The single metric that shows how much better the roster is this year over last year is this: 16-28
Wish I could find links but machine learning has made finding old articles impossible. I know Keim & Nikki, prolly Standig too, wrote articles about all the 1 year deals the team used last year. In a sense it worked; allowed the team to maintain flexibility and cap space while trying to run it back. Long story short, they had 28 expiring contracts on the 50 last year. (I don't count the K, P & LS.)
This year, there are only 16. That means 34 of the 50 are under contract or control for next year...with ~$100M cap space. This is how teams get better, chosing who to upgrade rather than simply filling holes. It gets even better when you drill down on the 16.
Nine are on defense, with four guys playing the final year and just five one year deals. Payne, Luvu, Quan & Butler will determine their future with their play this season & only Payne could be expensive to resign. Otherwise they'll enter the comp pick formula. Douglas, Moreau, Tuttle & Omenihu are needed depth and could come back with solid play but won't break the bank. Chaisson is the only one to really budget for resigning or replacing.
It is even better looking at the offense. All seven are on one year deals and only Diggs could cost real money to resign or replace. Paul at LG is the only other starter. OL depth (Humphries) WR depth (Burks & Brown) and RB (White) are not expensive at all. Backup QB (Mariota) shouldn't be.
Essentially, they could not be in better shape financially to absorb the extension for the highest paid player in the league. If the other youngsters develop in the new schemes, a large, multi-chip window is open. If the season is undone by a few glaring holes as the doomers predict, spending on their replacements AND the $80M kid is very doable.
The only real way to continue our decades of misery is the new OC & DC schemes don't work from jump.