Trade Matthews

[easyk83]

I doubt you can find a trade partner for Matthews. Would have to release him to get rid of him imo.

No kidding, who wants responsibility for that contract? I wouldn't write Matthews off but whatever he's going to do this upcoming season it's going to require changes now. I'd like to see him revamp his conditioning, adjust to reduce his hammy injuries.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

No kidding, who wants responsibility for that contract? I wouldn't write Matthews off but whatever he's going to do this upcoming season it's going to require changes now. I'd like to see him revamp his conditioning, adjust to reduce his hammy injuries.

First and foremost the Packers should renegotiate Matthews´ contract.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

You guys do know that you're allowed to aquire other/more guys in the off season, right?

............since when? I thought we had to use what we had until they're dead!

 

[TomBrownFan40]

Personally, I don't think Clay is going anywhere. Hopefully, his shoulder/arm/whatever will get corrected but, even if it does he's a chronic hamstring guy and it's doubtful you can count on him to play 16 games. That limits his marketability.

However, I'm sick of the gnashing of teeth threads so, I'll put a crazy thought experiment out: Cleveland is loaded with picks. Clay Matthews Sr. is justifiably a legend in that town. Could they be persuaded to deal? Maybe a move-up the round deal?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

First and foremost the Packers should renegotiate Matthews´ contract.

I agree with this, but would insert the words "try to" renegotiate, since Matthews holds all the cards. This will come down to whether Matthews wants to finish his career in GB and will do so at a reduced salary for the betterment of the team.

 

[7thFloorRA]

One of the LA teams might want to bring him home to sell some tickets. No idea why anyone else would want him.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

All kidding aside, I hope he is willing to renegotiate his contract and stay in GB.

 

[Sanguine camper]

Mathews needs to move back to ILB. He played very well there and the defense improved against the run when he switched. Mathews and Ryan would make a good tandem and he could rush from the outside on passing downs with Joe Thomas coming in. He also stays healthier when he isn't rushing passer so much as an OLB. Packers also need to regenotiate a more cap friendly deal with CM3. Status quo has got to go!

 

[azrsx05]

Trading Mathews would be best case scenario. If we could renegotiate his contract that would be a second option. Then you could cut him, but that's a big cap hit for nothing.

But the guy has always been so overhyped and once they began to test do HGH. He really disappeared. I'm my opinion, he's like a cutler contract you're only keeping him around because the big contract he got. But should be cut next year. For what he makes, I expect more production and more leadership. He's great at making commercials though. In the mean time. He can play patty cake with those Oline men

 

[Packer Brother]

Clay Matthews is at the top of my list as most despised Packer. I'll never forgive him for taking himself out of the Seattle game.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Who thinks Mathews will be open to lowering his money? lol.

Not me.

Passing his contract off isn't so bad to the next team, because we pay 4.1mil of his salary in 2017. 22.5 mil over 2 years is his deal. I doubt he takes less to stay.

 

[Mondio]

The bonus has already been paid, and you're delusional if you think a team thinks being in the hook for another 20+ million over 2 years for a handful of sacks a season is a good investment.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

The bonus has already been paid, and you're delusional if you think a team thinks being in the hook for another 20+ million over 2 years for a handful of sacks a season is a good investment.

The bonus has been paid. But we havnt paid off the bonus yet...
That's what dead cap is... Large pre-paid signing bonuses that are spread out over multiple years. Even if you cut or trade the player, that signing bonus has to be paid as planned.

I looked at big name signings for OLBs/ Pass rusher DEs last year. Vernon got 17mil a year as the biggest free agent signing... The closest to Mathews is Irvin from Seattle got 10mil/yr for 4 years.

Now Mathews stats the last few years. Or rather, Lack of stats, should be attributed to him being asked to play ILB to fill our holes. Also the fact that we have Peppers, Perry taking a lot of his OLB duties. We also have a few younger OLBs who needed reps. Datone, Elliott, Fackrell... If Mathews was a full time OLB like most 10+mil a year OLBs. I bet he could still produce the sacks...

