49ers projected to have most 2018 salary cap space

The San Francisco 49ers have a whole bunch of cap space at the moment, and with even more on hand in the upcoming offseason, the team is in position to top the NFL in salary cap space. Over the weekend, Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald tweeted out some info on who is projected to have the most and least cap space in 2018.

OTC has the 49ers edging out the Cleveland Browns for most cap space, $117.8 million to $117.5 million. Our own Jason Hurley has been updating our 2017 and 2018 cap pages. He currently has the 49ers holding $115,053,791 in cap space for next year. That includes $64 million and change in cap space this year, and then $50.8 million and change next year. The 49ers can roll over as much of their 2017 cap space for next year.

Whichever number is closer to correct is mostly irrelevant at this point. The 49ers are going to have crazy cap space next offseason. They were among the more active teams this year, turning over most of the roster between free agency and the draft. They will have plenty of draft picks to use, but the free agency period could be all the more intriguing. If the 49ers get a shot at Kirk Cousins, price certainly would seem to be no object. I still would be surprised if he hits unrestricted free agency, but if he does, the bidding war is going to be INSANE.

If Cousins does not hit the market, it will still be interesting to see just how the 49ers approach free agency next year. They spent a sizable chunk of money in players like Pierre Garçon, Malcolm Smith, and Brian Hoyer, but otherwise made a lot of smaller investments. Aside from potentially Cousins, I could see the 49ers investing in a big time cornerback. Trumaine Johnson and Malcolm Butler could both hit unrestricted free agency. Maybe the 49ers go all in on one of them?