Cullen Jenkins...

[Brando19]

is the key to beating the Eagles. If he plays...I believe we win. If he doesn't...it'll be verrrrrry hard. We need his pash rushing skills. Vick is extremely dynamic, but he's turnover prone and seems to get rattled with pressure. Jenkins is the second best pash rusher on the team and with Walden emerging as a threat...we can really get to the QB.

[mraynrand]

Cullen Jenkins spent all week studying Vicks rushes. But if he isn't effective rushing and tackling Vick, they will bring in Wilson to play end (or defensive back, depending on Caper's strategy).

[Brando19]

Really? Interesting. Jenkins will be ready!

[pbmax]

Cullen Jenkins spent all week studying Vicks rushes. But if he isn't effective rushing and tackling Vick, they will bring in Wilson to play end (or defensive back, depending on Caper's strategy).

This I want to see.

[mraynrand]

This I want to see.

Just review the Bears game tape - Capers had Wilson in coverage as a DB on one of Woodson's pass rushes. It was a thing of beauty.

[pbmax]

Just review the Bears game tape - Capers had Wilson in coverage as a DB on one of Woodson's pass rushes. It was a thing of beauty.

This game or earlier in the season? I seem to remember him dropping off but I didn't see it versus the Bears at Lambeau.

[vince]

Yes it was this game. It looked like a few guys were confused on their assignments on a few plays early, particularly when Martz had the Bears massively moving around after giving an initial formation look. Obviously, Capers gets a lot of credit for a great defensive performance, but they looked like they didn't know what the hell they were doing out there on a few occasions and they tended to get lucky with some drops when that occurred.

[packrulz]

Capers used Walden to "spy" on Cutler in the Bears game, I would assume he would do the same against Vick. If Jenkins comes back that would be a bonus.

[pbmax]

Yes it was this game. It looked like a few guys were confused on their assignments on a few plays early, particularly when Martz had the Bears massively moving around after giving an initial formation look. Obviously, Capers gets a lot of credit for a great defensive performance, but they looked like they didn't know what the hell they were doing out there on a few occasions and they tended to get lucky with some drops when that occurred.

I saw that too but didn't see Wilson among the confused. Could have missed it. Seemed to happen when they bunched three close to the tackle. Thought it was the CB, safety and OLB sorting it out.

[Scott Campbell]

What kind of injury does Jenkins have?

[sharpe1027]

Yes it was this game. It looked like a few guys were confused on their assignments on a few plays early, particularly when Martz had the Bears massively moving around after giving an initial formation look. Obviously, Capers gets a lot of credit for a great defensive performance, but they looked like they didn't know what the hell they were doing out there on a few occasions and they tended to get lucky with some drops when that occurred.

I saw that too and thought it was very funny. I think it happened when the RB motioned out to a WR slot. One of the LBers (maybe Hawk) started to move over to cover but Wilson was already lined up in coverage so the LBer moved back and blitzed. I think that Wilson was expected to spy/cover the RB on a pass, some type of zone blitz maybe?

[VermontPackFan]

What kind of injury does Jenkins have?

I thought it was a calf strain, but its got to be a hell of a lot more than that for him to miss 4 games.

[VermontPackFan]

is the key to beating the Eagles. If he plays...I believe we win. If he doesn't...it'll be verrrrrry hard. We need his pash rushing skills. Vick is extremely dynamic, but he's turnover prone and seems to get rattled with pressure. Jenkins is the second best pash rusher on the team and with Walden emerging as a threat...we can really get to the QB.

I agree, he adds another dimension/threat to our D when he is playing. We are a much better defense when he is on the field.

[Patler]

What should the Packers do with Jenkins next year?
His contract is up.
He has missed 17 of the 64 regular season games under his current 4 year contract.
He turns 30 in a couple weeks.
His brother has missed 52 of 160 games in 10 years, so if there is a genetic link to injury-prone bodies.......:lol:

But really, how much should they pay to keep him?
They have played well without him, and should have Neal back next year.
Wilson will have experience and an off season in the weight room.
Green has filled a role.
Raji, Pickett, Green, Neal, Wilson and Wynn/draft pick would be a full complement of DL.

I'm not sure the Packers will be real aggressive in re-signing Jenkins. They will make an offer, but I doubt it will be enough to keep him.

