The Packers 2012 Salary Cap Is About At $110 Million

by Brandon on Feb 14, 2012 1:00 PM CST in Green Bay Packers News

Adjusting salary cap for rollover totals - NFC North Blog - ESPN. I'm just getting familiar with the new reality of cap rollovers. I used to like it when the Green Bay Packers extended a contract during the season because they used up some of their remaining salary cap room. But now that left over space can be rolled into the next year.

According to ESPN, the Packers have about $10 to $11 million in cap space. That's not great and I would expect they'll need more room than that to re-sign players and sign draft picks. But that's before they make some tough decisions on the future of long-time players like Chad Clifton and Donald Driver, who may have priced themselves off the roster.

But they can't hamstring their future salary cap space now. Their big 2013 free agents will be LG T.J. Lang and WR Greg Jennings, and I'd expect they'll want to re-sign both players. Plus, Aaron Rodgers might look underpaid depending on the contract Drew Brees signs this offseason, and it might become something he wants them to address sooner rather than later.

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What keeps a franchise on top?

Heartless, ruthless evaluation of the roster. Keep young, improving, and cheaper players. Reward and retain essential players in their prime. Cut, low-ball, or don’t resign the rest.

That formula may not earn any “Nicest GM of the Year” awards, but it goes a long way in seeing a team consistently in the playoffs.

I’m not going to begin playing “Armchair GM” here; I just posted this to state that I will fully support any unceremonious partings with aging or overpriced veterans, provided their replacement is already on the roster.

Acme Packing Company: proof that anyone can be a sports journalist.

by JSOnline Castaway on Feb 14, 2012 2:10 PM CST reply actions

You hit the nail on the head

Its really the only way you can stay on top year in and year out and the Packers have done a pretty good job of it. The Packers will reward their core performers with appropriate 2nd contracts. The one that can kill a franchise is signing a player to their 3rd contract. Those are the players that are fortunate enough to have played out their first 2 contracts and are obviously good players due to their longevity. The emotional attachment to that player has misdirected many a GM to reward the player with a handsome deal to finish out their career. Problem is, most of those players will not remain healthy or good enough to play out that contract. That’s why you have to be realistic with players like Driver and Clifton right now. Father time is not on their side no matter how great they have been to the franchise.

If you have a young player coming up who shows solid potential you’ve got to make the smart decision and not overpay the veteran. TT understands this concept better than most, if not all, GMs. That also keeps him from getting into bidding wars for high priced free agents. Even with Woodson, he didn’t have to overpay because Woodson came out of Oakland with a pretty pedestrian career stat line at the time and the market for him was lukewarm.

by Icebowler on Feb 14, 2012 3:09 PM CST up reply actions

Yep

Ted Thompson has proven he’ll let former stars go when it’s time.

by Brandon on Feb 14, 2012 7:13 PM CST up reply actions

Don't tell that to the approximately 85% of fans that want to pay Driver to stay!

He is just a guy on the field anymore and thats being kind. Driver and Clifton will be let go… Both are long past their best years and their replacements are already on the team. Same for Grant. ONly one we don’t have a viable replacement is Woodson, but that won’t be for a year or 2 and that’ll be up to Capers to adjust the D to the loss of Woodson.

Our Biggest Challenge is how we deal w/ Success!

by Strohman on Feb 14, 2012 9:51 PM CST up reply actions

I could see us low-balling Grant

just to see what happens, since he will not be the most attractive candidate in the FA market. Like you, it wouldn’t surprise me if he is gone next season. I’m hoping Alex Green bounces back in a big way from his injury. We’ll probably end up drafting a RB in the latter rounds.

by Icebowler on Feb 14, 2012 11:42 PM CST up reply actions

Agree and his using the media IMO,

shows he is USING the fan adoration to persuade TT to keep him.
Weep,Weep,Sob.Sob…done,see ya!

by Tarynfor12 on Feb 15, 2012 10:02 AM CST up reply actions

Whos using the media?

Driver is? Are you kidding? So saying you want to continue playing and that you will take a pay cut to stick around is using the media and fan adoration to persuade TT? You don’t even know how the question was asked, or in what context is asked. Every little word an athlete says should not be analyzed.

I’m sure Driver and his agent have talked to TT about lowering compensation to stick around. All Driver did is to answer a question honestly; it’s not like he’s holding something back from TT.

by Shoes31 on Feb 15, 2012 2:54 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs

Better off than the Lions and Vikings, at least.

Especially considering the core of our team is intact, at least through next season.

by mpbMKE on Feb 14, 2012 2:32 PM CST reply actions

Jordy Nelson

3 years, 13 million $$$. That right there is the biggest steal in the NFL. I think Fitzgerald makes more than Jordy’s entire contract next year. Deals like that are a big reason why we’re contending like we are.

Aaron Rodgers, MVP.
The day LeBron James wins an NBA championship will be the day I stop watching NBA basketball. Needless to say, it looks like I'll be watching for quite a few more years.

by arodgb on Feb 14, 2012 3:42 PM CST reply actions

I don’t like the new salary cap rules. The change may not have been big, but it has reduced salary cap, yet players are still going to want more money. I hope that it doesn’t mess up team continuity in the long run.

by MikeDB on Feb 14, 2012 4:57 PM CST reply actions

I actually like it

Previous years unused cap rolls over, and you can borrow against future caps. And after this next season, the salary cap is going to start rising again.

Teams have to be careful though, because the borrowing can kill you later on.

by Shoes31 on Feb 14, 2012 7:48 PM CST up reply actions

You can see how

borrowing against future caps is really going to test the discipline of certain GMs in the league. I can see a few of them just burying their franchise with the “win now at all costs” mentality. Fortunately, TT is not in that group, and always seems to keep at least one eye on the “big picture”.

by Icebowler on Feb 14, 2012 11:24 PM CST up reply actions

After some research

Apparently the borrowed cap doesn’t have a penalty for a few more years. For example, the lions borrowed cap money from the future for this past season, and the cap hit from that won’t happen until 2014 to 2016. That’s gonna make it even tougher for GM’s to avoid the temptation, especially since the cap is supposed to grow between now and then.

by Shoes31 on Feb 15, 2012 2:56 PM CST up reply actions