Which Players Do You Think Are Obviously GONE next year?

[Fritz]

I'm just curious as to which current Packers you all think are obviously headed out the door this offseason or in training camp, whether cut or not re-signed or maybe traded. Here's a start:

- Josiah Deguara. He just doesn't add value.

- Devondre Campbell - angry tweet or no, the guy is not the player he was a couple years ago. I think he's going to be gone.

-David Bakhtiari. I think Walker has progressed enough that even though Bakh seems to want to come back, the team will draft a tackle or two and just complete the youth movement at tackle. Can they trade Bakh, to, say . . . . the Jest?? For a fourth or fifth rounder?

There are others that I think will be gone but don't seem as certain to me: Savage, Dillon, Myers. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

[Vincenzo]

Preston Smith.

“Smith's cap hit rises from $6.37 million to $16.51 million in 2024. The Packers will save around $2.5 million by releasing Smith before June 1 and $12.4 million if they wait until after that date.”

[texaspackerbacker]

No mention of Jaire? Anyway, I think he stays. I also think Dillon gets restructured, maybe Preston too, as he seems to have bounced back and is looking good this year. Also no mention of Runyan who a lot of people, not necessarily me, think might be gone.

[Teamcheez1]

90% Gone
Bakh
Campbell
Toure
Deguara
Nijman

50% Gone
Dillon
Jones
Runyan
Smith
Savage

10% Gone
Jaire
Myers

[call_me_ishmael]

It wouldn't shock me if they extend Baktiari to keep his cap number down.


Campbell, Deguara are gone for sure. Myers is going into year 4 and likely won't get an extension before the year - why would he? Dillon is in year 4 and maybe will get veteran's minimum or around that. I think he played better the last few weeks than the past year or two so maybe worth kicking the tires on.

None of the guys that will be gone are a big loss since Campbell isn't that dude anymore. Bak would be a loss but they're already playing without him.

[run pMc]

Campbell is a goner.

Bakhtiari could very well be, I'm not sure if they can designate a post-June 1 and that helps or not. I know Gute loves him, he was graded out as by far the best OL on the team in game 1. That contract though...woof. Historically bad. If his knee is truly 'fixed' and healed and he can actually play 17 games with little/no pain or weird practice schedules, you see if you can work something out. He won't take a pay cut, but you might be able to extend him a year and push money out. I'm not sure I like that, 2025 is when the cap sheet should clear and they can spend for FAs that season. Gun to my head I'd guess he's gone but who knows what the front office is thinking. Nothing would really shock me, except for Russ Ball giving him another Brinks truck of money.

Contracts for the following expire:
Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford, Johnathan Owens, Eric Wilson, Keisean Nixon, Tyler Davis, J.Deguara, AJ Dillon, Yosh Njiman, John Runyan Jr. expire.

I'm not sure there's a compelling reason to rush out and sign any of them. I could see them bring them back if the money is right, but probably not until after the draft.
Maybe you kick the tires on Tyler Davis and Eric Wilson for ST, and Keisean too but I don't think you break the bank to bring back a guy who should really be a backup CB and is dynamic if unreliable with the ball as a returner.
Maybe one of Ford/Owens as a ST guy and backup too, but I bet they'd rather put some of their cap space towards having at least one real NFL safety.

Bo Melton is technically a FA, they'll want him back to compete for a spot after his latest showing. You won't be able to stash him on a PS.
Toure is likely gone, I like him but he's been leapfrogged by Malik Heath and Melton, and probably Dubose next year.

Myers and Jaire will be back. Myers will 100% have competition at C though.

Aaron Jones is a guy you'd love to have back as your RB2 on a better deal. He already redid his contract once, not sure he's open to it again unless there's no market for him. He's absolutely a good dude and young teams need leaders like him. I think injuries and age are going to limit what you can ask him to do, and if he's open to another pay cut and mentoring a draft pick (or two) at RB you keep him.

[run pMc]

Preston Smith.

“Smith's cap hit rises from $6.37 million to $16.51 million in 2024. The Packers will save around $2.5 million by releasing Smith before June 1 and $12.4 million if they wait until after that date.”

They could do something with Preston's contract, or even Jaire's, for cap space. As a player, I think Preston has some value -- dude is an Ironman in terms of availability and he's decent as an EDGE2 or 3. It depends on if LVN can earn more time. This is not a great draft for EDGE defenders. Preston's getting close to the 18th hole though.

