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The Green Bay Packers currently have just $8 million at their disposal heading into free agency and need to free up a significant amount of space to continue building on their 2023 playoff run.
Cap analyst Ken Ingalls laid out the moves Green Bay should make in the coming weeks, which featured a “goodbye” category including three names. Two of those names belonged to left tackle David Bakhtiari and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campell.
Both players have been All-Pros — Bakhtiari earned the honor five consecutive times between 2016-20 while Campbell became an All-Pro following his first year with Green Bay in 2021. Both men have contributed significantly during their time with the Packers, but injuries have led to downturns in play and/or production for both Bakhtiari and Campbell in recent seasons.
More than that, the franchise can open up a combined $31.6 million to rebuild the roster with younger, healthier and less expensive talent.
David Bakhtiari, De’Vondre Campbell Have Priced Themselves Out in Green Bay
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GettyGreen Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari.
Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department on January 16 identified the players its members believe are the top three cap casualty candidates for every NFL team. Bakhtiari came in at No. 1 on the list, while Campbell was No. 3
“The most obvious cut candidate is longtime offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. Knee issues — and a series of surgeries — have limited the 32-year-old to only 13 games over the past three seasons,” BR wrote. “The reality is that Green Bay simply cannot count on Bakhtiari being a part of its future. He’s entering the final year of his contract, and releasing him would save a whopping $21 million in cap space.”
Campbell represents a little less than half of the space that Bakhtiari does, but that is not a meager amount to a team with a cap sheet like Green Bay’s.
“Releasing De’Vondre Campbell would be more logical next offseason because the dead money on his contract will drop from $11.6 million to $8 million. However, releasing him with a post-June 1 designation this offseason would still clear $10.6 million in 2024 salary,” BR’s Scouting Department wrote. “Campbell is coming off his worst statistical season since joining Green Bay in 2021. He has three years remaining on his contract, but the Packers could very well determine that it’s time for a more dependable, and possibly cheaper, replacement.”
Packers Need to Free Up Money to Extend QB Jordan Love
GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers.
Some of Green Bay’s financial focus will likely be on free agency and acquiring new pieces along with the rookies they add in this April’s draft, but the franchise also needs to begin thinking about how it will pay quarterback Jordan Love.
Love started the year hot, then cooled off to an extreme degree before coming back stronger than ever down the second half of the regular season. He finished the year with 4,159 passing yards, 32 TDs and 11 INTs. He then led the Packers to an upset of the Dallas Cowboys over Super Wild Card Weekend and brought the league’s youngest offense to within minutes of a second road playoff win against the San Francisco 49ers last weekend.
Instead of exercising the fifth-year option on Love’s deal ahead of the 2023 campaign, his first as a full-time starter, the team renegotiated his contract. Love signed a one-year, $22.5 million extension with $13.5 million in fully-guaranteed money that keeps him under contract through next year.
However, the Packers are likely to try and extend Love this offseason after he produced one of the best campaigns under center in the entire NFL. Spotrac projects Love’s market value at $179.5 million over a new four-year contract.