After shopping Mike Daniels this offseason as trade bait and finding no takers, the Green Bay Packers decided to cut the former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Wednesday before the start of training camp.
The move opens up $8.3 million in salary cap space for the Packers.
#Packers are releasing DL Mike Daniels, source says. Wowza.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 24, 2019
Daniels has been with Green Bay for his entire seven-year career after the team drafted him in the fourth round out of Iowa in 2012. He was banged up last season, missing the final six games, and his production was down, finishing with just 18 tackles, one for a loss, one pass defended and two sacks.
Never a sack machine, Daniels was more of a run stopper and guy that opened up opportunities for other players. His best sack season was 2013 when he racked up 6.5. His best statistical season was 2017 when he made the Pro Bowl. He finished with 49 tackles, 10 for a loss, one forced fumble and five sacks.
Mike Daniels is the only Packers player to ever seek me out in the locker room & introduce himself because he followed me on Twitter. Was always happy to come on CHTV and talk to the fans. Guy is a true pro and some fanbase is about to be very lucky to have him on their team.
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) July 24, 2019
“I wish him (Daniels) well, but we feel really, really good about the group that we have,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters. “You know with Kenny Clark, with (Tyler) Lancaster, (Dean) Lowry, Montravius Adams.(Kingsley) Keke. … We feel like we have a group in place that can get the job done. You always want to keep good players, but unfortunately that’s part of this business is there’s tough decisions that you have to make.”
Lowry, in particular, may have cost Daniels his job. The team just signed him to an extension Tuesday and cutting Daniels mitigates that cap hit, while keeping room open to add other players. LaFleur knows his team has plenty of holes and needs to jump on good players as they drop from other teams.
Mike Daniels is gonna make someone very happy.
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) July 24, 2019
Daniels is still a young guy, 30 years old, with at least one more contract left in him. He’ll likely find a spot somewhere on a 3-4 defense. It wouldn’t be ridiculous to see the Los Angeles Rams add him on a low, one-year deal to play with Clay Matthews again.
