All-Bargain team: Best bang for the buck players

Jason Fitzgerald

All-Bargain team: Best bang for the buck players image

Part of what makes an organization successful is finding hidden talent that comes at a bargain price. Whether it is done by locating a great late-round draft selection or finding the veteran in free agency who was misused by his former team, the end result leaves a team with excess salary cap dollars to spend on talent upgrades for their team. Here are our picks for the 2014 All-Bargain team, each having a salary cap figure under $1 million.

Quarterback: Russell Wilson, Seahawks

Salary Cap: $817,302

You won’t find many starting quarterbacks with a lower salary cap charge than Wilson and you will likely never see another Super Bowl winning quarterback this cheap again. Wilson brings a combination of passing and timely running that makes preparing for him among the most difficult tasks for any team. He has a good chance at being the highest-paid player in the NFL by this time next season.

Running Back: Le’Veon Bell, Steelers 

Salary Cap: $936,500

The young running back may be the most complete player at the position, rushing for 1,046 yards and adding 643 yards through the air. He ranks second in both yards rushing and receiving, and doesn’t put the ball on the ground. The only thing that has kept Bell from becoming a household name is his lack of touchdowns, which is something that will likely come around with time. Bell, due to his age, may be the one player that can get a strong contract at the position in the near future. 

Running Back: Justin Forsett, Ravens 

Salary Cap: $570,000

Going into the season the Ravens running back hopes seemed dim, but the team found an unlikely answer in Forsett. Forsett had bounced around the NFL for the last three seasons and signed a qualifying contract for the minimum salary in 2014. He has already set a career-high in rushing yards and leads the NFL with an average of 5.6 yards per carry. If the Ravens make the playoffs, he is going to be a big reason why. He will be 30 in 2015, so he’s not in line for a big payday, but he should double his salary next season. 

Wide Receiver: Mohamed Sanu, Bengals

Salary Cap: $730,813

The 2012 third-round pick has been a great find for the Bengals. Sanu is on pace to finish the season with just over 1,000 yards and gave the Bengals receiving corps a real boost when injuries took others out of the mix. Sanu can even pass the ball if needed. He needs to work on reducing the dropped passes, but he looks poised to earn a solid second-tier contract when the Bengals sign him to an extension next season.

Wide Receiver: Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Salary Cap: $899,867

Though Matthews does not have the big-name value as some of the others players drafted this season, he ranks 22nd in the NFL in yards and has caught nearly 70 percent of the passes thrown his way. Matthews has already surpassed Riley Cooper as the number two target on the team and don’t be surprised if Matthews eventually becomes the number one receiver at some point in the next three years. 

Tight End: Travis Kelce, Chiefs

Salary Cap: $705,826

Kelce is slowly developing into one of the top tight ends in the NFL. He ranks ninth in yards, catches nearly 80 percent of his targets, and averages a ridiculous eight yards after catch. He isn’t just a receiver, developing into quite the blocker as seen when he pancaked the Jets’ Muhamad Wilkerson. The Chiefs need to find a way to get Kelce more involved in the offense. 

Left Tackle: Terron Armstead

Salary Cap: $679,359

It’s very difficult to find quality starting tackles in the NFL at low salary cap figures, but the Saints have one in Armstead. It’s never an easy assignment to pass protect in the Saints' offense when teams are often pinning their ears back and aiming for Drew Brees, but Armstead has done an admirable job of keeping the blindside clean.

Right Tackle: Rick Wagner, Ravens

Salary Cap: $531,140

Wagner earned the starting right tackle job with the Ravens in the preseason and has never looked back. The 2013 third-rounder has been better than former starter Michael Oher and helped the Ravens ground and passing game improve in 2014.

Guard: Joel Bitonio, Browns

Salary Cap: $993,036

The Browns second-round draft pick has exceeded all expectations with a tremendous start to his NFL career. He is one of the best guards in the NFL and a big reason why the Browns have been one of the surprise stories of the 2014 season. Bitonio even get some added publicity recently when he helped prevent a late touchdown on special teams with a tackle on Devin Hester.

Guard: Brandon Brooks, Texans

Salary Cap: $744,359

The Texans have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and Brooks is a crucial part of its success. He also has yet to allow a sack on the season and is beginning to look like a long-term fixture on the Texans offensive line. 

Center: Corey Linsley, Packers

Salary Cap: $466,250

The fifth-round pick was never expected to contribute in 2014, but injuries forced him into a starting role and now it looks like he may be named to the Pro Bowl. Linsley has been tremendous blocking for Eddie Lacy and keeping Aaron Rodgers’ jersey clean as the Packers make a push for the division title. 