And I fully disagree. I think your distaste for Mathews currently, has skewed your perception. He is still a elite pass rusher in the right circumstances. Some team that needs a plug in pass rushing OLB will pay the 11mil/yr. And they will get the big name as a bonus to their franchise...

 

[Mondio]

i know what it is, it's been paid. It counts against our cap, but we're not paying him anything he hasn't already received.

and i'm more than willing to let him take his salary and his production somewhere else if someone wants to give us picks for him.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I think Clay still has some more football in the tank and I do like him, just not at his current salary. This isn't the first or last time that this has happened in Football where you have a guy on the back end of his contract and he is making more than he probably should. My hope is that Clay and his agent see this disparity as well and for the good of the team and to keep Clay in Green Bay, they sit down with the Packers and restructure the contract. The Packers should give him some incentives so that he makes the kind of money he was going to, if he plays at a higher level than he has been. Otherwise, Clay and his agent really have to look at this as "If we don't negotiate, we are probably done in Green Bay and take our chances elsewhere and probably for less money."

The other aspect Clay and his agent have to keep in mind is his endorsement money, which I imagine is pretty substantial. Will changing teams increase or decrease this money?

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Personally, I don't think Clay is going anywhere. Hopefully, his shoulder/arm/whatever will get corrected but, even if it does he's a chronic hamstring guy and it's doubtful you can count on him to play 16 games.

If memory serves when Clay played ILB he was not as injured as he has been as OLB. He talks frequently that he like OLB because of the sacks. Well, when you're injured and not able to play you don't get sacks. He seemed to get quite few sacks in 2014 from the ILB position. I give him a lot of credit for playing with the injured shoulder but I agree with most everyone. He needs to re-negotiate his contract.

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

Now I am not just saying this because Zeke broke his ankles on Sunday night. I have been thinking about this a lot. What could we get for him? We would free up 15 million next year and 11 million the year after. His injuries are constant. For some reason no one ever blames him for the NFC championship game a few years back when he did not play the entire second half because of "fatigue". I think now is a good time to move on. Love the guy to death, but there are a handful of teams out there that would possibly give us a first round pick or a 2nd and 3rd. What does everyone else think?

If we can get value for him, I'm for it. He's not Clay Matthews III anymore. He's not a guy, but he's not a monster. I think if there is one guy who needs to restructure his deal to the betterment of the team it's Matthews.

 

[Poppa San]

The other aspect Clay and his agent have to keep in mind is his endorsement money, which I imagine is pretty substantial. Will changing teams increase or decrease this money?

Gee, a star at USC decides to return "home" to play for one of the local NFL teams in the twilight of his career. Right up the road is the home of most of the major TV and Movie companies. What a co-incidence. No endorsement / career change opportunities there.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Gee, a star at USC decides to return "home" to play for one of the local NFL teams in the twilight of his career. Right up the road is the home of most of the major TV and Movie companies. What a co-incidence. No endorsement / career change opportunities there.

Sounds like the Rams should give up at least a first rounder for that scenario!!

 

[sschind]

I agree with this, but would insert the words "try to" renegotiate, since Matthews holds all the cards. This will come down to whether Matthews wants to finish his career in GB and will do so at a reduced salary for the betterment of the team.

It may not be a renegotiation as it were but a restructure. Convert 9 million of his 2017 salary and 4 million of his 2018 salary to a signing bonus and sign him to a 3 year extension with an average salary of about 6 million. That makes his cap hit this year about 6 million, next year about 10 million and about 10 for the next three years after that. That way he gets a new deal, a big check up front with some job security and doesn't have to give up any money. I don't know if he would go for the "you have to take less money or we will let you go" ploy because like you said, he holds all the cards. Most players of his profile don't take less money, they just move it around to make it more team friendly. I know Hawk actually took less money a couple of times but I don't think it is common for that to happen.

I think I did the math right on that. the only thing I might have gotten wrong is the pro rating of the SB I figured 13 million in bonus but prorated over the 3 year extension. It may kick in immediately which would mean this years and next years cap hits would go up.

Anyway, if you could get him down to a cap hit of around 10 million per year with some creative contract wording I think he would be worth keeping around for several more years.