Several teams took care of budgetary housekeeping in the time before the NFL lockout, with players such as Clinton Portis -- once the highest-paid running back in the league with the Washington Redskins -- receiving their release.
Still, ample work will need to be done after the lockout is resolved, with teams primed to cut big-name veterans in many cases and/or work out a new 2011 salary. The list of those veterans reads as a buyer-beware sign for the perils of free agency and, as you might expect, is heavy with quarterbacks.
So here's a look at some players who are set to receive a disproportionate salary in 2011 and the expected results for them and their current teams:
Vince Young, QB, Titans: $12.75 million
Tennessee made it very clear before the lockout that Young isn't a part of its future. A $4.25 million roster bonus assures as much, and trading him will prove impossible. We all see this one coming.
Projected end result: Released shortly after the lockout ends.
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Donovan McNabb, QB, Redskins: $12.5 million
McNabb has a $10 million option due just before the season, and his relationship with Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is beyond fractured. However, the Redskins tend to take their time with decisions like this and, just one year removed from making this blockbuster trade, could seek some compensation for McNabb. But who would touch this contract now?
Projected result: The Redskins will wait to see if injuries or rookie QB failures create a bigger market for McNabb via trade, but they'll ultimately release him. McNabb then could land with the Minnesota Vikings.
Reggie Bush, RB, Saints: $11.8 million
No other running back -- especially a situational one -- is making this kind of salary right now. New Orleans is deep in the backfield and moved up to draft Mark Ingram. There will be significant interest in Bush, and I can't see him back with the Saints, getting six to eight touches at best per game, when he can have 12 to 15 elsewhere.
Projected result: Look for the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and possibly the New England Patriots all to be interested in Bush's services once he hits the street.
Roy Williams, WR, Cowboys: $9.5 million
This is legitimate No. 1 receiver money, but Williams maybe is the fourth or fifth option in that offense because of Dallas' other pass catchers. This pairing hasn't worked out since the 2008 trade with the Detroit Lions, and Williams hasn't been a great locker-room fit for the Cowboys, either.
Projected result: I don't see a restructured contract here. Let him go and move on.
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Nate Clements, CB, 49ers: $7.25 million
San Francisco made Clements the highest-paid corner in the league in 2007, signing him away from the Buffalo Bills on an eight-year, $80 million contract, but his impact on the team has been pedestrian. Clements is getting older and the money is steep.
Projected result: Released shortly after the lockout ends.
Brian Dawkins, S, Broncos: $6 million
When Dawkins signed a five-year deal with Denver in 2009, it really was a two-year pact, which makes sense at this stage of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. The contract was backloaded with big salaries he never really would achieve. Dawkins loves being with the Broncos, and they love him. They will explore how to make this work after the lockout because it doesn't make sense to be paying Ed Reed money at this stage of Dawkins' career.
Projected result: I'd be surprised if the sides can't work out a restructured contract.
Albert Haynesworth, DT, Redskins: $5.4 million
We all know what a disaster this has been, with Haynesworth already pocketing over $30 million from the team two years into a seven-year, $100 million deal and not being a part of its future. But Washington continues to tell Haynesworth it won't trade him unless it receives "value" in return. The odds of anyone giving up anything more than a fifth-round draft pick are bleak.
Projected result: Some close to Haynesworth believe Redskins coach Mike Shanahan might keep him around to make an example of him in the doghouse for another year. At this point, nothing would surprise me with this circus.
Jake Delhomme, QB, Browns: $5.4 million
I was surprised Cleveland went this route in the first place a year ago, and Delhomme doesn't fit the plans now with Colt McCoy starting. This is too much money to pay a third option, and Delhomme hasn't been effective for quite some time.
Projected result: Released shortly after the lockout ends.
Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys: $4.75 million
Dallas' backfield is crowded, and Barber has taken so much physical abuse over the years with his abrasive, hardcore running style. Plus, older backs aren't paid like this, especially as part of a rotation, and the Cowboys have collected more explosive youngsters in recent years.
Projected result: Trading that contract won't be easy, and I see Dallas eventually letting Barber go.
Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @jasonlacanfora.
