Free Agency Thread

[Pokerbrat2000]

He never let's his right hand know what his left hand is thinking.

Sounds like a lonely mans threesome!

 

[milani]

Sounds like a lonely mans threesome!

Actually, it was explained that way to me eons ago by a guy named Leo Durocher, if you recall who he was.

 

[PikeBadger]

One other thing that relates to this conversation - it's coming out that Green Bay did not have any real interest in free agent RBs until the weekend, when it became apparent that Jones was not going to give in. Jones was their Plan A for RB until late Friday/sometime Saturday.

Prior to that, we know that they had a list which likely had McKinney at the top - call McKinney "1" on their list.

We can also presume that the Jones development immediately elevated running back to "1B", ahead of whatever other targets Gutekunst had on the list... with McKinney probably still 1A.

Whatever was #2 on the list had to get shoved aside, and with what we know of the team's needs, it seems like a good bet that linebacker was #2.

So it seems highly likely that until last weekend, Gute had a good plan in place for solving linebacker. One that probably would have worked. We can be sure that he had players in mind, and a budget he was confident would pay the tab.

Considering how long he'd had to work things out, I'm reasoanblly sure the linebacker plan would have had a high likelihod of success, and right now we'd probably be looking at a 2024 with Aaron Jones at RB (along with a Day Two draft pick to develop under him), Xavier McKinney at safety, and maybe Frankie Luvu at linebacker. Or Patrick Queen. Or cheaper but still substantial additions like Jordyn Brooks or Azeez Al-Shaair. Maybe Jeremy Chinn as a hybrid strong safety/LB (who I still think was a lost opportunity. He's gonna rock Washington's world.; I'm expecting a big year from him with the Commanders), but quite possibly some other second safety to bolster that position while we draft a couple to develop.

But whatever might have been in an alternate universe, the thing that's certain is that the Jones development changed Green Bay's entire offseason reload plan. Gute had to redesign his free agency strategy to fix running back, and whatever his plan was for other positiions (linebacker, probably safey #2 as well) had to wait.

I'm sure he had a terrific Plan B, but there's no way to know how much that Plan B was impacted by the Jones development. But I think it's safe to see the impact was probably substantial, because it suddenly rearranged a hell of a lot of arithmetic that had been carefully worked out for many weeks. What he does next as Plan C is still a mystery, but one thing that seems likely is that we're going into the draft a lot weaker at linebacker than he had hoped.

The one thing that makes me scratch my head is that if I'm right about this, a couple million per year to keep Jones seems trivial. Seems all this disruption is a huge price to pay for all the chaos and instabillity I'm describing, and would Gute really have thought it was worth all that? So it's quite possible I'm completely missing something, and maybe a million miles away from being close to nailing it. I know I have some of it right, and certainly some of it wrong, but how much of each I cant know. Just sonethig to kick around, i guess.

I'd be very surprised if Gutekunst thought that it was even close to a lock that they were going to come to an agreement with Drew Rosenhaus.
I suspect they still have a plan in motion for a couple of cheaper free agents (which become cheaper every passing day) that will play S, OL, CB or LB. Right now is a time for patience and waiting for the numbers to make sense. Tons of free agents still available and more to join the list of the unemployed.
Everything looking good from my corner of the universe.

 

[OldSchool101]

Very interesting. Thanks.

Was surprised our run blocking graded out in the top half of the league. Hopefully this all gets even better if Jenkins returns to his pre-injury level.

I know it.
I had no idea how good we ranked. I’d just have guessed maybe top 12?

Now that Nijman is gone in FA and Runyon left? we need a Bonafide OT and a Guard/Center to groom. We could draft a Center who can play at Guard also for now.

At latest? I keep going to Longhorns Christian Jones in Day3. He's been floating in that 4th-6th area generally speaking.

 

[PikeBadger]

I know it.
I had no idea how good we ranked. I’d just have guessed maybe top 12?

Now that Nijman is gone in FA and Runyon left? we need a Bonafide OT and a Guard/Center to groom. We could draft a Center who can play at Guard also for now.

At latest? I keep going to Longhorns Christian Jones in Day3. He's been floating in that 4th-6th area generally speaking.

