Cheese Curds, 2/9: As NFL teams start cuts, Packers have avoided salary cap trouble

While Ted Thompson's approach to free agency and player acquisition draws some criticism - especially in light of the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl win, featuring a roster with several big free agent signees - let us look around the league today and put him into perspective.

As a handful of teams around the NFL are beginning to cut players for salary cap reasons, the Green Bay Packers are able to sit comfortably this week with around $20 million in cap space. If they indeed choose not to cut any veteran players, the Packers will hold just $700,000 in dead money charges as they go into the offseason, a far cry from the Atlanta Falcons' $15 milliion or the $22 million in dead money that the New Orleans Saints currently have on the books for 2016.

So no matter what you think of Thompson's methods, at least we can all agree that he does not put the team in a difficult position in terms of flexibility or finances.

Check out news on the cuts from around the league and much more in today's curds.

Green Bay Packers OLB Julius Peppers not ready to retire just yet - ESPN
Sure, big names are retiring all across the NFL, but Peppers has shown no signs that he intends to join that group. Can you blame him after he had a strong end to 2015?

Robertson Daniel aims to take next leap at Lambeau | JSOnline.com
Who is Robertson Daniel, besides a guy with a name that looks like it is written in "Last name, First name" format? He's a converted safety who is just scratching the surface of what he's capable of being as a cornerback, and he's ready for a chance to make the 53-man roster in training camp.

NFL free agents 2016: Riley Cooper, William Moore headline list of early cuts - SBNation.com
Monday was the first day that NFL teams could begin releasing players for salary cap reasons. While the Eagles, Falcons, and Saints each cut some big names, Ted Thompson can just sit back and chuckle at the cap hell those teams (especially New Orleans) have put themselves in.

Prospects convicted of domestic violence banned from NFL combine | SI.com
This policy will likely only affect a few players, but it will extend to invites to the draft itself as well as the Combine. However, teams may still hold workouts with these players privately.

Liquor licenses plentiful for Titletown District | Packersnews.com
The plans are continuing on schedule for the new shopping, dining, and lodging complex, and a new bill that is proposed should increase the availability of licenses for future tenants.

For our final curd of the day, let's go to Packers running back Eddie Lacy for his take on his favorite teammate to hang out with and whether a hot dog is a sandwich: