Before dreams of signing free agents like Oakland's CB Nnamndi Asomugha or Tennessee's DT Albert Haynesworth start dancing through our heads, take a look at the Packers projected 2009 cap space:
| Rank | Team | $ Under the Cap |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Green Bay Packers | $18,000,000.00 |
The good news is they have $18 million available, which can be a lot for a creative cap expert. But then the bad news:
- There are 18 teams with more cap space.
- The 9th overall pick doesn't come cheap. Jacksonville balked when they discovered their rookie DE Derrick Harvey, who had never played an NFL game, would require more guaranteed money then any player in the team's history, including their recently resigned franchise QB David Garrard. Although the cap value shouldn't be too much, Harvey's was only $2.1 million, it still does require some cash; Harvey was actually paid twice as much as his cap number.
- They have to think about extensions for important guys like DE Aaron Kampman and S Nick Collins who hit free agency after 2009.
When you add up the cash needed for rookies, plus needed for extensions, and consider that a bidding war would favor any of the teams with more cap room, this might be another quiet free agent period for the Packers.