Yah I don't know why. Either way we still have to make room. Rodgers 20 mil a year and Matthews in double digits as well
Make room, yes, but not as much room as people might think.
Rodgers' cap hit in 2012 was about $8.5 mil. Under a renegotiation with a hefty signing bonus pushing a chunk of the cap hit to the out years, his cap number will increase no more than $10 mil in 2013, probably less. Matthews' cap his was about about $2 mil in 2012...add at most $8 mil to the 2013 cap, probably less with the signing bonus deferral.
If we were $5 mil under the cap at season's end (after deducting one-time 2012 penalty bonuses), add $7.5 mil savings from Jennings, and $5 mil savings from Saturday and Driver, and you're close to making up the difference.
If either Finley is released or Woodson is negotiated down sharply, there should be room for an impact FA player. I'd be looking for a safety. With the franchise tag at safety being about $7 mil you get an indication there's bang for the FA buck at this position of need.
Personally, I see no urgency to extend Raji this off season. His inconsistency says "not elite", and often "not that good", his contract is not up until after 2014, and he's set to make $4.5 mil cash money next season which is certainly not an underpayment based on these past 2 years' performance. He can wait at least another year. Watch for advance planning in the draft, a la the Cobb pick in anticipation of Jennings FA. If TT goes for a big body, say John Jenkins, in the first round or in a trade up/down toward the top of the 2nd., or a lesser talent at the bottom of the 2nd., you'll have an idea where we're heading.
I think the fact we don't have a young big body on the roster behind Raji, and the fact Jenkins has one more year, makes the urgency of signing Raji seem more acute than it is. To repeat, he can wait. Since his 2014 year is voidable, we'll probably get a real Pro Bowl season out of him in 2013 with the urgency for him to prove his worth.