Contract details reveal a blunt market reality behind what happened in free agency for the Packers’ future plans
Rasheed Walker got much less money than expected.
As expected, the Green Bay Packers should have four compensatory draft picks next year — unless they sign another qualifying compensatory free agent before the draft. Wildly, though, things didn’t shake out necessarily how everyone projected.
Rasheed Walker contract details with the Carolina Panthers came out, by Aaron Wilson, and the actual deal is even less expensive than originally reported. Instead of a one-year, $10 million contract, it’s a one-year, $4 million deal — it can go up to $10 million with incentives, though, but it doesn’t count toward the compensatory pick formula.
Compensatory pick rules
Thankfully for the Packers, Walker’s contract is enough to cancel out the investment the team made in cornerback Benjamin St-Juste. With that, Green Bay is still set to receive a Day 3 pick for edge defender Kingsley Enagbare, who signed with the New York Jets for a base value of $9 million — and it can also go up to $10 million via incentives.
The compensatory pick formula considers the yearly average of the contract base value, playing time, and individual awards to a lesser extent. So, Packers fans will still have to monitor some players throughout the season to understand what the compensation will be in 2027.
Quarterback Malik Willis will make $22.5 million with the Miami Dolphins. For now, that’s a fourth-round pick — but it will likely become a third-rounder if Willis is the starter for most of the regular season.
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs signed with the New England Patriots for $17 million a year, and that’s a firm fourth-round pick. Linebacker Quay Walker got $13 million a year from the Las Vegas Raiders, a fifth-rounder. And Enagbare should generate a sixth-rounder after signing with the Jets.
Teams can’t have more than four compensatory draft picks for losing players in free agency anyway. So, because the Packers had five qualifying free agents lost, they could sign one without losing a pick — that’s why they comfortably signed St-Juste.
The Packers also signed wide receiver/kick returner Skyy Moore in free agency, but his base value of $2.5 million is not enough to qualify. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave doesn’t count toward the comp pick formula because he had been released by the Minnesota Vikings.
Starting in the week after the draft, unrestricted free agents become street free agents, meaning that they stop counting toward the formula. That creates a new wave of veteran signings, and it’s an avenue the Packers could explore if there are still needs to solve in May or later.
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