Cool Charts: NFL Team Salaries By Position

This week, The Guardian released an excellent interactive graphic on the salaries (technically, the cap hit) of NFL players by team and position. Franchises that look like cheapskates are generally heavy in rookie contracts–nothing in the NFL is as cost-effective as talented young blood–but it's still an interesting look at the personnel decisions that have been made across the league.

It also offers a good visual of the teams' often-overlooked offensive and defensive lines. Here are the Seahawks, who are spending a league-high $27.6 million on guards, tackles, and centers to protect Russell Wilson, made possible by the fact that they don't have to pay Wilson himself much of anything:

On the flip side, here are the Bears, who are spending a league-low $9.35 million (tied with the Steelers) to protect their QB. Over the last three seasons, Big Ben and Jay Cutler have been sacked 2.8 and 2.3 times per game respectively, among the highest rate in the league. A lot of the savings come from the fact that the Bears plan to start two rookies on the right side of the line.

On the defensive side, here are the Vikings, who spend a league high $36.75 on defensive ends and defensive tackles. Almost half of that ($17 million) is going to Jared Allen, who's averaged 15 sacks per year for the Vikings since 2008:

Here are the Jets, who pay their D-line a league-low $5.45 million:

The Jets have devoted many of their recent draft picks to defensive linesmen. Last year this line gave up over 133 yards per game on the ground, good for 26th in the league, so it hasn't started working out for them quite yet.

[ The Guardian]