Brad Jones is the only free agent the Packers have signed, inking their ILB to a three-year deal. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With $18.3 million under the salary cap, the Green Bay Packers rank sixth highest among the 32 National Football League teams in available money under the salary cap – that according to the list below that was put together by Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com.

The Cincinnati Bengals, with $28.9 million in their war chest, leads the league with most money available. The top five is rounded out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28.8 million), Cleveland Browns ($28.7 million), Jacksonville Jaguars ($26.6 million), and Philadelphia Eagles ($26.3 million).

The Packers have the most money available among all NFC North teams, mostly because they haven’t played the free agency game – though they have dedicated money for the three-year deal the signed ILB Brad Jones to. They have also offered restricted free agent tenders to Sam Shields and Evan Dietrich-Smith.

The other NFC North teams and their available money are as follows:

Lions:  $7.2 million.

Bears:  $5.3 million.

Vikings:  $5.1 million.

The Dallas Cowboys, the poster boys of bad cap management, is sitting just $51,000 under the cap after working with players to restructure their deals. The Carolina Panthers sit just above the Cowboys in a little better shape with $936,000 available. The Cowboys and Panthers are the only two teams under $1 million.

Here the full list:

Bengals:  $28.9 million.

Buccaneers:  $28.8 million.

Browns:  $28.7 million.

Jaguars:  $26.6 million.

Eagles:  $26.3 million.

Packers:  $18.3 million.

Bills:  $16.8 million.

Dolphins:  $15.7 million.

Cardinals:  $14.0 million.

Patriots:  $13.4 million.

Jets:  $13.0 million.

Colts:  $11.7 million.

Titans:  $10.7 million.

Broncos:  $8.8 million.

Lions:  $7.2 million.

Ravens:  $7.2 million.

Chargers:  $7.0 million.

Seahawks:  $6.8 million.

Falcons:  $6.2 million.

Bears:  $5.3 million.

Vikings:  $5.1 million.

Texans:  $4.9 million.

Giants:  $4.5 million.

49ers:  $4.5 million.

Saints:  $3.3 million.

Redskins:  $3.2 million.

Chiefs:  $3.1 million.

Raiders:  $2.8 million.

Steelers:  $2.5 million.

Rams:  $1.0 million.

Panthers:  $936,000.

Cowboys:  $51,000.

Clay Matthews celebrates a sack against the Lions in 2010.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Former Green Bay Packers front office man Andrew Brandt and others have come out tonight to say that it’s expected the National Football League’s salary cap will go up by as much as $3.3 million for this year … that’s good news for all 32 teams, including the Packers.

Jermichael Finley may be a casualty of the salary cap and the need to pay other players.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

While that extra money will place the Packers in excellent position to pay its 2013 draft choices and tender their restricted free agents, one thing is for certain – they won’t be using much of the salary cap increase for signing free agents. Sure, Packers’ GM Ted Thompson may go after one or two bargain basement players on the market, but he’s going to use the extra funds to pay Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews.

As it stands, the Packers are around $22 million under the cap with the addition of the 2013 numbers. Not only do the Packers sit nicely under the cap, but figuring out ways to pay Rodgers (who will probably get $20 million-plus per year) and Matthews (who will command around $10 or $11 million per season) becomes a bit easier.

Another thing is for certain – I don’t envy Ted Thompson for what stands in front of him in making this all work, but I also don’t envy him in how he might have to do to get there. To make it all work, it may be necessary for Thompson to part ways with either A.J. Hawk or Jermichael Finley – maybe even both. Eliminating one or both of those players from the mix would certainly make the signing of Rodgers, Matthews – and B.J. Raji as well – much simpler. But it also places the team in jeopardy of losing veteran leadership. The Packers have already lost Donald Driver and Jeff Saturday to retirement, have released Charles Woodson, and will most likely lose WR Greg Jennings to free agency.

However, it’s become ever more apparent that Hawk and Finley must go.

A.J. Hawk may be a victim of the salary cap.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

I’ve posted the past few days that the Packers should part ways with either A.J. Hawk or Jermichael Finley – probably both. Eliminating both salaries would bring the Packers about $13 million that could be used toward the signing of the big three.

The two veterans should be let go not only because of salary cap concerns, but because of other on- and off-field intangibles that are a detriment to the team. Sometimes in order to save the many, it’s time to sacrifice the few. In this case, Hawk and Finley should be either released or traded. It will make all of the necessary signings less painful and allow the Packers to throw more money toward the paying of the big three on the front end of their contracts. By allocating as much as they can early in the contracts, the Packers won’t  fall into the same traps other teams have on the back ends of their stars’ contracts. What happens is that in order to stay under the cap and continue to pay the high salaries of their stars, they have to clean house.

Yes, the addition of the 2013 salary cap money will help the Packers carry out those contracts, but it won’t be enough to do all that the Packers would like. That will take the sacrifice of Hawk and Finley.

Only then will the Packers have the flexibility to move on comfortably.

Jeff Saturday was officially released today, adding $3.75 million to the Packers salary cap.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Last week, the Green Bay Packers were about $7 million under the salary cap, but with the release of Charles Woodson and now center Jeff Saturday, the Packers now find themselves about $20 million under.

While the loss of Saturday was inevitable, we all hoped for a better ending. What better way than to send someone of his caliber and character out with a championship? That would have been a nice tale. Instead, it turned into a fairy tale. Saturday, who with two games remaining in the regular season, was benched because he didn’t have what it took anymore. The rigors of a 16-game NFL season on a man’s body is tough enough, but when you add into it 211 starts over a 14-year career and the damage rises to a whole new level.

Fans and coaches alike were excited last March when the Packers struck a deal to bring Saturday to Green Bay – and for good reason – he had so much success with Peyton Manning for 13 years that, on paper, why couldn’t he do the same with another MVP, Aaron Rodgers?

Unfortunately, the magic wasn’t there and Saturday eventually gave way to Evan Dietrich-Smith who took over the center duties during the Packers’ final four games, including two playoff contests. Dietrich-Smith was adequate, but didn’t stand out either.

That’s why the Packers will be looking for offensive linemen, specifically those who can man the middle of the line, come the Draft in April. Many have tabbed Barrett Jones out of Alabama as the next big thing in Green Bay. We’ll see.

In the meantime, here’s the official press notice issued by the Green Bay Packers PR department. It’s pretty straight forward and to the point:

PACKERS RELEASE C SATURDAY

The Green Bay Packers have released C Jeff Saturday. The transaction was announced Monday by Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations.

Saturday, who signed with the Packers as an unrestricted free agent in March 2012 after playing 13 seasons (1999-2011) with the Indianapolis Colts, started 14 games for Green Bay this past season and was named to his sixth career Pro Bowl. He also earned Pro Bowl recognition with the Colts in 2005-07 and 2009-10 and was twice named first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press (2005, 2007).

Saturday has played in 211 games with 202 starts during his career. He has started all 16 regular-season contests in 10 of his 14 seasons.