Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Daniels’ release puts Clark in line for extension
Lowry signs three -year, $20.325 million deal
Green Bay – On the eve of Matt LaFleur's first training camp as Green Bay Packers head coach, general manager Brian Gutekunst released veteran defensive lineman Mike Daniels to clear snaps on the field for a versatile group of younger players and salary-cap space for a contract extension with Kenny Clark.
Gutekunst said trade talks fell through for the 30-year-old Daniels, which contributed to the release of the eighth-year veteran last Wednesday. The move saves the Packers $8,312,500, giving the club $15.29 million under the cap with which to work.
After he was let go by the Packers, Daniels signed two days later with the Detroit Lions, who signed him to a oneyear deal.
The decision by the Packers to release Daniels came one day after they signed defensive lineman Dean Lowry to a three-year, $20.325 million contract extension with a $6 million signing bonus. Lowry, 25, was entering the final year of his rookie deal and was set to make $2.025 million this season.
In his career, Lowry has recorded seven sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one touchdown and six passes defensed. He has also made 84 tackles
(55 solo) through three seasons.
As for extending Clark, specifically, Gutekunst said, “Kenny Clark is a dominant player in the
NFL and we'd certainly like to get that done at some point.”
Daniels, a fourth-round draft pick out of Iowa in 2012, emerged as an impact player in 2013 with 61⁄2 sacks. In his first three seasons, he missed just two games and totaled 14 sacks and 21 tackles for loss to earn a four-year, $42 million contract extension in 2015.
“I've been around Mike for a short period of time,” LaFleur said. “I know he's meant a lot to this community, he's meant a lot to this football team. Obviously, having to prepare for him in the past, I still think he's a really good player. I wish him well. We feel really, really good about the group we have with Kenny Clark, with Tyler Lancaster, (Dean) Lowry, Montravius Adams, (Kingsley) Keke and Fadol Brown. Just the versatility that Rashan (Gary) and Za'Darius (Smith) bring to us. So we feel like we have a group in place that can get the job done.”
Daniels made the Pro Bowl in 2017, but the organization shifted in the type of player they looked for along the defensive front. At 6-0½, 310 pounds, Daniels, even with adequate arm length of 32½ inches, was the shortest of all the linemen on the roster. In fact, the next shortest were a group of four players at 6-3.
And with Gutekunst and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine taking over at the start of 2018, it became clear the club was focusing more on not just bigger athletes inside, but those who could move to different areas along the line of scrimmage to rush the passer.
“Together we've kind of been able to change the pieces that we had on defense to fit more what they may want to do,” Gutekunst said. “I don't want to speak for them but I think; I've always had the mindset – this goes back two or three years – that we needed to get bigger and longer and more explosive.
“There was a time when we were lining up Julius Peppers and Mike Neal on our edges and we got away from that a little bit. I think we needed to get back there.”
With the release, it was clear to the Packers' front office and coaching staff that Daniels could not fit that role and would have to be used primarily as an interior player. Daniels missed the final six games of last season with a foot injury and did not participate in on-field work this past offseason. Daniels adds depth and experience to an already deep defensive line in Detroit.
The Lions signed defensive end Trey Flowers as a free agent this spring, added nose tackle Damon Harrison in a trade with the New York Giants last fall and return Da'Shawn Hand, A'Shawn Robinson and Romeo Okwara from a team that ranked 10th against the run last season.
Harrison is currently on the nonfootball injury list after skipping offseason workouts in a contract dispute.
The Lions struggled to stop the run early last season, but blossomed after acquiring Harrison for a fifth-round pick.
More: Packers D-line preview, Pages 6-7; Surprising roster cuts, Page 16; Daniels bids a fond farewell, Page 23.