Following up on our previous items about NFC West salary-cap situations, here's a look at how the Seahawks could create additional cap space heading into free agency:

Current cap room: $20.3 million

Projected functional cap room for free agency: $15.5 million

How the Seahawks could create more room: Seattle appears to have relatively few attractive options for a team coming off a 4-12 season. The Seahawks would actually lose cap space if they parted with veteran pass rusher Patrick Kerney, as the chart indicates.

The chart shows the difference between how much selected players' contracts count against the salary cap depending on roster status. I singled out players you have asked about through the mailbag or comments sections of various blog entries. None appear particularly vulnerable to release.

Julian Peterson's base salary swells from $3.5 million last season to $6.5 million in 2009. His value to the team could change based on whether the Seahawks re-sign Leroy Hill. While Peterson did not have his best season in 2009, the new staff presumably hopes to get more from him. Peterson and head coach Jim Mora were together on the 49ers.

Kerney's contract counts $10.1 million against the 2009 cap after counting less than $3.9 million last season. Releasing him would trigger an even larger cap hit while depriving the Seahawks of their best pass rusher. His base salary is $4 million. Kerney has been mostly dominant when healthy, but he's coming off another offseason surgery.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is scheduled to earn $5.25 million in base salary and another $1 million through a roster bonus. Those numbers are hardly prohibitive for a starting quarterback. The Seahawks have expressed a commitment to him for this coming season despite suggestions Hasselbeck could be vulnerable.

Receiver Deion Branch is scheduled to earn $4.94 million in base salary. Like Kerney, Branch has generally played well when healthy. The Seahawks need him.