ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton pens a piece on 10 possible players who could be salary cap-related cuts when the league year begins, and in the story he includes a chart of where the Patriots would stand with a projected $120 million salary cap.
Clayton projects the Patriots to be $7.57 million under the cap, while noting that the figures will adjust when restricted free agents (such as Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis) are part of the mix.
These figures are obviously fluid, so one way to view it is from a "general ballpark" standpoint. From a Patriots perspective, they shouldn't be handcuffed by the cap, but at the same time, won't have as much space as teams like the Buccaneers and Chiefs.
They are closer to the middle of the pack.
In the AFC East, Clayton's figures show that the Jets are $1.2 million over the cap, the Dolphins are $13.6 million under, and the Bills are $35.9 million under.
Overall, 25 teams are under the cap, with seven being over the cap, according to Clayton's figures.