[mraynrand]

I saw that too and thought it was very funny. I think it happened when the RB motioned out to a WR slot. One of the LBers (maybe Hawk) started to move over to cover but Wilson was already lined up in coverage so the LBer moved back and blitzed. I think that Wilson was expected to spy/cover the RB on a pass, some type of zone blitz maybe?

I thought his responsibility was the RB in the flat - so he followed him when he split wide. It didn't look like a mistake. Wilson looked nimble for a big guy and did an OK job out there.

[retailguy]

What should the Packers do with Jenkins next year?
His contract is up.
He has missed 17 of the 64 regular season games under his current 4 year contract.
He turns 30 in a couple weeks.
His brother has missed 52 of 160 games in 10 years, so if there is a genetic link to injury-prone bodies.......:lol:

But really, how much should they pay to keep him?
They have played well without him, and should have Neal back next year.
Wilson will have experience and an off season in the weight room.
Green has filled a role.
Raji, Pickett, Green, Neal, Wilson and Wynn/draft pick would be a full complement of DL.

I'm not sure the Packers will be real aggressive in re-signing Jenkins. They will make an offer, but I doubt it will be enough to keep him.

I agree with all of this. I don't believe a big effort will be made to keep him, and if he could be traded, he would be ala Corey Williams.

We have depth on the DL, if he was LB, he'd be getting re-upped for sure.

[MichiganPackerFan]

What should the Packers do with Jenkins next year?
His contract is up.
He has missed 17 of the 64 regular season games under his current 4 year contract.
He turns 30 in a couple weeks.
His brother has missed 52 of 160 games in 10 years, so if there is a genetic link to injury-prone bodies.......:lol:

But really, how much should they pay to keep him?
They have played well without him, and should have Neal back next year.
Wilson will have experience and an off season in the weight room.
Green has filled a role.
Raji, Pickett, Green, Neal, Wilson and Wynn/draft pick would be a full complement of DL.

I'm not sure the Packers will be real aggressive in re-signing Jenkins. They will make an offer, but I doubt it will be enough to keep him.

They do seem to have a lot of depth at the position, but how many are just prospects? What about Johnny Jolly?

[Guiness]

I also noticed Wilson 'in coverage'. On one play the announcers commented on the down and distance (3rd and medium, I think) and said that this was when Dom liked to send CWood on a blitz from the slot. Sure enough, he went on a blitz, and Wilson covered the slot guy!

[pbmax]

What should the Packers do with Jenkins next year?
His contract is up.
He has missed 17 of the 64 regular season games under his current 4 year contract.
He turns 30 in a couple weeks.
His brother has missed 52 of 160 games in 10 years, so if there is a genetic link to injury-prone bodies.......:lol:

But really, how much should they pay to keep him?
They have played well without him, and should have Neal back next year.
Wilson will have experience and an off season in the weight room.
Green has filled a role.
Raji, Pickett, Green, Neal, Wilson and Wynn/draft pick would be a full complement of DL.

I'm not sure the Packers will be real aggressive in re-signing Jenkins. They will make an offer, but I doubt it will be enough to keep him.

I think the wisest thing to do would be to move in another direction because his health is not going to get better. But he is the second best pass rusher on the team. His absence would be felt unless they find someone with that skill set at DE. I would not object to a short term market contract with a reasonable amount of money tied into the weekly roster bonus structure. But I suspect he will want a longer deal and for more guaranteed than the Packers will be comfortable with.

[pbmax]

I thought it was a calf strain, but its got to be a hell of a lot more than that for him to miss 4 games.

Its the same calf that has been bothering him, but the latest iteration was worse than the previous flare ups. Didn't the initial injury set him back a couple of weeks?

[swede]

We need to let players go, the Vikings need ex-Packers...this is all part of the circle of life.

[Brandon494]

I think we let him go, this is why Mike Neal was taken in the 2nd round IMO.

[Lurker64]

I think we let him go, this is why Mike Neal was taken in the 2nd round IMO.

We're also likely to get Johnny Jolly back next season. Whether or not we want him back, I'm not sure. But he could certainly play last year.

[pbmax]

I think we let him go, this is why Mike Neal was taken in the 2nd round IMO.

