Free agency is fast approaching and the Green Bay Packers’ top two free agents to be are receiver Randall Cobb and tackle Bryan Bulaga.
While the latter is easily replaceable, the former isn’t. Regardless, it appears the Packers are strongly interested in bringing both guys back. Speaking in Phoenix, team president Mark Murphy says the Packers have enough financial flexibility to manage that task.
“Yeah, I think so,” Murphy said. “It’s a credit to Ted (Thompson) and particularly Russ Ball that we manage (the cap) well and we’re in good shape. We’re hopeful, but you never really know how things are going to play out.”
The Packers sat on $8 million of cap room in 2014. That number will carry over to 2015. The salary cap is also expected to rise again, an increase that could be around $10 million.
Some deals are also going to be wiped off the books. Tramon Williams, who had a salary cap number over $9 million in 2014, comes immediately to mind. In other words, the Packers have the financial flexibility to do pretty much whatever they want to.
The only thing we can see stopping them from signing these guys is if some perennial loser comes in and offers to pay greater than market value. You know, like the Minnesota Vikings are prone to do.
Thompson has rarely overpaid players and typically refuses to get into bidding wars. See former Packers receiver Greg Jennings and now-Falcons running back Steven Jackson as examples A and B.