As the salary cap is expected to shrink during a unique off-season, the Green Bay Packers are willing to push dollars into future years in an effort to maximize their ability to win now.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said on Monday that he does not know the exact number of salary ceilings for 2021, but the Packers have a ‘good idea where it’s going to be’ and expect it to ‘drop’, which matters to a team complicate. with so much money already committed to next year’s limit.
In response to the challenge, Gutekunst is poised to restructure existing contracts and push commitments to the coming years to help the Packers keep their roster together and remain a Super Bowl candidate.
“We’ve done it in the past, we’ll definitely have to do it this year,” Gutekunst said Monday. “The situation in which our football team finds itself, I think we have one goal in mind. And if there is a chance to take the risks to help us win now, we are definitely in that mode. ‘
Even if the salary cap ends up in the $ 180 to $ 185 million range, the Packers are still not needed anymore and will have to make several adjustments just to work during this off-season. It is possible that the salary cap will drop to $ 175 million, although current projections appear to be slightly more optimistic based on 2020 revenue.
Gutekunst still expects a significant drop and said he does not anticipate that the cap will remain close to a level.
“I expect it to go down, so we plan it,” Gutekunst said.
Like the Packers, 31 other NFL teams will likely have to kick off the proverbial salary cap in a year or two to deal with a shrinking cap in 2021.
“It is clear that with this year’s situation I think most teams will kick out money to keep their teams together, and we will definitely not be any different,” said Gutekunst.
The Packers have options to create space. As noted by Ken Ingalls during our listing, veterans Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, David Bakhtiari, Billy Turner, Za’Darius Smith and Adrian Amos all have contracts that can be restructured to open a significant cap space in 2021. . the tension on the limit of this year, but more guaranteed money and commitments for future caps.
The Packers, for example, will almost certainly convert a large portion of Bakhtiari’s upcoming roster bonus into a signing bonus, which will now free up the hood, but also require the money to be spread over the length of his new deal, bringing new money to future caps. will add. .
When asked about revising parts of Rodgers’ agreement, Gutekunst usually avoids a direct answer, but he works on the assumption that several veteran players will need revised transactions or salaries to make everything work in 2021.
The Packers could also release veterans like Rick Wagner, Dean Lowry, Preston Smith or Christian Kirksey to create more capital without future commitments.
The next few months are critical to shaping the roster in 2021 and understanding the team’s long-term plans for next year, but Gutekunst said his team is comfortable with what lies ahead and is ready to make a difficult decision on its to take grid.
“It’s a unique year, it’s very challenging. Of course we are not the only team that has these challenges,” said Gutekunst. “I feel really comfortable. We’ve been working on this all year and getting ready for the next three or four months.”