Cullen Jenkins...

[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.