Per these two articles, http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/post/_/id/37621/a-look-ahead-at-2013-cap-situations and http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8016480/nfl-salary-cap-carryover-rewards-smart-management (skim them, great read), Houston is poised to carry over an estimated 24.8 million in cap space to the 2013 season. As part of the new CBA deal which allows for the carry over of dead salary cap space. Essentially if a team is using $100m of their $120m cap then the difference of $20m will carry over to the next year resulting in a cap space of $140m the next year. Keep in mind that this is an addition to an existing cap number and not an estimation of how much room we will have to sign key free agents. This is important because $24.8m will added to whatever salary cap numbers we have next year. If GM Rick Smith has handled the cap right, Houston should enter the 2013 off-season reasonably under the salary cap and with an additional $24.8m.

• Houston ranks fifth league wide in carry-over cap space for the time being
• Houston will carry over approximately $24.8m in cap space to 2013
• Houston's cap room for 2013: Approximately $144.8m
• Marquee UFA (Unrestricted Free Agents) include, OLB Connor Barwin, QB Matt Schaub and LT Duane
• Whcih Teams are over the cap?

The Jets are $19 million over. The Eagles will have to make some decisions after the season because they are $16 million over, but they can offset it with their carryover from this year. The Panthers are $16 million over. The Cowboys are $15 million over. The Panthers are slightly more than $10 million over and so are the Steelers.