Packers Will Have To Cut Players

[ThunderDan]

Per a WSJ article this morning by Tom Oates.

The new salary cap for 2011 will be right around $120,000,000 and the Packers are right up to that number without signing any of their free agents or their drafted players.

To make room to sign the needed players veterans like Tauscher, Barnett, Chillar, etc. with big contracts are most likely going to be cut. Tauscher and Barnett alone would clear almost $10M in cap space.

It will be interesting to see how the Packers get under the cap far enough to sign the veterans that they need and the incoming rookies.

It will also be interesting to see how the Packers deal with the cap going forward knowing they are going to have to pay Raji, Clay and Sitton big salaries to keep them.

[Bretsky]

Green Bay I think is in better shape than most. I think about 20 teams are over the cap. There will be a TON of players cut and many opportunities for teams to get players from other teams

[Joemailman]

I think Barnett, Tauscher and Chillar will all be released. With Brad Jones probably moving inside, and the drafting of D.J. Smith, they have plenty of depth at ILB. Looking ahead, this could very well be the last years for Clifton and Driver, which would free up a lot of money. You can bet TT has structured a lot of contracts so that the salary cap impact will be manageable.

[vince]

I think Barnett, Tauscher and Chillar will all be released. With Brad Jones probably moving inside, and the drafting of D.J. Smith, they have plenty of depth at ILB. Looking ahead, this could very well be the last years for Clifton and Driver, which would free up a lot of money.

I agree with all that. Perhaps Chillar sticks but I do like the idea of Brad Jones going from sideline to sideline from in the middle on passing downs.

[red]

i don't see chillar getting cut, didn't we just give him a new deal?

i would love for tauscher to just call it quits so we don't have to cut him. i don't see any way he's on this team this year

there has to be some trade value for barnett. he's not great, but above average. if we were new england we could probably get a 1st round pick for him

i agree with b, there's gonna be a lot of guys cut around the league this year

[prime311]

No ones going to trade for Barnett and take on his salary. I expect him and Tausch will both be released. I don't think they'll release Chillar, but who knows. His contract is only around 3M this year IIRC.

[vince]

From National Football Post's Sunday Blitz

The Packers are all ears when it comes to talking about trading Nick Barnett. Moving him would save them more than $4 million on the salary cap, and they could use that space. Barnett is a versatile, valuable defender who can start in multiple schemes and at multiple positions, but he’s now behind Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk on the Packers’ depth chart. If the Packers can’t get what they want for Barnett before camp or early in camp, they may hang onto him to see if teams increase their offers as camp and preseason go on. Releasing him also could be an option at some point.

Barnett's salary isn't crazy if he's starting, which he presumably would be for another team.

[Bretsky]

I wonder where just cutting Tauscher gets us to
I don't think we really need Chillar anymore...but GB always seemed to be in love with his versatility

It would be nice to get something for Barnett

There will be some jawdropping cuts around the NFL this week and next

[Yoop]

Barnett is still a starting caliber LBer, 2 years removed from being a pro bowl alternet, just because he lost his start to Bishop, hardly detracts from that, I cant see Ted letting him walk, Chiller and Poppinga have never lived up to there contracts, I could see Ted letting them walk first, Barnett is worth a 3rd, but because of the injury the offer likely will be a 4th. imo.

[Partial]

My prediction is Taush is gone and immediately signed to a front office position ala Rob Davis. They'll take care of their own. I would guess Chillar sticks, Barnett goes, but who knows at this point.

[digitaldean]

I saw Oates on a talk show this weekend stating that Tausch would be cut and Barnett gone. I'd have to say that Jolly would also be a foregone conclusion. James Jones may also be out as well. The luxury of having 3 FBs may also be bye-bye. Maybe they could restructure a couple of contracts if necessary. But since TT usually isn't a FA player anyway, I don't think they have to do some wholesale cutting.

[vince]

I think Tausch may be pegged as Assistant O-line Intern or something like that. There is no Assistant O-line coach right now, since Fontenot moved to Running Backs and Bennett moved to Receivers.

[ThunderDan]

I saw Oates on a talk show this weekend stating that Tausch would be cut and Barnett gone. I'd have to say that Jolly would also be a foregone conclusion. James Jones may also be out as well. The luxury of having 3 FBs may also be bye-bye. Maybe they could restructure a couple of contracts if necessary. But since TT usually isn't a FA player anyway, I don't think they have to do some wholesale cutting.

Just so you know James Jones costs -0- against the Packers cap right now, same with Colledge, Crosby, Kuhn etc. To be able to resign anyone plus the rookies we have to cut players to make room. I think that is why Barnett and Tauscher are almost certainly gone. I like the thought of restructuring contracts but I don't see TT kicking the can down the street knowing he has to sign Matthews, Raji, Sitton and probably redoing ARod's deal in the next couple of years.

TT is really going to have to watch the cap going forward with so many young, talented players on the roster. Unpopular choices are going to be made to keep us under the cap. We have 5 potential superstars on the team and they will eat a large portion of our cap. Between Arod, Jennings, Matthews, Raji and Sitton (when the young guys get their 2nd contracts) we could have $45-55M tied up in 5 players.

[3irty1]

Poppinga's name needs to be mentioned way before Chillar's.

[bobblehead]

One extra point though. We still have a ton of guys under contract that won't make the team. Guys that were IR last year and we have no serious interest in bringing back. Maybe many of them were signed to one year deals, but I think releasing some of them will clear up a some room.

As many said, Tausch is a foregone conclusion at this point. Between Barnett and Chillar I think Barnett goes first due to higher salary and possible trade value. I could envision a stunner where Driver goes and we resign Jones (if Jones signed a reasonable deal). Probably won't happen, but I could see it being possible. Again, I'm not sure how the rules work with the cap and exactly when you have to be at the number, but if any draft picks actually make the team they likely replace guys who had similar salaries. A lot of possibilities to play out, but I can't wait for the answers....get the deal done and lets start defending.