Salary cap management is one of the most important arts of building an NFL roster. Getting talented players at a low cost allows for acquiring additional talented players. It’s why you see plenty of teams chasing that young-quarterback-on-a-rookie-deal dream. If you’re somehow able to get a good—heck, even an average—quarterback on a cheap deal, it paves the way to support him with talent across the roster.
For the next 10 days, we’re going to look at the job Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn has done at creating the best bargains on the roster. What we’re looking for, essentially, is the best talent-to-cap-hit ratio on the team.