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          NFL Nation

          Look who still counts against Ravens' cap

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterJul 9, 2014, 12:00 PM
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              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
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          The Baltimore Ravens have $4.496 million in salary-cap space, the sixth-lowest figure among NFL teams.

          It might surprise you that nearly 5 percent of the Ravens' cap is being taken up by players no longer on the roster. More than $6 million of cap space is being eaten up by the likes of the Tennessee Titans leading tackler, the New York Giants starting weakside linebacker and an unemployed former Pro Bowl left tackle.

          This "dead money" -- cap space being used on players no longer on the team -- is created when players are released or traded after June 1, the start of the new league year. The prorated bonus is carried over to the following season.

          That is why Titans safety Bernard Pollard ($1.5 million), Giants linebacker Jameel McClain ($1.2 million) and free agent offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie ($1 million) still count against the Ravens' 2014 cap.

          The Ravens are paying the price for missing on three free-agent signings from last year. Safety Michael Huff ($1 million), fullback Vonta Leach ($580,000) and defensive lineman Marcus Spears ($300,00) have combined for nearly $2 million in dead money.

          The Ravens are carrying $6.336 million in dead money on this year's cap. That ranks as the 12th-most in the NFL. It is not as good as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($903,000 in dead money) but it is not as bad as the Dallas Cowboys ($23.5 million).