Quote Originally Posted by Patler View Post

2. The Packers lost an unusually large number of free agents this year, but it is understandable why. Guys they otherwise would have liked to keep (I'll suggest Cook, Lang and Lacy for sure; and maybe Hyde and Tretter under the right circumstances) demanded (Cook) or received offers (Lang, Lacy, Hyde & Tretter) well behind the limits the Packers had set for them. GB has always stuck to its determinations in this regard. Additionally the Packers lost Peppers and Jones, neither of which seemed to be in their off season plans. That's seven lost players subject to compensatory draft pick calculations.
Unless you were Chad Clifton, in which case being a Left Tackle and getting literally to the brink of FA and ready to break another market value deal meant the Packers coughed up much more dough at the end for I think his 3rd contract.

I want to say there was one other example they road to the end and saw the market climbing; was it Hawk's second contract? Maybe Cobb?

Regardless, each of these occurred right before FA broke, so the Packers committed to signing them to market value before the market hit. If a player hits the open market, there is a much harder budget for them.

Good to see you back Patler.