Would Like to Read This, Be Smarter: Packers Salary Cap

[vince]

I don't have access to the Packer Report article, but I do have some salary cap info for next year.

Here's a summary of all Packer contracts that includes bonus and guaranteed money.

http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/contracts/nfl/gb/

I didn't come up with this spreadsheet but it looks like it's in the ballpark at least.

- The Packers are currently at about $100 mil with 7 more guys needing to be added, 2 or 3 of which will probably include sizable hits to next year's cap.
- I've read taht the salary cap isn't projected to go up much next year, so if you figure it'll be around $125 mil, the Packers have $20 mil at the most (Thompson always leaves $5 - $10 mil for flex money to sign guys like Green and Walden off the street in the event of injury, and then pushes what's left forward) to sign a couple big deals and 4 or 5 minimum contracts.
- Drafted guys will replace some of these contracts but it will probably mostly be a wash. Maybe Driver saves some money and maybe Clifton, but he's not overly expensive next year and I think there's a decent chance they'll try to ride him another year and continue to develop Sherrod and Newhouse.
- Hawk has guaranteed money allocated into future years, so cutting him will cost a couple mil more than his cap number next year if you keep him. I think he still has $6 mil in signing bonus that would come onto 2012 if he were cut.
- Hopefully Collins comes back, but his retirement would free up some space.
- Maybe Pickett restructures and extends to free up some space.



It looks like it will be tight assuming they want to re-sign Finley and Wells, but they should be able to do what they want to get done.

I hope they're able to tag and trade Flynn, but those are pretty important dollars that clearly need to go somewhere other than backup QB. Depending on the timing of Finley/Wells signings and how those deals would likely be structured they may not have enough space to even tag him in the first place.

[Patler]

Chillar had shoulder surgery in the off-season, then tore a hamstring while working out just before the lockout ended. The Packers released him before camp even started. They said he was a mess, and wasn't close to passing a physical.

[Patler]

Looks like $2.48 million in dead money in 2012 just for Barnett, Chillar, Poppinga and Harrell.

From an article in August 2011:

Through the release of linebacker Nick Barnett, end Justin Harrell, linebacker Brady Poppinga and Chillar, general manager Ted Thompson has sliced off $12.7 million from the Packers' salary cap. Those same cuts will cost him $2.48 million next year because of the pro-rated shares left over in each player's contract.

[Upnorth]

So the cap is around 125 mil or so right? I think Wells will get a good signing bonus and Finley is an unknown. I doubt we have the room to tag and trade Flynn, even though it would be nice. At least bush will be cheap! I don't see us over the cap, but I don't think we will have much wiggle room either.

[pbmax]

I suspect that this is the point of the article, that the cap is not going up much and if you retain both Finley and Wells, you might have just enough room to sign the rookies and do one or two contracts next year for the pending 2013 free agents.

[ND72]

still remember the days I took flack for calling Poppinga POOPinga...

[Fritz]

And who thought TT might go out and sign a big free agent anyway?

[pbmax]

OK, well that was money not spent well. Having stalled long enough before deciding to shell out for a Packer Report/Scout subscription, Mr. Silverstein has done a lot of the legwork for us and I haven't used up my 15 free articles yet.

Tom speculates the cap will be close to $120 million and he recently spoke to Brandt (EDIT: wrong Brandt, not cap guy Andrew but professional radio guest Gil Brandt) so he might have something there, though everything else I have read says it will be around $125 mil. Just to be consistent, we will use Tom's cap number for this post. For all 63 players under contract, Packers are committed to $113 mil. But the offseason/new league year counts on the 51 most expensive cap numbers and that puts the Pack at about $110.9 mil.

Pack also have 2.4 mil of dead money, so they have used $113.3 out of $120 million.

Finley, Wells, Bush and Flynn remain as top FAs. Silverstein speculates if you want to tag Flynn to trade him, you must chop off $10 mil in cap off these numbers and also find a way to sign Finley, Wells and Bush for roughly $3 million in cap space this year. Its not quite as tight as it first appears as Driver, Woodson and Clifton might be ripe for a restructure or release. Should Collins not be available, that is close to $4 mil off the books, but that doesn't happen until March, after FA has started.

Given all that, it doesn't look like the Free Agent fairy will be visiting the Packers this offseason if Tom has his numbers correct. However, if the cap number is $125 mil, then there might be room to restructure a vet or two and do something fun. Not likely, but possible.

For cap story: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/138497134.html

For Top 51 cap numbers: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/138506594.html

[Upnorth]

I think we say goodbye to mr clifton and restucture driver and wood. Flynn walks and wells finley and bush get resigned. I pray Collins earns hjis 4 mil this year. If he's here are d is much better. Sorry if this seems like captain obvious speaking.

[pbmax]

I think we say goodbye to mr clifton and restucture driver and wood. Flynn walks and wells finley and bush get resigned. I pray Collins earns hjis 4 mil this year. If he's here are d is much better. Sorry if this seems like captain obvious speaking.

I am not as sanguine and Silverstein is about Newhouse's performance. He will get a full offseason so physically he will be different, but I think Clifton's season depends more on Sherrod.

[Brandon494]

I am not as sanguine and Silverstein is about Newhouse's performance. He will get a full offseason so physically he will be different, but I think Clifton's season depends more on Sherrod.

Its time to move Bulaga to LT and Newhouse to RT next season. I think its highly unlikely Clifton returns next season, he'll be 36 years old at the start of next season. You don't see many if any LT starting at that age.

[MJZiggy]

I think the only way he doesn't come back is if they find someone better.

[Patler]

Clifton was the oldest starting LT in 2011. I can't see him back again in 2012.

[Upnorth]

I like clifton but he misses too much time. Newhouse was an adequate LT who did well against average players and was beat by elite players. One thing I liked about Newhouse was his improvement from the first time he faced Allen to the second time. I think until Sherrod heals fully and plays the way a 1st round pick is supposed to play Newhouse starts and I'm okay with that. If your tackle is crap there is no way your qb has the highest passer rating ever.

[SkinBasket]

Thank God. He was bad. Chillar, that was a shame to have him leave. Poppinga was beyond JAG

It only took, like, 4 seasons for half the folks here to understand that. Bunch of racist crackers.