Packers' Off Season Moves and 2017 Roster

[texaspackerbacker]

Those numbers seem high for Tretter and maybe for Lang. It might be low for Cook and maybe Hyde. I'd sign probably both Lang and Tretter, Cook for sure, Hyde probably, Perry reluctantly for that big an amount, and Peppers if he chooses to come back - not Datone, not Lacy.

What everybody seems to be forgetting is that capology results in the amount against the cap being less - often significantly less in early years - than the average salary per year of the contract. I figure about $27 million average salary per year for the guys I said I'd sign, but maybe about $20-22 million against the cap. The same is true, maybe more so, for signing guys like Gilmore, Timmons, Campbell, etc.

As for Aaron Rodgers, I'm pretty sure Olivia Munn makes as much or more than Giselle Whatever. More to the point, though, his contract could be restructured without any decrease, probably a total increase over time, and still reduce his cap number maybe $5-10.

So the money should be available. Come on, Ted, cough up what is needed to maximize this team.

[Deputy Nutz]

Gisele Bundchen net worth is 345 million dollars.

Munn's net worth is between 5 million-12 million

[vince]

With saving money for draft picks, you've probably got around 38M in cap.

Rough estimates for our guys:

Perry: 8.5M
Lang: 6.5M
Tretter: 6M
Peppers: 2.5M
Hyde: 2.5M
Cook: 4M
Datone: 4M
Lacy: 3.5M

Say I sign Perry, Lang or Tretter but not both, Peppers, Hyde, and Cook. I'll have about 14-15M left to go shopping assuming I roll nothing and make no mid season extensions.

It'd sure be nice if Rodgers would marry an international supermodel who makes more than he does so he can play for 10M less than market value.

Priorities IMO should be Cook ($5 mil.), Perry ($9 mil.) and CB ($12 mil.). Then Lang ($6 mil.), Hyde ($3 mil.), Datone/Peppers ($3 mil.).

Also should be quality CB, OLB, RB available in the draft.

That would be a reload IMO.

[pbmax]

http://www.packersnews.com/story/spo...pace/97646384/

Dougherty's guesses: $43 million available

Nick Perry ($8 million)
T.J. Lang ($5 million)
Jared Cook ($5 million)
Micah Hyde ($3 million)
Eddie Lacy ($3 million)
Exclusive- + restricted- free agents ($4 million)
Rookie class ($5.75 million)

TOTAL: $33.75 million (Dougherty rounds up to $35mil)

So that's $9.25 mil of space if you retain each. You are going to lose one or two and have some cap massaging. I would not pay Lacy $3 million per. He is also letting Peppers, Tretter and Jones walk.

If you believe Bobs season ending numbers, letting Jones walk might not be in the cards. He had third most pressures on team. More true if Peppers is not coming back. Given his snaps, he would need to come in cheaper than 3irty1's number.

[red]

i'm guessing lang might be gone

we just replaced one old school guard and didn't miss much of a beat if any, then you got tretter and linsley. one of those guys is gonna be the starting center and the other the starting guard

both those guys are much younger and probably much cheaper

[red]

Can't cut Clay...his crazy ass play against the Giants is evidence of that. However, he may need to restructure and he also needs to understand his days as an every down OLB may be over.

besides that cray awesome play, he didn't do squat in a few games before that, and nothing after that, before he made that play i had forgotten he was on the team

cue the injury brigade

and to answer, HE"S ALWAYS INJURED, thats who he is

at this point he isn't even worth half of his cap number, he might not even be worth a quarter of his cap number

he's the type of player that will make one big play every few games and everyone will go nuts about how great he is. and is he even taking on double teams anymore?

[red]

and i'd make cook a priority

he's exactly the TE we've been looking for and the offense looked much better when he was involved in it

perry for me would be the other priority, but can he stay healthy? this was his first year not being broke, can he keep that up? or was the healthy year just a fluke? tough call

[Rutnstrut]

besides that cray awesome play, he didn't do squat in a few games before that, and nothing after that, before he made that play i had forgotten he was on the team

cue the injury brigade

and to answer, HE"S ALWAYS INJURED, thats who he is

at this point he isn't even worth half of his cap number, he might not even be worth a quarter of his cap number

he's the type of player that will make one big play every few games and everyone will go nuts about how great he is. and is he even taking on double teams anymore?

EXACTLY!!! But this is the crowd that thought Brad Jones was a good player.

[King Friday]

Can't see us bringing back Lacy for $3M...he'll get a bigger deal from somewhere else, and he probably has little interest coming back to Green Bay.

[King Friday]

besides that cray awesome play, he didn't do squat in a few games before that, and nothing after that, before he made that play i had forgotten he was on the team

cue the injury brigade

and to answer, HE"S ALWAYS INJURED, thats who he is

He's always injured when he plays OLB. He was not injured as much when he played at ILB...which is why the Packers have to move him there on early downs more often going forward. His days as a constant outside pass rusher are over, although he can still do that situationally.

[pbmax]

Matthews hurt his shoulder in Week 12 (Game 11) and wasn't the same after it. That is almost 1/3 of the season (5.75 games), yet somehow he produced these numbers on a team that didn't quite pressure the passer enough:

Nick Perry led the team in the vital category of pressures with 36. Rounding out the top five were Julius Peppers, 32½; Mike Daniels and Datone Jones, 31½, and Clay Matthews, 28½.

He's been a consummate professional, has been a impact player, played hurt and still affected games. He is coming back for one more year at his current number at least, to see him healthy at least. He might only be good at this point, but he is coming back.

[beveaux1]

I agree with PB. Matthews is the only pass rusher under contract for next year unless you count Fackrell and Elliott. They will not ask him to renegotiate, nor should they. After attempting to re-sign our own to extensions, we will have less than 10 million to spend on free agency. This means we will actually have about 5 million to spend since we will keep at least 5 in reserve.