I think that pick was to help cover for Jolly, who was a starter. Jolly does not offer the pash rush Jenkins does, but Neal showed some promise early.

[packrulz]

I hope they keep Jenkins, pass rushers are gold, he's worth 2 mil a year plus a nice signing bonus, he's a beast when healthy.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I hope they keep Jenkins, pass rushers are gold, he's worth 2 mil a year plus a nice signing bonus, he's a beast when healthy.

2 mil a year? It will take at least 6-7 mil a year to keep Jenkins.

[steve823]

2 mil a year? It will take at least 6-7 mil a year to keep Jenkins.

Agreed. 3-4 DE's that have the skill set Jenkins' has are hard to find and teams will pay big bucks from him.

Even though we drafted Neal and Wilson, I still don't think you can replace him pass rushing abilities. I mean the guy has 7 sacks this season and he's been injured all year and when he actually did play, he had a cast on, but was still very productive.

[mission]

2 mil a year? It will take at least 6-7 mil a year to keep Jenkins.

If considering just talent/production avgs then you're probably right, but he misses his fair share of games and that will definitely be used to bargain against him. I think 5 million would get it done with the right amount of long-term security for Jenkins.

Can't say I want to see him go but I'm just not excited about the future value of the type of contract he'd want. There's a lot of unknown here with Neal's recovery and whether Jolly can regain previous form...

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'd like to see Cullen healthy for the postseason. Let what happens next year happen later. A healthy Jenkins would make our team better right now.

[packrulz]

2 mil a year? It will take at least 6-7 mil a year to keep Jenkins.
Lol, I guess I don't know the going rate. My point is Jenkins is a hell of a pass rusher, even with the "club" on his hand he played pretty well, I think when you evaluate a player on the D-line pass rush ability should carry a lot of weight. They could let Green go, and Jolly, who knows if he'll behave himself?

[Gunakor]

I hope they keep Jenkins, pass rushers are gold, he's worth 2 mil a year plus a nice signing bonus, he's a beast when healthy.

I think the sticking point to a deal will be the length, not the value. I'd be okay giving Jenkins, say, 5 million for THIS season. Maybe add a weekly bonus for availability on gameday to push his possible earnings over 6 or 7 if he can contribute for a full season. But I wouldn't consider any long term deal for any amount of time, at least not beyond what it would take to tell Jenkins' agent there's no chance in hell. Jenkins is year to year IMO. And something tells me, given his age, he's going to be looking for one last long term payday. I don't see him signing anywhere on a one year deal. Unfortunately for him, that's all I'd be willing to offer him, given his recent injury history. If some other team would be more willing to offer more and he were to depart Green Bay for greener pastures I'd completely understand, wish him the best, and move on.

[VermontPackFan]

I disagree on Jenkins value to this team. He has missed a lot of games, he is 30 but he is worth every penny to resign him. I dont think he will be looking to break the bank on a new free agent deal, he understands the value of staying healthy; besides the Packers gave him a break and a shot at the NFL.
Relying on Harrell, Jolly, Wilson or Neal to replace him would be very risky. His position is paid a premium in the NFL, I think we should do everything to resign for next year even if we have to over pay a bit.

[Fritz]

Jenkins is going to try to get the biggest payday he can - why wouldn't he? And he's very likely going to be looking for as long-term a deal as possible - if he signs a short-term deal, he will not be likely, given his age and injury history, to play well enough for another big payday. My guess is that he's tempting enough for some team out there to give him what he wants. There's always a Daniel Snyder out there somewhere.

He is a very good pass rusher and a good player. I'd love to see him play well in the playoffs. If TT signed him to a fairly short deal, that'd be great. But I don't think Jenkins will settle for that.

[Scott Campbell]

I suspect he's gone after the year. Every week availability has really hampered his career.

[Little Whiskey]

long term deal for security? this is the NFL not MLB. if he sucks or becomes overpriced they cut him.

[bobblehead]

I think TT is looking to slap some form of a tag on him and move him for a pick. Cullen was looking to extend earlier in the year and disappointed in the teams non interest. That tells me he was likely being reasonable in his contract goals since the comments he has made weren't of the nature of a guy looking for a blockbuster deal pre-FA. I just think if he was looking for a silly contract he wouldn't have been talking about the club not being interested, it would have sounded more like the team "is disrespecting me" or something of that nature.