Jones has played both G/C? I think that is what the IOL target will be, unless they already have a free agent target in mind.

 

[Schultz]

So, are you saying Lucas Patrick on his way back to the Pack?

 

[PikeBadger]

Is he a free agent? Might be a good backup candidate. I'm thinking the staff is probably looking at Myers to be the starter. He's got familiarity with Love and Jenkins and I wouldn't think the staff would want to replace two starters.

 

[Pkrjones]

So, are you saying Lucas Patrick on his way back to the Pack?

No!!!!!!!! Wasn't good enough to remain a starter on a crappy Bears OL. If Gute can't find better and younger then we've got problems.
Per 2023 PFF rankings: Myers was #11, Patrick was #31.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

No!!!!!!!! Wasn't good enough to remain a starter on a crappy Bears OL. If Gute can't find better and younger then we've got problems.
Per 2023 PFF rankings: Myers was #11, Patrick was #31.

Agree. No need to bring in retreads like Patrick. I think they draft Myers replacement and he takes over this season or next.

 

[mradtke66]

For those of you like myself, that need a technical explanation of the type of defense that the Packers will most likely be running under Hafley, this might help. Although I have to admit, I am going to need to watch it a second and possibly even a 3rd time.

You probably understood most of it more than you realize.

1. Most of the changes are related to coverage.
2. In the modern NFL, its nickel, so the expert harped on nickel.
3. Our nickel front will be almost identical to the last 15 years.
4. Gary and the other guys will probably have their hand in the dirt, but specific game plans might have one or both of our ends in a 2-point stance.
5. Quay is probably the Weak-side linebacker in base, TE cover guy in nickel.

 

[OldSchool101]

Is he a free agent? Might be a good backup candidate. I'm thinking the staff is probably looking at Myers to be the starter. He's got familiarity with Love and Jenkins and I wouldn't think the staff would want to replace two starters.

I agree in that I’d try to play out Myers contract instead of overlapping. It’s possible we can go after an OC who has OG experience that can serve as a backup to either Myers or Rhyan as he develops. We like positional versatility anyway.

I still think with Bak and now Nijman gone? We will prioritize OT at minimum once in the draft. It doesn’t need to be at #25, but someone like Patrick Paul or Blake Fisher or Christian Jones as a later Day2 Early Day3 area answer would make me feel better.

 

[PikeBadger]

Most of the free agents signing now are 1 year deals. It looks to me like the madness has ended.

 

[Team Ronny]

I'm surprised Shaq Leonard isn't signed. Packers were interested a couple of years ago. Maybe he doesn't fit a 4-3? Or too old?

 

[DoURant]

Eric Wilson re-signs with the Packers. Happy to see this, key guy on ST, that hustle on the KR fumble against San Fran in the playoffs was exceptional. Welcome back!!

 

[Thirteen Below]

I'm surprised Shaq Leonard isn't signed. Packers were interested a couple of years ago. Maybe he doesn't fit a 4-3? Or too old?

Apparently he was a poor fit in the Colts' hybrid 4-3, but mostly it seems he's lost a lot of his mojo since those 2 back surgeries in 22. He no longer has the speed and coverage skills to play on passing downs. Not sure he's hafley's kinda linebacker.

 

[OldSchool101]

Congrats to Eric Wilson. He’s a good, experienced LB who’s also more than an adequate reserve LB. In 2020 for Minnesota he played 16 games
3 INT
8 PD
1FF
2 FR
122 Combined tackles
8 TFL
9 QB Hits
3 Sacks

He might not be a high end starter, but he’s a high end backup with plenty of experience and a A- grade Teams player

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Most of the free agents signing now are 1 year deals. It looks to me like the madness has ended.

I have to think that some of the Top Free agents that are still unemployed are most likely asking for far too much money, for any team to even want to try and sign them. Still deals to be had and I think Gute still signs 1 or 2 before the draft. If I had to guess, a CB, S and or LB.

 

[OldSchool101]

I have to think that some of the Top Free agents that are still unemployed are most likely asking for far too much money, for any team to even want to try and sign them. Still deals to be had and I think Gute still signs 1 or 2 before the draft. If I had to guess, a CB, S and or LB.

