After three years, Campbell’s tenure in Green Bay has now come to a close. The team should save $10 million in cap space in 2024 after the move.
One day before the NFL’s legal tampering period is set to begin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reported that the Green Bay Packers will be releasing linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on Wednesday — the official start of the new league year. Campbell’s release will save the team nearly $10 million in short-term cap space.
Campbell, who has started for the Packers as a 3-4 inside linebacker over the last three years, will be given a post-June 1st designation — which is why he isn’t being released earlier. What that means is that all of his prorated bonuses will not hit the current salary cap, but the salary cap will also treat his contract as if the Packers kept him on the roster until the June 1st date. With this cap mechanism, Green Bay will have more than $10 million in extra cap space to play around with after June 1st, but they will have to pay off roughly $8 million in dead cap in 2025 to tie a bow on the Campbell experiment.
So what good does extra cap space have in June when free agency is about to start right now? Well, the biggest deal that the Packers have to put ink to paper on this offseason is an extension for quarterback Jordan Love, who is in a contract season. This release of Campbell could go a long way toward making sure that the team has short-term flexibility when they come to the table with Love’s representation.
Speaking of representation, it’s worth noting here that Campbell is represented by Rosenhaus Sports, the agency that also represents running back Aaron Jones. According to Silverstein, the Packers are in no rush to release either Jones or tackle David Bakhtiari, who both are unlikely to remain on the 2024 roster under their current contracts, because there are no deadlines — like a roster bonus that’s due — in their contracts that spur action.
Silverstein also dropped this nugget on potential re-sign candidates for Green Bay in free agency:
They are likely to pursue a safety and potentially players at other positions. In addition, they have several of their own free agents they want to re-sign, such as cornerback/returner Keisean Nixon, linebacker Eric Wilson and tight end Tyler Davis.
He also noted that Quay Walker, who also started at inside linebacker along with Campbell in the Packers’ old 3-4 scheme, is expected to move to “Will” linebacker in their new 4-3 defense. On paper, this leaves Isaiah McDuffie as the team’s current starting “Mike” with no great internal option at the “Sam” position.
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