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Brandon Marshall among most likely salary-cap cuts - NFL - ESPN
By Adam Caplan
It's that time of the NFL season when teams approach veterans with contract reductions in order to get under the salary cap. Or, in some cases, the player is simply overpaid or is near the end of his career, so the team feels compelled to either release the player or to lower his base salary.
With that being the case, here's a look at veterans who could be targeted for a pay reduction or release leading up to March 10 (when all NFL teams must be in salary-cap compliance), based on what I've heard from talking to front-office sources around the league.
Offense
Matt Schaub | QB | Oakland Raiders
Salary-cap number: $5.5 million
League sources said the former Raiders coaching staff favored Matt McGloin over the veteran Schaub. And Schaub would have been cut for sure had they returned. None of Schaub's $5.5 million base salary is guaranteed, so the team can easily get out of his contract.
Reggie Bush | RB | Detroit Lions
Salary-cap number: $5.28 million
Bush has a small roster bonus ($250,000) due on March 14, but he carries a salary-cap number of just under $5.3 million. That could be looked at as too high considering the team has two other backs (Joique Bell and Theo Riddick) who figure to play prominent roles going forward.
Brandon Marshall | WR | Chicago Bears
Salary-cap number: $9.58 million
Marshall's statistics started to drop last season before he suffered rib and lung injuries. While he turns 31 next month, Marshall is still one of the NFL's best players at his position. Some of his declining numbers could be attributed to the lack of consistency at quarterback. His $7.5 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 12.
Mike Wallace | WR | Miami Dolphins
Salary-cap number: $12.1 million
When former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland signed Wallace to a five-year, $60 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, the contract was criticized by some NFL execs as being overpriced. However, at that time, Wallace was one of the NFL's best deep threats at wide receiver. Now he has been almost reduced to possession receiver status. Exactly $3 million of his $9.85 million base salary is fully guaranteed, but the team could designate him as a post-June 1 release and save nearly $7 million in cap space should it decide to cut him. Some execs believe WRs Brian Hartline ($7.35 million) and Brandon Gibson ($4.26 million) could be targeted to lower their cap numbers.
Dwayne Bowe | WR | Kansas City Chiefs
Salary-cap number: $14 million
Bowe, who did not score a touchdown during the 2014 season, likely will be targeted for a pay cut if he's not released prior to the start of free agency on March 10. Moreover, $1.5 million of his base salary is fully guaranteed even if he's not on the roster, but the Chiefs can save more than $9 million by designating him as a post-June 1 release.
Marques Colston | WR |New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap number: $9.7 million
Colston will go down as one of the best draft picks in Saints history based on his outstanding production. However, the seventh-round pick in the 2006 draft turns 32 in June and carries a big salary-cap number, which could force New Orleans to approach him to lower it. Veteran inside linebacker David Hawthorne also could be targeted for a pay reduction due to his $6.01 million cap number.
Marcedes Lewis | TE | Jacksonville Jaguars
Salary-cap number: $8.2 million
A source said that Lewis will either get a pay cut or will be released prior to March 10. The Jaguars have the most projected salary-cap space in the NFL (more than $60 million), so targeting him for a reduction in pay would be due mostly to his age (turns 31 in May) and declining stats.
Anthony Collins | LT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Salary-cap number: $6 million
The signing of Collins last season was a no-brainer since he was coming off his best season with the Bengals in 2013. However, he wound up losing his starting job with the Buccaneers to Demar Dotson, who moved over from right tackle. Collins has $3 million of his $6 million base salary fully guaranteed even if he's not on the roster. And the remaining $3 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 12.
Jahri Evans | G | New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap number: $11 million
If you asked me before last season if Evans should take a pay reduction, I would have told you that there was no way. However, the veteran interior offensive lineman turns 32 in August and carries a high cap number. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that the team is considering a pay cut, restructuring for Evans or even a release. The Saints, in recent years, have continued to restructure deals by pushing cap numbers higher for future seasons, which will eventually catch up to them. They are currently well over the projected $143 million salary-cap limit.
By Adam Caplan
It's that time of the NFL season when teams approach veterans with contract reductions in order to get under the salary cap. Or, in some cases, the player is simply overpaid or is near the end of his career, so the team feels compelled to either release the player or to lower his base salary.
With that being the case, here's a look at veterans who could be targeted for a pay reduction or release leading up to March 10 (when all NFL teams must be in salary-cap compliance), based on what I've heard from talking to front-office sources around the league.
Offense

