Free Agency Thread

[Schultz]

Agreed. They still have a lot of cap room, but will need it for other things beyond this year, like Love's extension.

I would also be happy with a solid veteran at CB, G, or LB. At this point though, the top guys are gone, or asking too much. There may be another one or two smaller signings, but Gluten did very well this year.

I will admit the change at RB took me totally by surprise. At the same time, I understand why Jones wanted more money. Just hate to see him go, and to the Queens........

Do they really have a lot of cap room? That would surprise me. I know they could re work a contract or 2 to create more space. I just thought that the 2 FA contracts cap space was minimal. Am I wrong?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Watch him end up being a starter at some point this year. LOL

Backup LB and good special teams player, so you never know. Those are the guys that you hear little about, until all of a sudden they are thrust into a starting role. With all the injuries, good depth can make or break a team.

 

[PikeBadger]

There is going to be fierce competition for roster spots in camp. There a quite a few guys I'd say that are definitely not safe from the Turk.

 

[Poppa San]

I've never believed in rookies being counted on to fill immediate holes as starters.

By the time week 12 rolles around,, rookies have been in training for almost 1&1/2 years. College camp and season, Combine and pro day prep, OTA..s with then a short break before camp opens.. Bodies are wore down which brings on the proverbial wall.

They'll get your QB killed if you're not careful because almost none of them can block NFL pass rushers.

Then you do what the Packers did early this past season with Wilson. If not a run it was a quick pass like an out or slant or he went out with an empty backfield. I don't recall him being asked to pass block much until mid season or later.

 

[gopkrs]

They'll get your QB killed if you're not careful because almost none of them can block NFL pass rushers.

Not sure how you can know that almost none of them can pick up blitzes. They are not back there to block a bona fide pass rusher. Even TEs can't do that. I think we'd be careful. There are certainly some that have no clue or are afraid, but it is something they have to be able to do at times. And probably not something needed a lot in college, kind of like for some of them catching the ball. Does not mean they can't do it. How are Wilson and Jacobs at picking up corners and inside linebackers? I don't know. Even Aaron Jones got good at it through sheer will and willingness to put his body and whatever leverage he could come up with. It does take toughness and an ability to react quickly.

 

[Heyjoe4]

He did that last year. Let's not forget that.

I think that was the sticking point Schultz. Jones took a $5 mil haircut last year, and this year he was asked for, I think, a 50% pay cut. Gluten probably had Jacobs in his back pocket already so he could play hardball with Jones. Then again, he went from $12 mil to $7 mil with the Queens, so his value had simply gone down with injuries and age.

Jones was a complete team player in a business organization. Considering his contributions and his positive affect on everyone, he wasn't treated fairly. But there is no "fair" in business and probably not in the world. No good deed goes unpunished.

I wish him well, even with the Queens. He's a great football player and a great person.

 

[PikeBadger]

By the time week 12 rolles around,, rookies have been in training for almost 1&1/2 years. College camp and season, Combine and pro day prep, OTA..s with then a short break before camp opens.. Bodies are wore down which brings on the proverbial wall.

Then you do what the Packers did early this past season with Wilson. If not a run it was a quick pass like an out or slant or he went out with an empty backfield. I don't recall him being asked to pass block much until mid season or later.

I agree. By week 12, they hopefully have figured out a way to remove their cranium out of their rookie derierre.

 

[El Guapo]

I think that was the sticking point Schultz. Jones took a $5 mil haircut last year, and this year he was asked for, I think, a 50% pay cut. Gluten probably had Jacobs in his back pocket already so he could play hardball with Jones. Then again, he went from $12 mil to $7 mil with the Queens, so his value had simply gone down with injuries and age.

Jones was a complete team player in a business organization. Considering his contributions and his positive affect on everyone, he wasn't treated fairly. But there is no "fair" in business and probably not in the world. No good deed goes unpunished.

I wish him well, even with the Queens. He's a great football player and a great person.

