With the Packers’ season being over due to a disappointing loss to the 49ers, it’s time to break down all of the offseason moves the Packers should make. Whether it’s extending Jordan Love or cutting some fan favorites, there is plenty the Packers need to do to ensure we are put in the best situation possible. I won’t be covering a mock draft in this, because I feel like that deserves a solo article. Either way, let’s dive right into the extensions that need to happen this offseason.
Extensions
Jordan Love: 5 years, $225 million, $150 million GTD, $45 million APY
I strongly believe that a deal will get done at some point this offseason to keep Love in Green Bay long term. The recent reports of the Packers wanting to give him top 5 quarterback money is extremely worrying though. I have no lack of faith that Jordan Love will be worth the money, I just cannot live with paying out a third of your cap space to one man. It’s the reason why we couldn’t win much after Rodgers got paid, and other major contracts have been destroying teams as well. Hopefully Love is willing to take a Brady discount to keep this undoubtedly talented roster together, and that’s what this contract is.This would still put him at the top 10 mark money wise, but tied 8th with Mahomes at $45 a year. I feel like that is a fair deal for both sides, by giving Green Bay plenty of flexibility cap wise for years to come, while also giving Love the money he deserves. I could see the actual deal reaching up to $52 million per year, but I sincerely hope Russ Ball and company do not do that.
Aaron Jones: 3 years, $22 million, $10 million GTD, $7.3 million APY
Time and time again, Aaron Jones proves me wrong. I was a big proponent of cutting him last year to save some money, but that take came back and smacked me in the face. This offense needs Jones more than anyone else on the team. He loves being in Green Bay and wants to be here forever, as shown in his pa cut he took to stay a part of this team. I came up with a team friendly extension that still gives him plenty of money. This extension would also lower his cap hit for the 2024 season, so in a way he is taking another pay cut. There’s no expectation he has to take this reduced contract, and I completely understand if he wants more money, but I would not pay him anything more than $8 million per year. He’ll be 30 years old next season and I could see him slowing down relatively fast after 2024. I think both sides benefit from this deal greatly, and that he is quite deserving of an extension after the season he had.
Kenny Clark: 3 years, $52 million, $22 million GTD, $17.3 million APY
Kenny Clark is the anchor this team needs on defense. Consistency is key for all aspects of football, and he fits that perfectly. Joe Barry tried his best to make Clark’s job as hard as possible most of the time, but Kenny always showed up. This contract is slightly less than what he got paid during his first contract extension, but I feel like it is still beneficial to both sides. I honestly wouldn’t even mind if it got up to $18 million a year with the extension. I do caution Green Bay though, to not put themselves in the same position they’re currently in with Preston Smith and De’Vondre Campbell. They were great defensive players, but father time has caught up to them, especially Campbell.
Re-signings
Keisean Nixon: 2 years, $8 mil, $3.5 mil GTD, $4 mil APY
Nixon was a great veteran presence for the defense this year, which makes resigning him much easier. Not only is he a serviceable slot corner, he’s a back-to-back all-pro kick returner. He got paid $4 million this season, so I don’t think giving him that same number again is too bad. A 2 year deal will have him under contract until he’s 28, and the Packers can decide whether or not they want to give him a long term deal.
Yosh Nijman: 2 years, $5 mil, $2 mil GTD, $2.5 mil APY
Due to the emergence of Tom and Walker this year, Nijman fell out of a starting role. I can completely see the Packers letting him go, but since they added voide years to his contract it would be really silly. He’s a great backup that would be a starter at almost any other team in the NFL. A 2-year, team friendly deal should be the way to go if the Packers decide to keep him.
AJ Dillon: 2 years, $7.5 mil, $3 mil GTD, $3.75 mil APY
The tricky question of whether or not we should resign AJ Dillon does not have a definitive answer. He struggled immensely this year, but slowly found his groove as the year went on. He’s a fan favorite guy that embodies what it means to be a Packer, but his production is horrible for being a 2nd rounder. I’m personally indifferent on whether or not he comes back, but if he does, do not give him more than $4 million a year.
Eric Wilson 1 year, $1.75 million
I have two words for Eric Wilson,
Glue Guy. Great presence that makes great plays whenever he’s on the field. It would be silly to not keep him around if we’re going all in next year.
Jonathan Owens 1 year, $1.75 mil
Owens fits in the Glue Guy category as well. I would love to see him actually tackle sometimes, but he played really well for us at stretches.
Daniel Whelan 1 years, $950K
Whelan is the best punter we’ve had recently. He can kick in the cold and was extremely consistent at holding. Makes sense to bring him back rather than having another new punter for the 4th year in a row.
Darnell Savage/Jon Runyan: Who knows
Savage and Runyan have been staples for the Packers for the past 4 years. They both started out strong in their rookie and second year seasons, but have dwindled off in production since then. Savage had a better year this year than last, but Runyan was not great at all. I still believe that they can be extremely important to this roster, but it may be too late for them for Gute to not let them go. The Packers are going all in this year, and it doesn’t really make sense to keep around guys that cannot play reliably. Either way, the Packers need to draft offensive line and secondary help in the draft, regardless of if they keep Sav and Runyan around.
Releases/Trades
David Bahktiari, De’Vondre Campbell, Preston Smith- Saves $30 mil in cap
As much as it pains me to say it, these moves need to happen. Dbak is a legend, but paying him $40 million this year is an unreal amount of money for a guy that’s played 13 games in 3 years. His ACL is beyond destroyed at this point if he keeps having these setbacks consistently. Along with that, the emergence of Rasheed Walker makes it much easier to replace Dbak. I was a big walker hater early in the year, but similar to Love, he really turned his season around especially in the playoffs. Campbell and Smith are a lot easier to replace due to having McDuffie and Van Ness. Campbell has fallen off a cliff production wise and is not worth the money we shelled out for him. Smith is getting older and slower every year, and although he was solid this year, paying him $17 million a year is unreasonable. These guys are great presences on the team don’t get me wrong, but I’m taking nearly $30 million in cap over aging, injury prone veterans.
