So how have the Broncos and V.P. of football operations John Elway gotten themselves in position to have more than $40 million in cap space that can be used to sign Peyton Manning and a few of his former Colts teammates?
The Broncos had a whopping $27 million in leftover 2011 cap space, all of which the Broncos carried over, as permitted by the terms of the new CBA.
It gives Denver a decided advantage when the time comes to crunch numbers.
The full list of 2011 carry over shows that all but two teams carried over some amounts. Only the Texans and Chargers elected not to carry over cap space.
As of February 12, the Texans and Chargers had only $1 million and $2.1 million, respectively. In theory, it’s possible that something happened after February 12 to wipe out the full amount of the remaining cap space. Regardless, both teams carried over a Blutarski-esque 0.00 to 2012.
For now, the more important number is the remaining cap space. The Bengals lead the way with $49.9 million.