Defensive End: Olivier Vernon, Dolphins

Salary Cap: $759,520

Vernon has become one of the best all around defensive linemen in the NFL, giving the Dolphins a three-down player at a fraction of the cost of a veteran. Vernon still has one more year remaining on his rookie contract, but the Dolphins would be smart to extend him this offseason before the cost gets higher. 

Defensive End: Vinny Curry, Eagles

Salary Cap: $922,318

Curry may not receive a great deal of opportunities to play, but when he does he makes the most of them. He has produced seven sacks in fewer than 300 snaps this season, making him one of the best situational players in the NFL.

Defensive Tackle: Damon Harrison, Jets

Salary Cap: $572,334

Not much has gone right for the Jets the last few seasons, but Harrison, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2012, is one of the few bright spots. Harrison is exceptional against the run, which has become the strong point of the Jets defense.  “Snacks” will be a restricted free agent this offseason, likely earning a second-round tender from the Jets. 

Defensive Tackle: Ryan Davis, Jaguars

Salary Cap: $495,000

For two seasons Davis has gone back and forth between the practice squad and active roster, but it looks like he may now be a mainstay of the Jaguars pass rush packages. Davis has seven sacks, good for third at the position, despite playing just a little more than 200 snaps.

Middle Linebacker: Rolando McClain, Cowboys

Salary Cap: $700,000

McClain is one of the most unlikely success stories in the league. He had basically burned his bridges with the Raiders and Ravens and looked to be out of the NFL until desperation by the Cowboys led to him getting a final opportunity. He has become one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL and has given the Cowboys defense a big boost.

Outside Linebacker: Lavonte David, Buccaneers

Salary Cap: $946,836

David already has more than 100 tackles and has solidified himself as one of the best all around linebackers in the league. There is little that David cannot do and he is eligible for an extension following this season. Given the Buccaneers spending habits, expect David to earn one of the biggest contracts at the position in 2015.

Outside Linebacker: Brandon Marshall, Broncos

Salary Cap: $495,000

The less famous Brandon Marshall has developed into a nice player in the Broncos system. His 79 solo tackles ranks third among outside linebackers and he has above-average coverage skills. Denver will control Marshall’s rights at a pretty low cost for at least one more season.

Cornerback: Casey Hayward, Packers

Salary Cap: $902,703

Hayward may be the best corner that nobody talks about. While he is still just the nickelback, you won’t find many more productive players than Hayward, who has three interceptions in 2014. He is essentially a blanket in the slot, allowing, by far, the least amount of targets per play at the position.

Cornerback: Brandon Boykin, Eagles

Salary Cap: $671,367

Boykin is one of the better players in the NFL at covering the slot receiver and more often than not is in good position to either prevent a reception or prevent significant yards from occurring after the reception. Expect him to push for more playing time next season in an attempt to maximize his free agent value in 2016.

Safety: Tashaun Gipson, Browns

Salary Cap: $570,500

Gipson received just $1,500 in bonus money from the Browns as an undrafted player out of Wyoming in 2012. That turned out to be quite the return on investment as Gipson leads the NFL with six interceptions and is one of the top-five safeties in the NFL. Unfortunately he will miss the remainder of the season with an injury, but he should still receive a high tender offer as a restricted free agent in 2015. 

Safety: George Iloka, Bengals

Salary Cap: $610,075

In his third season in the NFL, Iloka is looking more and more like one of the best safeties in the NFL. An all-around player, Iloka has three interceptions and 56 tackles. Iloka still has one year remaining on his rookie contract but don’t be surprised if the Bengals sign him to an extension following the season. 

Kicker: Cody Parkey, Eagles

Salary Cap: $420,000

Parkey ranks third in scoring with 27 field goals made and has missed just two attempts this season. His $420,000 salary is the minimum that a full-time player can make in the NFL, making him an easy choice for best value at the position.

Punter: Johnny Hekker, Rams

Salary Cap: $573,334

Hekker earned All Pro honors in 2013 and is on track to do the same in 2014. He does a great job with his punt placement to limit returns and pin opponents inside their own 20. He’ll eventually be one of the higher paid punters in the NFL. 

Jason Fitzgerald is an NFL salary expert and contributor for Sporting News. Read more of his writing at OverTheCap.com and follow him on Twitter: @Jason_OTC.

VIDEO: Seahawks vs. Eagles

Jason Fitzgerald

Jason Fitzgerald is an NFL salary expert and contributor for Sporting News. Read more of his writing at OverTheCap.com and follow him on Twitter: @Jason_OTC.