When the Packers signed tight end Jimmy Graham to a three-year, $30 million contract last offseason, they were expecting him to last more than one year. That might not happen.
There’s talk in Green Bay that Graham could be cut this year. That’s what Pete Dougherty, Packers columnist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, thinks is going to happen. Although Dougherty makes clear he is guessing that Graham will get cut, not reporting it, he’s a longtime team observer who’s well-positioned to make educated guesses.
And cutting Graham would make sense: He was disappointing in his first year as a Packer, even admitting himself in December that he hadn’t done much to help the team win. Graham is due a $5.3 million roster bonus on March 15, so it’s easy to envision the Packers cutting him before then.
If the Packers do cut Graham, they’ll save $5.3 million on their salary cap but he’ll still carry a $7.3 million dead cap charge. If the Packers think it’s time to build their new offense around new players, that $5.3 million in savings may better be spent elsewhere.