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London based TTRPG player, also makes stuff for and runs Ennead Games.

London based TTRPG player, also makes stuff for and runs Ennead Games.

YouTube video by Zanias

It’s finally here. The Green Bay Packers are back.  After a long, arduous offseason, the players are once again pedaling local kids’ bikes to Ray Nitschke field for training camp.The fans will be in the stands, fall is on the horizon, and in seventeen short days the Packers will kickoff against the Jets.  The doldrums of the offseason are finally behind us, and what a spectacular one it was. From the Jaire Alexander watch, to the constant rumors of superstar trades, and the spectacle that was the NFL draft held in Titletown, USA.  So what could be better than taking a look ahead to next year? Look, I get it. “No more offseason! Give me real football!”. But we’re Packers fans. We’re obsessive. Passionate. Opinionated. We’re the ones always thinking ahead. To that end, I’ll be simulating the entire 2026 NFL Offseason, from cuts and restructures, to free agency and the draft.  To do so, I’ll be using Pro Football Network’s excellent offseason simulator and the PFF mock draft simulator.  Keep in mind that I won’t be attempting to predict in any way the results of the actual 2025 season. Any roster moves will be made with the information that I have available today, and the draft order is set by Super Bowl odds (so if you have an issue with where I have them drafting, I’d suggest taking it up with Vegas).  The first thing to do as the Packers head into the 2026 offseason is to have an understanding of the salary cap situation, and any major cap saving measures that the team could take next year.  Right off the bat, we run into a discrepancy between reported salary cap numbers. According to OverTheCap, the Packers will enter the 2026 offseason with a cap space of $17,059,548, while our offseason simulator gives us a total of $23,543,880. I’ll be rolling with the PFN number for today’s article, while keeping in mind that, for the purposes of keeping track at home, OTC usually has the most accurate numbers in the business.  When we take a look at the team’s cut / restructure candidates, there are four names that immediately stand out as possibilities: Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, Elgton Jenkins and Josh Jacobs. These four are obviously key veterans who make up the heart and soul of the Packers, and there’s really no clear cut, “this guy has to go” candidates here, unlike the situation with Jaire Alexander in 2025.  Kenny Clark will be 30 next offseason, the magic, dreaded number in the football world. Add onto that the fact that Kenny was only an astounding 20 years old when he was drafted, and it’s undeniable that he’s got a lot of mileage on his engine. According to PFN, Clark would provide $14,358,000 if cut and $9,600,000 if restructured. Clark’s value as a member of the team’s defensive line is likely as a nose tackle / 3 tech DT. He’s the only nose tackle on the team with real NFL experience, though the team does have some 3 tech depth behind him.  Rashan Gary cap savings if cut totals to $9,600,000 and $8,742,500 on a restructured deal. Gary is by far the best edge defender on the team, but if Gutekunst & Co were to prefer to go younger at the spot, the opportunity is certainly there. It’s also possible that the team could try to provide Jeff Hafley with a new Edge player tailor made for his play style.  Elgton Jenkins is a big topic of conversation along this very line of thinking right now. As it stands, will start the training camp on the PUP list with a non-football injury list (AKA he wants a new contract). As he would be entering the last year of his deal so a restructure isn’t possible, but the team would save $20,000,000 with an outright cut. With his new move to the Center position, and a lack of guarantees, Jenkins and the Packers seem to be at an impasse. Still, Jenkins is a valuable member of Jordan Love’s bodyguard unit. Giving Love three different centers in three straight years isn’t ideal either, and yet the Packers seem more than happy to let the situation play out.  I’m told this doesn’t impact Elgton Jenkins’ situation one way or the other. Sounds like the Packers are willing to talk, but possibly not til later in the season after he’s settled in at center. Will be interesting to hear Jenkins’ thoughts when we can talk to him in camp. https://t.co/cfgFrCYqAb — Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) July 21, 2025   Josh Jacobs was the hero of the 2024 season, but is also creeping up there in age, and running backs do often see a shorter leash than other positions, due to the inherent high wear and tear and the ease of finding new ones in the draft. The team could save $8,375,000 or $4,792,500, with a cut or restructure respectively, or the team could ask Jacobs to accept a paycut, as they have done to players like Aaron Jones in the past.   Ultimately, I do think we are seeing one (or more) of these players in their last year in Green Bay this upcoming season, and this time I believe the wheel will land on Elgton Jenkins and Josh Jacobs,with Rashan Gary seeing a restructure. Ultimately, there is a lot of smoke already around the situation with Jenkins in training camp, and the team has not shied away from its commitment to staying young (and cheap) in the Jordan Love era. Jacobs is also a casualty, and we can point to the depth behind him in the running back room, and what seems to be an exciting running back class in 2026. Gary has seen his contract restructured before, while Clark’s contract remains untouched this year, though he could absolutely be a restructure candidate as well. This means we have a total of $60,661,380 to play with, as we now look at re-signing our own players. There are going to be a lot of Packers looking for new contracts in 2026, most notably Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom, Christian Watson, Romeo Dobbs, Quay Walker, Kingsley Enegbare, and Sean Rhyan. While there’s a lot of discussion to be had here about each and everyone of these players on an individual basis, in the interest of expediency I’ll take us through the highlights.  