Official Free Agency/Offseason Thread

[Joemailman]

The following Packers had their contracts voided yesterday and will presumably be free agents:

Adrian Amos, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, Randall Cobb, Mercedes Lewis, Mason Crosby, Robert Tonyan.

Key offseason dates:

February 21-March 7 - Window for applying franchise or transition tags.

February 28-March 6 - NFL Combine

March 13-15 - Legal negotiating period for free agents.

March 15 - New league year begins at 3:00 PM at which point free agent signing can begin.

March 26-29 - NFL Owners Meetings

April 27-29 - NFL Draft

[RashanGary]

You see that Tex? 16M in dead money from previous seasons. Now we can do it again and clear 16, but we’re still 16 in hole. Keeping Rodgers another year makes for an even worse situation on dead cap. He’s going to be traded.

[Fritz]

Which of those guys, if any would people like to see come back? Regardless of Rodgers's preferences.

I think Lewis is a great locker room guy and teacher and he can still block. If he's willing to come back at a low price, I say good. Tonyan I'd like to see back, too, on a one-year "prove it" contract, if that's possible. I like Mason Crosby, but I think he's lost too much leg strength. Jarran Reed could be useful, but not for much money and not if you draft some young bucks that need to play. I like Adrian Amos but I wonder if he's fallen off the age cliff. He seemed just a half-step slow last season. Randall Cobb and Dean Lowry both seem like decent human beings, but I think neither helps enough to warrant a roster spot.

[call_me_ishmael]

Amos is a thinker. He was such a good addition for the team for years. It does make you wonder if with changing life situations, etc the grind can become too much. I see a guy like JJ Watt say they just don't want to do the off-season again, that it's just too much work and they want to spend their time on other stuff like family, etc.

It does make you wonder how many hours these dudes are putting in.

[call_me_ishmael]

You see that Tex? 16M in dead money from previous seasons. Now we can do it again and clear 16, but we’re still 16 in hole. Keeping Rodgers another year makes for an even worse situation on dead cap. He’s going to be traded.

I don't think the two things are related. Pretty much any team that has been good for several years now is in cap hell. Shit happens. That's what happens when good players need to get paid. Packers are very top heavy - highest paid player at most of their good positions and they just lost the highest paid WR.

[texaspackerbacker]

You see that Tex? 16M in dead money from previous seasons. Now we can do it again and clear 16, but we’re still 16 in hole. Keeping Rodgers another year makes for an even worse situation on dead cap. He’s going to be traded.

Actually, no, I didn't see anything about 16M in dead money. It might be that, but it wasn't in Joe's post above.

As for the list, I'm surprised Amos is on it. I think/hope they still find a way to keep him. Ditto that for Tonyan. As for the rest, either they are old and probably not going anyplace anyway (Lewis and maybe Cobb) or old and probably retiring (Crosby - as I said, I wish they'd keep him as an assistant coach or PS guy in case whoever our new Kicker is gets hurt or in a slump). Lowry I really want to be gone, and Reed isn't much better.

[Fritz]

Amos is a thinker. He was such a good addition for the team for years. It does make you wonder if with changing life situations, etc the grind can become too much. I see a guy like JJ Watt say they just don't want to do the off-season again, that it's just too much work and they want to spend their time on other stuff like family, etc.

It does make you wonder how many hours these dudes are putting in.

These guys are the elite of the elite. They were the best players ever at their high schools, and probably some of the best athletes ever at their colleges. So I can only imagine that to compete at this high a level would require more training, and more intense training, than we mortals can really comprehend. So I do wonder if you can only do that for so long before it just becomes too much. I like Amos, too. I think he played well up until this past year. But maybe it's all just too much to keep doing, or maybe he's lost a half-step. I don't know. But the guy was a good addition to this team.

[Joemailman]

I hope they keep Tonyan and Reed. Don't care much about the rest. Yes, they did write off 16M in dead cap. Not good, but 5 teams are worse.

[run pMc]

The following Packers had their contracts voided yesterday and will presumably be free agents:

Adrian Amos, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, Randall Cobb, Mercedes Lewis, Mason Crosby, Robert Tonyan.

I might be misreading this, but they are all free agents. Their expiring contracts had void years on them, so they are no longer on the team but still count against the cap for the amount of money pushed into those void years. It's basically dead cap space. It's also how Kevin King counted against the cap this year even though he was a free agent.

