5 moves Packers can make with free cap space the NFL just gave them

The NFL increased the salary cap to a whopping $255.4 million in the 2024 offseason, a $30 million increase from 2023. Needless to say, that salary cap increase has made a substantial impact on the offseason for every single team around the league, including the Green Bay Packers.

According to Spotrac, the Packers now have over $17 million in cap space this offseason, not only thanks to the NFL's salary cap increase, but also Rashan Gary's decision to help out the team with a restructure of his deal to add $4.78 million in additional space.

That newfound cap space will help the Packers in pursuit of some potential new starters via free agency or trades, and to be selectively aggressive. Knowing that a Jordan Love extension is on the way, and knowing that this team has other ways to get even more flexible on the 2024 salary cap (cutting David Bakhtiari would more than double Green Bay's space), general manager Brian Gutekunst can basically be as aggressive as he wants.

But how aggressive will that be? Nobody ever really expects the Packers to be making the most noise in NFL free agency, but with 11 picks in the NFL Draft and a couple of holes in the starting lineup, we could see Green Bay do some shopping. Who could they go after?

1. Sign Xavier McKinney, safety

With some of their cap space, the Packers could definitely look at a deep safety group in NFL free agency this year. One of the top players available is New York Giants safety and former second-round pick Xavier McKinney.

The Packers are slated to potentially say goodbye to Jonathan Owens, Rudy Ford, and former first-round pick Darnell Savage in 2024 free agency, and they'd obviously need to make some moves there. McKinney would be a pretty high-profile addition after a season in which he racked up a career-high 116 total tackles and 11 passes defensed.

McKinney may be the type of centerpiece new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley needs for his unit.