Ted Thompson, Master Recruiter?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Funny. This from an agent (or former agent).

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Let-the-recruiting-wars-begin.html

The Packers are also seasoned recruiters. Their GM isn’t overly outgoing but he’s direct, honest and straight to the point. HC Mike McCarthy knows that visiting Green Bay in a chilly March can be tricky. However, Mike and the Packers is an easy sell for any player who is serious about winning. They also play on Sunday and Monday nights more than any other NFL team.

[woodbuck27]

Funny. This from an agent (or former agent).

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ars-begin.html

" The Packers are also seasoned recruiters. Their GM isn’t overly outgoing but he’s direct, honest and straight to the point. HC Mike McCarthy knows that visiting Green Bay in a chilly March can be tricky. However, Mike and the Packers is an easy sell for any player who is serious about winning. They also play on Sunday and Monday nights more than any other NFL team. "

That's all well and good but the bottom line in terms of Free Agents is in this sentence:

Give me the money.

Wait until you see just how far apart the offer to Wes Welker was between the Pats offer and the one that secured his skills for the Denver Broncos. Would you imagine they are far apart?

[Guiness]

" The Packers are also seasoned recruiters. Their GM isn’t overly outgoing but he’s direct, honest and straight to the point. HC Mike McCarthy knows that visiting Green Bay in a chilly March can be tricky. However, Mike and the Packers is an easy sell for any player who is serious about winning. They also play on Sunday and Monday nights more than any other NFL team. "

That's all well and good but the bottom line in terms of Free Agents is in this sentence:

Give me the money.

Wait until you see just how far apart the offer to Wes Welker was between the Pats offer and the one that secured his skills for the Denver Broncos. Would you imagine they are far apart?

I imagine we're highly unlikely to find out.

[denverYooper]

I imagine we're highly unlikely to find out.

Just heard it on denver sports yak driving home:

2 years 12 mil from Denver,
2 years, 10 mil on the table in NE.

[woodbuck27]

Just heard it on denver sports yak driving home:

2 years 12 mil from Denver,
2 years, 10 mil on the table in NE.

There you go. 'Only $1 Million$ / Year.

These guys have pride. These guys have ego. That's alot of what took them to the top. It must be respected/considered in contract negotiations.

It's never good to 'low ball' a star player, and especially that, when the NFL as a whole respects that players 'star power'.

[Patler]

There you go. 'Only $1 Million$ / Year.

These guys have pride. These guys have ego. That's alot of what took them to the top. It must be respected/considered in contract negotiations.

It's never good to 'low ball' a star player, and especially that, when the NFL as a whole respects that players 'star power'.

I disagree with the characterization. In my opinion, what you describe is not pride, it's greed. Very few pro athletes have pride anymore. Most do have greed in abundance.

A proud athlete takes his greatest satisfaction in his personal contribution to his teams success, not in the size of his paycheck (Guys like Welker are plenty wealthy, regardless). A proud Wes Welker would say remaining a Patriot means more that $1M a year (of which he would see maybe 40%).

Just my opinion.

[woodbuck27]

I disagree with the characterization. In my opinion, what you describe is not pride, it's greed. Very few pro athletes have pride anymore. Most do have greed in abundance.

A proud athlete takes his greatest satisfaction in his personal contribution to his teams success, not in the size of his paycheck (Guys like Welker are plenty wealthy, regardless). A proud Wes Welker would say remaining a Patriot means more that $1M a year (of which he would see maybe 40%).

Just my opinion.

I'll repeat with 'emphasis':

These guys have pride. These guys have ego.

pride and ego.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Realistically, we have $13M in cap room ($18M less the rookie salary pool). Before I go any further, I realize my numbers might be off slightly. I'm trying to find the best sources I can. I also realize you can do some fuzzy math types of things on contracts and push salaries into future years--which I'm adverse to do. Here's what I'd do this offseason:

1) Extend Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. Realistically, that is going to take upwards of $20M. Rodgers will get a bump from $9-10M/year to around $20M/year. Matthews will get a bump from $4M/year to around $13-14M/year. After these moves, the Packers would need to shave more salaries.
2) Cut A.J. Hawk. That would save close to enough money to get Rodgers and Matthews extended. ILB becomes a bigger need in the draft though--because Bishop and Smith are both coming off injuries.

From here on out, any moves made will require cutting salary. Plus, I'd try to leave some money in the kitty to resign Raji.

3) If Jennings is as or more affordable than Finley, I'd resign him and cut Finley. For me personally, I think Jennings is more important. I realize he's older, but I think he has a few good years left. Yes, he's closing in on 30, but like Driver, he keeps himself in supreme condition. This team was absolutely unstoppable in 2012 with Jennings, Nelson, Jones, and Cobb. Plus, I don't think Finley will be in Green Bay long-term. I do think you need either Jennings or Finley though. If they can't get Jennings for good value, keep Finley but his salary probably needs to be reduced. This is a wash. WR is no longer a high priority in the draft, but a midround priority.
4) If Jackson is affordable, then sign him and cut Tramon Williams. I'm a Williams fan, but he's not the same player since his shoulder injury. This would save around $4M/year. That's why my max on Jackson is in the $4-5M/year range. Personally, I think Shields, House, and Hayward can get the job done. CB becomes a mid draft priority. RB remains a midround priority.
5) If we can extend Raji, then cut Kuhn (save $2M). Perhaps there are some more smaller cuts that can be made to accomodate Raji's extension.