[Patler]

I'd like to see Cullen healthy for the postseason.

As would we all, but seeing that he was completely out for a game as critical as the Bear game, I doubt that he will be all that healthy at anytime during the playoffs. They might patch him up to play some in a game, but he won't be healthy.

[Patler]

I disagree on Jenkins value to this team. He has missed a lot of games, he is 30 but he is worth every penny to resign him. I dont think he will be looking to break the bank on a new free agent deal, he understands the value of staying healthy; besides the Packers gave him a break and a shot at the NFL.
Relying on Harrell, Jolly, Wilson or Neal to replace him would be very risky. His position is paid a premium in the NFL, I think we should do everything to resign for next year even if we have to over pay a bit.

How often does any player really give a home town discount of any significant amount? If it does happen, it is usually for a guy who has been paid very well previously, has mediocre bargaining power for one reason or another, and wants to finish out where he is.

Jenkins has only had one decent, but not great contract. Before this last one, he was a minimum salary player. His expiring contract was $16 million, not huge at all. At 30, he might be able to get a good four year contract. I suspect he will try to max out.

[VermontPackFan]

[QUOTE=Patler;562213]How often does any player really give a home town discount of any significant amount? If it does happen, it is usually for a guy who has been paid very well previously, has mediocre bargaining power for one reason or another, and wants to finish out where he is.

I know, wishful thinking on my part...

[bobblehead]

I agree with all of this. I don't believe a big effort will be made to keep him, and if he could be traded, he would be ala Corey Williams.

We have depth on the DL, if he was LB, he'd be getting re-upped for sure.

Retail...you have stumbled into the answer of the only problem on our D. Remember reading in the preseason about Jenkins lining up at OLB some. Damn, get him to trim down 50 pounds and switch him to our weakest spot. What could go wrong....switching a 4-3 DE to a 3-4 OLB seems easy enough :P

[bobblehead]

How often does any player really give a home town discount of any significant amount? If it does happen, it is usually for a guy who has been paid very well previously, has mediocre bargaining power for one reason or another, and wants to finish out where he is.

Jenkins has only had one decent, but not great contract. Before this last one, he was a minimum salary player. His expiring contract was $16 million, not huge at all. At 30, he might be able to get a good four year contract. I suspect he will try to max out.

I see it happen quite a bit. guys like the gravedigger did it year after year. Bishop just did it imo. Rodgers did it. I think most guys that extend early are giving a home team discount. I agree though, I don't see it happening in this case because the team didn't think he was worth discussing it with early.

[Patler]

I agree, Gilbert Brown was the type of player that probably did give a hometown discount, but not a very big one. He had very little bargaining power because of injuries and his constant battle with weight. He received minimal interest in the FA market. He liked GB, so seemed to come back for whatever GB was willing to pay him.

I think Bishop got a pretty good contract. I don't see any discount at all. His average cap impact of $4.75 million puts him at about #20 of all linebackers. I'm sure there was a signing bonus of some sort, which will be very meaningful to Bishop if the 2011 season starts with a lockout, since he had only the required minimum salaries up to this point with a small bonus as a low round draft choice. I read this morning that he had not even met requirements for salary escalators in his rookie contract. There was a lot of advantage to him in signing before becoming a free agent because of the CBA situation.

Rodgers signed a year and a half before he would have become a free agent. Throwing away two years of his rookie contract was a pretty good deal for him. At the time he signed, it was a fairly hefty contract, especially for a guy with only 8 games as a starter. It put him well into the top 10 of all QBs at the time. A lot of writers and broadcasters criticized the Packers for the signing, saying he had not proven anything yet, and should have played under his existing contract for a full year, since he was signed for that year and the following year anyway. Even now at an average cap impact above $11 million, his contract isn't a bad contract for him, but he is playing well enough now that it is starting to be a good deal for the team.

Brings up an interesting question. Rodgers is signed through 2014. QB contracts are starting to take a big jump, and could change a lot in the next couple years. How soon before the Packers re-do Rodger's contract? I'm guessing during or after the 2012 season, assuming he does not continue getting concussions. Another concussion, and they will carry him on his existing contract through to the end.