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No decision on Williams, Thompson says
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com February 12, 2008
The odds look long on the Green Bay Packers re-signing defensive tackle Corey Williams, though they haven't given up on it.
The Packers have been in contact with Williams' agent, and the sides have discussed contract parameters. But considering the possibility Williams could be the most coveted defensive tackle available in a thin free-agent crop this offseason, he could be in for a payday on the open market that General Manager Ted Thompson would consider too steep because of the Packers' depth at that position.
Thompson could use the Packers' franchise tag on Williams by the Feb. 21 deadline, and said Monday he has not ruled out that possibility, though the $6.263 million tender would be high for a rotational player at a deep position. If the Packers don't sign or tag him, Williams becomes an unrestricted free agent Feb. 29.
"I'd say ongoing," Thompson said of the Packers' talks with Mitch Frankel, who is Williams' agent. "It's safe to say there were some differences of opinion of where it was headed. We have guys here, (pro personnel director) Reggie McKenzie and (personnel analyst for the general manager) John Schneider, that have touched base with all those (pending free agents) and certainly have talked to Corey's people and let them know we still like him and still would like to have him on the team."
Williams is the Packers' lone unrestricted free agent of note — he started nine games, and his seven sacks was third on the team and tops among the club's defensive tackles. The Packers will be about $25 million under the cap when the new league year begins, so they have the money to pay Williams a sizeable contract, but defensive tackle is their deepest position, and Thompson has helped build a healthy cap by being careful about the salary structure of the roster.
Though Williams probably was their best pass rusher at defensive tackle, the Packers have an up-and-coming defensive tackle of even more promise in third-year pro Johnny Jolly, who arguably was playing better than Williams before his season ended with a shoulder injury in the 10th game. Jolly had surgery and faces a relatively long comeback, though the Packers expect him ready for the start of training camp at the latest.
The Packers also return starter Ryan Pickett, their best run stopper, and Justin Harrell, their first-round draft pick last year. They'll be looking for Harrell to make a major jump from his nondescript rookie season after spending this offseason in their workout program.
"We're big believers in improving from within," Thompson said, "and we'd expect all of our players, including Justin, to improve. We felt like we made great strides last offseason, and I think that's the reason we were successful this season as a team is our individual players worked very hard and got better. Each of them improved in areas they needed to improve. So yeah, we'd hope for improvement from everyone, including Justin."
Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth will be the best defensive tackle available in free agency if he hits the open market, but chances are he won't. If the Titans don't re-sign him soon, they're expected to use their franchise tag on him, which will make him all but unavailable because it will cost another team two first-round draft picks as compensation to sign him. Williams at 27 might be the next-best defensive tackle on some or many teams' boards, so he could be looking at guaranteed money as high as $10 million on the open market from a team desperate for a starting-caliber defensive tackle.
By comparison, Pickett in 2006 signed a four-year deal with the Packers that included $6.5 million in first-year pay and averages about $4 million a season.
Along with how hard to pursue Williams, Thompson has several other decisions to make this month. Among those are to map out a plan for free agency; whether to bring back highly paid veterans Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Bubba Franks; and what tenders to offer to his restricted free agents.
Thompson was unusually inactive in free agency last year, when the only unrestricted free agent he signed was backup cornerback Frank Walker, who signed a one-year deal won't be back. With the $25 million in cap room and a team that advanced to the NFC championship game, Thompson probably will be more active in free agency in an attempt to get the team over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
Judging by his first three offseasons running the Packers, Thompson is less likely to pursue the most-coveted free agents, who generally sign inflated deals in the first few days of free agency, and more likely to go after players still on the market after a week or 10 days. The Packers could use an upgrade at any number of positions — a tight end, a starting guard, a linebacker, an outside pass rusher, a cornerback — and Thompson and his scouting staff will have to decide whether the draft or free agency offers better opportunities at each spot.
Thompson also will have to decide whether to pursue a pay cut from Gbaja-Biamila as a pass-rush specialist. Gbaja-Biamila, 30, will make a base salary of $6.15 million in '08. He plays a crucial pass-rush role, but that might be on the high side for a part-time player who had a solid but not great season (9½ sacks). The best pass rushers who could be free agents probably won't make the open market — Kansas City President Carl Peterson has said he'll use the franchise tag on defensive end Jared Allen, and the Baltimore Ravens are expected to do the same with defensive end-outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.
Franks' base salary for '08 is $3 million and he's due a $500,000 roster bonus in March, but he's had a chronic knee injury the past couple of years that sidelined him for eight games last season. If the 30-year-old Franks doesn't accept a substantial pay cut, the Packers will have to consider cutting ties with him.
The Packers' two restricted free agents are defensive tackle Colin Cole and halfback Vernand Morency. Cole helped make defensive tackle the team's deepest position last year before a broken forearm ended his season in the fourth game. He's a good candidate for the $927,000 minimum tender — the Packers then will retain the right to match any deal he signs with another team but won't get compensation if they don't match because he entered the league as an undrafted rookie. If they think another team would sign him, they could offer the second-round tender of $1.417 million, and have the right to match or get a second-round pick as compensation.
The decision with Morency is whether to tender him at all because of patellar-tendon injury that limited him all last season and could be a chronic problem. The minimum tender in effect will guarantee his return to the Packers, because he entered the league as a third-round pick, and it's a certainty no NFL team would give up that high a draft pick to sign him.
Thompson also might consider signing former Packers guard Mike Wahle to compete for a starting job. Carolina cut the 30-year-old Wahle on Monday.
