"Around the League" is taking a look at each team's salary-cap situation heading into training camp. Next up: The Washington Redskins.
Adjusted cap number: $117.137 million
Cap room remaining: $6.97 million
Best bargain: In the three seasons since he was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, outside linebacker Brian Orakpo has totaled 28.5 sacks -- an average of 9.5 sacks per season. Orakpo could have had a few more, but as pointed out by Football Outsiders, he tied for second in the NFL last season with seven holding penalties drawn, including four on passing plays.
Orakpo is scheduled to earn just $765,000 in base salary, a sum nearly matched by a $574,000 workout bonus this offseason, but which could have been greater. Had Orakpo picked up just 1.5 more sacks in his 47 games in the last three seasons, he would have added another $500,000 to this year's salary.
Potential camp casualty: Knee injuries limited tight end Chris Cooley to just eight receptions in five games last season. In fact, the two-time Pro Bowl pick had his knee drained 15 times, or as official playing-time documents show, once for every 11.6 snaps he played last season. The newly 30-year-old Cooley has acknowledged he's slower than he once was, and he's now the No. 2 tight end in Washington behind Fred Davis. If Cooley's knee continues to be an issue, it might be hard for Mike Shanahan (who outed Cooley's knee drainage issues last season) to keep the veteran around on a $3.8 million base salary.
Contract issue looming in 2013: As expected, the Redskins were unable to reach a multiyear extension with Davis, who will play out the 2012 season on a $5.446 million franchise tag. Davis was in the midst of a breakout season before his four-game suspension for a substance-abuse policy violation ended his year and any hope of a long-term deal this offseason. The Redskins need to see another season of production and clean living from Davis. If not, they can always franchise him again in 2013 to the tune of $6.535 million.
