Understanding the Green Bay Packers’ needs and offseason plans first requires knowing where the roster stands exiting the 2021 season and entering 2022.
Going through position by position helps paint a clear picture of what GM Brian Gutekunst is facing this offseason, both from a personnel and salary cap standpoint.
Here’s a breakdown of the Packers’ roster at every position, with players under contract for 2022, free agents, early thoughts on the position groups and a unique cap perspective from Ken Ingalls, a CPA who studies the salary cap.
Here are Ken’s initial thoughts on the cap and the Packers’ offseason:
“This 2022 offseason for the Packers is going to be very challenging to navigate through as they face considerable financial constraints in being $52.2 million over the projected salary cap with their current roster of only 50 players and 23 players facing pending free agency, many of whom are household names among Packers fans. Having said that – the team has plenty of options to get back into the positive side of the salary cap and they absolutely have several scenarios mapped out to best achieve their goals. My motto leading up to and through this off-season has been ‘There are no absolutes – only choices. The Packers can bring back any player you want them to, they just can’t bring them all back.’ The Packers, led by Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball, must find the delicate balance between 1) Making the moves needed to climb out of their current salary cap hole, 2) Constructing a competitive roster worthy of another title run, and 3) Limiting how much salary cap burden they push into future years along the way.”
Onto the position by position breakdown: