Packers sign TE Jared Cook

[Ace]

Ladarius Green gets 4yrs/$20 million and the Packers settle on Jared Cook for $3.6 million...I'm gonna be real curious whether saving that $1.4 million is gonna be worth it.

*FACEPALM*

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

For all those "patiently" waiting for TT to sign a FA

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[Ace]

We don't need a guy like Finley who just stood up and danced with the defensive ends and OLBs.

No doubt Finely wasn't the best blocker in the world. What I would love to see is Cook bring back the ridiculous chip Finley would do from time to time...

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[Favre>Rodgers259]

For all those "patiently" waiting for TT to sign a FA

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I'm not impressed. He signs Dansby or Knighton maybe, but other than that TT is still in the running for most shrewd GM all time.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Had Green just signed a 1 year contract at $5M/year with the same guarantees as Cook, I would agree with you. But guessing (without looking) Green's contract has more guarantees. I'm fine with a one year prove it deal with Cook.

And if Cook is really good? Then the Packers have the same TE issue again next year. With Green the team is set at TE for five years.

 

[ChesterfieldCheesehead]

Not horrible. Pretty much where I figured the money and term would be. I was thinking 3m

 

[Sunshinepacker]

*FACEPALM*

*HIGH FIVE* ?! Not sure how to respond to this...

 

[thisisnate]

And if Cook is really good? Then the Packers have the same TE issue again next year. With Green the team is set at TE for five years.

We know about as much about Green as we do about Cook. Assuming we'd be "set" with Green is a bit unwarranted.

 

[Croak]

Funny that you made the "PLEASE CHECK FOR SIMILAR THREADS ALREADY POSTED" thread

LTF is on heavy drugs from surgery. He may even be working off of a little cell phone. We'll cut him some slack and let him merge his own thread.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

And if Cook is really good? Then the Packers have the same TE issue again next year. With Green the team is set at TE for five years.

This is the chance you take on both ends of the short or long term contract....if Cook turns into a Pro Bowl TE playing for AR, his new contract will have to reflect that, but.....we not only got one good year on the cheap, will teams look at his previous work and attribute his one year to improvement or playing with AR?

On the other side, you have Ladarius Green. Steelers could have one excellent tight end or a bust. They are already paying him top 16 money. If its the bust side, here is what they have to live with:

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/san-diego-chargers/ladarius-green/

 

[Wynnebeck]

And if Cook is really good? Then the Packers have the same TE issue again next year. With Green the team is set at TE for five years.

Yet, Green could be a bust for the next 4 years while Cook has a career year and we got it for a good deal. Not seeing where you are going with this one.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Ladarius Green gets 4yrs/$20 million and the Packers settle on Jared Cook for $3.6 million...I'm gonna be real curious whether saving that $1.4 million is gonna be worth it.

Green's dead cap in $3.6 mil in year 2, $2.4 in year 3, and $1.2 mil in year 4. His signing bonus of $4.75 mil is meaningfully more than Cook's reported $3.6 mil for one year, which of course, has zero risk past the one year.

These 2 contracts are apples and oranges past year 1.

 

[Vrill]

Yet, Green could be a bust for the next 4 years while Cook has a career year and we got it for a good deal. Not seeing where you are going with this one.

Exactly. If Cook turns out to be a pro bowl TE for us with AR throwing to him (which is possible) - Then we can just re-sign Cook next off season. This is a flier on a TE that has pro bowl type potential. Lets face it, Cook has played with some garbage QB's over his career and hes probably not been able to grow to his full potential due to it. Cook is a big, tall and fast TE. He can no doubt stretch the seams and open the middle of the field.

 

[PackerDNA]

Got any extras on them meds?

 

[Pkrjones]

Exactly. If Cook turns out to be a pro bowl TE for us with AR throwing to him (which is possible) - Then we can just re-sign Cook next off season. This is a flier on a TE that has pro bowl type potential. Lets face it, Cook has played with some garbage QB's over his career and hes probably not been able to grow to his full potential due to it. Cook is a big, tall and fast TE. He can no doubt stretch the seams and open the middle of the field.

Exactly! He's coming off of a long-term $7Mil/yr. contract and is looking to prove he deserves a decent contract. 1 year prove-it deal and if he succeeds he'll get a longer term deal with guaranteed $$. I'd LOVE for him to have a great year and then TT could (if he wanted) sign him for a 3 yr./$15Mil deal.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Older article, but this is how one reporter felt about Cook's blocking skills:

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/11/7/7173233/jared-cook-is-the-nfl-s-most-elite-blocking-tight-end

It took 47 posts before anybody used the word "block", and for that reason alone I give that post and this one a "winner".

Rodgers is a poor blocker. The last 2 seasons, McCarthy brought out more Kuhn in the late games when that TE blocking did not materialize. That's not his preference; more a stop gap. So I guess the Packers think Cook can block. If Kuhn is not re-signed that would confirm it. But can he?

Your link presents a confused picture. One guy says he's the best around. Another guy shows a clip of him whiffing on a block and then concludes, "I feel for the other 31 team’s who have a tight end whose blocking ability is inferior to this..." I guess he's trying to say Cook is not all that in the blocking game, but he might need to go back to J-school to clean up that phraseology.

In any case, you don't judge a guy on one play alone. So, the question before the court remains, "can he block?"

 

[Ace]

*HIGH FIVE* ?! Not sure how to respond to this...

Well I'll respond with the reasoning...

1.) Cook's deal is a 1 year deal allowing the Packers to re-assess after this season with a mountain of our own free agents to sign.
2.) Cook v. Green last 2 years...
Cook – 91 catches (174 tgts) 1115 yds 12.3 ypc & 3 TD’s
Green – 56 catches (86 tgts) 65 yds 11.8 ypc 4 TD’s
****PLEASE READ***** Yes I'm fully aware Green played behind a HOF TE during the duration of time to which I pulled these stats. This is simply to illustrate that Ted paid what I would call fair market value for a TE with the #'s he has while Pittsburgh is paying for the upside. MUCH like the Rams did a few years ago with the TE the Packers just signed **********
3.) As other's have pointed out, if Cook is terrible this year he's gone after this year free and clear. If he's good then he is added to the list of potential in house free agents to re-sign. If Green is terrible this year, sure Pitt could cut him but then take on some salary cap implications

Does that clear the *FACEPALM* up a bit?

 

[Curly Calhoun]

Cook has played with some pretty mediocre quarterbacks on some pretty pedestrian offenses up til now. I don't expect him to suddenly turn into Tony Gonzalez, but I am optimistic that the change of scenery will serve him well. This should be a nice addition to the offense.

 

[Pkrjones]

The Packers don't want (apparently) a blocking TE. Haven't had a really good blocking or even well rounded TE since Donald Lee (2010), and Chmura before him ('99).

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

In any case, you don't judge a guy on one play alone. So, the question before the court remains, "can he block?"

I agree, the article I posted was confusing, due to the title. But I think if you read between the lines and look at other articles, the general feeling is that Cook has not blocked particularly well. The things I read about him all seem to point to a guy with the physical talent, but has lacked the inner drive to take it to the next step. Let's hope the Packers can help Cook perform up to his potential. I think even Cook must have felt the Packers offense just might be that perfect fit for him to do so.

 

[Vrill]

I really hope we stack DL and LB in the draft now.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Exactly! He's coming off of a long-term $7Mil/yr. contract and is looking to prove he deserves a decent contract. 1 year prove-it deal and if he succeeds he'll get a longer term deal with guaranteed $$. I'd LOVE for him to have a great year and then TT could (if he wanted) sign him for a 3 yr./$15Mil deal.

I believe it's more a case of "finding" than "wanting". I believe it to be evident that McCarthy's preference is for single-back sets. His baseline set is single-back, 3-wide, and in-line TE, and will run regularly out of that set on first down and tweener downs. In short yardage, with a six or seven man line, TEs need to block.

In 2010 - 2012, the Packers had Crabtree on the roster, a fair run blocker in a limited role, mostly short yardage. He provided little in the passing game, with his few notable plays occurring when the defense forgot about him. In the catch some/block some equation, the "catch some" was just too weak to keep him around for a second contract.

One season, I cannot remember which, Finley showed up to training camp at a light 240 lbs. drawing from McCarthy the comment, and I paraphrase, "So, we're not going to be blocking this season?"

Throughout, Quarless has been a serviceable blocker at times, if inconsistent. He's gone.

In drafting Rodgers with that 4.8 speed but with good size, you'd think the Packers were projecting blocking production with some coaching into a catch some/block some player. You mentioned Donald Lee; I think that's the kind of player they were projecting when he was drafted. It was a projection with a guy who was more WR receiver than TE at Stanford. They tried him in the backfield at H-back in preseason and in some early season snaps the last 2 years, but keep abandoning it in favor of Kuhn when crunch time rolled around. His in-line play was more a case of something that had to be lived with than a satisfaction with his development.

So, I don't think McCarthy downgrades the importance of TE blocking so much as expecting at least adequate production in a catch some/block some formulation that have not materialized.

So where does he expect to get the blocking this season? Either they think Cook is decent at it, or they think it will be "3rd. years the charm" with Rodgers. The latter point is a stretch...right up to the end of last season Rodgers still looked like the guy who did 16 lifts at the Combine, both in his blocking and his inability to break tackles. Whether at this point its a matter of strength or a WR disposition or both, expecting a 3rd. year jump off of negligible progress in the first two years is quite a stretch.

That leaves Cook. So the question, "can he block?", is not an insignificant one.

 

[Croak]

Got any extras on them meds?

That stuff really messes with your brain. After my surgery I remember seeing giant ants on the wall walking around the picture frames and the walls were fluid and changing through a variety of colors.

Come to think of it. If we all had some of those we'd think Cook could walk on water!

 

[PackerDNA]

That stuff really messes with your brain. After my surgery I remember seeing giant ants on the wall walking around the picture frames and the walls were fluid and changing through a variety of colors.

Come to think of it. If we all had some of those we'd think Cook could walk on water!

Nothing wrong with or weird about that.

Is there?

 

[Vrill]

Another thing to take into consideration, is that our new TE coach also coached Cook at one point and time, didn't he? So there is some familiarity there.