The NFL has informed teams that the 2015 salary cap is set at $143.28 million, according to multiple reports (Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network was first).
This means that the franchise tag numbers are also official. Rapoport has calculated those numbers:
Official franchise tag #s on offense with cap of $143.28M: QB ($18.544M), RB ($10.951M), WR ($12.823M), TE ($8.347M), OL ($12.943M).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2015
Franchise tag #s on defense with cap of $143.28M: DE ($14.813M), DT ($11.193M), LB ($13.195M), CB ($13.075M), S ($9.618M), K/P ($4.126M)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2015
The two key numbers there for the Patriots: kicker ($4.126M) and safety ($9.618M). Stephen Gostkowski (K) and Devin McCourty (FS) would fall into one of those numbers if they receive the tag today.
In total, the $143 million cap number is up $10 million from a year ago.
The Patriots are one of a handful of NFL teams that are currently over the salary cap, but have plenty of options to get below that number by the start of the new league year on March 10th.
Currently, the Patriots sit at nearly $156 million committed for 2015 and their salary cap total is a hair under $150 million. That means that they will have to trim about $5 or $6 million in the next eight days. According to an NFLPA release, the Patriots adjusted salary cap for 2015 (factoring in 2014 carrover and 2015 adjustments) is $144.578M. The Patriots have plenty of restructure candidates in Darrelle Revis, Jerod Mayo, Vince Wilfork, Danny Amendola, and more. It should make for an interesting week in the lead up to free agency.