With nearly $30 million in salary-cap room at his disposal, normally frugal general manager Ted Thompson could make a play for a big-name free agent to bolster the defensive front as the Packers make the switch to a 3-4 scheme.

TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY

Right tackle Mark Tauscher is the team's only unrestricted free agent of note, but he suffered a serious knee injury late last season and will be sidelined until at least training camp, thus making him unattractive on the open market.

Provided Tauscher doesn't attract a suitor, the Packers would prefer to wait to see how Tauscher's surgically reconstructed left knee responds to rehab and then re-sign him closer to the preseason to compete for his starting job with a younger player.

Green Bay was expected to make tender offers to most, if not all, of its seven restricted free agents, led by starting safety Atari Bigby.

TEAM NEEDS

1. Defensive tackle: In light of the commitment made this offseason to change the base front from a 4-3 to a 3-4, the Packers will need a stout nose tackle to line up over center and occupy multiple blockers. Ryan Pickett gets the nod for now, but the new role could be too big for him.

2. Defensive end: The switch to the 3-4 means top pass rusher Aaron Kampman will be moving to outside linebacker. That leaves a void at one of the two end positions in the new scheme, and the other spot isn't foolproof with Cullen Jenkins' coming back from a torn pectoral muscle.

3. Tight end: Jermichael Finley, who came on at the end of his rookie season, probably will be cast in the starter's role for next season. Considering a drop in production from starter Donald Lee last season and little impact from Tory Humphrey, reinforcements could be warranted.

MEDICAL WATCH: The team is targeting to have linebacker Nick Barnett ready for the start of training camp after he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in November and underwent subsequent surgery.

--Defensive tackle Justin Harrell, the team's oft-injured 2007 first-round draft pick, won't need further surgery for a troublesome lower back, at least for the time being. Harrell has been rehabbing the injury in Green Bay the last several weeks. He was limited to only six games last season after undergoing two surgeries for a herniated disk he sustained while lifting weights at the outset of the team's offseason program.

--Bookend tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton also have been at the team's facilities working their way back from medical procedures done after last season. Tauscher, an unrestricted free agent, underwent reconstructive surgery for a torn ACL in his left knee. Clifton had both of his chronically sore knees scoped.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--DT Colin Cole has been a serviceable role player, but that was in the previous 4-3 system. The implementation of the 3-4 front could make him expendable since, at 6-foot-1 and 330 pounds, he doesn't fit well at nose tackle or moving outside.

--DE Michael Montgomery, another backup, also might not be brought back because he is undersized (6-5, 273) to be an effective end in the new scheme.

--OT Mark Tauscher has been a mainstay in the Green Bay lineup at right tackle since his rookie season in 2000, but his starting days could be over. Tauscher will need the entire offseason and perhaps training camp to recover from a late-season torn ACL and subsequent surgery, leaving him to possibly accept a one-year deal to return as a backup.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered)

--WR Shaun Bodiford (not tendered as RFA) missed the entire 2008 season because of a back injury and is a long shot to be back with the team loaded at receiver.

--TE Tory Humphrey (not tendered as RFA) stayed healthy for a full season for the first time in four years with the club and showed some flashes as a pass catcher. The late-season emergence of rookie Jermichael Finley and returning starter Donald Lee doesn't bode well for Humphrey's moving up the depth chart, however.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

--S Atari Bigby (tendered at $1.545M with second-round pick as compensation) will be spending most of the offseason rehabbing a surgically repaired ankle that caused him fits all of last season. When healthy, Bigby has been a tenacious and productive starter at strong safety.

--CB Jarrett Bush (tendered at $1.01M with no compensation) has been a top special-teams player his first three years with the team, but he's struggled when called upon as a situational defensive back.

--DE Jason Hunter (tendered at $1.01M with no compensation) has done good things on special teams and for him to stick with the team, he'll probably have to make a successful switch to outside linebacker since he's undersized (6-4, 271) to stay at end.

--FB John Kuhn (tendered at $1.01M with no compensation) was an unsung player on offense in 2008 as a dependable run blocker and for grinding out some yards in short-yardage situations.

--WR Ruvell Martin (tendered at $1.01M with no compensation) is no better than the fifth wideout on the roster, but he has an upside as a big target (6-4, 220) to move the chains.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

--CB Tramon Williams gained seasoning in 2008 with nine starts and produced with five interceptions to rank third on the team. Depending on the status of Al Harris, who isn't a shoo-in to be kept by the team in the new scheme, Williams could be promoted from the nickel-back role he primarily had.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED: None.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED: None.

PLAYERS LOST: None.