Packers: Moving on from Graham & Taylor Adds Needed Cap Space

Two ways that the Green Bay Packers can free up some much-needed cap space this offseason is by moving on from Jimmy Graham and Lane Taylor.

In just one season the Green Bay Packers have come a long way and a big reason for that was because of the moves GM Brian Gutekunst made in free agency as well as hitting on some draft picks. However, as we saw against San Francisco, a talent gap still exists and while this team doesn’t need the same overhaul that they received last Spring, additions still need to be made.

Green Bay has a few of their own free agents that should be re-signed including Bryan Bulaga and Mason Crosby. Adding proven veterans to the wide receiver and inside linebacker units feels like a must. Not to mention that extending Kenny Clark should be high on the to-do list as well, and of course, there are more than just these few areas and players to address.

Currently, Over The Cap has the Green Bay Packers at roughly $32.3 million in cap space for 2020. But two ways that they can add a significant amount of cap space is by moving on from Jimmy Graham and Lane Taylor.

While there was a lot of excitement and buzz when Graham joined the Packers prior to the 2018 season, he certainly hasn’t lived up to his contract that made him the highest paid tight end on a per year basis.

Instead, he’s struggled with drops, hasn’t been the red zone threat that we had hoped he’d be, and although we knew he wasn’t the same athlete that he once was, it appears that he’s really hit a wall over these last two seasons.

So with one year left on his contract, this gives Green Bay the perfect opportunity to move on. In 2020 Graham comes with a cap hit of $11.6 million according to Spotrac, however, by cutting him the dead cap hit is only $3.6 million. Meaning, the Packers save $8 million by letting him go.

Then we have Lane Taylor who has shown that he can be a solid starting guard in the NFL and comes with a very affordable contract that has a cap hit in 2020 of $5.9 million. But in Green Bay where he is going to be a backup, that’s just too much money to have sitting on the bench.

It’s clear that the guard positions in Titletown belong to Billy Turner and Elgton Jenkins, leaving Taylor as the odd man out.

If the Packers do, in fact, move on from Taylor, he leaves a dead cap hit of $1.4 million, which saves Green Bay an additional $4.5 million on top of what they would save by cutting Graham. But in Taylor’s case, instead of cutting him, a trade would be the best route for them to take.

As I mentioned above, he’s serviceable starter and comes with an affordable contract. If Green Bay can get a draft pick in return for Justin McCray, they can certainly get one for Lane Taylor.

To put a bow on this, Green Bay can create over $12 million in cap space in 2020 by moving on from Graham and Taylor this offseason. Given the other moves and additions that need to be made this Spring so the Packers can hopefully push past the NFC Championship next season and get to the Super Bowl, these two moves seem like no-brainers.