He now has the opportunity to earn $4 million through sack incentives under this reworked deal should he reach double digits—a feat he hasn’t accomplished since his first season with the organization in 2019. In addition to freeing up an extra $2.4 million in cap space, this decision gave the Packers more leeway for possible free agency additions.
The Packers decided that cutting Smith’s base pay was a better course of action than turning his roster bonus into a signing bonus, which would have put further strain on the team’s salary cap in the future.
This comes after Smith’s counterpart, Rashan Gary’s, contract was restructured earlier in the week. The Packers were able to create an additional $4.78 million in cap room by changing Gary’s roster bonus, which was scheduled to be paid on March 15, into a signing bonus given over several years. As of this Thursday, February 29, the Packers are projected by Over the Cap to have a little over $9.5 million in excess.
There is mutual understanding reflected in the agreement between Smith and the Packers. Smith is 31 years old, but his agents think he can make more money with the Packers than he can sign a free agent contract. Smith’s best course of action is to stay with the squad and take a wage reduction because of his dependability and durability.
Smith expects more chances to put pressure on quarterbacks as the standard 4-3 defense, under the direction of new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, is put into practice.
Hafley’s defensive strategy, in contrast to Joe Barry’s prior one, maximizes Smith’s effect on the field by reducing the number of times he drops into coverage.
Smith put on a steady performance last season, finishing with at least eight sacks for the third straight year, despite a progressive drop in sack totals over the previous few seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, he led the club in total pressure and made two batted passes at the line of scrimmage.
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Smith has been a model professional since joining the Packers in March 2019; in his nine-year career, he has missed just one game. Beyond his own accomplishments, he has influenced the growth of teammates like Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary at linebacker.
The Packers’ outside linebacker depth chart presents some difficulties, though, especially in light of Kingsley Enagbare’s questionable availability following his ACL tear in the Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The team’s calculated actions, like as cutting ties with David Bakhtiari and De’Vondre Campbell, are intended to free up more cap space for the 2017 campaign, with Smith’s seasoned leadership undoubtedly being essential. The Packers’ cap flexibility may increase by an additional $24 million if these important players decide to go.
