Monday Cheese Curds: What to do with $35 million of salary cap space?

As the Green Bay Packers begin to embrace their summer break, the media who cover the team are also hunkering down for a bit of a slow period. Here at Acme Packing Company, that means we will be catching up on a couple of our usual sets of articles, starting with our countdown of the Top Plays of last season next week.

Today, however, we’re thinking about how the Packers will put all of that newly-found salary cap space to work. The team’s release of Jaire Alexander freed up several million dollars this year and a huge amount in 2026, leaving the team with $35 million and change to work with at present.

Of course, Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball must save a portion of that cap space for in-season transactions and practice squad players, but there’s still plenty to work with. So what are the team’s biggest priorities?

First will be getting right tackle Zach Tom locked in to a contract extension. The next great pass-blocking tackle will be the first player the team needs to extend this year before he hits free agency next offseason.

After Tom, however, the list gets a little more unpredictable. Will the team try to lock Quay Walker into a long-term deal? Rasheed Walker seems destined to hit the market next year, particularly if Jordan Morgan takes a step forward at left tackle. What about Sean Rhyan, who looks set up to start at right guard again this season?

Or perhaps the Packers could make a big splash in the trade market for a disgruntled player who needs a new contract? That would certainly be a departure for Gutekunst and company, but when it comes to rushing the passer, you can never have enough quality bodies on the edge.

Let’s take a look around and see what others think about some of the roster decisions that are pending this summer and fall.

Inbox: This will be a tough roster to crack | Packers.com
We at APC will be going through our 53-man roster predictions later this summer, and it’s going to be tough to find spots for a few of the fringe players this year.

Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd no restrictions entering training camp | Packersnews.com
Lloyd appears to be 100 percent and is ready to put his redshirt rookie season behind him.

Numbers show why Zach Tom extension should be top priority for Packers | Packers Wire
It should be and it will be. And with a significant amount of extra cap space for 2025 and 2026, I won’t be surprised if it happens before the regular season starts.

Don’t Sleep on This Packers Draft Pick | SI.com
Warren Brinson might get some significant snaps on defense simply out of necessity.

Sources – Bengals, Trey Hendrickson resume talks on contract – ESPN
What might it take to pry Hendrickson away from the Bengals, who seem hell-bent on not paying him? If this goes into training camp, it’s worth wondering if they’d bite on something like a 4th-round pick.

Download festival rockers told to take off smartwatches after moshpits spark emergency alerts | The Guardian
Turn off the automatic crash detection if you’re going to a heavy metal concert, folks.