Packers: Salary cap update, free agency recap after busy week
The past few days have been busy for the Green Bay Packers. They made a number of moves to get under the salary cap by Wednesday afternoon, while also finding a way to bring back All-Pro inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.
With all of the moves made this week, the Packers now have a little over $1 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap. They’ve just about made it all work to get under the cap.
To make any additional signings in free agency, the team will need to make more roster moves, whether that’s through contract extensions, restructures, or releases.
So let’s recap some of the notable moves the Packers have made.
In terms of outgoings, they released Pro Bowl edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and starting right tackle Billy Turner. Smith returned to his former team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Green Bay lost versatile offensive lineman Lucas Patrick in free agency. He signed with the division-rival Chicago Bears. Inside linebacker Oren Burks signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Let’s talk contract extensions.
The Packers announced new deals this week for back-to-back MVP Aaron Rodgers and edge rusher Preston Smith. Both moves helped the current cap situation significantly.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wide receiver Randall Cobb took a pay cut of around $5.5 million. Green Bay also restructured Adrian Amos’ deal to save cap room, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
What about signings?
The big one was bringing back De’Vondre Campbell. He signed a five-year, $50 million deal, per Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber.
Huber also reported that the Packers retained six exclusives rights free agents: Krys Barnes, Dominique Dafney, Jake Hanson, Yosh Nijman, Randy Ramsey, and Malik Taylor.
Restricted rights free agent Allen Lazard will also likely be back. The Packers gave him a second-round tender, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, which means another team would need to part ways with a second-round pick if they signed him.
The Packers also have a new punter, with ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reporting the Packers have signed Pat O’Donnell to a two-year deal worth $8 million.