I would resign none of them if Rodgers isn't playing for GB. Several still were in GB because of Rodgers, if he's not here they might go elsewhere with him.
I would make low offers to Lewis and Tonyan if he is. Maybe Cobb, but only because they need a cheap vet or two in the WR room. No to Crosby - love the guy but he doesn't have the leg anymore for touchbacks. Reed was so-so, Lowry and Amos had bad years and look done. These are all aging players with no upside and most showed clear declines in their play. There is no sane reason to sign an aging player in decline to anything more than a one year deal, and some of these guys will look elsewhere for longer/better contracts.

[bobblehead]

I might consider bringing Reed back if he is still cheap. He can disrupt games when he is motivated. I wouldn't break the bank for him by any means though. The rest can walk.....especially if it gets Rodgers to agree to a trade.

[Joemailman]

I might be misreading this, but they are all free agents. Their expiring contracts had void years on them, so they are no longer on the team but still count against the cap for the amount of money pushed into those void years. It's basically dead cap space. It's also how Kevin King counted against the cap this year even though he was a free agent.

I would resign none of them if Rodgers isn't playing for GB. Several still were in GB because of Rodgers, if he's not here they might go elsewhere with him.
I would make low offers to Lewis and Tonyan if he is. Maybe Cobb, but only because they need a cheap vet or two in the WR room. No to Crosby - love the guy but he doesn't have the leg anymore for touchbacks. Reed was so-so, Lowry and Amos had bad years and look done. These are all aging players with no upside and most showed clear declines in their play. There is no sane reason to sign an aging player in decline to anything more than a one year deal, and some of these guys will look elsewhere for longer/better contracts.

They are all free agents. Packers had until yesterday to sign them to extensions.

Full list of Packers unrestricted free agents is:

Adrian Amos, Randall Cobb, Dean Lowry, Mason Crosby, Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan, Jarran Reed, Marcedes Lewis, Dallin Leavitt, Jonathan Ford, Eric Wilson, Keisean Nixon, and Justin Hollins.

Restricted free agents are Tyler Davis, Krys Barnes and Yosh Nijman.

[red]

Bring reed back

Everyone keeps saying we need to draft more guys for the d-line. Well, here’s a guy that isn’t too bad and shouldn’t cost a ton of money

The rest can go. I don’t want to hear about “locker room leaders”, when we looked as shitty as we did last year. The leadership in this team didn’t do much in that Detroit game to get the rest of the team fired up, or being smart

[Fritz]

I'm curious: how is a guy finishing his rookie year (Jonathan Ford) an unrestricted free agent after one year of being on the roster but never playing?

[Joemailman]

I'm curious: how is a guy finishing his rookie year (Jonathan Ford) an unrestricted free agent after one year of being on the roster but never playing?

That should have been Rudy Ford.

[Fritz]

That should have been Rudy Ford.

Oh. I thought maybe they just wanted Jonathan Ford to go away.

[RashanGary]

Bring reed back

Everyone keeps saying we need to draft more guys for the d-line. Well, here’s a guy that isn’t too bad and shouldn’t cost a ton of money

The rest can go. I don’t want to hear about “locker room leaders”, when we looked as shitty as we did last year. The leadership in this team didn’t do much in that Detroit game to get the rest of the team fired up, or being smart

For sure. I’m growing tired of Rodgers always rambling on about the older guys being so important. It’s a young man’s game. Draft guys who are ambitious and driven and they won’t need an old guy taking up a roster spot to explain to them why working out is important. And does Rodgers even work out in the offseason? That guy is full of some bullshit lately. And I like him for his conspiracy theories.

[Joemailman]

Listened to an interview with Lazard. His agent and Packers are talking. However, I didn't get the impression he thinks anything will get done before he enters free agency.

[Bretsky]

For sure. I’m growing tired of Rodgers always rambling on about the older guys being so important. It’s a young man’s game. Draft guys who are ambitious and driven and they won’t need an old guy taking up a roster spot to explain to them why working out is important. And does Rodgers even work out in the offseason? That guy is full of some bullshit lately. And I like him for his conspiracy theories.

Listen to the pro Rodgers homers like Wilde and Tausch

Even they admit Rodgers doesn't have the same offseason regiment he once had

They also note he was very very very pro OTA's up until a few years ago

And then admit some within the organization feel it's time to move on

SHHHHHHHHHHHHh; Bob McGinn has merit

[Joemailman]

Rams and LB Bobby Wagner have agreed to part ways. If Released, Rams will have 7.5 million of dead money and save 5 million on the cap.

[Joemailman]

Packers have restructured the contracts of Preston Smith and Jaire Alexander, saving about 16 million on the cap in 2023. According to Spotrac, this gets them about 6 million under the cap.