Tweet
1. Dwayne Bowe, Browns WR
2016 Cap Hit: $8 million
Bowe is the second lowest paid player on this list, but he had only five catches (J.J. Watt had three catches last year, by the way) in 2015 and was paid $9 million for them. That’s $1.8 million per catch — more than Jaguars Pro Bowl WR Allen Robinson has made in his entire career.
2. Joe Flacco, Ravens QB
2016 Cap Hit: Unknown
We don’t know the specifics of Flacco’s newly restructured deal, but this doesn’t sound much better than the monstrosity Baltimore gave him three years ago:
3. Charles Johnson, Panthers DE
2016 Cap Hit: $15 million
The Panthers made Johnson the highest paid defensive player in the league in 2011, which , even at the time, sounded as absurd as it does now. He has hovered around the 10-sack mark since signing the deal, but has never been a dominant player.
4. Victor Cruz, Giants WR
2016 Cap Hit: $9.9 million
Injuries have wiped out Cruz’s last two seasons, but the slot receiver was showing signs of decline right after signing his new contract. He averaged 9.5 touchdowns a season before the extension and has scored five ever since.
5. Dennis Pitta, Ravens TE
2016 Cap Hit: $7.2 million
The Ravens gave Pitta his $32 million extension after he fractured and dislocated his hip. Pitta played seven games before injuring his hip again the following season.
6. Ryan Clady, Broncos LT
2016 Cap Hit: $10.1 million
Clady signed his $52 million deal three season ago and has played only 18 games since. Denver has managed to make the Super Bowl twice during that span, but the left tackle played in just two games in those seasons.
7. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers QB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
The Panthers signed Stewart to his big deal before NFL teams realized they should stop paying running backs. Stewart is on the books for $9.55 million in 2016 and hasn’t run for 1,000 yards in a season in six years.
8. Drew Brees, Saints QB
2016 Cap Hit: $30 million
Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but his $30 million cap hit for the 2016 season is beyond ridiculous. No player is worth that much.
9. Mike Wallace, Vikings WR
2016 Cap Hit: $11.5 million
We should really blame Ben Roethlisberger for Wallace being on this list. He made the former Steelers wide receiver, who’s just a slightly better version of Ted Ginn Jr., look like a legit No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins fell for it and made Wallace one of the highest-paid players at the position before trading him to Minnesota.
10. Jordan Cameron, Dolphins TE
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
Oh look, another Dolphins signing makes the list. Cameron wasn’t very good in his contract year in Cleveland, but that didn’t stop Miami from handing him a big deal. In return, the Dolphins got 35 catches and three touchdowns in 2015.
11. Byron Maxwell, Eagles CB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.7 million
Chip Kelly made two big mistakes during his short stint as Eagles general manager. One of them was giving Maxwell $25 million guaranteed and the other is on this list later. Maxwell was never a lockdown, man-to-man corner in Seattle so it wasn’t a surprise when he struggled in that role in Philadelphia. He’ll make $9.7 million next year before his cap number balloons up to eight figures in 2017.
12. Darrelle Revis, Jets CB
2016 Cap Hit: $17 million
Revis is still a top-shelf corner but his ability to completely take a receiver out of a game is waning. That’s what the Jets thought they were getting when they gave him a $70 million deal. Now Revis is making quarterback money for the next two seasons.
13. Jairus Byrd, Saints FS
2016 Cap Hit: $10.9 million
The perpetually cap-strapped Saints surprised everyone when they nabbed Byrd, who was considered one of the top free agents in 2014. New Orleans wanted to create more turnovers, and Byrd had 22 interceptions to his name before signing with the Saints. He’s picked off one pass in the last two seasons.
14. Ndamukong Suh, Dolphins DT
2016 Cap Hit: $28.6 million
Suh’s inclusion on this list has nothing to do with his talent. He is a disruptive force on the interior and was the best player on Miami’s disappointing defense in 2015. But the man has a cap hit of $28.6 million for 2016. Cut that number in half and it still might be a little exorbitant.
15. Brian Cushing, Texans LB
2016 Cap Hit: $9 million
Injuries have wrecked Cushing’s career. He’s a liability in passing situations, which is where games are won and lost in the NFL. His $9 million cap hit in 2016 is a little too high for a two-down player.
16. Brandon Carr, Cowboys CB
2016 Cap Hit: $13.8 million
Dallas is expected to cut Carr, but until that happens, he and his $13.8 million cap hit for 2016 remain on the list.
