Corey Williams

[twoseven]

someone please tell me. Since we are so afraid to sign guys in free agency who costs more than a bag of balls...and we aren't going to lock up one of our own guys we developed and has become a pretty vital part of our line...what in the hell are we going to spend our money on?

Here is the list of when Packer player contracts come due...

There are at least 20 guys I'd consider important signings in the next 2 years (through 2009), including 3/5ths of the starting offensive line, and two huge playmakers in Greg Jennings and Ryan Grant, 1/2 of the starting defensive line - probably the two best (Kampman and Pickett), starting strongside LB, both starting safeties, nickel back, and many contributors.

Most all of them will be expecting hefty raises.

That's a big list, but every name is already acounting for some dollar amount against our cap. How much more they will account for in the next handful of years becomes the real question.

I should add, I merely meant to say that it's easy to look at the names and think we'll never have enough money to keep them all, I would think that TT and Co. will be able to handle it. Besides in order for some to become too expensive we'll have to reap the benefits first. (Please nobody chime in with 'yeah, we are this season,' because I would hope it can get even better)

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

I thought Mark Tauscher was a free agent after 2008.

[vince]

I thought Mark Tauscher was a free agent after 2008.

You're correct MD. For some reason, I had him with an extension through '11, but he just got a bump in pay for the remainder of his contract.

I'll update the list.

[GrnBay007]

VERY nice sig Vince!!!

[vince]

Thanks 007. Design props go to Mad.

[GrnBay007]

Thanks 007. Design props go to Mad.

mine too.

Nice Mad....and good selection Vince.

[BallHawk]

Heard an interview with Larry McCarren with Harrell and Harrell stated that he won't be leaving GB all offseason and he will be living in then weight room. He also stated that next season fans should expect a lot out of him.

That is GREAT news if it's true

Definitely. If there's one thing I don't question about Harrell it's his heart and motivation to be a great player.

[BallHawk]

TT better re-sign Ruvell Martin. Otherwise there will be hell to pay.

[RashanGary]

All that cap space eveyrone was gettin antsy about the last couple years is going to get eaten up real quick over the next couple years.

[Deputy Nutz]

2009 scares me.

[swede]

As much as I hate hate hate hate hate the Patriots you have to admire how they have avoided cap problems and still kept enough talent on the field to be consistently successful.

If we are able to do the same thing it will mean off-seasons in which we say goodbye to productive players that have become too expensive to keep.

There will be more Wahles, Riveras, Walkers, and Greens.

I want Corey Williams to play out of his skull and make such an impact over the next two games that the Houston Texans give him a 5 year 80 million dollar deal hoping he'll bring them a Super Bowl victory.

[Patler]

Vince;

A couple things:

How sure are you about Grant for 2007? Did you use the info on PackerChatters or something else?
The reason I ask is that early in the year, shortly after the trade, I dug up a Giant's pre-season list that had him listed as signed through 2008. The trade should have carried the contract with it. I have no idea how reliable the list was. I don't even remember the source.

I think you can look at most teams and see 90% of the contracts coming due within 5 years. It's only the huge deals that go on longer than that, for the most part.

I really enjoyed an article last year about the Patriots. Someone in their front office was quoted as saying that to be competitive, you have to have several players who are underpaid. Usually 3rd or 4th year players still on their first contracts who are playing extremely well. He said the cap was such that if you have only players who are paid fairly for their abilities, you won't be good enough at too many positions to be a favored team. That's why drafting well is so important.

Clifton, Driver, Tauscher, KGB and several other already count a lot against the cap. Signing them will not be difficult, because the difference between their old and new cap figures won't be that much, in all likelihood. I suppose they could be offered a "gift" from someone, like Rivera was, but I doubt it.

Our young O-linemen look serviceable, but not break the bank type of FAs. Hopefully in the next few years we draft better ones, who will be cheap for a few years, anyway, and we can let some of the current ones walk if we have to. That's what Wolf did with the likes of Aaron Taylor, Adam Timmerman, Bryce Paup and many others that looked at the time to be major losses. He seemed to have someone ready to step in, most of the time. That is when we will see how good a GM really is, if he can sustain a team over time.

[BF4MVP]

I'll give him an ovation. I like the guy a lot. Here's to Corey Williams!

[Partial]

TT better re-sign Ruvell Martin. Otherwise there will be hell to pay.

I think you'll appreciate the sig I have coming soon from MTP of the Eraser and Ruvell. Dude is a stud. Gotta lock him up. Best 5th wideout in NFL.

[vince]

Vince;

A couple things:

How sure are you about Grant for 2007? Did you use the info on PackerChatters or something else?
The reason I ask is that early in the year, shortly after the trade, I dug up a Giant's pre-season list that had him listed as signed through 2008. The trade should have carried the contract with it. I have no idea how reliable the list was. I don't even remember the source.

I think you can look at most teams and see 90% of the contracts coming due within 5 years. It's only the huge deals that go on longer than that, for the most part.

I really enjoyed an article last year about the Patriots. Someone in their front office was quoted as saying that to be competitive, you have to have several players who are underpaid. Usually 3rd or 4th year players still on their first contracts who are playing extremely well. He said the cap was such that if you have only players who are paid fairly for their abilities, you won't be good enough at too many positions to be a favored team. That's why drafting well is so important.

Clifton, Driver, Tauscher, KGB and several other already count a lot against the cap. Signing them will not be difficult, because the difference between their old and new cap figures won't be that much, in all likelihood. I suppose they could be offered a "gift" from someone, like Rivera was, but I doubt it.

Our young O-linemen look serviceable, but not break the bank type of FAs. Hopefully in the next few years we draft better ones, who will be cheap for a few years, anyway, and we can let some of the current ones walk if we have to. That's what Wolf did with the likes of Aaron Taylor, Adam Timmerman, Bryce Paup and many others that looked at the time to be major losses. He seemed to have someone ready to step in, most of the time. That is when we will see how good a GM really is, if he can sustain a team over time.

Yes this is from the PackerChatters Salary Cap table, with the exception that I updated Donald Lee's new contract here. I don't have any independent verification of Grant's contract, so it could very well run through 2008. I'll try to confirm that one.

I absolutely buy into the concepts you cite with regard to value (underpaid overperformers) being the key to lasting success in today's NFL, which is a big reason why I've been a big supporter of Thompson being very selective in free agency. I think that the Packers can continue to hold a substantial amount of their existing value (and add more) through signing their own selected guys to early contract extensions and by continuing to draft well.

I agree that a few of the guys you mention who have already signed their big paydays and will be on the backsides of their careers by the time their current contracts expire will likely be less expensive beyond their current contract. The list above is the whole roster, so the 90% figure you cite is consistent here, with the exception that the Packer roster is heavily weighted with youth from the last three years of rebuilding. As Nutz indicated, 2009 appears like it will a pivotal year in this whole equation depending on what Thompson does about that situation between now and then.

As the years progress and the current roster begins to age, I look for Thompson to try to balance the roster a little more age-wise and achieve a sustainable balance between youth and experience of talent that didn't exist when Thompson came onboard (because of a lack of depth of talent) and doesn't yet exist (because of a lack of depth of experience). I think from your comments you'd agree that Ted won't (and shouldn't) allow the roster to have a lack of youth in the future though as the current players age, which indicates that many of the guys on the roster will end up not being re-upped and will be replaced by new draftees.

There are plenty of talented guys that will draw interest in the free agent market if they're allowed to walk, particularly if the team continues to have success in the next two years, which would be expected by most after this breakout season. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out for sure, and who Thompson will end up letting walk in order to achieve his objectives.

Corey Williams is likely to be the first of those guys.