The Green Bay Packers always remain diligent in free agency, keeping their young core of players together and rarely overspending in the free agent frenzy. This will be a busy couple months for the front office as they negotiate with Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga, Davon House being their most notable free agents. As of now, Green Bay sits at $23.7 million in cap space. While that money will be a major help, Green Bay will need more if they want to retain the young core.
Brandon Bostick, Tight End
Cap Savings: $200K
Bostick announced Sunday on Twitter that his time with the Packers was over. While many assumed Bostick was simply cut as a result of his memorable moment in the NFC Championship Game, that was simply the icing on the cake that led to the termination of his contract.
Bostick's size and athleticism always drew the eye of scouts and coaches who believed if he could put it all together, Bostick would become a major threat in the Packers offense. While injuries, including this past season, got in the way at times, Bostick largely stood in his own way. His inability to pick up the offense, even in practice, after three seasons can't be ignored. He wasn't earning playing time at a position where Green Bay isn't deep and was seeking a threat when Davante Adams was still struggling.
Cutting Bostick resulted in a minimal amount for cap savings and it wasn't the result of one play, his release was about a three-year plan that never came to fruition and it was time for Green Bay to move on. The Packers will certainly look to add a tight end in the 2015 NFL Draft.
A.J. Hawk, Inside Linebacker
Cap Savings: $3.5 Million
After taking a pay cut in 2013, Hawk's nine-year run with the Packers has almost certainly come to an end. While some would call Hawk a disappointment considering he was the fifth overall pick in 2006, he was a starting linebacker for much of his career and that's a far better resume than some of the other top-ten picks in that class.
Unfortunately for Hawk, his physical ability has greatly declined. He lost his starting job mid-season and saw less than 35 percent of the defensive snaps over the remaining season. Green Bay didn't have any hesitation in February 2013 when they cut Charles Woodson and they certainly won't hesitate now.
Freeing up $3.5 million in cap space isn't a dramatic boost for the team's wallet, but it allows them to pursue more options in free agency and have a little more money to go around to Cobb or Bulaga.
Brad Jones, Inside Linebacker
Cap Savings: $3.75 Million
This will be one of the easier decisions Ted Thompson makes this offseason, parting ways with one of his worst decisions in recent memory. The Packers re-signed Jones to a three-year, $11.75 million deal in March of 2013 after a breakthrough 2012 season. Green Bay was in need of help at linebacker and thought they had found an answer at the position.
Now two years later, it's become clear that Jones' 2012 season was fool's gold. The Seahawks exploited him on special teams in the NFC Championship Game on Jon Ryan's touchdown pass, being attacked for his overagresiveness and lack of awareness. Special teams are the saving grace for linebackers who completely fall out of the rotation on the defense because they struggle against the run and in coverage. Regardless of Jones salary he has been a replacement candidate, the $3.75 million in cap savings makes the decision a guarantee.
Green Bay is in desperate need of improvement at inside linebacker and it's still a near-certainty that Hawk and Jones are cut in the coming months. The combined $7M in cap space could help cover the first-year of Bulaga's contract or be enough to cover the first-year of House and Jarrett Bush's contract.
Julius Peppers, Outside Linebacker
Cap Savings: $9 Million (pre-June 1)/
This will be one of the tougher decisions the front office has to make. Green Bay surprised many when in a span of hours they signed Peppers away, just shortly after the rival Chicago Bears released him. It was kept under the radar but Thompson saw a veteran who could improve the pass rush and signed him immediately.
It was a smart deal for Green Bay, a three-year deal but with most of the money in the final two years and an easy decision to cut him and not cut significantly into the cap if things didn't work out. Things worked out very well, Peppers graded out as Pro Football Focus' sixth best pass rusher at his position. Not only did Peppers thrive in his new role as an outside linebacker, but he also stepped up as a defensive captain for the playoffs. It provided a much-needed boost for Green Bay's defense and he could play a major role next season as well, but it comes at a cost.
If Green Bay chooses to keep Peppers under his current contract it will come at the cost of $9.5 million of the projected $142 million cap this season. While that's not a crippling number by any means it's a significant chunk that could be better off divided among multiple players. This is where the tough decision comes, with a few options on the table.
Green Bay could cut Peppers before June 1, and free $9 million in cap room. While some money due to Peppers would carry over into next season in cap hits, the $9 million could go towards bringing back Cobb. But cutting Peppers means you risk losing him to free agency as teams have realized he still has gas left in the tank. While the Packers would try to re-sign him, that's far from a guarantee to happen.
The Packers could wait until after June 1 to release Peppers, giving them extra time to see if he would restructure his deal to shave off just a few million from the cap. If they are unable to come to terms on a restructured deal and the front office doesn't want to pay him $9.5 million, they could still save $6 million by cutting him after the deadline.
There is no clear-cut decision or an easy solution. While fans always like to speculate about star players taking pay cuts, reality is very few players do or should cut into their salary. Green Bay needs help as much help on defense as possible if they want to contend for Super Bowl 50, that could very well mean just keeping Peppers at his current price tag.
Cap Room with Peppers cut: $39 Million
Cap Room without Peppers cut: $30 Million