Lower cap
 

Contracts Cap space
1 Jacksonville Jaguars 57 $71,929,885
2 Indianapolis Colts 62 $61,362,959
3 New York Jets 55 $60,154,892
4 New England Patriots 57 $54,599,836
5 Cincinnati Bengals 48 $34,224,143
6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 $28,200,683
7 Cleveland Browns 45 $24,381,179
8 Baltimore Ravens 41 $24,264,089
9 Washington Football Team 65 $23,183,862
10 Miami Dolphins 55 $22,874,512
11 Los Angeles Chargers 45 $22,035,869
12 San Francisco 49ers 49 $14,793,293
13 Dallas Cowboys 62 $10,415,619
14 Denver Broncos 59 $10,275,259
15 Arizona Cardinals 52 $7,433,364
16 Seattle Seahawks 47 $6,190,563
17 Carolina Panthers 53 $6,108,935
18 Detroit Lions 50 $3,557,695
19 Buffalo Bills 42 $765,642
20 Tennessee Titans 50 ($6,988,850)
21 Chicago Bears 45 ($8,373,955)
22 New York Giants 65 ($12,484,491)
23 Minnesota Vikings 56 ($17,685,367)
24 Las Vegas Raiders 52 ($17,929,972)
25 Kansas City Chiefs 40 ($18,697,557)
26 Houston Texans 52 ($21,008,826)
27 Los Angeles Rams 45 ($21,360,598)
28 Pittsburgh Steelers 47 ($23,662,231)
29 Green Bay Packers 44 ($24,440,451)
30 Atlanta Falcons 42 ($32,259,786)
31 Philadelphia Eagles 64 ($63,016,351)
32 New Orleans Saints 46 ($99,840,508)

Seems like the lower cap is going to affect the value for free agents. We are in a good spot, but need to replace expiring contracts. Most of the other playoff teams are in cap hell now. It could bode well for us.

Does this take into account AC retiring? Or does his money for next year not go back into the cap?

It will all work out in the end.

Free agents won't get as much. Teams will have to cut more players which will may make for a better pool of talent in free agency as well.

He was $16 million in salary. That number fully goes back into the Colts cap.

I think it is added in already.

We will probably see a lot of one year contracts signed, with an option to re-up when the cap goes back up.

$4M difference

Not enough difference to matter

Both the Jets and the Jaguars have big cap space. Both of them not only have high picks, but double digit picks. I kind of feel that both of these teams will be competitive next year.