NFL Players Who Should Have Their Contracts Restructured Before 2022 Free Agency

During the NFL offseason, fans generally focus on the trade market, free agency and the draft. Teams, however, have a lot more on their plates than player acquisition. There's plenty of in-house management to be done, and addressing existing contracts is usually part of the equation.

NFL contracts are an interesting entity. They're rarely fully guaranteed and can be terminated seemingly at will by the franchises that sign them. We'll see cases of that in 2022 as players get released as cap casualties.

Sometimes, though, teams and players agree to restructure their deals. Whether it's to extend a pact, reward someone for recent achievements, or—as is usually the case—provide cap relief, restructuring and renegotiation have become common practices.

It typically involves converting base salary into a bonus that is then spread over additional years. This helps to lower the cap hit in the current year, but it can also be used as part of a contract extension. Last offseason, for example, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady signed a one-year extension that helped take $19.3 million off the 2021 cap.

Here, we'll examine eight players who are prime candidates for a contract restructuring before free agency opens March 16. Each situation is unique, and we'll dive into them here.

In 2020, Buffalo Bills receiver Cole Beasley finished with 82 receptions, 967 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he caught the same 82 passes but for only 693 yards and one score. However, he remained one of quarterback Josh Allen's most trusted targets.

But the wideout will turn 33 in April, is entering the final year of his contract and is set to carry a cap hit of $7.6 million. Buffalo, meanwhile, is projected to be $1.3 million over the cap. A restructuring would make a ton of sense.

"First, Beasley is under contract for 2022. Second, Allen likes and trusts Beasley a great deal. And third, the Bills will want to minimize the turnover at receiver," Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic wrote. "But something has to give."

Only $1.5 million in dead money remains on Beasley's deal. The Bills could convert a large chunk of the remaining $6.1 million into a bonus that is prorated over future years that may or may not automatically void. Given Beasley's value, extending the receiver for another year or two is logical.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper had a down year in 2021. The 27-year-old followed back-to-back 1,100-yard campaigns with just 865 yards in 2021.

While Cooper did catch eight touchdowns, his production didn't match his upcoming cap hit of $22 million. Dallas, meanwhile, is projected to be $21.2 million over the cap.

The Cowboys could save $16 million by releasing Cooper, but that feels unlikely. Dallas could lose pass-catchers Michael Gallup, Dalton Schultz and Cedrick Wilson in free agency. Keeping Cooper makes sense.

A simple restructuring would also make sense for the Cowboys. If Dallas can convert most of his $20 million base salary into a bonus that spreads over the final three years of his contract—and possibly into future phantom years—it could get substantial cap relief.

With Cooper signed through 2024, an extension need not be part of the deal.

The added money could help get Dallas under the cap and potentially be used to help re-sign one of the team's impending free-agent pass-catchers. That would provide a big boost to the Cowboys' chances of repeating as NFC East champions.

The Minnesota Vikings have their new head coach in Kevin O'Connell, and it seems as if O'Connell will be happy to keep quarterback Kirk Cousins.

"Well, I know he's under contract and I'm excited to coach him," O'Connell said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "We've already started thinking about how we're going to build those systems for him and our other quarterbacks and really the tremendous skill group that we have, our guys up front."

But Cousins is only under contract for one more year and is set to carry a cap hit of $45 million. Minnesota is projected to be $14.7 million over the cap.

A simple restructuring is virtually impossible, as Cousins' contract is a rarity—it's fully guaranteed. The Vikings will have to convince Cousins to renegotiate his contract entirely, and that will only happen with an extension.

Cousins' last extension was for two years and $66 million. A new deal worth, say, two years and $70 million could guarantee the quarterback solid earnings and an overall pay bump. Spreading that money evenly over the next three years could lower his 2022 cap hit from $45 million to $38.3 million. That number could be further reduced by placing bonus dollars in future phantom years that automatically void.

The trick, of course, would be convincing Cousins to help the team instead of pocketing the $45 million and betting on himself in 2023 free agency.

Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald has recently hinted at retirement, though he's said he's willing to return if other superstars do too.

"If we bring everybody back, I'm back," Donald told TMZ.com (h/t Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk). "Odell Beckham, Von Miller. We bring them guys back, let's make it happen."

Standing in the way of re-signing Beckham—who tore his ACL in the Super Bowl—Miller and the rest of L.A.'s impending free agents is the cap situation. Los Angeles is projected to be $13.2 million over the salary cap.

Donald could help by restructuring his contract—something he was willing to do last season. The 30-year-old is signed through 2024 and is set to carry a $26.75 million cap hit. While only $9.25 million of that is in base salary, L.A. could still create a reasonable amount of room.

After last year's restructuring, Donald carried a base salary of just $1.9 million and a cap hit of $14.4 million.

