Packers Reach Decision on Tagging Davante Adams: Report

The Green Bay Packers are placing the franchise tag on All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Adams — who has caught 238 passes for 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons — was set to become one of the most sought-after unrestricted free agents on the market later this month, but the tag allows the Packers to keep him in place for the upcoming season. Tagging Adams also buys both sides more time to work out a possible long-term extension to keep the 29-year-old wideout in Green Bay.

The Packers are expected to officially announce the decision at 4 p.m. ET.

Adams and the Packers will have until July 15 — the deadline for players to sign their tags — to work out the terms of an extension. If a new agreement isn’t reached, he will play out the 2022 season on the tag and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

Adams’ franchise tag is also non-exclusive, which means other teams will have the opportunity to pry him away from the Packers as a free agent. The Packers, however, would be allowed to match or refuse the new team’s offer or refuse it in exchange for two first-round picks as compensation.

The cost of Adams’ franchise tender will be $20.12 million, which will ultimately add about $19.41 million to the Packers’ current salary-cap deficit. Once the tag is officially announced, the Packers will be sitting roughly $45.84 million over the cap for the 2022 season — although, more space is due to be cleared when Rodgers signs a new deal.

The Packers will need to clear the remaining overage from their books before the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 16. They also still need to sign their exclusive rights free agents and decide whether to tender Allen Lazard as a restricted free agent before then, moves that will all add more cap charges.

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Packers Have More Decisions to Make at WR

Without question, the Packers’ receiving picture for 2022 is looking much brighter with Adams returning to the fold. He is an elite pass-catcher with an elite connection with Rodgers, making them one of the best receiver-quarterback duos in the league. There are still holes in the depth chart behind him to properly fill, though.

The Packers currently have just five receivers under contract for the 2022 season aside from Adams. Randall Cobb is one of them, but he could easily become a cap casualty this offseason if the Packers don’t figure out a way to reduce the cost of his contract. Another is 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers, who struggled as a rookie and finished with just four total receptions. The remaining guys are a collection of receivers with little-to-no production: Juwann Winfree, Chris Blair and Rico Gafford.

One way to help would be tendering Lazard. According to Over the Cap projections, the Packers could place the lowest tender on Lazard and keep him for about $2.433 million for the 2022 season, but other teams would have the opportunity to poach him. They could also go higher to a second-round tender, but the cost rises with the level of tender — which is something the Packers will likely look to avoid given their cap constraints.

The Packers could also technically extend Marquez Valdes-Scanting before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next month. The deep-threat receiver struggled with some availability issues in his fourth year with the team in 2021, but he has built a good rapport with Rodgers and proven deadly when his speed is utilized downfield. At the same time, Valdes-Scantling could be looking for somewhere between $8 million and $12 million per season on his next contract, another tough cost for the Packers to justify.

In reality, the best opportunity for the Packers to stack up on receiving talent is going to be the 2022 NFL draft. Sure, there might be a few bargains on the market in free agency worth exploring, but the Packers are long overdue for another first- or second-round investment in a quality rookie receiver. General manager Brian Gutekunst could also take the approach he did in his first draft, spending three Day 3 picks to load up at the position.