Evaluating which NFL teams are best set up for the 2024 offseason based on draft capital and cap space

With the 2023 NFL regular season a wrap, 14 teams remain in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy, while others are looking ahead to free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.

Here, we will examine which teams have the most money to spend, as well as ways that teams can free up money. All contract information comes from our friends at Over the Cap.

Using every team’s draft capital (based on the Fitzgerald-Spielberger draft value chart), effective cap space and proratable money, we can create an offseason composite score that evaluates each team’s resources, without looking at each aspect individually.

We'll start by looking at the two most important offseason variables: draft capital and effective cap space. Effective cap space is a better measurement than regular cap space since it takes into account that a team must have 51 players on its roster. Plotting these two variables together provides a solid look at which teams are set up well in each area.

The Washington Commanders are in a good spot to spend big this offseason, with the second-most effective cap space and the second-most draft capital in the NFL. They can use that money to build their offense around whichever quarterback they likely will select with the No. 2 overall pick. Washington should look to upgrade their offensive line room to protect that signal-caller. Typically, though, good to great offensive tackles don’t hit free agency, as they are usually re-signed, so it might be tricky to navigate that space.