https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...llion-in-2019/



10 players set to reap benefit of expanding NFL salary cap; (2 are Saints)



Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback, New Orleans Saints



Bridgewater has thrown exactly three regular season passes since suffering a devastating leg injury back in the summer of 2016. In no way does this mean teams won’t be searching him out in free agency come March. After all, New Orleans exhausted a valuable third-round pick to land Bridgewater from the Jets this past summer. There’s certainly some logic behind teams projecting into the future when it comes to the former first-round pick and Louisville standout.



In an NFL that has seen high-paid quarterbacks struggle to lead their teams to relevance this season, it would not be a shock if Bridgewater earned mid-tier starting quarterback money. Add in inflation, and that would be between $15-$20 million annually. Teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins come to mind first.



Michael Thomas, wide receiver, New Orleans Saints





Historically speaking, Thomas has had one of the best three-year stretches for a wide receiver to start his career in league history. He enters Week 15 having put up 102 receptions for 1,218 yards and eight touchdowns. The kid has also caught a ridiculous 86.4 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. Jerry Rice never caught higher than 74 percent of his targets in a single season.



At just 25 years old, Thomas likely has two more long-term contracts in his future. That’s going to start this coming offseason on a deal that will far surpass the five-year, $90 million extension Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Giants. In fact, Thomas will likely become the NFL’s first $100-million receiver. The new cap projection pretty much guarantees this.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl...cap/ar-BBQPnkZ