Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers: 5 Potential Cap Casualties in 2017

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:08 a.m. ET

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With only so much cap space to work with this offseason, the Green Bay Packers could be forced to turn a few notable names into cap casualties in the coming months.

As much as some folks don’t like it, the NFL is a business. For teams like the Green Bay Packers, difficult decisions need to be made all the time to ensure the business runs efficiently and effectively. That often results in prominent players becoming cap casualties.

This offseason, I would expect that to be the case for at least a couple of Packers players.

As we all know, money plays a huge role in determining the actions of NFL teams. The amount of cap space occupied by a particular player can be the difference between them sticking around and getting the ax. It often results in roster moves fans don’t like, but it’s part of making all of the financials of an NFL team work.

So who could some of these unfortunate Packers be in 2017? There are several players who could earn the “cap casualty” designation, especially since the team is only expected to have about $37 million in cap space available to both re-sign current players and sign free agents.

With that in mind, here’s my look at five potential cap casualties for the Packers in 2017.

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5. Letroy Guion, DE

2017 Cap Hit: $3,666,666
Potential Savings: $3.5 million (post-June 1 cut)

I want to make it clear that this is not a comment on Letroy Guion’s effectiveness. Since signing with the Packers in 2014, he’s done a terrific job of providing a consistent, reliable presence for the Green Bay defensive line.

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The Packers have also found several other youngsters capable of making a similar impact. Unfortunately for Guion, those players don’t cost nearly as much and offer more upside. So you can hopefully understand why I might venture a guess that Guion could be on the chopping block this offseason.

Sure, Guion is a quality run defender. He doesn’t provide much of a pass rush, but he can absolutely clog up the line of scrimmage. Then again, so can players such as Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry, who don’t carry as big of a cap hit combined as Guion does by himself.

By designating the veteran as a post-June 1 cut, the Packers can recoup nearly all of their 2017 cap space. It would be a tough loss for their defensive line, but it’s not like they don’t have capable replacements already on the roster. Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made in order to save money. If that means parting with a solid starter like Guion, then so be it.

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4. Jeff Janis, WR

2017 Cap Hit: $702,848
Potential Savings: $690,000

In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a huge amount of money to save for an NFL team. However, seeing as Jeff Janis continues to be overlooked in this Green Bay offense, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing elsewhere in 2017.

Right now, Janis is buried on the Packers’ wide receiver depth chart. Obviously Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb get the majority of the work when healthy. Then Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery (when not playing running back) soak up the rest of the targets, with rookie Geronimo Allison serving as the emergency option.

Put simply, Janis doesn’t seem to have a place in this offense.

So why keep him around for $702,848 when they can save almost all of that by letting him go. Sure, he brings some value as a special teams asset, but Janis clearly isn’t viewed as a prominent part of the Packers passing game. His 11 receptions, 93 yards and one touchdown on the year would seem to support that assertion.

I thought Janis would be a breakout star for Green Bay in 2016. Instead, he’s essentially become irrelevant in one of the NFL’s top passing offenses. Might as well save some cap space and let him take his talents elsewhere in 2017.

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3. Sam Shields, CB

2017 Cap Hit: $12,125,000
Potential Savings: $9 million

Not long ago, Sam Shields was seen as the Packers’ top cornerback. Now, heading into 2017, there’s a good chance his roster spot could soon be on the line. The veteran cover man got dealt a bad hand in 2016, losing all but one game to a severe concussion. To top it off, he now faces a possible suspension after he was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia (via the Green Bay Press Gazette).

Especially with relatively limited cap space to work with this offseason, the Packers may not be willing to have $12.125 million tied up on a concussion-prone cornerback who’s having off-the-field issues. Instead, they could easily hand Shields his walking papers and spend that $9 million elsewhere.

It’s not an easy move to make, but it makes plenty of sense for Green Bay. They have a handful of promising young prospects at cornerback. Even with Shields out of the picture, Damarious Randall, Ladarius Gunter and Quinten Rollins should be able to keep the Packers pass defense afloat–like they did throughout the 2016 campaign. With this being Shields’ fifth concussion, he may even make it easy on them and call it a career.

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2. James Starks, RB

2017 Cap Hit: $3.75 million
Potential Savings: $3 million

Honestly, I was a bit surprised last offseason when James Starks decided to return to Green Bay. Instead of finding a larger role elsewhere, he stuck around to play second fiddle to Eddie Lacy. As we all know, it didn’t quite pan out that way.

Instead, Lacy quickly fell out of favor and Starks struggled to provide much support. He only saw action in nine games, averaging a miserable 2.3 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Before we knew it, a receiver had converted to running back and Christine Michael was signed to assist.

It’s pretty clear to me Starks has worn out his welcome in Green Bay. Once a reliable No. 2, he’s proven over the last year or so he’s no longer a capable spot starter. It seems time for the Packers to cut their losses and save some cap space by letting the 30-year-old running back go.

It helps that the move would clear $3 million in space, a sizable amount for a Packers team that could use some wiggle room this offseason. The loss of Starks also wouldn’t to be too big a loss, especially with Montgomery proving capable of carrying the load. The 2017 draft class’ abundance of running back talent also helps. It was a great run for Starks in Green Bay. He proved that even no-name prospects can make an impact, but his days as an effective NFL runner appear to be over.

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1. Clay Matthews, ILB

2017 Cap Hit: $15.2 million
Potential Savings: $11.1 million

This seems crazy, right? Why on Earth would the Packers get rid of Clay Matthews, one of the best players on their roster? Well it just so happens the All-Pro linebacker hasn’t exactly been a star as of late. Since making the switch to inside linebacker, Matthews hasn’t been the same player. Even after moving back outside, his pass-rushing skills have declined and he’s been wildly ineffective as a run defender as well.

Scheduled to count $15.2 million against the cap in 2017, that seems unacceptable. There’s just no way the Packers can continue to pay that much for someone who used to be a superstar.

While showing him the door is an option, the most likely outcome is a restructure. Matthews is a fan favorite and huge locker room presence, which means releasing him would have wide-ranging consequences. As important as saving cap space can be, the Packers don’t want to stir the pot too much.

Instead, they should convince Matthews to take a pay cut. It’s obviously not an ideal route for the 30-year-old linebacker to take, but I’m sure he’d understand where the Packers were coming from when that discussion took place.

All good things must end eventually, and it appears that statement rings true for Matthews. While he’s still capable of making big plays in Green Bay, he’s no longer worth $15.2 million. If he doesn’t restructure this offseason, the Packers may be forced to take drastic measures.