Well, that's it. We can afford Jennings or Finley and Jackson or Williams. If we resigned Jennings and signed Jackson, then the highest priority in the draft is OL, DL, S, and ILB. (Hoping that Nick Perry makes it back from his injury.)

[Cheesehead Craig]

There you go. 'Only $1 Million$ / Year.

These guys have pride. These guys have ego. That's alot of what took them to the top. It must be respected/considered in contract negotiations.

It's never good to 'low ball' a star player, and especially that, when the NFL as a whole respects that players 'star power'.

I think that saying it was just "$1 million/yr" behind why he left is ignoring a lot of the issues between Welker and the Pats. The relationship had been souring for the past year between Welker and the team.

[woodbuck27]

I think that saying it was just "$1 million/yr" behind why he left is ignoring a lot of the issues between Welker and the Pats. The relationship had been souring for the past year between Welker and the team.

Yes I agree.

I think I posted that there has been 'trouble brewing in little New England' between Bill Belichick and Wes Welker on the FA thread Wed. evening March 13,2013.

A big part of a forum is based on how we try to get to the bottom of many matters/issues; as a group of posters arrive on some common ground of 'truth and understanding'.

We're not a bunch of teenage sports fans, arguing anything specific down at the corner store.

GO PACK GO !

[woodbuck27]

Realistically, we have $13M in cap room ($18M less the rookie salary pool). Before I go any further, I realize my numbers might be off slightly. I'm trying to find the best sources I can. I also realize you can do some fuzzy math types of things on contracts and push salaries into future years--which I'm adverse to do. Here's what I'd do this offseason:

1) Extend Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. Realistically, that is going to take upwards of $20M. Rodgers will get a bump from $9-10M/year to around $20M/year. Matthews will get a bump from $4M/year to around $13-14M/year. After these moves, the Packers would need to shave more salaries.
2) Cut A.J. Hawk. That would save close to enough money to get Rodgers and Matthews extended. ILB becomes a bigger need in the draft though--because Bishop and Smith are both coming off injuries.

From here on out, any moves made will require cutting salary. Plus, I'd try to leave some money in the kitty to resign Raji.

3) If Jennings is as or more affordable than Finley, I'd resign him and cut Finley. For me personally, I think Jennings is more important. I realize he's older, but I think he has a few good years left. Yes, he's closing in on 30, but like Driver, he keeps himself in supreme condition. This team was absolutely unstoppable in 2012 with Jennings, Nelson, Jones, and Cobb. Plus, I don't think Finley will be in Green Bay long-term. I do think you need either Jennings or Finley though. If they can't get Jennings for good value, keep Finley but his salary probably needs to be reduced. This is a wash. WR is no longer a high priority in the draft, but a midround priority.
4) If Jackson is affordable, then sign him and cut Tramon Williams. I'm a Williams fan, but he's not the same player since his shoulder injury. This would save around $4M/year. That's why my max on Jackson is in the $4-5M/year range. Personally, I think Shields, House, and Hayward can get the job done. CB becomes a mid draft priority. RB remains a midround priority.
5) If we can extend Raji, then cut Kuhn (save $2M). Perhaps there are some more smaller cuts that can be made to accomodate Raji's extension.

Well, that's it. We can afford Jennings or Finley and Jackson or Williams. If we resigned Jennings and signed Jackson, then the highest priority in the draft is OL, DL, S, and ILB. (Hoping that Nick Perry makes it back from his injury.)

Your plan is IMO overall good.

I'm having some trouble over this $10 million$ as per some source' offer on the table for Greg Jennings. I wouldn't commit that kind of money to Greg Jennings for too long and actually don't feel he's now worth $10 million$ per season against the risk.

Between Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley I'm having difficulty choosing which should stay in Green Bay. Why? In the manner that both have been acting in this past season; I'm of the opinion that the Green Bay Packers may be better without either. I have questions regarding their loyalty and the 'spirit of such' that we saw and I admired in Donald Driver.

Yesterday, we had a poster refer to Greg Jennings facebook account. After going there I'm understanding Greg Jennings alot better. It certainly appears to me that he has something stuck in his craw in terms of his role as a player. I reserve the right to not have to back that assessment up on open forum.

RE: Cutting FB John Kuhn, to save $2 million$ in relation to extending BJ Raji. I'm not a big fan of that before seeing a competant replacement. I also want to see Ted Thompson make a solid move that will strengthen our DL and give BJ Raji and Ryan Pickett some help (relief). That 'most' obviously must be a premier focus of attention now given the status of Jerel Worthy.

If Ted Thompson is going to bring in a talent like Stephen Jackson (at a decent cost to our CAP); he must also be confident in his plans for our OL. In any case, having Stephen Jackson in the Packers backfield is an upgrade from what we have had since Ahman Green was in his prime.

These are some of my thoughts at present and I reserve the right to change them.

GO PACK GO !