Packers Rework Kenny Clark’s Deal
The Packers have created $10.892MM in 2022 cap space by restructuring Kenny Clark‘s contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). As As a part of the agreement, Green Bay has converted $13.615MM of the nose tackle’s 2022 comp into a signing bonus while tacking on two void years. 
[RELATED: Packers, Adams Not Discussing Deal]
The extra dollars could help the Packers carve out room for star wide receiver Davante Adams, who is expected to receive the franchise tag in the next couple of weeks. Clark, 27 in October, inked a four-year, $70MM extension with the Packers in 2020, so he remains under contract through the 2024 season. His original deal furnished him with $37MM over the first two years — now, by being a team player, he’ll get a good chunk of the remainder in his bank account sooner.
Clark appeared in 16 games for the Packers this season with 48 stops, four sacks, six tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. His performance earned him Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career while Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth amongst all interior defenders in pass rush proficiency.
Meanwhile, the Packers could also save nearly $20MM by trading Aaron Rodgers. The reigning MVP has not yet made up his mind about returning to the team, though he’s promised to make his decision soon.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/22/22
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:
Chicago Bears
- LB Noah Dawkins
Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Trent Taylor
Green Bay Packers
Miami Dolphins
New York Giants
Tennessee Titans
- WR Josh Malone
Pack, Davante Adams Not Discussing Deal
The window for teams to use their respective franchise tags opened Tuesday, but clubs rarely pull the trigger on tags early. Two weeks remain until the tag period closes, giving teams a bit more time. But the Packers are now on the clock with Davante Adams.
Green Bay has not used its tag since 2010 (Ryan Pickett) but is prepared to cuff its All-Pro wide receiver. Hopes for an Adams extension continue to be on hold. The sides have not discussed an extension since the Packers’ season ended last month, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.
Adams played out his four-year extension and is poised to command a top-market receiver deal. A franchise tag would interfere with those hopes, though it would pay Adams a guaranteed salary in the $20MM range. An Adams tag also further restricts the Packers, who are more than $53MM over the expected 2022 cap. While restructures will commence, the Packers would undoubtedly be hindered by an Adams tag. The team also has De’Vondre Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kevin King and Rasul Douglas on track for free agency.
The team would save nearly $20MM by trading Aaron Rodgers, but the reigning MVP has not yet made up his mind about returning to the team. That clock is also ticking, for Packers team-building purposes. Rodgers’ status will affect Adams’, with the two-time All-Pro receiver admitting as such at multiple points last year after stalled negotiations.
Should Rodgers declare he wants out, how the Packers go forward with Adams will be a key fallout storyline. A tag-and-trade scenario would open the door to more high-end assets coming Green Bay’s way, in the event the team wants to reap full value in parting ways with its famed aerial connection. Of course, trading Adams after unloading Rodgers would mean the Packers would be essentially rebuilding at wide receiver ahead of Jordan Love‘s debut season.
The Packers and Adams broke off extension talks prior to last season; Adams sought a deal that topped DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27MM-per-year accord. He did not reach free agency when first eligible, opting to sign a four-year, $58MM extension in December 2017. As Adams progressed to the All-Pro tier, that contract became extraordinarily team-friendly. Set to turn 30 before the 2022 season ends, Adams is running short on time to maximize his value.
NFC Coaching Notes: Rams, Hankerson, Lions, Commanders, Packers, Giants
University of Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen has received heaps of interest around the football world, turning down several college jobs and an NFL job to stay in Lexington. But it sounds as if Coen may soon receive an offer he can’t refuse.
In one year at the helm of the offense, Coen took the Wildcats from 115th in yards per game to 50th. He also improved the scoring offense from 107th in the country to 35th, quickly making him one of the hottest names in college coaching.
It just about looked like Kentucky was going to be able to hold on to their game changer, but, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, they are bracing for the possibility of Coen leaving to return to the Rams in Los Angeles. Prior to his year in Kentucky, Coen spent three years on Sean McVay‘s offensive staff, and a chance to rejoin McVay may be too good to pass up.
