall Lamm, OT
Age: 31
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.05 million (0.5%)
Here's another depth lineman who was forced into action this season with surprisingly strong results. Lamm has played nine seasons in the NFL with only one (2018, Houston right tackle) as a regular starter. He arrived in Miami a season ago but missed much of 2022 with ankle problems.
This season, injuries to Terron Armstead have forced Lamm to start six games at left tackle and play parts of three others. For their million dollars, the Dolphins have received a 92.1% pass block win rate that ranks ninth among NFL tackles this season. Lamm's 75.0% run block win rate is above average for tackles, and he has yet to commit a penalty in 2023.
New England Patriots: Trent Brown, LT
Age: 30
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $12.2 million (5.5%)
2024: Voids, $2.0 million cap hit (0.8%)
Brown was a part of the Patriots' last Super Bowl championship in 2018 before two seasons with the Raiders. He returned to the Patriots in 2021 and signed a new two-year contract in 2022. The cap number was much smaller last season, which is why the average annual value of Brown's contract is only 21st among left tackles. That's a bargain for a player who might be the only Pro Bowl candidate on the Patriots this season. Brown has been below average on pass plays this season but currently ranks 10th among tackles in run block win rate (78.0%). He has only been flagged twice, one of which was declined.
New York Jets: Bryce Huff, DE
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $4.3 million (1.9%)
Huff routinely makes any list of the most underrated defensive players in the NFL. He's a second-string edge rusher who plays like a superstar whenever you look at rate stats. Huff is ninth at his position with a 23.0% pass rush win rate this season. He already has six sacks despite playing just 39% of defensive snaps for the Jets, as well as 15 quarterback hits. Not bad for a player who was available to anyone in the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
He's playing this season on a second-round restricted free agent tender but will be an unrestricted free agent next year. Some team is going to make Huff rich this offseason, and I doubt that he'll be a backup again in 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Montravius Adams, DT
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $3.2 million (1.4%)
Adams impressed the Steelers when they picked him up in the middle of the 2021 season, so they signed him to a two-year contract. The signing has been worth the money and then some. He ranks 20th in pass rush win rate among interior linemen despite absorbing a double-team 73% of the time. He's also 26th in run stop win rate (38%). However, his current contract comes in at 77th among interior defensive linemen in average money per year.
Adams suffered an ankle injury early in Week 9 against the Titans and has missed three games since. He may be back in Week 13.
Tennessee Titans: Arden Key, OLB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $2.9 million (1.3%)
2024: $4.2 million (1.6%)
2025: $9.3 million (3.3%)
2026: Voids, $4.6 million cap hit (1.5%)
Key is underrated, as evidenced by the very reasonable three-year deal he signed with the Titans in the offseason. For less than a $3 million cap hit, the Titans are getting an edge rusher who currently ranks 11th in pass rush win rate (22.1%). The Titans are Key's fourth NFL team, but he's finally getting public appreciation for his excellent play.
NFC
Arizona Cardinals: Will Hernandez, RG
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $3.6 million (1.6%)
2024: $5.3 million (2.0%)
This is another team with a young roster where it can be tough to find a good value veteran contract. However, Hernandez has had an excellent season at right guard for the Cardinals after signing a new two-year deal in the offseason. Hernandez is fifth in the NFL among guards in run block win rate (79.4%). He's also 19th in pass block win rate (94.3%) and his only penalty came in Week 1. Hernandez's cap hit does go up in 2024, but he can be released before a 2024 roster bonus for a dead money charge of just $1.25 million.
Atlanta Falcons: Dee Alford, CB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $873,500 (0.4%)
2024: $988,500 (0.4%)
Alford graduated from Division II Tusculum in 2019 and went undrafted, which led to two seasons in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Atlanta brought him home in 2022 -- he grew up in Griffin, Georgia -- and he has become an important part of the Falcons' secondary as the nickelback. Alford is 11th in DVOA this season among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps (through Week 10). He's also tied for second among Atlanta defenders with six passes defensed.
Carolina Panthers: Frankie Luvu, LB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $5.5 million (2.3%)
Luvu makes this list for 2023 even though his cap hit went up by $2 million. He emerged as a big-time playmaker in his first season as a starter in 2022. And this season, he has 20 defeats, which ranks in the NFL top 20. (Defeats add together turnovers, tackles for loss and plays to prevent third- and fourth-down conversions.) He has 83 combined tackles to lead the Panthers by more than 20, and he also has four passes defensed and 3.5 sacks.
I did think about using Adam Thielen in this spot, as the veteran receiver currently ranks 27th in receiving DYAR and comes out ninth in RTM despite a cap number of just $3.3 million. The problem is what happens to Thielen's contract in the next couple of seasons after this one. His cap number jumps to $9.9 million in 2024 and then $8.4 million in 2025. Those are huge numbers for a receiver who is going to be 34 and 35 in those seasons, plus a void year throws an additional $3.3 million onto the Carolina cap in 2026.
