Pat Yasinskas, ESPN's NFC South blogger, recently released 2011 salary cap figures for all 32 NFL teams. His numbers are based on the players currently under contract for the 2011 season, meaning players that are set to become free agents aren't included in these numbers. This means the numbers are also based on the free agency rules of the current collective bargaining agreement, which could very well change if the NFL and NFLPA ever work out a new deal.
According to Yasinskas, the Detroit Lions have $113.8 million committed to 2011 right now, the second highest figure in the NFC North. The Packers have a figure of $129.8 million, leading all NFC North teams. The Vikings are third with $108.4 million and the Bears are fourth with $104.9 million.
The expected return of a salary cap will likely be one of a few changes from the last offseason once a new CBA is in place. It is also expected that the definition of a restricted free agent as far as years of service goes will change. The change could make players who are restricted free agents under the current rules unrestricted free agents, meaning teams might not be able to bring them back as easily.
Of course, these numbers are based only on players under contract for 2011, but how much they will change over the course of the offseason will depend largely on what the rules of free agency look like in the new CBA. The rules of a rookie wage scale, which is expected to be in the new CBA, also will play a role in how much more money is added to these numbers.
(Via Kevin Seifert)