The Green Bay Packers and veteran guard Lane Taylor agreed to restructure the final year of his contract, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The restructuring lowers Taylor’s base salary from $3.8 million to $1.5 million and includes a signing bonus of $100,000. It also saves the Packers $3 million in salary cap space in 2020.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Taylor has an opportunity to earn another $1.5 million with playing time bonuses.
The reworking of the deal suggests Taylor will have a strong chance to make the 53-man roster and even an opportunity to win a starting job, possibly as the right guard over Billy Turner.
Taylor, a three-year starter for the Packers, started the first two games of the 2019 season at left guard but suffered a season-ending arm injury in practice and was replaced by standout rookie Elgton Jenkins. Now 30, and coming off a significant injury, Taylor likely jumped at an opportunity to ensure his spot in Green Bay and avoid the process of finding a new team during the NFL’s pandemic-wrecked offseason.
Even if Taylor doesn’t win a starting job, he’ll provide Matt LaFleur’s offensive line with a veteran backup with starting experience at guard and even a few previous starts at tackle.
Between 2016 and 2018, Taylor started 46 games and played 2,904 total snaps.
The Packers are now loaded with depth along the interior of the offensive line, with Taylor, Lucas Patrick and Cole Madison returning behind Jenkins, Turner and Corey Linsley and three draft picks (Jon Runyan, Jake Hanson and Simon Stepaniak) arriving for added competition.
