Packers may need to change their way of doing…

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The Packers rarely use the franchise tag. When they do, it becomes very difficult to turn the one-year guaranteed salary into a long-term deal.

It’s difficult because the Packers don’t guarantee money beyond the first year of a veteran contract, for all players except the quarterback. This will greatly complicate any efforts to turn the franchise tender applied to receiver Davante Adams into a long-term deal.

The Adams franchise tag guarantees him $20.145 million this season, if/when he accepts it. The two sides have until July 15 to reach agreement on a multi-year deal.

The usual approach to turning a franchise tender into a long-term deal entails guaranteeing the current-year tag and the tag for the next year, at a 20-percent raise. That’s $44.319 million, fully-guaranteed at signing. At a bare minimum.

Indeed, Adams can choose to play under the tag this year and next year; if that happens, he’d make $44.319 million. So unless the Packers will offer at least that much guaranteed now, there’s no reason to sign a long-term deal.

Adams reportedly has told the Packers he won’t play under the franchise tag. The Le’Veon Bell approach entails plenty of risk, especially with more than $20 million at play. Regardless, unless the Packers will put $44.319 million on the table now, there’s no reason for Adams to do a long-term deal.

This week, the Packers signed linebackers Preston Smith and De’Vondre Campbell to new deals. Neither has guaranteed money beyond this season. The Packers won’t be inclined to do that for Adams, either. If they won’t, the only approach is to go year-to-year under the tag.