Here are a couple more coaching notes from the NFC starting with the promotion of a former Hurricane:
- With wide receivers coach Wes Welker heading to Miami, the 49ers have offered the position to offensive quality control coach Leonard Hankerson, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. After a five-year career as an NFL wide receiver out of the University of Miami, Hankerson coached wide receivers at UMass and Stephen F. Austin before joining the staff in San Francisco last year.
- The Lions have parted ways with inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone this week, according to Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. The son of offensive line coach legend George DeLeone, Mark was hired by Detroit last year after time with the Jets, Chiefs, and Bears. They have two internal candidates who could potentially fill the role: defensive quality control coach Stephen Thomas, who coached inside linebackers in his time at Princeton, and director of football research David Corrao who coached linebackers for the Dolphins during his time in Miami from 2008-2015.
- With longtime assistant coach Pete Hoener retiring, the Commanders are hiring veteran coach Juan Castillo to handle tight ends, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Castillo is rejoining Ron Rivera, who coached with him for the five seasons Rivera was in Philadelphia from 1999-2003. Castillo has also spent time with the Ravens, Bills, and Bears in various roles on the offensive staff.
- With their outside linebacker coach Mike Smith leaving to pursue other opportunities, the Packers have hired Jason Rebrovich as his replacement. The 20-year NFL coaching veteran has had stints with the Bills and Jaguars coaching players like Josh Allen, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue. In addition, the Packers also announced the return of former offensive coordinator Tom Clements to replace Luke Getsy as quarterbacks coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Clements coached for the Packers’ offense for 11 years before retiring after two years with the Cardinals.
- The Giants have hired Angela Baker as a minority coaching fellow and offensive quality control coach, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Baker is the second female to be added to Brian Daboll‘s staff after Laura Young followed Daboll from Buffalo, where she worked as player services coordinator, for the position of director of coaching operations. The Giants are quickly trying to become a more progressive staff. In 2020, Hannah Burnett was hired as the team’s first full-time female scout.
Packers To Bring Back Tom Clements
Following a short retirement, Tom Clements is coming back to the NFL. The longtime Packers assistant will return to Green Bay to become the team’s quarterbacks coach, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. While Clements has not signed a contract just yet, the parties have agreed to terms, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky adds (on Twitter).
Previously with the Cardinals, Clements has been an NFL QBs coach since 1997. Much of that time came in Green Bay. The 68-year-old staffer spent 11 seasons with the Packers, working as their QBs coach and serving as one of Mike McCarthy‘s offensive coordinators during the 2010s. This move could impact Aaron Rodgers‘ forthcoming decision, with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman positing (via Twitter) it is unlikely Clements would agree to return to the Packers unless Rodgers would be in the picture.
Clements served as Green Bay’s QBs coach from 2006-11, beginning his tenure when McCarthy arrived and when Brett Favre was still the Packers’ QB1. This involved two years of Rodgers development and his ascent to the MVP tier. Clements was on the Packers’ staff for the first two Rodgers MVP slates, staying on through the 2016 season, and the veteran quarterback has offered Clements extensive praise over the past several years, Schneidman adds (via Twitter).
Clements will replace Luke Getsy, whom the Bears hired as their offensive coordinator. A former Heisman candidate at Notre Dame, Clements served as the Bills’ OC for a time in the 2000s and spent two seasons helping Kliff Kingsbury as the Cardinals’ passing-game coordinator.
It is certainly not a lock Rodgers returns, but Matt LaFleur bringing Clements back to Wisconsin cannot hurt here. And Rodgers’ relationship with the Packers has undoubtedly improved compared to where it was during the 2021 offseason. While the Packers have seen the long-QB-needy Broncos hire Nathaniel Hackett and stay in the mix as the likely top outside Rodgers suitor, the NFC North champions continue to receive positive signs their 14-year starter is interested in coming back.
Packers Hire Byron Storer
- The Packers are supporting new ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia with Byron Storer, reports Matt Schneidman of The Athletic (Twitter link).The 37-year-old has worked with Bisaccia in each of his other three NFL coaching locations, and even knows Aaron Rodgers dating back to their college days.