They have 11 draft picks and 10.7m in projected cap space... i.e., they have enough to sign their rookies, but they will need cap space to fill out the roster and have enough for in-season moves.

[Bretsky]

Bach in my opinion is a given
Campbell most likely gets the ax as well and I don't think he'll mind
I sure as helll hope and think Josiah gets the Ax
Nijman will be gone by choice and I doubt Toure makes it next year
Runyan is gone
Savage is gone

ON THE FENCERS
At first I thought Preston Smith would be gone, but we really lack veteran leaders and I could see him taking a pay cut and staying as he's about our only leader left
AARON JONES- See my comments on Preston Smith
AJ Dillon; I hope we do not overpay him; to me he's worth no more than about 2.5 to 3.5 MIL/Year

MYERS, I wish he was gone but I fear we are stuck with him

[RashanGary]

Preston Smith is such an underrated player. He’s showing no drop off. There is less than zero chance they cut Preston to save 2 million dollars.

[Vincenzo]

Mind you this was written October 8th:

“With Rashan Gary not yet ready for a full-time role as he returns from injury, the Packers needed veteran pass rusher Preston Smith to make a fast start to the season. He has done the opposite.
According to Pro Football Reference, Smith has zero sacks, two QB hits, two pressures, and zero hurries in the opening four games. That's not good enough for a Packers defense searching for more pass-rush consistency.
Smith has played 186 snaps compared to Gary's 77, yet Gary has 3.5 sacks, six QB hits, 10 pressures, and four hurries.
There's also a financial element to this. Smith's cap hit rises from $6.37 million to $16.51 million in 2024. The Packers will save around $2.5 million by releasing Smith before June 1 and $12.4 million if they wait until after that date.
The Packers have prepared for the future at outside linebacker. Rashan Gary has become one of the league's best and should land a new long-term deal in the coming months. Green Bay drafted Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick in this year's draft, and it's only a matter of time before he moves ahead of Smith on the depth chart.
Smith turns 31 next month and has made a slow start to the season. He could be in his final year with the Packers.“

As of right now he has 8 sacks and he did force a fumble versus Minnesota Sunday.

Then on November 18th, again from Lombardi Ave:

“There are several reasons why releasing Preston Smith in the offseason makes sense.
From a roster-building perspective, it would allow first-round pick Lukas Van Ness to expand his role and become a full-time starter in year two. Smith enters his age-32 season in 2024, so turning the page to Van Ness is the correct call. It will accelerate Van Ness's development to give him more opportunities after this season.”

[Bretsky]

Preston Smith is such an underrated player. He’s showing no drop off. There is less than zero chance they cut Preston to save 2 million dollars.

What is his cap number ? He had agreed to restructure in the past. That is what I think will happen. Preston is our 2020 version of Santana Dotson; very steady, good, but often unnoticed

[Joemailman]

Preston Smith will be back. It's after that that his base salary gets too big for Packers to likely handle. https://overthecap.com/player/preston-smith/3886

[call_me_ishmael]

Preston Smith is an example of FA going so right. He has been such a good signing. Has he even missed a game? I would guess not.

[texaspackerbacker]

We have a nice rotation at Edge Rusher. As I said earlier, I think Preston gets offered a restructure, and unless he really wants to be gone, which I doubt, he takes it.

Ditto that for Aaron Jones. I also expect them to keep Dillon, maybe for a little bit of a Door County discount, but well over the minimum.

When Meyers went out toward the end of the game, Runyan played Center, not Tom or Jenkins. That leads me to think that the coaching staff, similar to me, have a higher opinion of both of those two than the haters in here who would like them gone. Just like last year, in the last two games, we have had great success running right up the middle, Guard/Center hole - a lot less success running outside.

That old sacred cow, Bakhtiari, should and probably will be gone.

If they bring back Savage at all, I hope and think it's for damn little money. Owens and Ford and maybe even Johnson have easily outplayed him.

[Fritz]

I really like Preston Smith. I hope he's back next year.

And as Bretsky's said, Nijman will not be back. For reasons I and a few others here don't understand, the Packers seem to have lost confidence in Nijman. His work ethic is lacking, maybe? But he'll get an offer elsewhere and move on, netting the Packers a compensation pick in the 2025 draft.