Green Bay Packers: A Busy Week Ahead for Gutey and Ball
By Paul Bretl
We’ve seen the Green Bay Packers make a few moves this offseason already. They’ve restructured David Bakhtiari’s deal to free up cap space, and they also cut both Rick Wagner and Christian Kirksey—again, to free up more cap space.
However, there is still plenty of work to be done, and the Packers are running out of time. While the official 2021 salary cap hasn’t been set yet, we do know that the floor will be $180 million. If that’s the case, then Green Bay finds themselves about $11.5 million over.
Next Monday marks the start of the legal tampering period when teams can contact free agents and begin negotiating deals. Then on Wednesday afternoon, free agency opens, and the Packers — along with every other NFL team — must be under the salary cap—whatever that figure ends up being.
So although it’s been fairly quiet on 1265 Lombardi Avenue these past few weeks, it’s about to get a whole lot busier as Green Bay tries to create additional cap space.
As far as how they go about doing that, well, there are a number of options. Some better than others but each with their own consequences, whether that be in 2021 or down the road.
The easiest decision to make would be extending Davante Adams, who is in the final year of his current deal. The Green Bay Packers can effectively lower Adams’ $16.78 million cap hit this year by converting a portion of his base salary to a signing bonus and spreading that cap hit out over the additional years added on to the contract.
Another fairly obvious move expected to come at some point is restructuring Aaron Rodgers’ deal. Rodgers’ has a cap hit in 2021 of $37.57 million, and again, Green Bay could convert some of his base salary and/or roster bonus to a signing bonus, thus reducing the cap hit this year but increasing it in 2022 and 2023–the final two years of his current contract.
Then there is Preston Smith, which I’m not really sure what to expect at this point. Leaving him on his current deal with a $16 million cap hit makes little sense given his play in 2020. And the same goes for a contract restructure.
Any cap space created in 2021 must be recognized in 2022, where Smith’s cap hit already sits at $16.5 million. And again, you’re doing this for a player coming off a down season.
If the Green Bay Packers want to keep Smith, a pay cut makes the most sense. They could also save $8 million by cutting him or trading him, as Albert Breer of MMQB reported—but finding a trade partner with that contract won’t be easy.
A few other smaller moves include cutting Dean Lowry and saving $3.3 million. However, given the lack of depth along the interior defensive line, I’m not sure that the Green Bay Packers have this luxury.
Devin Funchess was another cut candidate, but doing so only would have freed up about $1.3 million in cap space—so he opted to take a $750,000 pay cut, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Za’Darius Smith and Adrian Amos are potential contract extension candidates like Adams.
Some other “decisions” that have to be made include using the franchise tag on Aaron Jones. But I don’t see that being in play given that all $8 million that comes with that move has to be on the books for 2021. And I’m sure we all have come to the conclusion that Corey a Linsley has played his final snaps in a Packers’ uniform.
There are certainly other possible moves than what I just laid out that can be made, but you get the idea. There is still a lot of work left to do for Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball before the new league year begins.
And on top of that, getting below the salary cap is only the starting point. Green Bay also has to have funds available to pay the incoming draft class as well as the practice squad. Along with any performance bonuses that’ll have to be paid out, in-season spending, and of course, any potential free-agent additions.
So buckle up; it should be a busy week.