Packers Offseason/Free Agency Thread

[RashanGary]

Really, the big chunks of dead space left to eat are:

Bahktiari (20M)
Clark (20M) *but you spread that over his next deal and deal with it later
Jones (10M) *again, spread that over his deal and take it later


The rest of the contracts are in good shape. After this year we really only have 30M of dead space to eat, that we won’t eat for 4 years. 30M now is more like 20M 4 years from now. So honestly, if Gute doesn’t get unlucky with injuries AND doesn’t sign any bad deals, our cap situation is cleaned up after 2024.

[Bretsky]

All the negative crap spewed by ingrates about Rodgers and the cap situation he gets the blame for, yet the Packers have at very least a top five roster talent-wise.

Kaaron put the screws to GB really good

[RashanGary]

It’s going to be really interesting in 2 years to see who we end up keeping in the skill player group. The dreamer and schematic schemer in me hopes that Kraft and Musgrave become beasts so they are the two locks. After that, I think you want an elite speed guy on the outside so Watson finding health would be ideal. And then you replace the rest in the draft and get compensatory picks for them or trade them for something better than a compensatory if that’s an option.

It still has to play out. Reed and Wicks could become elite guys and they would be priority. Anything could happen. But I’m dreaming of a physically dominant offense that can run it down your throat and have all kinds of impossible to cover options in the passing game so I hope it’s a best case scenario for Musgrave, Kraft and Watson.

[run pMc]

Kenny Clark is in the last year of his deal next year. It looks to me like he’s owed almost 40M more of cap hit. Quinnen Williams makes 24M. If Clark is extended for 3 years at 25M per year, plus the 40 he’s owed, it would be 4 years 115M total contract. 29M per year.


Yikes. But you can’t even think about the 40 he’s owed. That is what it is. It’s not going away. You have to think about the 25 per and if he’s with that, and I think he his.

Man, Aaron Rodgers was dead set on making sure the Packers wasted all of their resources on his shot so as to leave Love in a situation where his early career is digging out.

I think you resign Clark, then restructure with voids and eat it 4 years from now when the cap is higher. But it’s an unfortunate situation.

https://overthecap.com/player/kenny-clark/4739

They pushed a big chunk of it into a void year, so some of that money won't hit until the year after his contract expires.
He does have a big cap hit, but not 40M. It's what happens when you play well enough to make it to your last year of your contract. Ask Aaron Jones about that.

I could see them doing an extension and play some games with the money, but I'd be leery of it. We've seen 3rd contracts not work out so well in the past (see: Bakhtiari, David). Outside of QB, I'm not sure a 3rd contract is a good idea (unless it's a series of 1 year deals), usually the player is too expensive and too old to make it worthwhile.

[run pMc]

It’s going to be really interesting in 2 years to see who we end up keeping in the skill player group. The dreamer and schematic schemer in me hopes that Kraft and Musgrave become beasts so they are the two locks. After that, I think you want an elite speed guy on the outside so Watson finding health would be ideal. And then you replace the rest in the draft and get compensatory picks for them or trade them for something better than a compensatory if that’s an option.

It still has to play out. Reed and Wicks could become elite guys and they would be priority. Anything could happen. But I’m dreaming of a physically dominant offense that can run it down your throat and have all kinds of impossible to cover options in the passing game so I hope it’s a best case scenario for Musgrave, Kraft and Watson.

which is why I think they should go back to the well in 2025 draft and take a WR on Day 2. I don't think they can or will keep all these guys, and some will flame out of not develop further along the way.
I think Reed and Wicks will be the ones getting most of the targets FWIW
I like Musgrave a lot but I think Kraft is a keeper

[run pMc]

Also - didn't see it on the list above, but I'd make an offer to Corey Ballentine as well. He's better in zone than man and ideally you want him on the PS or ST only, but he filled in admirably with Jaire/Stokes out.

[texaspackerbacker]

As I said, despite the whining about Rodgers, etc., the Packers were and are going forward a loaded team. We have at least 6 very high quality WRs and 2 possible star quality TEs plus a 3rd (hell no, not Deguara as somebody said, but Sims who is at least serviceable). I expect ALL of them to be retained going forward.

