Don’t Be Surprised If the Green Bay Packers Release Donald Driver: Fan’s Take

[KYPack]

Derrick Mason was a return guy for Baltimore and Tennessee while sitting atop the depth chart at WR. Your ST guys don't necessarily have to come from #4's and #5's. If DD can play the WR position better than his potential replacement at #5 on the depth chart then I think he stays, whether he can play ST's or not. Being the #1 CB didn't stop Charles Woodson from playing ST's, being #2 WR didn't stop Greg Jennings or Jordy Nelson from playing ST's, being #3 and #4 WR won't stop Randall Cobb and James Jones from playing ST's this year. Our #5 WR can just play WR, because our ST's don't need him and they don't need a replacement. Special teams aside, if you can come up with a better #5 WR than Donald Driver in the entire National Football League then I'm all for moving on, but I can't think of one.

Derrick Mason returned punts for Tennessee when he was a youngblood. He never took back a kick for the Ravens, Jets
or Texans.
ST is for the young WR's, DB's and LB's.

[pbmax]

Derrick Mason returned punts for Tennessee when he was a youngblood. He never took back a kick for the Ravens, Jets
or Texans.
ST is for the young WR's, DB's and LB's.

And Darrel Green.

[Smidgeon]

league minimum would be an insult to DD. the Packers would never do that. asking him to take a realistic cut that both would be ok with is another story. he's more than a 5 anyway.

Not on the Packers in 2012.

[Cleft Crusty]

I felt the same way. I'm about over this citizen journalist stuff. Just because a column is published on some website doesn't mean that it has much merit.

I resemble this remark

[swede]

I resemble this remark

The remark was old, heavy, dependent upon pharmaceutical assistance, angioplastied three times and in renal failure?

[Joemailman]

The remark was old, heavy, dependent upon pharmaceutical assistance, angioplastied three times and in renal failure?

You forgot about cranky.

[Smeefers]

Not on the Packers in 2012.

Hence the problem. There's nothing wrong with him heading off into the sunset on some other team where he can try and teach his brand of receiving to a group that most likely needs it. Jerry Rice left the 9rs at the twilight of his career too. Some team may see value in him and sign him for more money than we think he's worth and that's all good. Next year, the best he can do though is 4 on the depth chart ahead of only Jones and I realistically don't see that happening. Who knows though? He might beat out Jones and Cobb again and stay at #3 but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Little Whiskey]

These Yahoo Fan's Takes articles are terrible. I don't bother wasting my time reading them. Makes me appreciate professional sports writers.

these are the same dumbasses that wrote and article about why it made sense to trade Braun to the yankees.

[Smidgeon]

Hence the problem. There's nothing wrong with him heading off into the sunset on some other team where he can try and teach his brand of receiving to a group that most likely needs it. Jerry Rice left the 9rs at the twilight of his career too. Some team may see value in him and sign him for more money than we think he's worth and that's all good. Next year, the best he can do though is 4 on the depth chart ahead of only Jones and I realistically don't see that happening. Who knows though? He might beat out Jones and Cobb again and stay at #3 but I wouldn't hold my breath.

He had fewer yards, catches, TDs, and yards per catch than Jones this year. What're the odds he beats him out next year? I say none. Randall Cobb was the only receiver who had fewer catches, and I expect he'll break out next year with a full offseason.

[pbmax]

The remark was old, heavy, dependent upon pharmaceutical assistance, angioplastied three times and in renal failure?

That's how you know its the voice of experience.

[Gunakor]

Then the problem is paying our #5 millions of dollars.

Not necessarily. It's only a problem if it prevents us from signing the rookie draftees, Wells, and Finley. If Ted can do those things and still fit Driver's millions under the cap then it's no problem at all.

[Gunakor]

All I'm saying is that's normally around what a #5 WR makes. If he makes more than that, he's raking us over the coals if he is indeed the #5 next year.

Driver wouldn't be your normal #5 WR. You wouldn't expect him to make what a #5 normally makes. He's not raking us over the coals unless we have to sacrifice something important to keep him.

Ted would know better than any of us what Driver is worth at this stage of his career, and if the appropriate compensation for that value is detrimental to his efforts to build and retain a championship caliber football team. Until HE says that Driver costs too much to keep around then I am left to assume that isn't the case.

[Smeefers]

Driver wouldn't be your normal #5 WR. You wouldn't expect him to make what a #5 normally makes. He's not raking us over the coals unless we have to sacrifice something important to keep him.

Ted would know better than any of us what Driver is worth at this stage of his career, and if the appropriate compensation for that value is detrimental to his efforts to build and retain a championship caliber football team. Until HE says that Driver costs too much to keep around then I am left to assume that isn't the case.

Well, of course Ted knows better than us. I don't think he's going to deal with this shit storm until Driver's bags are already packed. All we can do is speculate so him not saying anything doesn't really bolster your argument.

I think we would have to sacrifice something to keep him. Cap space and a roster spot. Now, I understand that if nobody is using the money, why not give it to Driver. Unfortunately that's just bad business. Having cap space is imperative to growing the franchise with talent. Are you willing to give up an up and coming receiver to keep an ageing veteran? When does it come time to say that yes, Driver can help us now, but Gurley can help us out in 2014.

I also believe that the #5 wr spot is not where you want to have overpaid back ups sitting. I understand overpaying on a back up linebacker or DL or Lb or a highly paid nickel guy. They're going to see the field in a pretty regular rotation and having a solid replacement is crucial. The same cannot be said for the #5. Cobb barely saw the field last year, with 5 guys ahead of him who were getting way more reps and for a variety of reasons no one saw that as a problem. The same is not going to be said about Driver. Would you bring in an aging veteran and over pay him to play third string?

The biggest point I'd like to make is that Driver could be a #3 on 25 teams in the NFL. He could be a #2 on a large number as well. The problem is that he's getting paid like that right now. He still has gas in the tank, it's just that the needle just started hoovering around empty and it's a guessing game on when the car's going to die.

[Gunakor]

When does it come time to say that yes, Driver can help us now, but Gurley can help us out in 2014.

That depends. Is Gurley going to become a star with said development, or is he going to be our #5 year after year like Brett Swain was? Because I'd let Swain rot on the PS for as long as he wants to be there before I'd give up Driver to open up a roster spot. Just because Gurley turned down a roster offer from the Vikings doesn't mean he's ever gonna be better than Driver.

[Pugger]

http://packersnews.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120210/PKR01/120210198/Green-Bay-Packers-WR-Donald-Driver-willing-to-take-a-pay-cut-to-stay-with-the-team?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|PKR-News