Building a competitive football team under the salary cap is a delicate process for NFL general managers like Brian Gutekunst of the Green Bay Packers. He must structure contracts to create bargains year-to-year, especially after taking on the massive dead cap hit by trading away Aaron Rodgers.
A bargain can be considered any player with a cap hit lower than the expected contributions to a team that year.
Here are the 10 best salary cap bargains for the Packers in 2023:
QB Jordan Love
2023 salary cap hit: $4,409,271
Percent of cap: 1.95
Position rank: 31st among QBs
Look, no one knows if Jordan Love is going to be a good player. But he’ll be the starting quarterback for the Packers in 2023 with a cap hit that takes up less than two percent of the salary cap and ranks 31st among quarterbacks. If Love is bad, the financial setback isn’t substantial. If Love is good, the Packers will have hit the jackpot. This is the kind of massive bargain the Packers need at quarterback after taking on the massive dead cap hit of trading away Aaron Rodgers. Even in 2024, Love’s cap hit will only be $7.8 million.
OL Zach Tom
2023 salary cap hit: $996,084
Percent of cap: 0.42
Position rank: 259th among OL
Tom was excellent at multiple positions as a rookie and is now going into the 2023 season as a potential starter for the Packers at right tackle. Even if he’s the super substitute off the bench, Tom is a massive bargain with a cap hit under $1 million. This is why hitting on mid-round picks can be so impactful; they become the perfect blend of valuable to the team and cheap on the cap during their rookie deals.
OLB Preston Smith
2023 salary cap hit: $6,372,000
Percent of cap: 2.82
Position rank: 46th among edge rushers
Over four seasons in Green Bay, Smith has averaged around 8.0 sacks, nine tackle for losses and 18 quarterback hits per season. In 2023, he’ll be the veteran leader of a group that may be without Rashan Gary for a bit to start the year. The Packers are getting a bargain considering Smith’s cap hit isn’t even in the top 32 at the position.
OG Elgton Jenkins
2023 salary cap hit: $6,967,383
Percent of cap: 3.08
Position rank: 14th among OGs
Jenkins moved back to left guard midway through last season and regained his ability as a dominant player. While his new contract will accelerate his cap hits in the future, Jenkins is a big bargain in 2023. On the left side of Jordan Love’s offensive line, Jenkins and David Bakhtiari could form an elite tandem.
OG Jon Runyan Jr
2023 salary cap hit: $2,786,670
Percent of cap: 1.23
Position rank: 42nd among OGs
Runyan, a sixth-round pick in 2020, has been a solid starter at guard each of the last two seasons for the Packers. He earned the Proven Performance Escalator (PPE), but he’s still a bargain even with the pay bump. The Packers will hope Runyan takes another developmental step in 2023, helping ease the decision on his future in a contract year. But anything under $3 million on the cap for a dependable starter along the offensive line is a great deal.
CB Rasul Douglas
2023 salary cap hit: $4,430,666
Percent of cap: 1.96
Position rank: 33rd among CBs
Douglas finished 14th among cornerbacks in overall PFF grade in 2021 and 24th in 2022, but he’ll still count under $5 million on the cap in 2023. His cap hit bloats to over $10 million next year, but the first two years on Douglas’ three-year deal were big bargains for the Packers.
CB/KR Keisean Nixon
2023 salary cap hit: $2,770,000
Percent of cap: 1.23
Position rank: 62nd among CBs
The All-Pro kickoff returner re-signed with the Packers on a one-year deal that includes four void years, which lowered his cap hit to under $3 million. While Nixon will get a chance to reclaim his crown as the NFL’s best kickoff returner in 2023, the Packers are also expecting him to be the Week 1 starter at slot corner. He could provide a lot of value to Matt LaFleur’s team at a cheap cost.
WR Christian Watson
2023 salary cap hit: $2,100,233
Percent of cap: 0.93
Position rank: 85th among WRs
No team is spending less on wide receivers than the Packers in 2023. Watson, the expected No. 1 receiver for Jordan Love, will count just over $2 million on the cap. For reference, Randall Cobb will count more on the Jets’ cap than Watson in Green Bay. In Year 2 of his rookie deal, Watson’s value to the Packers will far exceed his cap hit.
RB A.J. Dillon
2023 salary cap hit: $1,681,855
Percent of cap: 0.74
Position rank: 41st among RBs
Dillon might have took a step back in 2022, but he still finished fourth in overall rushing grade at PFF in 2021 and fifth in 2022.In the final year of his rookie deal, Dillon will be one of the best bargains at running back, even if he’s the complementary player to Aaron Jones. Over the last two seasons, Dillon produced 2,092 total yards and 14 scores. He’ll see even more of the football in 2023.
OLB Kingsley Enagbare
2023 salary cap hit: $930,639
Percent of cap: 0.41
Position rank: 241st among edge rushers
Enagbare started seven games and produced 3.0 sacks and eight quarterback hits during his rookie season. Entering Year 2, the 2022 fifth-round pick will get a chance to start opposite Preston Smith while Rashan Gary recovers from last year’s season-ending injury and first-round pick Lukas Van Ness develops as a rookie. Even as a top backup, Enagbare is an ascending young player at a premium position. He won’t even count a half-percent on the cap in 2023.