To start off, we'll give Zach Tom the same contract he just received in real life, a massive 4 year, $88,000,000 extension, with about 25% of it guaranteed. Tom is set to anchor the Packers offensive line through the prime of his career, and since his new contract kicks in after this season, he'll be looking for a new contract when he turns 30. This deal was a massive win for both the Packers and Tom, who has done nothing but dominate since he entered the league in 2022. to give a bit of a peek behind the curtain, I finished this article on Monday morning, and in that version I had offered Tom a similar deal, a four year $86,750,000 deal, but with massive guarantees nearing half the total value of the contract.  Back in the virtual universe, Rasheed Walker is allowed to test free agency (and likely cash in a major payday), as the Packers turn the page to their promising young draft picks in Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton. Sean Rhyan re-signed for a two year, $16,000,000 contract with an eye to move him to center to replacing Elgton Jenkins in the short term and allowing one of Morgan or Belton to start at right guard. Rhyan would become the ninth highest paid center in the league, and could cash in even further with high performances at the spot.  Quay Walker is next, and he receives a three year, $45,000,000 contract, with 20% guaranteed, basically similar to the contract Nick Bolton just received. Gutekunst’s recent comments to our very own Aaron Nagler and Corey Behnke confirmed that the Packers are indeed working on a contract with Walker, though it might be controversial to some Packers fans.    Kingsley Enegbare is the next Packer to go unsigned, as do the two receivers: Romeo Dobbs and Christian Watson. While I did attempt to sign Watson to a short term “prove-it” deal, as I believe the Packers are likely to do in real life, virtual Christian Watson was not willing to take a one year contract offer, and will be seeking a new home in 2026. The team turns the page on the extremely productive pair of receivers, as it looks to prioritize the group of Wicks, Reed, Kraft and Musgrave for extensions.  This means the Packers enter 2026 with only $14,161,380 in available cap space, good enough for maybe one lower to middle of the road contributor. As I hunted for that player through the list of available free agents, I’ll list a couple that the simulator predicts may be available: Trey Hendrickson, Davantae Adams (cap casualty?), Khalil Mack, Travis Kelce (what a story that would be), and Marshon Lattimore. While I don’t think we have the cap space to go after any of those players, that’s a pretty fun free agent class.   There are a couple of targets that seem a little more realistic, however. At edge, AJ Epenesa and Azeez Ojulari, Roy Lopez at DT, and Kendall Fuller at corner. Ultimately, your Green Bay Packers make a two year, $22,000,000 offer to Kendall Fuller, which is accepted. At 31 years old when this contract would be signed, the Packers added a steady veteran presence to a corner room desperately searching for depth. I know this would be an unusual move for the Packers, not only to bring in an older free agent, but to disrupt the development of their younger prospects, of which they have plenty.  Which of course, brings us to the main event: the 2026 NFL draft. A year after hosting the event themselves, the Packers enter Pittsburg with the 21st pick and needs at corner, defensive line, running back and edge. You could also probably make a case for some offensive line depth, both along the tackle and interior, as good teams do every year.   With their first round pick in the 2026 draft, the Green Bay Packers select… AJ Harris, cornerback from Penn State! Harris is a rangy, productive corner who allowed a passer rating of only 72.8 in 2024.  In round two, the Packers add running back Kaytron Allen, also hailing from Penn State. Allen is a thundering, powerful runner who could form an electric backfield alongside the speedy Marshawn Lloyd.  Finally, in round three the team takes edge rusher R Mason Thomas from Oklahoma. Thomas could be much higher on these draft boards by the time the draft rolls around, with nine sacks and sixteen hurries recorded in 2024, along with prototypical size and length.   I hope you all had as much fun reading this piece as I had putting it together for you, and my only hope is that we can look back in a year and say “huh, not bad”. Let me know in the comments what you would have done differently, and what you think the Packers’ long term priorities should be! Keep in mind though, that there is one major difference between my simulation and what will actually happen next year. Since we all know the Packers will of course actually be drafting in the 32nd slot, with an eye on defending their recent Super Bowl championship! Filed Under: FeaturedKalani Jones PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Co-Owner of the thirteen time world champion Green Bay Packers. Sometimes I write about them. Follow me on Twitter at https://x.com/kjones_in_co and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kjones_in_co/ if you like pictures of the Colorado mountains.  __________________________   NFL Categories: Green Bay Packers Like 0 points

London based TTRPG player, also makes stuff for and runs Ennead Games.

Ein eher kühleres Farbrezept für die neue Fujifilm Reala ACE Simulation.