Green Bay Packers, Mike Daniels remain far apart

By Keegan Matheson | Aug 27, 2015

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly far apart in contract negotiations with star defensive lineman Mike Daniels, who is due to become a free agent after this season, the final of his rookie deal. After an offseason that saw the Green Bay Packers come out of contract talks with Bryan Bulaga and Randall Cobb on the winning end, the apparent divide between the organization and Daniels could be more worrying.

Since joining the Packers in round four of the 2012 NFL Draft, the 26-year old Daniels has quickly become the heartbeat of a defensive line that’s often been left thin. An all-around contributor with a true nasty streak, Daniels possesses the rare ability to create consistent quarterback pressure and backfield penetration from his spot in Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme. In the past two seasons, Daniels has recorded 5.5 and 6.5 sacks.

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According to the original report from Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel, Daniels and his agent are seeking a deal that would pay him in the neighbourhood of $10 million annually. This number would put him near the level of Corey Liuget‘s 5-year, $51.25 million contract. Considering Daniels’ value to this defense, the premium on impact defensive linemen and a salary cap that will continue to balloon, the number requested is understandable.

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From the Packers’ side of the table, McGinn writes that the team has “made multiyear proposals averaging several million less per year.” For what it’s worth, Daniels did make a point of highlighting the Packers organization as an ideal home. “This is the best organization in football,” he said.

Green Bay typically strays from talking contracts during the season, so barring a quick turnaround, it’s likely that Daniels plays out year four of his deal and the two sides reconvene in the offseason. Similar scenarios resulted in fairly team-friendly deals with Cobb and Bulaga, but the cards won’t always fall in Green Bay’s favor.

One advantage to building a roster as young and home-grown as Green Bay’s is the constant infusion of cost-friendly talent. General Manager Ted Thompson should have the flexibility to do some spending following 2015, especially if Julius Peppers and his salary leave the books. Don’t expect the Packers to exceed their own set value on Daniels, but their hands won’t be tied. Besides, who replaces Daniels?

The defensive line isn’t overflowing with potential elsewhere. Reports on B.J. Raji remain encouraging while Letroy Guion flashed some talent in 2014, but the depth and impact playmakers are not terribly encouraging. Thompson’s track record of drafting along the defensive line isn’t his finest resume piece, either, with Datone Jones and Jerel Worthy both falling short of their potential recently after high draft capital was spent on them.

Entering the season without a new deal is always a risk, but I feel it’s less so for Daniels, who’s been a consistent producer for over two seasons. Pushing his value much past $10 million per season may not be a reasonable goal, but another strong campaign will certainly tilt the table in Daniels’ favor next March.

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