When Aaron Jones signed his last deal, it was actually very team-friendly and below market. I distinctly remember that being the case. Of course, it was set up so that they could re-sign Jones while still keeping Rodgers, Bahktiari, Clark, and Alexander - all of whom were paid at the top of the market. The deal was low dollars in the beginning and then ballooned at the end, meaning there was no way that it was anything beyond a 2yr deal. That is why he had to take a pay cut last year and again this year.

He did the team a favor time and time again, but he never got the big payout. I can understand his frustration.

 

[BrokenArrow]

No, not coddled. But when dealing man to man, with some courtesy and respect.

So you had a seat at the negotiating table? In what way was he treated disrespectfully?

 

[OldSchool101]

And it's rather doubtful that Jones plays all the games. The Viking OL is not as good as the Packers and Jones won't have the impact you are thinking. He can't carry a team.

The bottom line is the Packers got better and the Vikings got much worse in FA.

Now I am betting the Vikes trade up to 5 or 6 and grab QB McCarthy faster than his dad going after his his GFs ***. But still it will take a year or two before he is entirely effective.

Exactly what I was going to say regarding the part about a Rookie QB often takes a season or two. Plus, Aaron Jones might be gone before Vikes get a Rookie QB up to speed (Cousins level)

 

[OldSchool101]

The Packers are awesome at drafting and developing OL. They shouldn’t waste that edge by spending on it, especially when they have viable starting options across the board right now.

In general it would be hard to disagree with our methodology at OL.
For me it’s about the deal. If Risner is (hypothetically) going to take a
3yrX$15mil 7.5M guaranteed? I’m going to sign him and get a nice upgrade there at Guard. It’s all about the $ and resources lost or gained for me. Obviously Rhyan would be another answer, so it’s how we feel about Rhyan at this point in time. The FO knows that last part better than me.

Now I can push my need at Guard into later RD3 like usual and focus on other needs better if we get a known upgrade. Conversely, I’m probably not going to pay a RG $12Mil yearly when I can get 90% of that production for $1-2Mil

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

In general it would be hard to disagree with our methodology at OL.
That it’s about the deal. If Risner is (hypothetically) going to take a
3yrX$15mil 7.5M guaranteed? I’m going to sign him and get a nice upgrade there at Guard. It’s all about the $ and resources lost or gained for me.

Now I can push my need at Guard into later RD3 like usual.

I like Risner, but I would prefer the Packers spend the FA money elsewhere. It also sounds like Risner wants a decent size contract (starting OG money) and him seeing Runyan get $10M/year has probably upped his ask.

The Packers have had a lot of success with draft and develop when it comes to the OL. I also think they feel pretty happy about Rhyan at RG right now? Runyan was a 6th round investment and he filled the need pretty well. The Packers will probably draft at least 2-3 OL players in the draft, plenty of backup and development to go with the current roster.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I also would like to see the Packers avoid too many more "big contracts" where they have to push a lot of money out. They did that for too many years and its got them into the situation where they are the Team with the 2nd (behind the Vikings) highest "dead cap hitting" them by contracts with players that are no longer with the team. That number is at $46.5M right now and will go past $50M when Campbells contract comes off the books. So of the $255.4M NFL Salary Cap, the Packers have over 18% being applied to players not on the roster.

Lets get those books cleaned up a bit and not add to them, especially if Jordan and Kenny C. are being resigned.

 

[thequick12]

I am happy with the Jacobs signing. Nobody really wanted to lose Jones, but we don't know what he was demanding for a salary. Sometimes players force the teams' hands.

Thats a joke...he wasn't demanding anything. He was playing on the contract he and the team both signed. After taking a paycut last season.

In what way? Specifics?

Cut a guy to save about 5m in cap space, when already on the hook for about 13m either way. Pot committed and they folded on Jones who was much better than Jacobs last season...a totally different runner that would of paired perfectly with Jacobs. The heartbeat of a young team, see clip of 33 lifting 13s head up after 13 fumbled along the sideline

 

[AmishMafia]

In general it would be hard to disagree with our methodology at OL.
For me it’s about the deal. If Risner is (hypothetically) going to take a
3yrX$15mil 7.5M guaranteed? I’m going to sign him and get a nice upgrade there at Guard. It’s all about the $ and resources lost or gained for me. Obviously Rhyan would be another answer, so it’s how we feel about Rhyan at this point in time. The FO knows that last part better than me.

