On the eve of training camp, the Green Bay Packers have reportedly made a surprising move, cutting former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Mike Daniels.
According to multiple reports, the Packers are parting ways with Daniels after seven seasons with the club, and his sudden availability could draw a significant number of suitors looking to bolster their own defensive lines.
Daniels was due $8.1 million in base salary this season according to Spotrac, and was set to count against the Packers’ salary cap hit to the tune of $10.7 million for the coming year. The release will save the Packers over $8 million in cap space, and will allow Daniels to immediately become a free agent.
Several teams looking for help in the middle of their defensive lines could potentially come calling, and although the Chicago Bears aren’t exactly swimming with salary cap space (they have approximately $17 million available with their top 51 players accounted for), there could be some interest in potentially sticking it to a divisional rival who made a tough roster decision, as the team did with Josh Sitton in recent years.
One red flag that could dissuade teams, including the Bears, from signing Daniels to a contract is his injury history. The lineman has not played a full season since 2016, and appeared in 10 total games last season for the Packers. With that health history, a one-year contract could make sense for both sides, but the question of whether another team would try to sign him to a longer-term deal could knock the Bears out of the running.
