Packers pass on chance to lower cap
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers did nothing to lower their salary cap Friday.
It is significant because quarterback Aaron Rodgers' $6.8 million roster bonus was due and there was no indication in the NFL transactions that league officials receive at the end of the day that the Packers had converted that amount into a signing bonus.
Doing so would have allowed the Packers to push two-thirds of the $6.8 million into future years and give the Packers $4.5 million in relief.
It's possible the due date for the payment was moved sometime before Friday, but the Packers have had all offseason to do something and it seems unlikely they would wait until the last minute to declare the conversion.
When signed, Rodgers' contract listed the roster bonus due date as the third day of the 2021 league year, which was Friday. Even if the Packers didn't convert that bonus, they still have the option of converting most of his $14.7 million base salary into a signing bonus to save salary-cap money.
The Packers, who are less than $1 million under the salary cap after making a flurry of contract maneuvers that saved them $24 million in cap charges this year, may have felt that they didn't want to add to Rodgers' massive salary-cap number of $39.85 million next year unless they absolutely have to.
They have other means in which to lower their cap, such as signing receiver Davante Adams to a long-term extension, lowering defensive end Dean Lowry's cap number and cutting players such as cornerback Josh Jackson and linebacker Oren Burks.
They can still convert up to $13.6 million of Rodgers' salary into a signing bonus and spread it over three years to save $9.06 million this year. If Rodgers were willing to add voidable years to the end of his contract, they could shave even more off this year's cap.
The Packers have converted salary into signing bonuses on several players as a way to push salary-cap charges into the future. The team can prorate the signing-bonus amount over the remaining years of a deal to get immediate cap relief.
If, for instance, the Packers had turned the $6.8 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, they would have been able to move a third of it onto his '22 cap and a third onto his '23 cap, thereby saving them $4.53 million on this year's cap.
Most contracts have provisions that allow the club to turn base salary and roster bonuses into signing bonuses without the player's permission, but it's believed there are some players who choose not to have the language included. It's not known what Rodgers' contract says about the club's right to turn money into a signing bonus.
It's possible that general manager
Brian Gutekunst and vice president of player finance Russ Ball have decided they will adjust Rodgers' contract only as a last resort. The more they fiddle with it, the more his salary cap goes up next year and the more likely they would have to renegotiate the deal to get under the cap.
If the Packers are counting on the 37year-old Rodgers to play two more seasons, they don't have to worry too much about his cap number because he would only count $2.5 million if he's not on the roster in '23. Given expected successor Jordan Love is on his rookie contract and the salary cap is expected to explode in '23, pushing more money into that year won't be a big deal for them.
Packers selections finalized
The NFL released the official selection order for the draft, setting in place the positions for all 10 Packers picks.
They are: First round (29th overall); second (62); third (92); fourth (135 and 142); fifth (173 and 178); sixth (214 and 220) and seventh (256).