Assuming that a new CBA is worked out between the owners and the NFLPA, one has to assume a salary cap will be put in place again – including a system that captures the dead money acceleration for released players.  The numbers below represent cap hits based on the previous rules (no clue what changes will come and how to calculate their impact).  Contract escalators have yet to be published so these too are not included.

As of today (1/3/11), the Bengals have 53 players under contract.  Beyond those already under contract, another six EFA's (Quan Cosby, Clark Harris, Tom Nelson, Dan Skuta, Cedric Peerman and Shaw Hodge) and three RFA’s (Kyle Cook, Nate Livings and Jordan Palmer) have limited options to join another team in 2011.  That brings to the total roster holds to 62.  The team cap is around $83,900,000 which is well below the cap ceiling (likely to be around $130,000,000) so the team has room to spend.  This includes around $3,000,000 in dead money (95% of which comes from everyone’s favorite offseason pickup, Antonio Bryant).

The Bengals will also have only six of their original seven draft picks (one was traded to Jacksonville along with CB David Jones).  I don’t expect the team to get any comp picks this year.

The top 10 cap hits for 2011 are:

Chad’s contract is actually an option.  If the team doesn’t pick it up they’ll owe him $3.5mil.  For those wanting to cut Odom or Geathers, each has two years of signing bonus proration left.  Cutting Odom saves a net of $2,900,000.  Cutting Geathers saves a net of $2,566,667.  Of the two I think Odom is more likely to be shown the door.

Unrestricted free agents include: