NFL Salary Cap Set at $167 Million for 2017 Season
By Zac Snyder
The NFL has officially announced the 2017 salary cap will be set at $167 million, giving the Detroit Lions a little more than $31 million in space.
The NFL’s new league year begins next week, opening the annual free agent frenzy. Just how much teams have to spend is dependent on where the salary cap is set for that year. Recent estimates had the 2017 NFL salary cap at between $166 million and $169 million, and the final number comes within those bounds at $167 million.
NFL salary cap officially set today at $167 million per team, per source. Gentlemen, start your checkbooks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2017
Re the NFL salary cap... 4th straight year with a jump of at least $10m
— Neil Reynolds (@neilreynoldsnfl) March 1, 2017
Because clubs are permitted to carry over unused cap space from the previous year, the Detroit Lions will have a team cap of over $171 million to work with for the 2017 season.
Based on their team cap number, current commitments and dead money, the Lions sit with more than $31 million in cap space. That gives them enough space to be active participants in the free agent market if they choose, but no one should expect them to try to make a Miami Dolphins-like splash.
$31 million may sound like a lot considering the Lions have spent most of their recent history up against the cap, but it ranks middle of the pack. That means their actual buying power on the market will be only average.
Look for a free agency period similar to last year where the Lions had a specific target or two (like Marvin Jones) before turning their attention to value deals after the initial wave has passed.
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Check out offseason Lions offseason previews/predictions for the following position groups: Defensive Backs, Linebackers, Tight Ends, Running Backs, Wide Receivers