Understanding the Green Bay Packers’ needs and offseason plans first requires knowing where the roster stands exiting the 2021 season and entering 2022.
Going through position by position helps paint a clear picture of what GM Brian Gutekunst is facing this offseason, both from a personnel and salary cap standpoint.
Here’s our breakdown of the Packers’ roster at the cornerback position, with players under contract for 2022, free agents, early thoughts on the position group and a unique cap perspective from Ken Ingalls, a CPA who studies the salary cap:
Roster analysis
Under contract (5): Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kabion Ento, Kiondre Thomas
Free agents (4): Rasul Douglas, Chandon Sullivan, Kevin King, Isaac Yiadom
Early thoughts: Having Alexander and Stokes under contract helps, but big decisions are in store here. Douglas produced an incredible season after arriving in Green Bay in October, and you can bet other teams will be willing to offer big deals to get a young cornerback coming off a five-interception season. He’s unrestricted. So are Sullivan and King. If the Packers can’t get Douglas back, retaining Sullivan or King might become a bigger priority. Change is probably coming.
Ken’s cap perspective
Talent at the top, thin at the bottom. Jaire Alexander is currently sitting on the books as the sixth-most expensive at $13.3 million on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option salary. The Packers need to get an extension done to lower this number and lock up Jaire long-term. There are ways within the Packers framework to make Alexander the highest-paid CB in the NFL and still save at least $5-7 million on their cap in 2022. Jaire would balk at the idea of a restructure and has the leverage to get his money now. Eric Stokes and Shemar Jean-Charles were draft picks last year and don’t provide any financial flexibility. Behind them are Kabion Ento and Kiondre Thomas on minimum deals.
The Packers need a talent infusion behind Jaire and Stokes, and many are hoping Rasul Douglas can return. Douglas made comments via the media he would take a little more than minimum to come back, but his agent likely has since advised him against that idea. Douglas is a strong candidate to return but based on what the Packers can prioritize he could absolutely land elsewhere. Chandon Sullivan could be back later in free agency, if not he will still cost almost $1 million in cap from his void years. Kevin King is a polarizing free agent once again and he will cost $3 million on the books if he is not on the roster from last year’s void year restructuring. There is an interesting scenario where the Packers could sign King to an extension before March 16, pay him the minimum, and still save $1.2 million on the cap to be a depth contributor. It may not feel like it, but corner is a critical need for the Packers with key contributors in Douglas, Sullivan, and King all facing free agency. I expect the Packers to prioritize the cornerback position once again in the draft.