There’s good options at CB at the top, but after Day1 it gets average to thinner around our selections. If we could find a veteran CB in FA? I think it will be easy to plug n play at LB sooner. Walker paired with Edgerrin Cooper or Colson sounds appealing. All of them simultaneously sounds wonderful!

 

[Thirteen Below]

I have to think that some of the Top Free agents that are still unemployed are most likely asking for far too much money, for any team to even want to try and sign them. Still deals to be had and I think Gute still signs 1 or 2 before the draft. If I had to guess, a CB, S and or LB.

Seems most of the free agents still on the loose are older. Probably see this as the last chance they'll ever have at a "reitrement contract". Some of the better ones may still get decent paydays, but the closer we get to draft day, the further the asking prices drop.

We're in a good position, because we're not desperate. We have serious needs, but it's still early enough that we have a wide variety of options - the middle wave of free agency, the draft, and the post-draft wave of free agency. We can afford to be patient.

We're going to be a desireable location for elderly veterans who want one last shot at a ring, so I assume Gutekunst has left lines of communication open wih several agents, letting them know that as time goes on and the market changes, we're still open to working something out. When some of these guys start to accept that they're probably not likely to get a 2-year contract, they may decide this is their best Plan B.

 

[tynimiller]

So Deguara, Ford and Taylor are our only three FAs not signed.

Ford, makes sense as a low end resign either now or soon after the draft happens. I’d embrace either but think if you’re structure is as low and how I assume you don’t gain or lose anything signing him now. At times he looked like a starter and other times a reserve over his head. You get that to level out you have a SOLID depth or low end starter.

Deguara, I would only support bringing him back if the draft and UDFA doesn’t bring you a H Back type TE. I know having one opens up more pages in MLF book, so if like Sinnot or Bell doesn’t come here I think it would be a no brainer for a resign cheap on Deguara.

Taylor…I think at this point we need to let Taylor go fight elsewhere and kick other tires. After all this time it just hasn’t played out as decent as he has been at times.

 

[El Guapo]

....and Rudy Ford is back:

Re-signing S Rudy Ford makes a ton of sense for Packers

With the safety position still a big need for the Green Bay Packers, re-signing Rudy Ford makes a lot of sense for them.

packerswire.usatoday.com

I haven't seen any contract details, but the article above thinks that it will be similar to his expiring deal of $1.5M

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

....and Rudy Ford is back:

Re-signing S Rudy Ford makes a ton of sense for Packers

With the safety position still a big need for the Green Bay Packers, re-signing Rudy Ford makes a lot of sense for them.

packerswire.usatoday.com

I haven't seen any contract details, but the article above thinks that it will be similar to his expiring deal of $1.5M

Not sure the he has actually been signed.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the article is just saying that it would make sense to resign Ford.

 

[DoURant]

Not sure the he has actually been signed.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the article is just saying that it would make sense to resign Ford.

That's what I got out of the article, too. I haven't found anything out there saying he did sign.

 

[PikeBadger]

That's what I got out of the article, too. I haven't found anything out there saying he did sign.

The biggest hint would be if Gutekunst ever mentioned specifically that they'd like to re-sign Ford.

 

[gopkrs]

So Deguara, Ford and Taylor are our only three FAs not signed.

Ford, makes sense as a low end resign either now or soon after the draft happens. I’d embrace either but think if you’re structure is as low and how I assume you don’t gain or lose anything signing him now. At times he looked like a starter and other times a reserve over his head. You get that to level out you have a SOLID depth or low end starter.

Deguara, I would only support bringing him back if the draft and UDFA doesn’t bring you a H Back type TE. I know having one opens up more pages in MLF book, so if like Sinnot or Bell doesn’t come here I think it would be a no brainer for a resign cheap on Deguara.

Taylor…I think at this point we need to let Taylor go fight elsewhere and kick other tires. After all this time it just hasn’t played out as decent as he has been at times.

Good points. I hope they have their eye on someone that can do that blocking that they seemed to want Deguara to do. And also catch a very few passes, run if you plan on fooling everyone and be good at **** push if we use that. It should not be difficult to find that guy if the scouts really focused on it imho. Probably be a good special teamer also. Deguara really never was all that. He should have been more of a pass catcher. And I don't think Dillon is that guy.