I don't believe we can get a #1 CB for that money. I believe we're looking at a veteran mid-tier that can provide some stability at the position. Not a perfect solution, but it is what it is.

On another note, I've been chuckling at the figures that are being posted for re-signing our own free agents. If anyone thinks Peppers or Lang are going to sign at 60% or less of what their present contract is worth, that isn't a hometown discount, that's delusional. In a year when the salary cap is increasing by a large amount, veterans are expecting to be paid. My expectation is that we will sign fewer of our own free agents at higher prices, still leaving around 10 million after putting aside draft class money.

The draft will still be the place that holes will have to be filled. The reality is that highly successful teams have veteran players that expect to be paid. Young players don't have that expectation. Therefore, holes have to be filled with young players...especially on a successful team.

[Teamcheez1]

Clay is due $15M ($4M is dead cap) for 2017.
He is due $11.4M (with no dead cap space) in 2018.

I believe the Packers will leave his contract alone and see what he produces in 2017 (health and stat wise). He will be 31 going into next season. A good season this next year, and the $11M hit in 2018 doesn't look unreasonable. If things don't pan out, they lose nothing if they decide to move on in 2018.

[Deputy Nutz]

Matthews hurt his shoulder in Week 12 (Game 11) and wasn't the same after it. That is almost 1/3 of the season (5.75 games), yet somehow he produced these numbers on a team that didn't quite pressure the passer enough:



He's been a consummate professional, has been a impact player, played hurt and still affected games. He is coming back for one more year at his current number at least, to see him healthy at least. He might only be good at this point, but he is coming back.

Before his shoulder he missed two games with a hamstring. He misses far too many tackles, and can't make plays in coverage. Even when healthy he struggles to show up in crunch time. Perfect example is the NFC Championship game against Seattle. How much are you willing to pay Matthews per sack? 2016 you payed him roughly 3 million per sack. When he played an entire season in the inside he still only managed 66 tackles. He is more hype than production. I agree he is coming back but if the Packers did cut him they would have plenty of money to sign a starting caliber defensive back and sign Nick Perry.

The prediction for Perry is around 8 million per year. Some fans are complaining that price is too high. Compared to Matthews salary of 13.5 million over the next two years to 8 million and the production difference between the two and Perry is the more valuable player at this point.

I think the fact that Perry recorded 11 sacks which were just above his combined total the previous 3 seasons scares some fans that he is a one year wonder. Perry's play seemed to turn a corner during the 2015 playoffs where he had 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. His 2016 season seemed a carry over from the previous playoff experience up until he broke his hand. Just like with Matthews I don't know if the Packers can head into 2017 without Perry's experience especially having Jones and Peppers entering free agency as well and no viable options on the roster. Perry is one of the better edge rushers in free agency and compare his asking price to Chandler Jones's he is probably the better value signing.

[3irty1]

My thinking on Lang is that he's kind of a binary situation. By the time he would sign you'd more or less know what you're getting. Thus 6.5M or none at all.

6M seems high for Tretter given his contribution but these guys don't work on commission. He'll be viewed as a 25 year old premium center on the market.

Datone just position changed which is somewhat exculpatory. He's a premium need that all 32 teams are in play for and is still flashes routinely. Someone gave Erik Walden 4M all those years ago (WHO HAD 11 SACKS THIS YEAR BTW). Datone should get that.

Cook I put at 4M because not that much has really changed since last year. Everyone knew what an athlete he was. Everyone knew he underperformed on garbage teams. I think he met expectations but its not like he put on a show. On what team besides the Packers is he hot shit? Plus I don't think he wants to leave.

[3irty1]

I think you just leave Clay's contract alone and ride the tiger. This is one of those situations where you best option really is just depend on his recovery. Him contributing like a probowler again is one of the most likely ways our defense could flourish.

[Deputy Nutz]

I don't really think the Packers have a choice in 2017 with Clay's contract, but realize it is a situation where you are going on tilt with hoping that he will get healthy and return to double digit sack numbers.

If Thompson actually goes after free agents to repair this defense then I would say the cutting Matthews is a worth it, but if he is just doing it as a cost measure and continues plug holes only through the draft then the Packers should keep paying Matthews.

[3irty1]

I don't really think the Packers have a choice in 2017 with Clay's contract, but realize it is a situation where you are going on tilt with hoping that he will get healthy and return to double digit sack numbers.

If Thompson actually goes after free agents to repair this defense then I would say the cutting Matthews is a worth it, but if he is just doing it as a cost measure and continues plug holes only through the draft then the Packers should keep paying Matthews.

That's really a judgement about the quality of the FA you could get vs the likelyhood Matthews makes an elite contribution. With dead cap you stand to gain 11M or so by cutting him? If its worth cutting him its not by much. If he were already a FA he'd be the type of guy I'd want, a guy you're buying low on.

[Deputy Nutz]

You want an over priced player that is often injured on the downside of his career? 11 million this season and nearly 15 million next year means you can sign a number one corner.

[3irty1]

You want an over priced player that is often injured on the downside of his career? 11 million this season and nearly 15 million next year means you can sign a number one corner.

This is free agency, the only option is over-priced and/or risky. Matthews will be just 31 this season and presumably starts the season squared away health-wise and position-wise. Him whooping some ass doesn't require some comeback player of the year narrative. If you think best case scenario for him is KGB at this point then ok I guess. I think there's more than that in the tank.

You can and should sign a starting-caliber CB anyways but it won't matter if there is no pass rush. Its easy to imagine a much improved pass defense just with a two-armed Matthews and two-handed Perry.