A few more moves should be coming this weekend as the Packers prepare to be players in this year’s free agent market.
$13 million in total salary cap space — and just over $9 million in “effective” cap space — doesn’t seem like a lot for an NFL team. Those are the current numbers for the Green Bay Packers just three days before the 2024 free agent negotiation period begins (on Monday) and five days ahead of the official start of free agency (Wednesday).
In all likelihood, those numbers will jump dramatically by Monday, however. The widely-expected release of David Bakhtiari would add another $21 million to each of those numbers, in turn putting the Packers squarely in the middle of the pack among NFL teams in terms of cap space.
That move, and a few others such as a contract adjustment for Aaron Jones, should come down by Monday as moves to prepare the team to open up their wallet for significant signings for the first time since 2019. That year was when the team signed Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, and Billy Turner all in quick succession. But since then, the Packers have spent less on free agents than any other team, and it’s not even close.
With a huge class of free agent safeties only getting bigger and the team having urgent needs at that position, it just makes sense for the Packers to invest in the market. Furthermore, Green Bay is unlikely to have many high-priced free agents leaving, so compensatory draft picks probably are not worth factoring into the equation too heavily this year.
Look for news about a few more cap-clearing moves to come today and over the weekend, and then get ready for the league to start its frenzy at 4 PM Eastern on Monday.
NFL free agency: Best and worst deals of the last 4 years and where all 32 teams rank – The Athletic ($)
One of the most interesting parts of this piece is the note that the Packers are the only team to have spent less than $50 million on free agents over the last four years — and their total is just $21 million. But they actually lead the league in impact per dollar spent, largely due to De’Vondre Campbell’s All-Pro campaign in 2021.
Picking a pair of realistic free agents for Packers to sign | Packers Wire
A few writers each select two free agent fits for the Packers, but not surprisingly the focus is in the secondary and at linebacker.
Brian Gutekunst’s foresight on Jordan Love has Packers on track – ESPN
The media asked several GMs with Packers connections about the team’s success finding a quarterback once again, and they all pointed to Gutekunst maintaining the patience and diligent process that the organization has relied upon for the last 30-plus years.
Has Baby Ray been overlooked for the Pro Football Hall of Fame? | Packers.com
Admittedly, this writer is unfamiliar with Buford Ray, who played for Curly Lambeau in the 1930s and ’40s. Ray was an All-Pro offensive tackle and a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-1940s team, and his daughter is on a campaign to bring awareness about her father’s career and legacy.
Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50: 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings 3.0 | NFL.com
In the wake of the NFL Scouting Combine, Jeremiah updated his prospect rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft, with wideouts and offensive linemen moving significantly up and down the board.
Louisiana governor issues disaster declaration for crawfish shortage | CNN
As someone who has experienced a true Louisiana crawfish boil, I will agree that a shortage is plenty worthy of being declared a disaster.
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