Unfortunately, instead of discussing an upcoming Super Bowl dispute between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, we are moving into the off season. And one of the biggest stories of this off-season includes how the teams are going to manage what is likely to be a lower wage cap.
Before the start of the 2020 season, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to potentially reduce the salary cap to $ 175 million in 2021 because of COVID-19 and the lack of fans in the stands. That would be significantly less than the $ 198.2 million registered this year.
Now, this does not mean that the limit will drop to $ 175 million; it can be anywhere in between. And if you’re looking for good news, Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber recently posted an article suggesting that the salary cap may be closer to $ 198 million than the $ 175 million floor.
However, for now, this is just speculation and, in all likelihood, the Green Bay Packers will have to make some tough decisions in this off-season to create a cap. And that means veteran cuts.
When looking at the Packers 2021 squad on Spotrac, there are four players in particular who didn’t necessarily have the best seasons of 2020 and come with higher limit hits than dead limit numbers.
For those unfamiliar with these terms, the maximum limit is what is in the books for that season and counts for the salary limit. The dead limit reached is what is still due to the player for the signing bonus that has already been paid. When the limit reached is greater than the dead limit, it can be advantageous for the team to leave that player to save some space on the limit.
So with the wage cap guru Ken Ingalls projecting the Packers at $ 41.7 million above the 2021 salary cap, if it does fall to the $ 175 million mark, it will be a busy off-season for Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball – meaning that these four players probably played his final plays Baía Verde.
Green Bay Packers IDL: Dean Lowry
In terms of limit savings, Lowry provides the least boost for players on this list. According to Spotrac, his limit reached in 2021 is $ 6.3 million, and he has a dead limit reached of $ 3 million, thus creating an additional $ 3.3 million in limit space. If this were a normal year, my instinct says that they would keep Lowry and add another defensive striker inside to reduce their role. But this year, I believe Green Bay will receive an additional $ 3.3 million.
Lowry managed to extend the contract after a strong 2018 season; unfortunately, in 2019 and 2020, it did not have the same impact. According to Pro Football Focus ($), he totaled 21 pressures this season – the same as in 2019 – but only 16 run-stops, which was less than 27.
For comparison with 2017, that season, Lowry had 493 defensive snaps and recorded 19 pressures, three sacks and 19 run-stops. With more than 200 more snapshots in 2020, their numbers were almost identical.
Ultimately, Green Bay will leave Lowry, take the savings and, hopefully, attract a legitimate difference maker or at least a younger player with more advantages in a cheaper deal.