Three Players Packers Must Cut in 2024 NFL Offseason

At 3-6 with a dwindling chance at making the playoffs, it’s about time the Green Bay Packers start looking toward 2024. With Sunday’s 23-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Packers are now 1-5 in their last six games with the only win coming at home against a Los Angeles Rams team that should also be playing for next year.

Rebuidling is an unfamiliar phase for the Packers. The franchise has been a picture of consistency and competitiveness for the better part of three decades. They’ve missed the playoffs just eight times since 1992.

If the Packers are going to get back to those kinds of results they need draft capital and cap space. They are third in Tankathon’s draft power rankings, but cap space is a bit less rosy picture. They have just $6.9 million in 2024 cap space which ranks 22nd in the league, per Spotrac.

The good news is that there are multiple ways to clear cap space. Some players will be restructured but others will be outright cut to clear up money and roster space. Here are three candidates to get the ax in the offseason.

OT David Bakhtiari
As with any of these players, it would be ideal to find a trade partner that would be willing to take David Bakhtiari. After all, he’s been a foundational member of some of the most successful Packers teams in recent memory.

But the NFL is a business and the Packers really can’t go forward without at least restructuring the tackle’s contract. Even that would need to involve a pay cut to offset the potential savings of either trading or releasing him this offseason.

Bakhtiari is set to account for a $40.5 million cap hit next season. If the team were to release him they would only be on the hook for about $19.1 million of that in the form of a dead cap charge, per Spotrac.

Unfortunately, injuries have likely shortened Bakhtiari’s career and have definitely impacted his play as he ages into his 30s. The 32-year-old was placed on injured reserve with another knee injury after playing just one game this season.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported that he doesn’t have plans of retiring despite the chronic knee injuries. When healthy, Bakhtiari has been serviceable, but he’s just not reliable enough to keep around.

WR Samori Toure
Sometimes a player needs to be cut because of cap ramifications. Other times, it’s just time to clear a roster spot for someone better or more promising. Cutting Samori Toure would qualify for the latter.

The former seventh-round pick should be applauded for finding a way to make the team in each of the past two seasons, but it’s becoming clear that the Packers have other young receivers who are worth investing in.

What the Packers need is a veteran who can come in and provide a spark for the passing game. There isn’t much money to be gained from cutting Toure, but it’s just about $1 million and they would have an open spot for a receiver on the active roster.

Toure started the season with a sizable role in the offense. He played 21, 23 and 33 snaps in the first three weeks. Since then, he’s played double digits just once more with 11 in Week 4. Between Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, the Packers really don’t have a need for keeping Toure on the roster.

OL Royce Newman
Again, this choice is less about the money that could be saved and more about elevating the talent on the roster. Cutting Royce Newman next spring would only save a little over $1 million against the salary cap.

It would also create another roster spot for someone with more upside.

Newman has been with the team since 2021 when he was a fourth-round pick. He’s had three seasons, 43 games and 24 career starts to show that he can become a quality guard or even a reliable backup on the interior.

This year, he has played 173 offensive snaps, giving up a sack, drawing a penalty and earning a 46.1 grade from PFF. If Sean Rhyan has only played 15 snaps this season and has a 66.4 grade. It’s a small sample size, but it’s enough to suggest that the Packers would be better off giving Rhyan more snaps the next time they need another guard.

Going into next season, Rhyan should be the swing guard or the Packers should be re-investing at the position through the draft. Either way, they can move on from Newman and save some money along the way.