The Green Bay Packers don’t have much cap going to receivers
The Green Bay Packers are heading into the 2023 NFL Draft with little tread on their tires as pass-catching positions. Our Lads project the Packers wide receivers starters to be second-year players Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Samori Toure. The starting tight end is Josiah Deguara, as 2022 starters Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis are no longer with the team. The team’s inexperience is showing on paper for 2023, as is the cost savings for the Packers.
According to Bill Huber with Sports Illustrated, the Packers are currently spending the least amount of their salary cap in the NFL for their tight end and wide receivers combined:
“Not surprisingly considering all nine players are on rookie contracts, Green Bay’s receivers and tight ends have the lowest combined salary cap charge in the league at $9.41 million. That’s barely half of what Odell Beckham Jr. might earn with the Baltimore Ravens. The Tennessee Titans are next at $12.56 million. It’s a huge divide from there. The Carolina Panthers have the third-lowest charge at $21.19 million – more than double Green Bay’s accounting.”
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said recently the team needs to add a veteran wide receiver. That should increase their spending, but only if they can find the change to make the acquisition work. According to Over The Cap, the Packers have $21 million in cap space for this season. That might seem like enough to bring in an elite wide receiver, but the Packers must allocate much of that money for other sources this season, including April’s draft.
The Packers will add pass catchers in the draft
Jordan Love needs to have decent pass catchers in order to progress in his first season as a starter. It appears as though many of those receivers will be learning the ropes with him this season. The Packers must rebuild much of their roster for 2023 through the draft.
Many draft analysts think the Packers will take a pass catcher in the first round of this year’s draft. Because the team lacks financial resources to add elite veteran help there for Love, it’s probably in their best interest to spend draft capital bulking up at tight end and wide receiver. That will change the cap allocation for those positions, but they could end up as the lowest spenders at wide receiver and tight end by the start of the season—just another trial by fire for Love in 2023.