Chicago Bears: Jack Sanborn, LB
Age: 23
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $872,500 (0.4%)
2024: $987,500 (0.4%)
Sanborn was an undrafted rookie in 2022 who replaced Roquan Smith as a starting linebacker at midseason. Free agent signings Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards pushed Sanborn out of the starting lineup this season, but he's still an important part of the Bears as the third linebacker in "base" packages and a core special-teamer. Sanborn has played 48% of the Bears' defensive snaps and has 61 combined tackles with an interception and a sack. His average depth of tackle on run plays is 2.8 yards, a yard shorter than the average for off-ball linebackers.
Dallas Cowboys: KaVontae Turpin, WR
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $870,000 (0.4%)
2024: $985,000 (0.4%)
Turpin went undrafted in 2019 after he finished four years at TCU. He fought his way through everything from Fan Controlled Football to the League of American Football in Poland before he won MVP for the New Jersey Generals in the first year of the reconstituted USFL.
That brought him to the attention of the Cowboys, who signed him to a three-year deal in 2022. Turpin made the Pro Bowl as a return man in his first NFL season. Punt returns haven't been as strong in 2023, but he has kickoff returns of 63 and 48 yards. Turpin also has a strong performance in limited time as a wide receiver, with 113 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches.
Detroit Lions: Jerry Jacobs, CB
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $941,168 (0.4%)
Jacobs went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2021 and signed a three-year free-agent deal with the Lions. Injuries pushed him into the starting lineup by Week 5 of his rookie season, and he has been a starting cornerback for the team since then. This season, Jacobs has three interceptions and ranks 10th in DVOA per coverage snap among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps (through Week 10, and this admittedly does not include a poor game against Green Bay on Thanksgiving).
He'll be a restricted free agent in 2024, and there will be teams interested in his services depending on what kind of tender the Lions place on him.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love, QB
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $4.4 million (1.9%)
2024: $7.8 million (2.9%)
2025: Voids, $5.3 million cap hit (1.9%)
Love just might be the guy for the Packers, but they didn't know if he was before the season. So instead of letting Love play out his fifth-year option, the Packers extended his contract through 2024. They got an additional season to figure out what Love could be, plus a break on guaranteed money while Love received a signing bonus up front. The contract has worked out for the Packers, as Love is playing strong football and just might lead the Packers to the playoffs. (ESPN's Football Power Index gives them a 47% chance right now.)
Love is 19th in QBR (52.6) and 13th in passing DVOA so far this season. That's pretty good for a quarterback with a lower annual average on his contract than Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill or Daniel Jones.
Los Angeles Rams: Ahkello Witherspoon, CB
Age: 28
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $940,000 (0.4%)
The Rams had questions in their secondary going into this season, but signing veteran Witherspoon to a one-year contract in June helped solve them. The former 49ers and Steelers starter has held down the left cornerback position for the Rams all season and is a big reason the Rams rank 10th in DVOA on passes to the right side (aka the defensive left side).
Witherspoon has started all 11 games -- his first season of double-digit starts since 2018 -- and ranks 13th in DVOA per coverage snap among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps (through Week 10). According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has allowed a low 50.8% completion rate in coverage.
Minnesota Vikings: Ivan Pace Jr., LB
Age: 22
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $756,666 (0.3%)
2024: $921,666 (0.3%)
2025: $1.04 million (0.4%)
Here's another undrafted free agent, and a surprising one. Pace was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year last season but still went undrafted. He signed a three-year contract with Minnesota and was playing right from the start of the season. He was in for 68% of snaps in Week 1 and started in Week 2.
In the past couple of weeks, Pace has taken over as the green-dot playcaller with Jordan Hicks injured. He has nine combined tackles in each of the past two games while playing 100% of the defensive snaps.
New Orleans Saints: Rashid Shaheed, WR
Age: 25
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $870,000 (0.4%)
The Saints signed Shaheed to a two-year undrafted free agent contract out of FCS school Weber State a year ago. In his first NFL season, he caught 28 balls for 488 yards and two touchdowns. An 82% catch rate helped give him a fantastic 44.1% DVOA rating as a rookie. This season, he has 33 catches so far for 534 yards and three touchdowns. A lower catch rate (60%) means a lower DVOA, but he still ranks 34th among qualifying wide receivers.
Shaheed also serves as the kick and punt return man for the Saints, and my metrics rank him No. 1 in punt return value this season. He has had 11 different returns for at least 10 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown against Green Bay in Week 3. Shaheed will be an exclusive rights free agent in the upcoming offseason.
