David Bakhtiari has the same base salary this year as Don Barlcay.

Think about that for a second.

It’s still been less than a year since he signed his ever more affordable contract extension, and although we predicted in January that it would look like an amazing bargain as time went on, it’s astonishing how quickly that’s come about.

Still just 25 years old, Bakhtiari is under contract for four more years, and during that time he will count on average just $11.24 million against the salary cap.

This year, his cap figure is the 52nd largest in the league among offensive linemen, and even the last two years of the deal (when his cap figure rises to $14 million) he would rate no higher than fifth.

And that’s assuming no other lineman signs a richer deal.

There are plenty of reasonable things to dislike about the way the Packers front office operates if you’d like to criticize them, but credit must also be given where it’s due. Ted Thompson and his staff not only snagged Bakhtiari for a fourth round pick, but also signed him to an extremely affordable deal for the prime of his career.