Matt Schaub | QB | Oakland Raiders
Salary-cap number: $5.5 million
League sources said the former Raiders coaching staff favored Matt McGloin over the veteran Schaub. And Schaub would have been cut for sure had they returned. None of Schaub's $5.5 million base salary is guaranteed, so the team can easily get out of his contract.

Reggie Bush | RB | Detroit Lions
Salary-cap number: $5.28 million
Bush has a small roster bonus ($250,000) due on March 14, but he carries a salary-cap number of just under $5.3 million. That could be looked at as too high considering the team has two other backs (Joique Bell and Theo Riddick) who figure to play prominent roles going forward.

Brandon Marshall | WR | Chicago Bears
Salary-cap number: $9.58 million
Marshall's statistics started to drop last season before he suffered rib and lung injuries. While he turns 31 next month, Marshall is still one of the NFL's best players at his position. Some of his declining numbers could be attributed to the lack of consistency at quarterback. His $7.5 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 12.

Mike Wallace | WR | Miami Dolphins
Salary-cap number: $12.1 million
When former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland signed Wallace to a five-year, $60 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, the contract was criticized by some NFL execs as being overpriced. However, at that time, Wallace was one of the NFL's best deep threats at wide receiver. Now he has been almost reduced to possession receiver status. Exactly $3 million of his $9.85 million base salary is fully guaranteed, but the team could designate him as a post-June 1 release and save nearly $7 million in cap space should it decide to cut him. Some execs believe WRs Brian Hartline ($7.35 million) and Brandon Gibson ($4.26 million) could be targeted to lower their cap numbers.

Dwayne Bowe | WR | Kansas City Chiefs
Salary-cap number: $14 million
Bowe, who did not score a touchdown during the 2014 season, likely will be targeted for a pay cut if he's not released prior to the start of free agency on March 10. Moreover, $1.5 million of his base salary is fully guaranteed even if he's not on the roster, but the Chiefs can save more than $9 million by designating him as a post-June 1 release.

Marques Colston | WR |New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap number: $9.7 million
Colston will go down as one of the best draft picks in Saints history based on his outstanding production. However, the seventh-round pick in the 2006 draft turns 32 in June and carries a big salary-cap number, which could force New Orleans to approach him to lower it. Veteran inside linebacker David Hawthorne also could be targeted for a pay reduction due to his $6.01 million cap number.

Marcedes Lewis | TE | Jacksonville Jaguars
Salary-cap number: $8.2 million
A source said that Lewis will either get a pay cut or will be released prior to March 10. The Jaguars have the most projected salary-cap space in the NFL (more than $60 million), so targeting him for a reduction in pay would be due mostly to his age (turns 31 in May) and declining stats.

Anthony Collins | LT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Salary-cap number: $6 million
The signing of Collins last season was a no-brainer since he was coming off his best season with the Bengals in 2013. However, he wound up losing his starting job with the Buccaneers to Demar Dotson, who moved over from right tackle. Collins has $3 million of his $6 million base salary fully guaranteed even if he's not on the roster. And the remaining $3 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 12.

Jahri Evans | G | New Orleans Saints
Salary-cap number: $11 million
If you asked me before last season if Evans should take a pay reduction, I would have told you that there was no way. However, the veteran interior offensive lineman turns 32 in August and carries a high cap number. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that the team is considering a pay cut, restructuring for Evans or even a release. The Saints, in recent years, have continued to restructure deals by pushing cap numbers higher for future seasons, which will eventually catch up to them. They are currently well over the projected $143 million salary-cap limit.