New York Giants: Darius Slayton, WR
Age: 26
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $4.2 million (1.8%)
2024: $7.75 million (3.0%)
This one was hard, as the Giants' most valuable veteran cap hits of 2023 belong to players whose cap hits jump in future years. For example, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has a $5.7 million cap number this year, which is hugely valuable. Next year, that jumps to $22.1 million. Or take linebacker Bobby Okereke, tied for second in the NFL in defeats. Okereke has a cap number of just $4.4 million in 2023, but that jumps to $11.2 million next season and $12.2 million in 2025 and 2026.
We'll give the best value contract award to Slayton's two-year deal that covers 2023 and 2024. Slayton has an inconsistent career but is the most valuable wide receiver on the Giants. Last season, he ranked 16th among receivers in DVOA, catching 46 passes for 724 yards and two touchdowns. This season, his DVOA is below average, but he still leads the Giants in receiving yards with 435 yards through Week 12. He has played 78% of New York's offensive snaps so far in 2023.
Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin Byard, S
Age: 30
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.7 million (0.7%)
2024: $14.4 million (5.5%)
2025: Voids, $1.04 million cap hit (0.4%).
Philadelphia's complex use of long-term contracts with void years made this a tough choice. For example, Haason Reddick has a cap number of just under $7 million this season. But next year, his cap number is currently scheduled to balloon to $20.9 million, with $14.8 million of dead money on the cap during a 2025 void year. James Bradberry is another example, as his cap number is a very reasonable $3 million this year and $4.7 million next year, then $8.25 million in 2025 and a ridiculous $22.25 million in 2026. Those last couple years are pretty much fake, as Bradberry will probably be cut off this contract after 2024, but there's going to be a lot of extra dead money from him on the Eagles' cap in the future.
So I cheated a little bit and chose a player who was just recently traded to the Eagles. That trade meant that most of the bonuses on Byard's contract accelerated onto Tennessee's cap, not Philadelphia's cap. The Eagles are on the hook for a cap number of just $1.7 million for Byard this year. Next year's cap number is colossal, but the Eagles can get out of most of it by cutting Byard before a March 19 roster bonus. That would leave just $1.4 million in dead money on the cap for next season. That $3.1 million, even for just half a season of a Pro Bowl-level safety, is a pretty good deal.
San Francisco 49ers: Tashaun Gipson Sr., S
Age: 33
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $2.1 million (0.9%)
2024: Voids, $800,000 cap hit (0.3%)
Gipson's age is a big reason why these contract numbers are so low, but the 49ers got a bargain when they signed the veteran safety before the 2022 season. Gipson's strong play this season has helped the 49ers solve one of their major weaknesses of recent seasons: deep pass coverage. The 49ers rank fifth in DVOA on deep passes (over 15 air yards) this season. NFL Next Gen Stats says that Gipson has allowed just a 43.8% completion rate in coverage, too.
Seattle Seahawks: Jarran Reed, DT
Age: 30
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $3.0 million (1.4%)
2024: $6.0 million (2.3%)
Originally a Seahawks draft pick, Reed spent five seasons with the Seahawks and then a season each with Kansas City and Green Bay before returning to Seattle on a two-year contract in the offseason. He has started every game this season, playing 68% of total defensive snaps for the Seahawks.
Reed ranks 17th in pass rush win rate among DTs (12.8%) and comes out above average in run stop win rate as well. A good 85% of his run tackles prevent a successful play for the offense, compared to the interior defensive lineman average of 74%. Yet, his average annual contract value is just 52nd among interior defensive linemen. Next season, the Seahawks can keep Reed around at roughly twice the cap hit or can choose to cut him and be on the hook for just $1.5 million in dead money.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lavonte David, LB
Age: 33
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $1.8 million (0.8%)
2024: Voids, $2.7 million cap hit (1.0%)
The Buccaneers brought David back on a one-year contract for this season, and even at his age, he just continues to do Lavonte David things. He historically may be the greatest linebacker ever in an advanced metric called defeats, which adds together tackles for loss, turnovers and plays to prevent conversion on third or fourth down. David is near the top of the league nearly every season and this one is no exception. He has 24 defeats, tied for second in the NFL, despite missing the last game with a groin injury. Before that, David was playing nearly 100% of the defensive snaps for Tampa Bay.
Washington Commanders: Cody Barton, LB
Age: 27
Remaining contract (cap hit, percentage of cap):
2023: $3.5 million (1.5%)
Here's another tough team to figure out a good value contract. You've got very good veterans making a lot of money, including defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. You've got cheaper veterans not playing particularly well, such as center Tyler Larsen (with a cap number under $1 million, he's next-to-last in pass block win rate among qualifying centers). So we'll give this to Barton, who has been Washington's top playmaker when healthy.
The Commanders signed Barton away from Seattle with a one-year contract this offseason. He played 100% of defensive snaps in the first six weeks of the season before an ankle injury in Week 7. He returned on Thanksgiving and once again played 100% of snaps. Barton has 67 combined tackles, which means he leads the Commanders with 8.4 tackles per game.