Yes, we should retain Aaron Jones. Dillon probably not unless nobody else wants him and he is dirt cheap - highly unlikely. I'd like to see a quality backup RB drafted about 3rd or 4th round - Braelin Allen would be ideal IMO.

I do NOT want an O Lineman early in the draft. Put the sacred cow out to pasture and don't mess with this year's O Line.

Our D Line evolved to be way above average, but we need to retain Kenny Clark. Our Edge Rusher group is excellent and getting better. I would retain Preston Smith but not for starter money on a restructure.

My tentative choice for a first round pick would be ILB. Let Campbell go even if not much is saved on the cap. Quay would be great as the second best ILB, but he isn't good enough to be #1.

I'm conflicted on Jaire. I'd like them to keep him, but he just doesn't seem worth the money he costs. I'd like to see them draft a hybrid Corner/Safety about 2nd or 3rd round, as all our young DBs are serviceable especially if Barry has the good sense to play zone D but none really stand out. Maybe we get lucky with a draft pick.

And lose the damn kicker - unless he somehow makes a miraculous improvement, If Jerry Jones can find Aubrey, we ought to be able to find somebody on the street (or soccer field) almost as good. At least 30 guys good enough to be college kickers graduate every year. I'd bet at least half of them are better than Carlson.

[Fritz]

I hope the Packers don't go sinking big money into an free agents. This is not yet the time. They still need to get out from under this year's coming cap mess. They've got to sort out Bakh's contract, Kenny Clark's, Aaron Jones's.

[Joemailman]

I hope the Packers don't go sinking big money into an free agents. This is not yet the time. They still need to get out from under this year's coming cap mess. They've got to sort out Bakh's contract, Kenny Clark's, Aaron Jones's.

They don't have the cap room to spend big money on free agents this year. I would expect some minor signings at S and ILB.

[ThunderDan]

They don't have the cap room to spend big money on free agents this year. I would expect some minor signings at S and ILB.

I was playing around at OverTheCap.com, the Packers could have around $23 Million if you get rid of Bakh and Campbell. You need probably 10-15 of that for rookies and resigning Packers' free agents. That only leaves 8 - 13 for free agents and signing someone mid-season if a player gets hurt.

[call_me_ishmael]

Yeah for sure, I don't think they should go all in on a bunch of free agents. Realistically, I think the org probably thinks they overachieved this year and were a year ahead of schedule. I think they need another year to resolve the pushing-the-money-out situation. I would resign the guys they have and want, but _not_ continue pushing money out. Just get the cap healthy so they'll have some room _next_ year.

IMO, the window should look like this:
2024-2025 is about getting back to divisional round and doing it again
2025-2028 is about being a super bowl candidate

[run pMc]

They are going to extend Love when May hits, pretty sure they will set aside some cap space for that.
They will NOT be a major player in FA, but they aren't in as bad shape as last offseason where they basically had to dumpster dive. Honestly 2025 is the year for FA. The '22 and '23 draft classes will be starting to peak (in theory) and they will have cleared a lot of their bad contracts and cap hits.

Based on his player and roster evaluations, I'm glad tex isn't the GM. I suppose you could say that for a lot of us.

[RashanGary]

The majority of the cap problems are resolved with Rodgers and Bakh off the books after this year.

But 20 from Clark and 12 from Jones are unusual dead caps to be paid after they leave or spread out over new deals.

32M spread out over 3 years is about 10M per year in dead weight assuming both get new deals.

Projected salary cap
2024 240
2025 260
2026 280

So it’s about 3.5% of the salary cap is wasted on dead space over that time. It’s not too bad.

[RashanGary]

Really, for all intents and purposes, the cap is cleaned up after this year. If Jaire can’t get healthy, that’s a decent chunk wasted. But the Packers are in a healthy situation heading into Jordan Loves second contract.

[texaspackerbacker]

I won't say the cap is irrelevant, but supposedly we have huge problem with it this year, and our roster could be called top 2 or 3 in the league and almost certainly is top 5 or 6 in the league - just sayin' hahahahaha.