Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst took 30 minutes of his lunch hour to beg off playing the “What If?” game but realizing the process of putting together his 2022 football team may be the most challenging of his still, young career with significant implications for the organization well down the road.
The process has begun with the clock now ticking on NFL teams considering a franchise tag for it’s star players. That window closes March 8 and the NFL’s calendar year window opens on the 16th when contracts expire.
The two elephants in the atrium at Lambeau Field of course are Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.
It was actually nice being back in the stadium’s media auditorium, mask and all still, for the in-person session with the GM. After Gutekunst said hello, the questions on the All Pro wide receiver and now back to back and 4 time MVP came quickly.
Gutekunst said the team has imposed no deadlines on Rodgers even though a decision would be welcome in advance of unrestricted free agents hitting the market in three weeks.
When the season ended, painfully again in the playoffs, Rodgers stayed in Green Bay to make sure he visited with teammates, some who won’t be back. But he also stopped upstairs to meet with Mark Murphy, Russ Ball and Gutekunst. Last April when the unhappiness bombshell dropped from the QB’s camp, Gutekunst probably wouldn’t have allowed Rodgers into his office. The impasse was resolved, the season played on and the QB and the GM’s relationship got markedly better.
Gutekunst admitted the team is under plenty of salary cap pressure, thanks to the pandemic’s softening of the cap which while it’s gone up for 2022, is still a year away from expected gains from the league’s media deals.
That’s why the Rodgers and Adams resolutions need to come first. Gutekunst said there will be plenty of time to consider new deals for De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas on the defensive side, to the myriad of receivers and tight ends with contracts coming due.
Gutekunst did confirm the veteran restructuring process has begun. Reports surfaced that Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark has agreed on how his deal will pay out. There will be a conversion of his base salary and roster bonus into an upfront signing bonus and with 2 voidable years added on to the length of his deal will results in 10.89 million dollars will be saved on this year’s cap.
Based on estimations, the Packers have another 40 million or so to get down to the 208 million dollar cap, by March 16 please.
Gutekunst all but assured there will be more dollar conversion, lengthened deals coming. The practice of leveraging salary and incentives into signing bonuses and stretching those pro-rated payments into the future is a real departure from past Packer contract negotiators and cap managers. The G.M. said the COVID-19 pandemic really forced our hand when the cap dropped while the Packers had plenty of high priced talent already. Gutekunst and Russ Ball agreed they would have to make changes to keep the players they wanted, be able to sign outside free agents and not only making sure those players were happy, the team met salary cap guidelines too.
That was accomplished a year ago, but with even greater cap deliberations now and into the future.
Gutekunst said no matter what scenario fate chooses, Rodgers leaves, Adams stays, they both go….his 2022 Green Bay Packers will be a competitive football team.
First things first for the scout at heart, Gutekunst is anxious to see college prospects in person again at the NFL’s Scouting Combine next week in Indianapolis.