[SOURCE LINK]
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LVI finished, the final two places in the 2022 Draft have been finalized. The Bengals’ top pick is locked into 31st, while the Rams will not have a selection until the third round. For the rest of the league, the focus has already shifted to free agency and the draft, of course, so now all eyes will be on the offseason maneuvering teams do to reshape their rosters.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Pending trades, here is the final first round order of the 2022 Draft:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Future With Packers
While it’s still uncertain if Aaron Rodgers will be sticking around Green Bay, it sounds like his relationship with the organization is improving. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Rodgers has “made it clear that the animosity he felt toward the organization at this time last year is gone.” However, the MVP still hasn’t made a decision about whether he wants to return to the Packers next season.
The issues started about nine months ago when things gradually bubbled over during a long-term contract negotiation between the Packers and Rodgers. Rodgers had reportedly been unhappy during the proceedings and became so disgruntled that he told members of the organization that he didn’t want to return to the team. This frustration continued throughout an offseason that saw loads of trade speculation, including a report that Rodgers was under the impression that the Packers had promised to trade him before reneging on their deal. The offseason also contained a Rodgers hold-out that ended with a deal that some saw as a “Last Dance” contract that would help set up his departure after the season ended.
Now, Rodgers is coming off his fourth MVP season, with the 38-year-old leading the organization to their second-straight first-round bye in the playoffs. After accepting the MVP award the other day, Rodgers addressed his future, and he said he’d make a decision before long.
“I think you’ve got to take some of the emotion out of it and then kind of lean into understanding what it takes to revamp and feel like what’s the best place,” Rodgers said. “The best decision for me moving forward — not really place — more just what does it feel like to commit to a season if that’s what I want to do? The good thing is I still feel like my body is in a good place.”
Immediately after the season ended, Rodgers made it clear that he has no interest in staying in Green Bay if he doesn’t think the team can win in 2022. Part of that had to do with the issues detailed above, but Davante Adams‘ free agency and Nathaniel Hackett‘s move to Denver certainly wouldn’t help the Packers’ cause. However, Rodgers is seemingly leaving the door open to playing another season in Green Bay.
If that happens, the Packers will need to rework Rodgers’ contract, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirms that that club is willing to go “all in” by spending to the cap and spreading out cap charges into future years to give Rodgers as competitive of a roster as possible (Twitter link). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests that a two-year deal worth over $45MM per year and with voidable years tacked onto the back end for cap purposes could be in play.
Steelers To Interview Packers’ John Wojciechowski For GM
The Steelers continue to move on their GM search, with more names surfacing Wednesday. One of them is Packers co-director of player personnel John Wojciechowski.
Wojciechowski will interview for Pittsburgh’s soon-to-be vacant post, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. This would be a chance for Wojciechowski to return to Pittsburgh, where he began his personnel career in the late 1990s.
To start Brian Gutekunst‘s GM tenure, the Packers installed Wojciechowski and Jon-Eric Sullivan as his top lieutenants. Wojciechowski has been with the Packers for nearly 10 years, being hired as a scout during the 2012 offseason. He rose to a player personnel director post in 2017.
Prior to his Green Bay stay, Wojciechowski spent nine years with Dallas. His Steelers tenure predates Kevin Colbert‘s arrival, having left before the current GM took over in 2000. This is the Wojciechowski’s first known GM interview.
The Steelers sent out an interview request for Colts exec Morocco Brown earlier Wednesday. Here is how Pittsburgh’s search to replace Colbert looks:
- Morocco Brown, college scouting director (Colts): Interview requested
- Ryan Cowden, vice president of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed by 2/4
- Ed Dodds, assistant general manager (Colts): Interviewed by 2/4
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Mentioned as candidate
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interview scheduled
- John Wojciechowski, co-director of player personnel (Packers): To interview
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interviewed by 2/4
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/7/22
Today’s Reserve/Futures contracts signed around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- DT Eli Ankou
Cincinnati Bengals
Green Bay Packers
- TE Alizé Mack
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
- DB Brandin Dandridge, TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart and DE Jonathan Woodard
New York Giants
- QB Davis Webb (story)
- P Jamie Gillan
New England Patriots
- DT Bill Murray