Packers releasing Jimmy Graham, free up $8 million in cap room

The Green Bay Packers are moving on from tight end Jimmy Graham.

Jimmy Graham was Brian Gutekunst’s first big signing as Green Bay Packers general manager, but after two seasons he has decided to move on. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers will release Graham on Thursday.

According to Over The Cap, this move will free up $8 million in cap room, taking the Packers’ total to $27.95 million. That could make a real difference when it comes to signing free agents, starting on Monday with the beginning of the “legal tampering” window.

This could mean Green Bay will be in the market for a tight end once free agency begins. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote this week that releasing Graham would be linked to the Packers’ “confidence in landing a top-shelf replacement”. If that’s the case, they must be confident they can make a deal with one of the top tight ends on the market.

Graham is a five-time Pro Bowler but failed to make the impact the Packers hoped. He finished the 2018 season with 636 yards and two touchdowns, but Gutekunst decided to stick with him entering 2019. But his production went down. He had fewer catches and receiving yards, finishing the season with 447 yards and three touchdowns.

Tight end has been a position of need for many years. Jared Cook was the only player to make a significant impact over the past five years or so, but he struggled early in the season and missed time due to injury.

It’s going to be interesting to see how Gutekunst plans to address the position. All indications seem to point towards trying to sign a free agent tight end, but that will depend on the price and whether they can get a deal done.

Will they bring back Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan? What role will Jace Sternberger have in his second season?

We’ll soon learn Gutekunst’s plans at tight end for 2020, but we now know the Packers are moving on from Graham.