Can anyone answer this??

[rodell330]

But by rolling forward every year about the same amount, he is basically spending the entire cap every year. Think of it as spending your entire paycheck every year but never increasing or spending your savings account. The excess rolled forward year after year is a rainy day fund.

Like for a corner? or another pass rusher?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

What's the point of staying 20 million under the cap yr after yr? It's not Teddys money to spend or keep so why is this a constant. I'm sure lots of free agents would want to play with Aaron Rodgers and have a legit chance at a SB ring. This team is no where near cap hell so hold on to all this extra money?

It´s smart to keep some cushion to either replace players being put on injured reserve or to roll over into next season. Remember that Thompson was ready to enter the season with less than $5 million in cap space before releasing Sitton and Masthay.

What ACTUALLY happens when a team go over the cap ?

I believe the NFL doesn´t allow transactions that would put a team above the salary cap.

Wasn't the cap projected to rise by $10mn this upcoming offseason?

True, the Packers will enter next offseason with approximately $35 million in cap space having several holes to fill. Releasing Shields would add another $9 million. While that sounds like a lot of money to spend there have been several posts about the team possible heading towards trouble with the cap in 2017.

 

[Half Empty]

But by rolling forward every year about the same amount, he is basically spending the entire cap every year. Think of it as spending your entire paycheck every year but never increasing or spending your savings account. The excess rolled forward year after year is a rainy day fund.

Pretty much what I was trying to say, except for the last sentence. At that point, my comment would be that there have been several times when a lot of us thought it was pouring, and TT didn't reached for an umbrella.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

True, the Packers will enter next offseason with approximately $35 million in cap space having several holes to fill. Releasing Shields would add another $9 million. While that sounds like a lot of money to spend there have been several posts about the team possible heading towards trouble with the cap in 2017.

I'm confused. How exactly are the packers going to be in cap trouble with ~ $35 million in cap space available?

 

[Mondio]

Lots of guys to re-sign or replace. That money is going to go fast

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm confused. How exactly are the packers going to be in cap trouble with ~ $35 million in cap space available?

The Packers currently have only 37 players under contract for next season. Even by filling the bottom of the roster with rookies on a minimum contract would reduce the available cap space by $7.4 million. The practice squad will take another million of the board and I expect Thompson to enter the 2017 season with at least $5 million in cap space. That leaves the team with a bit more than $20 million to work with having to re-sign several key free agents and upgrade positions of need. That´s not a ton of money to improve the roster.

 

[Half Empty]

That leaves the team with a bit more than $20 million to work with having to re-sign several key free agents and upgrade positions of need.

2017 UFA:
Julius Peppers - physical freak, but still 36 years old
T.J. Lang - valuable but banged up, and yes, a guard
Nick Perry - up and down, especially without someone to take the heat off
Jared Cook - the kind of FA TT usually doesn't sign - looks to be valuable, to the Pack
Datone Jones - don't see many touting him as an integral part of the D
Brett Goode - 32 and still playing for <$1 mil avg
Eddie Lacy - two good years, two bad years, attitude and weight
Christine Michael - picked up on waivers, no real body of work (so far)
Don Barclay - really?
J.C. Tretter - versatile but hurt - how much will others offer?
Micah Hyde - I don't know

Upgrade positions of need + TT in charge usually = minimal need for cap room.

 

[swhitset]

2017 UFA:
Julius Peppers - physical freak, but still 36 years old
T.J. Lang - valuable but banged up, and yes, a guard
Nick Perry - up and down, especially without someone to take the heat off
Jared Cook - the kind of FA TT usually doesn't sign - looks to be valuable, to the Pack
Datone Jones - don't see many touting him as an integral part of the D
Brett Goode - 32 and still playing for <$1 mil avg
Eddie Lacy - two good years, two bad years, attitude and weight
Christine Michael - picked up on waivers, no real body of work (so far)
Don Barclay - really?
J.C. Tretter - versatile but hurt - how much will others offer?
Micah Hyde - I don't know

Upgrade positions of need + TT in charge usually = minimal need for cap room.

Sad but probably true.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Upgrade positions of need + TT in charge usually = minimal need for cap room.

While Thompson rarely uses a significant portion of the available cap space on free agents he tends to overpay to re-sign the Packers own ones. The team has to address the #1 cornerback and outside linebacker position next offseason. That will eat up a huge part of the cap space.

 

[Half Empty]

Entirely possible, but my knee-jerk comment (and the ) were just meant to piggy-back on the frustration of many for Ted NOT to eat up cap space on outside free agents.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

While Thompson rarely uses a significant portion of the available cap space on free agents he tends to overpay to re-sign the Packers own ones. The team has to address the #1 cornerback and outside linebacker position next offseason. That will eat up a huge part of the cap space.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Packers stick with the current guys (minus Shields unless he restructures his contract to a much lower number) for corner next year. Also, the Packers have shown the ability to draft and develop corners while OLB, outside of Matthews (who was drafted by a much different front office), has been a series of disappointments in the draft. The OLB spot is a serious weakness with no potential solutions on the roster (Perry has flashed this year but he's only done so with Matthews on the field so i'm not convinced he's truly that great and I'm leery of relying on a guy who is frequently injured). Jamie Collins would be an interesting name, great player that fits a need and won't cost as much as his talent would normally dictate, but I doubt Thompson would take the risk on him. The best guys available in free agency, Melvin Ingram and Chandler Jones are going to be far too expensive but Collins would be a great guy with tremendous upside if you trust your coaching staff to get through to him; like when the Broncos signed Talib or the Giants signed Janoris Jenkins. Best part about Collins is that while he's elite at nothing, he's above average at everything and would really help the linebacking group with his coverage ability. Outside of that there really aren't a lot of options in free agency at OLB.

If the Packers do go to free agency for a corner then Jamar Taylor, Darius Butler or Logan Ryan might be decently priced options. Morris Claiborne has been very good in Dallas this year but he'll probably be fairly pricey, as will Bouye out of Houston (though Bouye would be ideal with his size and skill).

Honestly though, I don't expect the Packers to sign anyone who actually has the potential to make an impact on the defense this off-season; the team will just do what they always do and hope guys develop and re-sign Perry to a deal he probably won't live up to and sign Datone Jones to a one-year deal like Perry played under this year.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Packers stick with the current guys (minus Shields unless he restructures his contract to a much lower number) for corner next year.

That would be a terrible mistake as I'm convinced Shields is done.

 

[PikeBadger]

I'm confused. How exactly are the packers going to be in cap trouble with ~ $35 million in cap space available?[/QUOTE

Lots of guys to re-sign or replace. That money is going to go fast

but not fast enough for some here. I can already see that some of the panic stricken chicken littles will be wailing and gnashing their teeth because everyone isn't re-signed within the time frame they think they should be. It's going to happen, guarantee it.

 

[Jerellh528]

I think TT just doesn't want to create a situation where we're in cap hell and lose flexibility. Our cap situation isn't spectacular anyways, we're going to have to make some big decisions this offseason on who to re-sign.

 

[PikeBadger]

I think TT just doesn't want to create a situation where we're in cap hell and lose flexibility. Our cap situation isn't spectacular anyways, we're going to have to make some big decisions this offseason on who to re-sign.

That's pretty much the same situation as always. It's why we have supplemental picks every year. Decisions made in the off-season.