The Kansas City Chiefs had more than $20 million in dead money last year, which is salary cap space dedicated to players no longer on the team (like Dwayne Bowe, who was cut early). This year that number is under a million. So the Chiefs, as Clark Hunt said recently, are in pretty good cap shape.
The same can't be said for the New Orleans Saints who, like the Chiefs last year, have more than $20 million in dead money. Not only that, they have a big quarterback problem.
The Saints are currently over the cap (according to Over The Cap) and have a whopping $30 million in salary cap space for Drew Brees. Thirty. Million. Dollars. That's unbelievable for a player like Brees, whose team has won seven games in three of the last four seasons. That makes Alex Smith's $17.8 million cap number look like a steal. Brees is going into the final year of his contract so they can only get some relief by extending him ... again.
The Saints have 20 percent of their cap tied up in Brees and about 30 percent of the cap tied up in Brees and players no longer on the roster. How do you build a team like that?
Next time we complain about the Chiefs cap, remember that it could be a lot worse.