The NFL’s salary cap for the 2014 season will be $132 million, according to John Clayton. That has the Green Bay Packers sitting pretty.
Earlier this offseason, the salary cap was projected to be around $126 million, so everyone just got an extra $6 million to work with. The Green Bay Packers now have approximately $34 million to spend.
That’s the sixth-highest total in the league.
The Packers do have 19 free agents, 16 of which are unrestricted. However, we know a number of those guys won’t be back.
It looks like cornerback Sam Shields is going to be the only guy in the Packers’ free agent class who’s going to get a remotely pricy long-term deal. Shields is seeking just over $5 million annually and the Packers are working hard to lock him up.
Tight end Jermichael Finley is a wild card. Coach Mike McCarthy says he wants Finley back, but there’s that pesky issue of a major neck injury hanging over him. If he’s cleared medically, Finley may be able to demand a fairly sizable deal.
Meanwhile, someone like B.J. Raji pretty much shot himself in the foot when he turned down $8 million annually from the Packers during the season. Due to his lackluster play, Raji isn’t going to get anywhere near that and the Packers may not even have any interest anymore. The other guy who might get a decent-sized contract is receiver James Jones. The Packers reportedly will let him sign elsewhere, though.
So what to do with all this money?
The Packers are going to make every effort to give contract extensions to Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Both are entering contract years and both are likely to get extensions before or during the season.
That only takes up part of cap space though. The Packers might have to go out and sign some outside free agents this spring.
Just imagine…
were going to end up paying shields way more than hes worth simply because hes the most adequate cb on the roster, which is unfortunate but needs to be done. Raji or Finely has to be resigned in my opinion, if youre not going after any FAs which we know will never happen. Which ever one you dont sign, address it early in the draft. gotta draft a Safety high too. I can deal with another year of seeing if bj got his massive head out his massive ass or isnt going to be of any significant value. Finley i could see taking a walk to get more money. him saying he wants to remain a packer are just words, and he seems to spatter out anything and everything so dont read into it.
I hope they don’t go “Woooo! 132M!! Let’s offer big money to everyone! Everyone gets a raise today!!”.
With the extra 6M a good (maybe not top notch, yet good) external free agent can be brought in to cover some of the many holes on defense (S, DL, ILB).
Much less make large contracts based on “how promising a player season might be” (e.g. Burnett and Williams). Finley was playing a decent 2013, but does he deserve another 7M contract until he proves he is one of the premier TEs? Vernon Davis makes just above that number.
6th highest in the league. Very nice.
Forget Finley. Lets not all forget what a pain in the ass he has been throughout his Packer career. Let him go. I’d like to see Jones stay but I get it. Add Bosch, seymour & Spikes and we are all good.
I agree. I never liked Finley. I wanted him to get cut a couple years ago after makings so many comments out of turn. Now he does not even have the physical ability to play, given that injury.
So we should forget that he was a perfect example last season? Dude was playing like a top 5 TE, and acting like a true role model.
How any one of us could have missed this, is beyond me!
Finley’s mouth, Finley’s injury concern, and let’s not forget he lacked play-making ability from 2011-2012. Finley is NOT WORTH IT!
If say however he were willing to take about 3 million a year (he WON’T), then I’d say it’s worth considering. But if he demands a penny more (he WILL), let him walk!
The Seacocks can overpay him and watch him whine and complain, while injured, on the bench.
Not to mention there are a number of good tight ends in the draft this year, and a handful of very potential (IMO) TE’s on the roster already.
If we can get Sam done long-term for around 5 mill per, we’re sitting pretty. I figured given his stellar year coupled with his dicky agent, they’d be looking for north of 7.
spend that $$$ TT!!!
there is a minimum every team has to spend, that is tied to the cap number, so we are going to burn up that coin one way or another. Cobb & Jordy extensions would be a good way to spend some.
Yep, anywhere $117.5M-$120M, depending on the actual cap increase, is mandatory spending.
Finley is gone.
Raji is gone.
Jones will boomerang through free agency again and come back home on the reasonably cheap.
Tramon stays at the same rate although we all would like to see him take less. It won’t happen.
Shields get’s signed for north of 6 millions and south of 7 million a year.
Tolzien stays and will compete for the backup QB spot.
Packers do what they can to keep Robert Francois, assuming he has fully recovered.
Hmm. What else?