Mike Pettine

[gbgary]

Let's say this is right. Now do the heavy lifting. Given the salary cap, who do they cut and who do they sign to win now? Specific players, please.

they're some $22m+- under the cap now. they don't have to cut anyone. they have a month before the league year begins to make more room if they think they need it (they can do it later but there's a cost to it). they have to decide if they're going for the short-term win-now plan or go for the long-term plan. i don't think they'll do the long term thing as it means (imo) trading Rodgers to cle for their 2 #1's+++. doing so would get them a qb at #1, pick #4 and #14 to get whoever, end all cap issues, sign anyone they want in free agency, and collect later for anything else they could get in the deal. since we know that ain't happenin', the short term is all that's left...which is 3-5 years years max imo. the 3 names constantly being brought up for cutting are Jordy, Cobb, and Clay. i think they want to keep them all so if they're willing to take a cut and extend for a year or two, fine. that'll get them a little more room...which is likely to be eaten up by Rodger's extension. cutting them is a step backward imo. this year the d is going to go through a big learning curve so i don't expect them to be so great. losing Clay's experience would hurt. this year's schedule is a killer. i say let them play out their contracts and aim for 2019 when $30m+ falls off the payroll and the cap goes up another $15m.

edit: ya know, after typing all that...with next year's learning curve and schedule, why put off the $30m drop-off a year? cut the 3 of them now and start the fix now. that should get them a better pick next year than keeping them another year would.