17. Brent Grimes, Dolphins CB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
With his best football behind him, Grimes is still getting paid like a top corner, which he never was to begin with. He’ll make more than Chris Harris, Vontae Davis and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie next season.
T18. DeMarco Murray (RB, PHI) and LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF)
Both signed five-year, $40 million deals in 2015
One can’t stay healthy (or out of trouble) and the other looks more and more like the product of a dominant offensive line. Let’s just agree both Philadelphia and Buffalo were disappointed with their new running backs in 2015.
20. Donald Butler, Chargers LB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.3 million
Just two seasons after signing a $51.8 million deal, Butler started losing playing time to a second-round rookie. He’ll cost the Chargers $9.28 million in 2016.
21. Lardarius Webb, Ravens CB
2016 Cap Hit: $10 million
Like with Flacco, the Ravens had to re-do Webb’s contract after three seasons when it became untenable. Despite the maneuvering, Webb, who’s taken a big step back after multiple injuries, will carry a $10 million cap hit into the 2016 season.
22. Corey Liuget, Chargers DT
2016 Cap Hit: $10 million
The Chargers gave Liuget a massive deal with the hope he’d develop into a game-changing defensive lineman. That didn’t happen in 2015, when injuries took a toll on the 25-year-old. Liguet’s sack numbers have been in decline since 2012.
23. Lawrence Timmons, Steelers LB
2016 Cap Hit: $15.1 million
Timmons is still a productive player, but paying $15 million for a 3-4 inside linebacker is crazy.
24. Matt Ryan, Falcons QB
2016 Cap Hit: $23.7 million
With a cap hit just under $24 million in 2016, Ryan will be the fourth highest-paid quarterback in the league. Some might blame his supporting cast for the Falcons’ recent struggles, but it’s hard to build a balanced team when the quarterback is making that much money. Franchise quarterbacks are supposed to elevate the team around them — Ryan hasn’t done that.
25. Sam Bradford, Eagles QB
2016 Cap Hit: $12.5 million
Of course Bradford makes the list he inspired. The 28-year-old has never led a team to more than seven wins in a season and has made more than $78 million in his career. Now he’ll make an average of $17.5 million a year in Philadelphia.
2016 Cap Hit: $8 million
Bowe is the second lowest paid player on this list, but he had only five catches (J.J. Watt had three catches last year, by the way) in 2015 and was paid $9 million for them. That’s $1.8 million per catch — more than Jaguars Pro Bowl WR Allen Robinson has made in his entire career.
2. Joe Flacco, Ravens QB
2016 Cap Hit: Unknown
We don’t know the specifics of Flacco’s newly restructured deal, but this doesn’t sound much better than the monstrosity Baltimore gave him three years ago:
3. Charles Johnson, Panthers DE
2016 Cap Hit: $15 million
The Panthers made Johnson the highest paid defensive player in the league in 2011, which , even at the time, sounded as absurd as it does now. He has hovered around the 10-sack mark since signing the deal, but has never been a dominant player.
4. Victor Cruz, Giants WR
2016 Cap Hit: $9.9 million
Injuries have wiped out Cruz’s last two seasons, but the slot receiver was showing signs of decline right after signing his new contract. He averaged 9.5 touchdowns a season before the extension and has scored five ever since.
5. Dennis Pitta, Ravens TE
2016 Cap Hit: $7.2 million
The Ravens gave Pitta his $32 million extension after he fractured and dislocated his hip. Pitta played seven games before injuring his hip again the following season.
6. Ryan Clady, Broncos LT
2016 Cap Hit: $10.1 million
Clady signed his $52 million deal three season ago and has played only 18 games since. Denver has managed to make the Super Bowl twice during that span, but the left tackle played in just two games in those seasons.
7. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers QB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
The Panthers signed Stewart to his big deal before NFL teams realized they should stop paying running backs. Stewart is on the books for $9.55 million in 2016 and hasn’t run for 1,000 yards in a season in six years.
8. Drew Brees, Saints QB
2016 Cap Hit: $30 million
Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but his $30 million cap hit for the 2016 season is beyond ridiculous. No player is worth that much.
9. Mike Wallace, Vikings WR
2016 Cap Hit: $11.5 million
We should really blame Ben Roethlisberger for Wallace being on this list. He made the former Steelers wide receiver, who’s just a slightly better version of Ted Ginn Jr., look like a legit No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins fell for it and made Wallace one of the highest-paid players at the position before trading him to Minnesota.
