Arizona Cardinals in Great Salary Cap Spot

With training camp beginning this month, NFL teams will look to make any last-minute signings in the near future, meaning salary cap space is of high importance.

Luckily for Arizona Cardinals fans, the team has the third-most salary cap space in the NFL, coming in at $36,086,141 in unused funds according to OverTheCap.

While this doesn't mean Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will use the money at his disposal, it opens up a world of possibilities for his club and gives the Cardinals an advantage over the vast majority of the league.

How do the Cardinals stack up against other teams?

The Cardinals have $36,086,141 of cap space, placing them third in the NFL in total cap room. The New England Patriots have the most cap space in the NFL at $60,608,230, while the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions rank second and third with $45,697,549 and $40,169,167 in space, respectively.

The Cardinals' other NFC West rivals also have a fair amount of room, although not as much as Arizona. The Seattle Seahawks have $30,658,733 of available money, while the Los Angeles Rams have $20,223,901.

While two of the three teams ahead of the Cardinals are in the NFC and one of them is in the NFC West, Arizona has more cap room than 28 other clubs, meaning they can not only have more flexibility for any last-minute signings, but also if Ossenfort wants to make a trade before the season starts.

Where is the used salary cap money going?

To no surprise, the majority of the Cardinals' salary cap balance is going to quarterback Kyler Murray, with the former first overall pick taking up $43,325,677 in cap room.

Offensive tackle Jonah Williams comes in second at $16,060,000, while safety Jalen Thompson, defensive lineman Justin Jones and safety Budda Baker are all slightly above $10,000,000 in cap hit.

This gives the Cardinals just five players over $10,000,000, which is below the majority of teams in the NFL. This comes as no surprise, though, as teams with a QB on a high-dollar deal like Murray's tend to have fewer other players with high salaries.

Will the Cardinals do anything with their cap space?

With all this money at their disposal, it begs the question: Will the Cardinals put their advantageous position to use?

While Arizona doesn't have many glaring gaps in its roster, depth is never a bad thing, especially along either the offensive or defensive line. I think the cap space will be most important through potential trades, though, as the Cardinals have the space to take on a higher salary if an exchange of players were to occur.

Training camp begins July 24, giving the Cardinals just over two weeks to make any moves before camp begins, but that's not a binding date. Ossenfort could decide to use the open money throughout camp or after the regular season is underway.

The Cardinals may not spend any additional money this season as well. While open cap space is never a bad thing, that doesn't mean a team has to use it. The Cardinals could be preparing to spend in future years, as with the plethora of players on rookie deals, saving could put Arizona in the best position to retain young talent.