Now that the Green Bay Packers offseason has officially begun, we thought it would be a good opportunity to take a look at the team’s next free agent class.
According to Packers analyst Ken Ingalls, the team needs $29 million more than the salary cap to start the regular season, meaning a lot of decisions will be made after that.
For every body Green Bay brings back, they’ll have to clean up voids that could affect the status of players like quarterback Aaron Jones, left tackle David Bakhtiari, outside linebacker Preston Smith and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell.
I have. All are under contract with the team until 2024.Without further ado, let’s take a look at the players whose contracts expire this year.
Unrestricted Free Agents(12)
RB AJ Dillon
To Josiah Deguara
TE Tyler Davis
T Yoshi Naiman
John Runyan Jr.
ILB Eric Wilson
ILB Christian Welch
CB Corey Balentine
Lock/KR Sean Nixon
Darnell Savage
Jonathan Owens
S rudy ford
All of the players listed above can hit the open market unless a team signs a new contract by March. Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens are the only full-time starters on the roster, but AJ Dillon, guard John Runyan Jr. and cornerback/returner Keysian Nixon are the only full-time starters on the roster.
After the postseason ended Monday, coach Matt LaFleur said he hoped Dillon would re-sign with the team, and the team appears to be leaving the door open for Dillon to back up Aaron Jones in 2024.
That same day, Runyan, who plays right guard with Sean Ryan, a second-year third-round pick this year, broke down in tears while talking about what the Packers mean to him.
He later said, “I hope not.”Nixon is another player who wants to stay after posting a photo of his Green Bay locker on Instagram Monday with a prayer emoji, saying he “didn’t mean to hurt anything.”
Restricted Free Agent(2)
RB Patrick Taylor
C. B. Robert Rochelle
The restricted free agent is a player the Packers could offer. If a team does not tender that player, he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Below is the price list for the different auction types in 2023.
Right of first refusal: $2.4 million
Starting bid: $2.5 million
Second bid: $4 millionFirst subscription: $5.4 million
Neither Patrick Taylor, acquired from the New England Patriots practice squad, nor Robert Rochelle, acquired from the Carolina Panthers practice squad, will receive more than $2 million. If they return to the team, expect them to sign cheaper contracts with the team as unrestricted free agents after the team tenders their draft option.
This is the same process that led to the completion of Tyler Davis’ contract last season.
Exclusive free agents (3)
RB Emmanuel Wilson
T Caleb Jones
Daniel Whelan
ERFAs are players whose contracts have expired despite having played less than three seasons in the league. Green Bay can offer those players a qualifying offer, which is the league minimum contract through 2024.
If a player does not receive a qualifying offer, he or she becomes an unrestricted free agent. If he signs a qualifying tender, he will become a restricted free agent in 2025.All three players are expected to receive draft offers again this season.