10. Jordan Cameron, Dolphins TE
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
Oh look, another Dolphins signing makes the list. Cameron wasn’t very good in his contract year in Cleveland, but that didn’t stop Miami from handing him a big deal. In return, the Dolphins got 35 catches and three touchdowns in 2015.
11. Byron Maxwell, Eagles CB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.7 million
Chip Kelly made two big mistakes during his short stint as Eagles general manager. One of them was giving Maxwell $25 million guaranteed and the other is on this list later. Maxwell was never a lockdown, man-to-man corner in Seattle so it wasn’t a surprise when he struggled in that role in Philadelphia. He’ll make $9.7 million next year before his cap number balloons up to eight figures in 2017.
12. Darrelle Revis, Jets CB
2016 Cap Hit: $17 million
Revis is still a top-shelf corner but his ability to completely take a receiver out of a game is waning. That’s what the Jets thought they were getting when they gave him a $70 million deal. Now Revis is making quarterback money for the next two seasons.
13. Jairus Byrd, Saints FS
2016 Cap Hit: $10.9 million
The perpetually cap-strapped Saints surprised everyone when they nabbed Byrd, who was considered one of the top free agents in 2014. New Orleans wanted to create more turnovers, and Byrd had 22 interceptions to his name before signing with the Saints. He’s picked off one pass in the last two seasons.
14. Ndamukong Suh, Dolphins DT
2016 Cap Hit: $28.6 million
Suh’s inclusion on this list has nothing to do with his talent. He is a disruptive force on the interior and was the best player on Miami’s disappointing defense in 2015. But the man has a cap hit of $28.6 million for 2016. Cut that number in half and it still might be a little exorbitant.
15. Brian Cushing, Texans LB
2016 Cap Hit: $9 million
Injuries have wrecked Cushing’s career. He’s a liability in passing situations, which is where games are won and lost in the NFL. His $9 million cap hit in 2016 is a little too high for a two-down player.
16. Brandon Carr, Cowboys CB
2016 Cap Hit: $13.8 million
Dallas is expected to cut Carr, but until that happens, he and his $13.8 million cap hit for 2016 remain on the list.
17. Brent Grimes, Dolphins CB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.5 million
With his best football behind him, Grimes is still getting paid like a top corner, which he never was to begin with. He’ll make more than Chris Harris, Vontae Davis and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie next season.
T18. DeMarco Murray (RB, PHI) and LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF)
Both signed five-year, $40 million deals in 2015
One can’t stay healthy (or out of trouble) and the other looks more and more like the product of a dominant offensive line. Let’s just agree both Philadelphia and Buffalo were disappointed with their new running backs in 2015.
20. Donald Butler, Chargers LB
2016 Cap Hit: $9.3 million
Just two seasons after signing a $51.8 million deal, Butler started losing playing time to a second-round rookie. He’ll cost the Chargers $9.28 million in 2016.
21. Lardarius Webb, Ravens CB
2016 Cap Hit: $10 million
Like with Flacco, the Ravens had to re-do Webb’s contract after three seasons when it became untenable. Despite the maneuvering, Webb, who’s taken a big step back after multiple injuries, will carry a $10 million cap hit into the 2016 season.
22. Corey Liuget, Chargers DT
2016 Cap Hit: $10 million
The Chargers gave Liuget a massive deal with the hope he’d develop into a game-changing defensive lineman. That didn’t happen in 2015, when injuries took a toll on the 25-year-old. Liguet’s sack numbers have been in decline since 2012.
23. Lawrence Timmons, Steelers LB
2016 Cap Hit: $15.1 million
Timmons is still a productive player, but paying $15 million for a 3-4 inside linebacker is crazy.
24. Matt Ryan, Falcons QB
2016 Cap Hit: $23.7 million
With a cap hit just under $24 million in 2016, Ryan will be the fourth highest-paid quarterback in the league. Some might blame his supporting cast for the Falcons’ recent struggles, but it’s hard to build a balanced team when the quarterback is making that much money. Franchise quarterbacks are supposed to elevate the team around them — Ryan hasn’t done that.
25. Sam Bradford, Eagles QB
2016 Cap Hit: $12.5 million
Of course Bradford makes the list he inspired. The 28-year-old has never led a team to more than seven wins in a season and has made more than $78 million in his career. Now he’ll make an average of $17.5 million a year in Philadelphia.