Packers: Anthony Castonzo deal makes re-signing Bryan Bulaga tough
Anthony Castonzo’s new deal is great news for Bryan Bulaga, but not so much the Green Bay Packers.
The longer it’s gone, the less likely it’s seemed the Green Bay Packers would be re-signing Bryan Bulaga. Anthony Castonzo‘s new contract with the Indianapolis Colts could now make it even more unlikely.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Castonzo signed a two-year deal worth $33 million. That’s $16.5 million per year. It’s possible Bulaga will receive a similar deal when free agency gets underway.
Re-signing Bulaga was never going to be easy to pull off. He’s going to receive a big deal. But Castonzo’s two-year extension shows just how much money Bulaga could make should he hit free agency.
They are both excellent players. And they are similar ages. Castonzo is 31 years old and Bulaga turns 31 this week.
If the Packers are to lose Bulaga in free agency, signing a replacement won’t be easy. Castonzo is now off the market and Jack Conklin is also set to land a huge deal. Green Bay might have no other choice than to turn to the draft while signing a cheaper free-agent tackle as a short-term option. Bringin back Jared Veldheer would be ideal, although again, it would depend on how much it would cost to re-sign him.
We could find out where Bulaga will be playing in the next few days. Free agency is set to officially kick off on Wednesday with the negotiating period opening on Monday.
As things stand, it looks like it’ll go ahead on schedule. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, many team executives are expecting free agency to begin as planned.
Mentioned on @nflnetwork the majority of team executives I've spoken with are operating this afternoon as if the league year will start on time Wednesday with the negotiating window starting tomorrow. League executives having discussions on that now.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 15, 2020
Of course, things could change in the next few hours. So we’ll have to stay tuned.
One thing that looks clear is that the Packers will be searching for Bulaga’s replacement in the near future.
While it’s certainly possible the Packers could work out a new deal with Bulaga in the next few days as the Colts did with Castonzo, it won’t be easy to pull off while still being active in free agency given the team’s salary-cap limitations.