Now I can push my need at Guard into later RD3 like usual and focus on other needs better if we get a known upgrade. Conversely, I’m probably not going to pay a RG $12Mil yearly when I can get 90% of that production for $1-2Mil

Gute signed Billy Turner at $7M/yr to play OG 5 years ago. So it's not out of the question that he signs a FA iOL. Risner will get more than $10M though.

 

[OldSchool101]

Gute signed Billy Turner at $7M/yr to play OG 5 years ago. So it's not out of the question that he signs a FA iOL. Risner will get more than $10M though.

Absolutely. Maybe we need a step down from Risner, but a Bonafide step above Runyon in FA.
One method is: IF and I mean IF we grab an upgrade at OG in FA?
I feel like we can go high at drafting a Tackle.

I really like the idea of Jacob’s jumping behind our OL after we draft Mims and upgrade at Guard through FA. Especially if we’re able to grab Sinnott and pair Josh Jacobs with someone like Bucky Irving, who can punish you on screens and dump passes. That scenario would cause lots of problems for Defenses pretty quickly imo

 

[AmishMafia]

My biggest concern is center. I think Rhyan will be good at OG. He was rated slightly above average in pff last season. I really liked him coming out. He is very athletic and has a mauler mentality. He just needs some refinement in pass protect and more experience. I think he will be really good by end of next season and borderline elite thereon. It's Center I am concerned about.

I would go early on Center in the draft and get a backups at OG and OT later. It's a deep draft for oline and I think you can get some great players that need to develop for a year or 2 later in rounds 3-6.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

My biggest concern is center. I think Rhyan will be good at OG. He was rated slightly above average in pff last season. I really liked him coming out. He is very athletic and has a mauler mentality. He just needs some refinement in pass protect and more experience. I think he will be really good by end of next season and borderline elite thereon. It's Center I am concerned about.

I would go early on Center in the draft and get a backups at OG and OT later. It's a deep draft for oline and I think you can get some great players that need to develop for a year or 2 later in rounds 3-6.

Agree.

Unless Myers has a stellar season, this will be his last in GB. I also can easily see a scenario where they draft his replacement and that guy is good enough to cut Myers before the final 53. The dead cap would only be $354,570 and the cap savings would be $3,116,000

 

[El Guapo]

Thats a joke...he wasn't demanding anything. He was playing on the contract he and the team both signed. After taking a paycut last season.

The joke is thinking that it was a contract that anyone would honor in 2023 or 2024 without modifications, especially after Jones agreed to restructure it in 2022 to get more upfront money.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Thats a joke...he wasn't demanding anything. He was playing on the contract he and the team both signed. After taking a paycut last season.

I know you didn't start it, but using the word "demanding" for either side really is the wrong way to describe it. Since in this type of situation, both sides are usually looking for a common ground to agree on.

Obviously, the 2 sides couldn't come to a mutual agreement that both were happy with. This is how the NFL works. If you want to place blame on someone or something, blame it on the way business is conducted and contracts are structured.

 

[tynimiller]

With four of our starting five here from last year and they got look at Rhyan too I suspect no OL signings happen till they see how the draft goes.

After that they likely find a well traveled or aging veteran that is healthy to come fill a swing position.

 

[tynimiller]

Confirmed the Dillon rumors, seems agreed to resigning. Sounds like a “three” year deal with structure likely only guaranteeing one.

 

[tynimiller]

Check that, might just be a one year…

 

[lambeaulambo]

Micah Hyde taking number 33 back where he started???!!!

 

[Poppa San]

Confirmed the Dillon rumors, seems agreed to resigning. Sounds like a “three” year deal with structure likely only guaranteeing one.

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