Corey Williams

[HarveyWallbangers]

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 don't believe Grant has enough years of service to be an UFA or even a RFA at this point--even if he doesn't have a contract that runs past this year.

[MJZiggy]

I thought one of his years didn't count?

[vince]

RotoWorld confirms Grant's contract status of expiring at the end of this year.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?id=3252&sport=NFL

Ryan Grant | Running Back
TEAM: Green Bay Packers
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6'1' / 222
DOB: 12/9/1982
AGE: 25
COLLEGE: Notre Dame
CONTRACT INFO: 2007: $310,000, 2008: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

[swede]

This question regarding Grant's contract has been debated a few times without getting resolved.

Maybe Bob Harlan will pick up the phone and help a rat out.

He might be busy tomorrow, though.

Edit: Or Vince could check with Rotoworld and resolve it.

[vince]

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 don't believe Grant has enough years of service to be an UFA or even a RFA at this point--even if he doesn't have a contract that runs past this year.

He still needs to negotiate a new deal, just like a new draft choice. The Packers can tender him for the league minimum salary for a second year player if they want. He then could only sit out if he thinks he deserves more.
I think its in the Packers best interests to negotiate a longer term deal, which will take a bigger payday to make happen.

[Patler]

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.

That is really the key, balancing the roster. What Thompson inherited was a roster with no depth and several glaring weaknesses even among the starters, several highly paid players who were not producing, a salary cap that was very tight and a bunch of key players with big paydays due in the off season. He was really between a rock and a hard place that first off season, especially with Walker complaining about his contract, too.

The turnaround naturally involves a bunch of players at similar points in their careers, so he likely will be able to retain some, but perhaps not all in the future. He needs to hit on more draft choices so he can allow a few to leave if he must when their rookie contracts end.

As you said, Williams might be the first. KGB, Collins and one of Spitz, Colledge and Coston could be next. KGB might be supplanted by a combination of age, money and someone young with similar contributions. Collins could be replaced by Rouse. Two but not all three of the guards will be kept. I'm not a big believer in Colledge being Clifton's successor. A fill-in maybe.

It is really interesting to go back and look at all the players Wolf allowed to leave. You could put together a very good team with the players he couldn't keep. But, he brought in capable replacements, some not as good as those they replaced, and others who were better than those they replaced. The team stayed competitive.

[MJZiggy]

Out of Spitz Colledge and Coston, who do you think he'd be most likely to let walk? The immediate guess would be Colledge, but if they're going to want him to take over for Tausch when he retires...

[Patler]

Grant becomes a real interesting case. I think he has only one year of service, 2007. When he was on IR it was for a non-football injury, so I don't believe he gets a year of service for it. If they wanted to, the Packers could drag out doing a long term deal for a few years, and Grant would have few options. I'm not suggesting that they will or should drag it out, but they could. I doubt very much that they will force him to play for minimum contracts, but on the other hand they might not be excessively generous either. It puts them in a good position with a player at a position were longevity is a real issue. Many running backs don't have long careers. I could see them doing just a two or three year deal. I could also see them doing a 5 year deal, but not at a huge compensation over all. Reasonable, but not huge; perhaps filled with incentives.

It's situations like this that make the off season entertaining for some of us!

[Patler]

Out of Spitz Colledge and Coston, who do you think he'd be most likely to let walk? The immediate guess would be Colledge, but if they're going to want him to take over for Tausch when he retires...

Next year will decide that. I doubt we will be looking at three interchangeable parts by the end of 2008. One or two will rise and the other one or two will fall.
Barbre may have something to do with it, too.

[Iron Mike]

What Thompson inherited was a roster with no depth and several glaring weaknesses even among the starters, several highly paid players who were not producing.

<==searches JSO for GreenDay's picture of Fat Albert as Cletidus Hunt.

[Partial]

The man looked like he was crying on the field on his hands and knees after the loss tonight.

I say lock him up and play him on 1st downs at DE for Kampman.

[twoseven]

Pressure from the DT to the QB has been absent most of the year, and was very apparent last night. Eli was able to step up and had too much time most of the evening without any threat from the DTs, as our ends were always just a second too late. CW's play (like others) last night was uninspired and I thnk his high price tag will just reinforce that as he most likely signs elsewhere. I don't know if Jolly and Harrel are the only answer, but IMO CW's presence on our dline is not deserving of the high price tag the market will set for him. I felt this way before last night's's game. My two cents.