With the expectation that the salary cap will decrease during a single off-season, the Green Bay Packers are prepared to push dollars into future years in an effort to maximize their ability to win now.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said on Monday that he doesn’t know the exact salary cap number for 2021, but the Packers have a “good idea where this is going to be” and are waiting for it to “fall”, complicating things for a team with so much money already committed to next year’s limit.
In response to the challenge, Gutekunst is ready to restructure existing contracts and push boundary commitments for years to come to help Packers keep their list together and remain a contender for the Super Bowl.
“We have done this in the past, we will have to do this this year, for sure,” said Gutekunst on Monday. “The situation that our football team is in now, I think we have an objective in mind. And if there is an opportunity to take some risks to help us win now, we are certainly in that mode. “
Even if the salary cap ends up in the $ 180-185 million range, the Packers are still above the cap and will need to make several adjustments just to operate during the off-season. It is possible that the salary cap will drop to the $ 175 million floor, although current projections seem a little more optimistic based on 2020 revenues.
Gutekunst still expects a significant drop and said he does not expect the ceiling to be close to the level.
“I’m waiting for it to fall, that’s how we’re planning it,” said Gutekunst.
Like the Packers, 31 other NFL teams are likely to have to kick the proverbial salary cap for a year or two to deal with a shrinking cap in 2021.
“Obviously, with the situation this year, I think most teams will spend money to try to keep them together, and we will certainly not be different,” said Gutekunst.
Packers will have options to create space. As noted by Ken Ingalls on our distribution list, veterans Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, David Bakhtiari, Billy Turner, Za’Darius Smith and Adrian Amos have contracts that can be restructured to open up significant capitalization space in 2021. Do this it would ease stress at the ceiling this year, but commit more guaranteed money and limit commitments at future limits.
For example, Packers will almost certainly convert a large portion of Bakhtiari’s next line-up bonus into a signature bonus, freeing up roof space now, but also requiring that the money be distributed over the entire length of their new contract, adding new money. future departures. .
When asked how to redo parts of the Rodgers deal, Gutekunst avoided giving a direct answer, but he is working on the assumption that several veteran players will need overhauled deals or payments to make everything work in 2021.
Packers can also release veterans like Rick Wagner, Dean Lowry, Preston Smith or Christian Kirksey to create more matches with no future obligations.
The next few months will be critical to shaping the lineup in 2021 and understanding the team’s long-term plans for next year, but Gutekunst said his team is comfortable with what lies ahead and ready to make “tough decisions” in its lineup. .
“It is a unique year, it is very challenging, obviously we are not the only team that has these challenges,” said Gutekunst. “I feel very comfortable, we have been working on this all year, preparing for what will happen in the next three or four months.”