Report: Wells Has Picked New Team

[TheRaven]

A 7th round pick who we have tried (and failed) to replace. The guy is great at our offense and would be a huge loss to our line. It is not often he calls the wrong protection and it is not often he makes a blocking mistake. If he signs elsewhere for 5mil or less I will be greatly disappointed if we did not match it.

As an aside, after blindside tackle, center is the most important oline position (39OBALOO) and it pisses me of that they call wr, te, rb and qb as skill positions. Great centers can disect the D similar to qb's and that is an undervalued skill.

Definitely agree with this. I think he will get at least 5 million per from either GB or another team though in the end.

[pbmax]

A 7th round pick who we have tried (and failed) to replace.

Didn't Spitz simply hurt his back?

[ThunderDan]

I don't think the disagreement is that Wells is a quality center in the league. The issue is can you afford $7+ M on a center and keep Matthews, Rodgers, Jennings, and a LT (who commands Clifton money) and not have to start players who are making the league minimum.

Wouldn't it be great to put 4-5M in a ROLB opposite of Clay instead of Walden/Zombo/Jones? Well cap considerations have to be made. You find and pay two superstar OLB and you have less money to spend on the OL.

Remember starting Marquand Manuel and Bigby? How about Klemm and Whiticker when we were in cap hell under Sherman?

[woodbuck27]

I don't think the disagreement is that Wells is a quality center in the league. The issue is can you afford $7+ M on a center and keep Matthews, Rodgers, Jennings, and a LT (who commands Clifton money) and not have to start players who are making the league minimum.

Wouldn't it be great to put 4-5M in a ROLB opposite of Clay instead of Walden/Zombo/Jones? Well cap considerations have to be made. You find and pay two superstar OLB and you have less money to spend on the OL.

Remember starting Marquand Manuel and Bigby? How about Klemm and Whiticker when we were in cap hell under Sherman?

Ted Thompson knows what he can afford to get Scott Wells back in the fold or if he really wants him.

[Upnorth]

I don't think the disagreement is that Wells is a quality center in the league. The issue is can you afford $7+ M on a center and keep Matthews, Rodgers, Jennings, and a LT (who commands Clifton money) and not have to start players who are making the league minimum.

Wouldn't it be great to put 4-5M in a ROLB opposite of Clay instead of Walden/Zombo/Jones? Well cap considerations have to be made. You find and pay two superstar OLB and you have less money to spend on the OL.

Which stud olb is in free agency that would work for us? Until we get a good replacement center try to keep wells.

Also PB, how dare you use facts I had forgotten in this argument! Seriously though aside from Meyer do you see a good replacement (and I'm not sold on meyer) that would work from day 1?

[sharpe1027]

Ted Thompson knows what he can afford to get Scott Wells back in the fold or if he really wants him.

"if he really wants him" kinda of misses ThunderDan's point, which is: if he is willing to make sacrifices elsewhere.

[woodbuck27]

"if he really wants him" kinda of misses ThunderDan's point, which is: if he is willing to make sacrifices elsewhere.

I will reprase that. TT knows his bottom line on what Scott Wells should cost the Packers. I'm sure TT is very concerned over the possibility of having to replace Scott Wells. TT wants him at a particular ceiling price. We're looking at two sides in terms of a bottom line (and payment for services0. We must also consider that Scott Wells for any reason simply wants to move elsewhere.

[ThunderDan]

[QUOTE=Upnorth;657042]Which stud olb is in free agency that would work for us? Until we get a good replacement center try to keep wells.
[QUOTE]

Just an example. No specific player in mind.

[TheRaven]

Just an example. No specific player in mind.

That is kind of the thing though..will we find a OLB in FA for that kind of money that would be a big enough upgrade to justify losing a center that is still in his prime, playing well and knows our system?

I agree our defense needs improvement..I think we all will. But I don't want to mortgage a great offense unless we are truly upgrading our defense enough to make up for it.

[ThunderDan]

That is kind of the thing though..will we find a OLB in FA for that kind of money that would be a big enough upgrade to justify losing a center that is still in his prime, playing well and knows our system?

I agree our defense needs improvement..I think we all will. But I don't want to mortgage a great offense unless we are truly upgrading our defense enough to make up for it.

Well then how about JFin who is now on the books for 6+M. His pay increase is the same as signing a $5M OLB.

[pbmax]

Which stud olb is in free agency that would work for us? Until we get a good replacement center try to keep wells.

Also PB, how dare you use facts I had forgotten in this argument! Seriously though aside from Meyer do you see a good replacement (and I'm not sold on meyer) that would work from day 1?

There was a pro football focus article on the FA centers and I remember McGinn had reports on them as well. Beside the Texans guy (Myers) who was the unanimous #1, there was a lot of disagreement.

So I do not have a suggestion as to who should be signed, but I take from all the bodies available that many are interchangeable and that you simply need to find a fit with your style. Also, with all the teams dumping rather than signing, I think a number of centers are going to disappointed in their numbers. Too many buyers and sellers will drop the price below the top end I believe.

PFT is reporting Wells has left Tennessee and is headed to St. Louis.

[gbpackfan]

Scott Wells is replaced a lot easier than Matthews, Finley, Jennings, Rodgers etc. That is why they can't tie up a boat load of cash on him. Just take a look around the league, a bunch of good high priced centers have been released. That's because it is hard to justify tying up that much of your cap on a center. I know they are important, but Meyers can do the job just as well as Wells. So could three or four guys out there. Im way more concerned about our crappy defense than who will be the center next year.

[Fritz]

So he's making the tour. Okay. I hope that tour ends up back in GB, where he signs at a reasonable price...

But after reading about Megatron's contract, maybe Ted's lowering his offer to Wells, knowing that GJ is up next year.

[denverYooper]

Didn't Spitz simply hurt his back?

Fucking Rock Gullickson

[denverYooper]

I can see it now: Wells walks and signs a relatively cheap deal with Philadelphia. Then Green Bay's offense gives up a bunch of sacks and becomes the 2nd worst statistically. However, Clay Matthews almost singlehandedly keeps Green Bay in games with huge plays every week and the defense rises to become the cream of the crop. We all sit around and talk about how Wells was a key cog in the offense but that hey, he's still giving up some sacks in Philly so he wasn't the whole reason.