We have reached that part of the year in the NFL where teams are starting to release veteran players in order to conserve salary.  Such is life in the NFL and the way player contracts are structured.  In other sports, when a signing and financial terms are announced, that is the actual amount the player will make over the life of the deal.  In the NFL, there is "contract money" and "guaranteed money" with the guaranteed portion really being what most teams, players and everyone else are concerned with.

The Green Bay Packers, led by general manager Ted Thompson, have mostly made their contract signing news by bringing back their own players to new deals.  On the few occasions that the Packers have brought in outside talent, it has paid off in some way.  Charles Woodson, Ryan Pickett, Jared Cook and Julius Peppers being the biggest examples.  Throw in lesser-known names like Letroy Guion and Koren Robinson and you can see a "quality over quantity" mentality by Thompson and the team.  Some will scoff at that and simply say Thompson is cheap.  But to do so would be negligent of the most common theme that Thompson has talked about (the rare times when he does speak to the media) which is value.  He is always looking for top value in a signing.

With teams often front loading guaranteed money and back loading the rest, we often see players getting cut in the last year of their deal and when it won't cost their current teams much dead money. Dead money is the amount of the released player's contract that still counts against that year's salary cap.  If a team has been diligent with their research on a player and in spreading out the money, they should rarely be stuck in "salary cap hell" and left with the decision to have to keep or release a player who isn't worth his contract any more.  Injuries also factor heavily into this equation and change things in an instant.  Other factors might be a new head coach or general manager who want to begin infusing their own talent onto a roster.  But the reality is, many teams are going to have to make up for past mistakes with contracts and some good players will hit the market and be available to any potential suitor.

Regardless of what situation all 32 teams are in, one thing is a certainty: some big name veteran players are going to get cut this summer.  Whether it's just the NFL circle of life for that player or the team deciding to bite the bullet and move on, more names will be added to the list of those available in this year's free agency.  And as soon as those players are cut, they don't count against another team's compensatory pick formula for the following year.  That would be an example of elevated value.  There's that term again.  Will the Packers be on the receiving end of one of those mistakes made by other teams?

For those hoping Thompson brings in some veteran help in 2017, your best bet hinges on who gets cut loose.  It's fun to peruse the unrestricted free agent list and wonder how a Stephon Gilmore or A.J. Bouye would look in green and gold but that's just not what Thompson does.  Let's look at some possible candidates at this early stage.

Darrelle Revis

No.  The pending charges against him for his arrest earlier this week make him a total scratch here but otherwise he would have led off this list.  Hear me out.  Revis fell off badly in 2016 and is set to cost the New York Jets $15 million this season.  There has also been speculation that the time has come for Revis to move back to safety, the unofficial end of most corners' careers.  But reports were that Thompson liked him in 2007.  We'll never know if Ted would have gone there as a possible way to boost the corner group after his young crop failed to thrive last season.

Mario Williams

Williams has already been cut by the Miami Dolphins.  He failed to provide the boost to Miami's pass rush that they hoped they were getting.  The former first-overall pick is entering his 12th season and has never been dominant during his career.  There's less tread on the tires now to boot, but at this point, Thompson can probably name his price if he wants to try and add Williams to boost the rotation on the defensive front.  Seems like a low risk scenario, but I'm not sure exactly what he would add to Green Bay's defense at this point.

Jason Pierre-Paul

JPP is 28 years old and despite the hand injury a few years ago, looks to still have some good years left in the tank.  That, of course, depends how he recovers from the core injury suffered late last season.  Effective pass rushers are going to command a good amount of attention on the open market so I would expect Pierre-Paul to be priced out of Green Bay.  But the core injury might scare away some suitors and he could be one who, if landed, might make the most legitimate impact right away for the Packers.

Calais Campbell

Campbell has been a staple in the Arizona Cardinals defense his entire career.  Arizona typically keeps those types of players around if they can still play.  Campbell just turned 30 at the end of last season and surely has a few more good years to offer.  He's another who will likely get quite a few calls if he enters the market so price tag would seem to be an issue.

Vontae Davis

Ah, a cornerback!  And Davis is only 28.  With a new general manager in the fold and with so many needs the Indianapolis Colts could be looking to make sweeping changes.  Davis could be exactly the type of player the Packers need and hopefully are looking for to bolster the corner position for a few seasons.  Davis would only cost the Colts $1.25 million if he were released.

Jimmy Graham

Graham would be a very attractive commodity on the open market and have many suitors.  The Packers would not likely be in the mix and content to ride with a re-signed Cook and Richard Rodgers behind him at tight end.  As silly as that sounds, we all know it comes down to money and Graham would require the Packers to part with a lot of it.

Adrian Peterson

This was widely discussed last week after ESPN's Rob Demovsky put out a piece asking how likely a scenario where Peterson is released by the Minnesota Vikings and ends up in Green Bay.  Listen, I have to mention all of the obvious names that are going to be out there.  But I agree with most of you who are spitting at your screens right now, that this is an awful idea.  Thompson and the Packers shy away from guys who are bad PR.  It doesn't get much worse than Peterson's situation in 2014.  Add to the fact that Peterson is over 30 and was a big fat zero for the Vikings last year and this suddenly sounds worse than when I started writing his name.  Ty Montgomery is the only running back under contract for the Packers so they surely need to add some depth, but a veteran over 30 would seem to go against every grain.

Darren Sproles

How about the other guy in the feature image?  Sproles is only set to cost the Philadelphia Eagles $4 million this season but he leaves no dead money if he is cut.  He's 33 years old but might be a better option if the Packers did want to add a veteran in the backfield.  As much as Green Bay calls on their backs to pass protect, I'm not sure Sproles helps in that area but he would seemingly give them a true third down option that they have not had for years.