Money has always steered the multibillion-dollar NFL. And since 1994, the league has been driven by a salary cap.

How the NFL is controlled by spending limitations was on full display last week as teams released veterans from coast to coast. Teams' front offices are always busy the days leading up to the start of each league year.

The NFL's 2016 year officially kicks off at 3 p.m. Wednesday, which will begin the free agency period. All clubs must also be under the 2016 salary cap prior to the start of the league year.

But NFL general managers will be working the phones starting Monday as clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents.

From Monday until 3 p.m. Wednesday, NFL teams will be active during what many refer to as the "legal tampering period" that precedes free agency. This won't be much different than the norm, however, because NFL teams are always trying to get an upper hand, with some form of tampering occurring almost daily in the fast-paced NFL. There just won't be a need for the wink-winks.

The NFLPA recently set this year's salary cap for teams at a record $155.27 million, marking a third consecutive year that it has risen by at least $10 million. That's a big jump from what the initial salary cap was in 1994 at $34.6 million.

NFL teams will have a combined $1 billion available to them - Jacksonville has the most free at nearly $80 million - for what could be an unprecedented free agency spending spree.

That means you could see market-blowing contracts going to second- and third-tier free agents like never before.

The Cowboys, however, plan to be patient and frugal in free agency despite having more cap space this year (about $14 million) available to them than in recent seasons.

Last week, teams cut players to free up more salary cap space and avoid paying overpriced veterans who haven't lived up to expectations.

More of the same will happen this week, including a pair of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks who are expected to be released. Washington intends to release Robert Griffin III and Cleveland plans to cut Johnny Manziel. Both could happen Wednesday.

The Redskins have been able to release Griffin since Feb. 8, but they've held on to the former Baylor standout with hopes that another team would trade a low-round pick for him. Of course, Griffin would have to agree to redo his option before the start of the league year to make a trade work for another team.

Washington will have to release Griffin before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Otherwise, his 2016 option on his contract would kick in and the Redskins would be on the hook for his $16.155 million salary. They certainly won't take on that cap hit after Washington starting quarterback Kirk Cousins just signed his franchise tag tender Wednesday night that will pay him $19.953 million in 2016, a nice bump from the $660,000 he earned last season.

The Redskins could release Griffin Monday or Tuesday but are likely to hold off on the move until right before Wednesday afternoon's deadline to see what other offers come their way.

As for Manziel, he's sure to be cut Wednesday. Cleveland has run out of patience for the former Texas A&M star who has continued to party coast to coast while a Dallas County grand jury decides whether he will face domestic violence charges.

The Browns have been handcuffed over the last month and weren't able to already release Manziel. They still owe him about $4.3 million and if they had cut him during the 2015 league year the charge would have gone against their 2015 cap.

Cleveland, however, has already cleared its books in 2015 and rolled over its $20.7 million cap carry-over money into 2016. That left Cleveland with no cap space in 2015 and, thus, not able to release Manziel until after the start of the new league year Wednesday, when the Browns will have money available to absorb the hit.

Although the Cowboys have been linked to Griffin and Manziel in national reports, Dallas is more likely to pursue Texas prep products Colt McCoy or Chase Daniel in free agency as a veteran backup for Tony Romo.

Twitter: @DMN_George

Click here to see the Cowboys' salary cap numbers and how they got there.