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com February 12, 2008
The odds look long on the Green Bay Packers re-signing defensive tackle Corey Williams, though they haven't given up on it.
The Packers have been in contact with Williams' agent, and the sides have discussed contract parameters. But considering the possibility Williams could be the most coveted defensive tackle available in a thin free-agent crop this offseason, he could be in for a payday on the open market that General Manager Ted Thompson would consider too steep because of the Packers' depth at that position.
Thompson could use the Packers' franchise tag on Williams by the Feb. 21 deadline, and said Monday he has not ruled out that possibility, though the $6.263 million tender would be high for a rotational player at a deep position. If the Packers don't sign or tag him, Williams becomes an unrestricted free agent Feb. 29.
"I'd say ongoing," Thompson said of the Packers' talks with Mitch Frankel, who is Williams' agent. "It's safe to say there were some differences of opinion of where it was headed. We have guys here, (pro personnel director) Reggie McKenzie and (personnel analyst for the general manager) John Schneider, that have touched base with all those (pending free agents) and certainly have talked to Corey's people and let them know we still like him and still would like to have him on the team."
Williams is the Packers' lone unrestricted free agent of note — he started nine games, and his seven sacks was third on the team and tops among the club's defensive tackles. The Packers will be about $25 million under the cap when the new league year begins, so they have the money to pay Williams a sizeable contract, but defensive tackle is their deepest position, and Thompson has helped build a healthy cap by being careful about the salary structure of the roster.
Though Williams probably was their best pass rusher at defensive tackle, the Packers have an up-and-coming defensive tackle of even more promise in third-year pro Johnny Jolly, who arguably was playing better than Williams before his season ended with a shoulder injury in the 10th game. Jolly had surgery and faces a relatively long comeback, though the Packers expect him ready for the start of training camp at the latest.
The Packers also return starter Ryan Pickett, their best run stopper, and Justin Harrell, their first-round draft pick last year. They'll be looking for Harrell to make a major jump from his nondescript rookie season after spending this offseason in their workout program.
"We're big believers in improving from within," Thompson said, "and we'd expect all of our players, including Justin, to improve. We felt like we made great strides last offseason, and I think that's the reason we were successful this season as a team is our individual players worked very hard and got better. Each of them improved in areas they needed to improve. So yeah, we'd hope for improvement from everyone, including Justin."
Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth will be the best defensive tackle available in free agency if he hits the open market, but chances are he won't. If the Titans don't re-sign him soon, they're expected to use their franchise tag on him, which will make him all but unavailable because it will cost another team two first-round draft picks as compensation to sign him. Williams at 27 might be the next-best defensive tackle on some or many teams' boards, so he could be looking at guaranteed money as high as $10 million on the open market from a team desperate for a starting-caliber defensive tackle.
By comparison, Pickett in 2006 signed a four-year deal with the Packers that included $6.5 million in first-year pay and averages about $4 million a season.
Along with how hard to pursue Williams, Thompson has several other decisions to make this month. Among those are to map out a plan for free agency; whether to bring back highly paid veterans Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Bubba Franks; and what tenders to offer to his restricted free agents.
Thompson was unusually inactive in free agency last year, when the only unrestricted free agent he signed was backup cornerback Frank Walker, who signed a one-year deal won't be back. With the $25 million in cap room and a team that advanced to the NFC championship game, Thompson probably will be more active in free agency in an attempt to get the team over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
Judging by his first three offseasons running the Packers, Thompson is less likely to pursue the most-coveted free agents, who generally sign inflated deals in the first few days of free agency, and more likely to go after players still on the market after a week or 10 days. The Packers could use an upgrade at any number of positions — a tight end, a starting guard, a linebacker, an outside pass rusher, a cornerback — and Thompson and his scouting staff will have to decide whether the draft or free agency offers better opportunities at each spot.
Thompson also will have to decide whether to pursue a pay cut from Gbaja-Biamila as a pass-rush specialist. Gbaja-Biamila, 30, will make a base salary of $6.15 million in '08. He plays a crucial pass-rush role, but that might be on the high side for a part-time player who had a solid but not great season (9½ sacks). The best pass rushers who could be free agents probably won't make the open market — Kansas City President Carl Peterson has said he'll use the franchise tag on defensive end Jared Allen, and the Baltimore Ravens are expected to do the same with defensive end-outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.
Franks' base salary for '08 is $3 million and he's due a $500,000 roster bonus in March, but he's had a chronic knee injury the past couple of years that sidelined him for eight games last season. If the 30-year-old Franks doesn't accept a substantial pay cut, the Packers will have to consider cutting ties with him.
The Packers' two restricted free agents are defensive tackle Colin Cole and halfback Vernand Morency. Cole helped make defensive tackle the team's deepest position last year before a broken forearm ended his season in the fourth game. He's a good candidate for the $927,000 minimum tender — the Packers then will retain the right to match any deal he signs with another team but won't get compensation if they don't match because he entered the league as an undrafted rookie. If they think another team would sign him, they could offer the second-round tender of $1.417 million, and have the right to match or get a second-round pick as compensation.
The decision with Morency is whether to tender him at all because of patellar-tendon injury that limited him all last season and could be a chronic problem. The minimum tender in effect will guarantee his return to the Packers, because he entered the league as a third-round pick, and it's a certainty no NFL team would give up that high a draft pick to sign him.
Thompson also might consider signing former Packers guard Mike Wahle to compete for a starting job. Carolina cut the 30-year-old Wahle on Monday.
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