Every bit will help, and turning some of Donald's base salary into future bonuses—he'll have only $9 million in dead money in 2023—would indeed help bring everyone back.

Detroit Lions defensive end Trey Flowers has been highly productive when healthy. In 2018 and 2019, Flowers logged 14.5 sacks and 71 quarterback pressures to go with 108 total tackles. But he hasn't been healthy over the past two seasons.

His 2020 campaign was ended prematurely by a forearm fracture, while his 2021 season was ended by a lingering knee ailment. In all, he has played only 14 games over the past two years. He's also set to carry a cap hit of $23.2 million.

The Lions are projected to have $21.9 million in cap space—a solid number but one that could quickly disappear with one marquee free-agent signing.

Convincing Flowers to take a pay cut because of injuries is highly unlikely. Therefore, Detroit's options are to release him—which would trigger a $12.9 million dead-cap charge if it comes before June 1—or to restructure his deal.

A simple restructuring would be logical. Flowers has two years remaining on his pact. By converting much of his $16 million base salary into a bonus—and adding phantom years in 2024 and 2025—the Lions could save on the 2022 cap and give Flowers the opportunity to regain his pre-injury form this season.

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan suffered a torn ACL in 2020 and failed to regain his Pro Bowl form in 2021. He missed time with lingering knee issues and a head injury, and he was responsible for four penalties and four sacks in 848 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Titans could save $12.9 million by moving on from Lewan this offseason. That feels unlikely, though. While Tennessee is projected to be $6.6 million over the cap, the prospect of dumping its starting left tackle without a clear succession plan is risky at best.

However, the Titans could get under the cap with a simple restructuring of Lewan's deal.

The 30-year-old three-time Pro Bowler is signed through the 2023 season. By adding years that automatically void in 2024 and 2025, the Titans could convert a chunk of Lewan's $12.9 million base salary into bonus money.

This would give Tennessee some much-needed cap space while also giving the team options. If Lewan struggles again in 2022, the Titans could draft and develop a tackle behind Lewan this year and/or wait to see if the veteran can get healthy and become a high-level lineman once again. If Lewan does return to form in 2022, Tennessee could then consider an extension beyond 2023.

We still don't know if Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is leaning toward a return, a retirement or trying to force a trade to a different team. However, the Packers are reportedly willing to pull out all the stops to bring him back.

"Packers are prepared to go all in for Aaron Rodgers in 2022, spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible, per sources," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted. "Saints used this approach for Drew Brees and Green Bay willing to deploy that model to further entice Rogers."

He is entering the final year of his contract and is set to carry a cap hit of $46.7 million. The Packers—who are projected to be $48.5 million over the cap—could convert a large portion of his $26.5 million base salary into bonus money.

Rodgers and Green Bay did this a year ago, dropping his 2021 base salary to $1.1 million and saving $9.3 million against the cap. Consequently, the QB will carry a dead-money charge of $7.7 million in 2023—a phantom year that automatically voids seven days before the 2023 offseason.

Convincing Rodgers to return and again restructure his contract might require a significant pay raise and a commitment from Green Bay that goes beyond the 2022 season.

Rodgers is the sixth-highest-paid quarterback in terms of annual salary. Green Bay might have to sign him to an extension that puts him (at least) in the top five—and it's hard to argue that he doesn't deserve that coming off back-to-back MVP campaigns.

Committing to him for two or three more seasons would likely mean pulling the plug on the Jordan Love succession plan, but it would help keep Rodgers—and potentially impending free agents such as Davante Adams—on the field this season.

No team is in a worse cap situation than the New Orleans Saints. They are projected to be $76.2 million over the cap, and general manager Mickey Loomis will be scrambling to create space.

Releasing or trading wideout Michael Thomas wouldn't provide much. He's set to carry a cap hit of $24.7 million and would represent $22.7 million in dead money if released or traded before June 1. New Orleans is ready to welcome Thomas back after he missed the 2021 season (ankle surgery) anyway.

"It seems the curiosity and saga surrounding Michael Thomas, the Saints' standout receiver, is coming to a close in a positive way for all parties," Rapoport said on Super Bowl Live (h/t NFL.com's Jelani Scott). "... He is back in New Orleans now; he's been communicating with the team."

However, restructuring Thomas' contract is possible. The receiver restructured his deal last offseason to save $8.7 million on the cap, and he would likely be willing to do so again. Thomas will be looking to reestablish himself as a premier wideout after a down year in 2020 and a lost 2021 campaign.

This restructuring would likely require a portion of Thomas' $15.4 million base salary to be converted into bonus money and spread over future phantom years—he's under contract through 2024. This is a tactic Loomis recently used with former quarterback Drew Brees.

Though Brees retired after the 2020 season, he will still carry a dead-money charge of $11.5 million next season.

Contract and cap information via Spotrac. Advanced NFL statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.