Packers re-sign Shields, 4 year $39 million

[Patler]

3 years/$11 million and a $3 million dollar bonus. If we are complaining that this is the worst overpaid offense on the Packers, then we are scraping the bottom of the barrel. If something came along better, a) he would be starting, b) Jones could be cut with minimum ramifications.

I still think he is the best coverage option at ILB though Francois is a ball magnet, but he did not improve versus the run.

Of all the concerns on the D, replacing him, not the money, is the concern.

Exactly. I believe the Jones contract was a very good one for the team. Would it be better to have a better player? Absolutely, and with the contract the way it is, they could dump Jones for a better guy at anytime they find the better guy. In the mean time, with the salary cap now supporting 53 players at $2.5M/player (I know, you actually pay more players than that) he isn't being paid a crippling salary.

[PlantPage55]

3 years/$11 million and a $3 million dollar bonus. If we are complaining that this is the worst overpaid offense on the Packers, then we are scraping the bottom of the barrel. If something came along better, a) he would be starting, b) Jones could be cut with minimum ramifications.

I still think he is the best coverage option at ILB though Francois is a ball magnet, but he did not improve versus the run.

Of all the concerns on the D, replacing him, not the money, is the concern.

Exactly. And actually, Jones is the only one that makes me feel even a little bad, because I never thought he was starting material in the first place. But fans sometimes act like we're hemorrhaging money for this guy, when really it's not that bad. Sure, overpaying everyone a little adds up to a lot, but Brad Jones is the only one I can find it in my heart to feel bad about.

The price of doing business means overpaying. Fans who want to see us spend in FA can expect that, whether we're signing our own or somebody else's.

[Packman_26]

3 years/$11 million and a $3 million dollar bonus. If we are complaining that this is the worst overpaid offense on the Packers, then we are scraping the bottom of the barrel. If something came along better, a) he would be starting, b) Jones could be cut with minimum ramifications.

I still think he is the best coverage option at ILB though Francois is a ball magnet, but he did not improve versus the run.

Of all the concerns on the D, replacing him, not the money, is the concern.

Right on the money. Jones cap number for the next 2 years is $4 million each season. If they cut him this offseason it would be a $2 million cap hit. If that is your worst contract you are doing pretty good.
But really, if they are able to make the moves that they want to make should we be concerned about individual salaries? I don't say that to say to discount the subject amongst fans but rather to say that until the Packers are unable to sign or retain someone that they want to have, its not really a problem is it?
We can argue Thompson's philosophy of draft and develop. But if we accept that its the system the Packers will be operating under for the foreseeable future, they will have to keep their own potential stars as they aren't going to come from any other place. Will this move (or Raji's rumored deal) prevent them from signing Cobb or Nelson or any other Packers upcoming free agents? I think that answer is no.

[BZnDallas]

This seems like a fair deal for both sides currently and could turn into a deal for the Packers in the second half of the deal... With the tag number being 12 million, that is the starting point of negotiations for elite shutdown CB play... 10 mil per year that Shields is getting sounds like market price for a no. 1 corner... he as the ability to go out on any given Sunday and shut down a Calvin or a Brandon... he's not going to do it every Sunday, but the ability is there... i'm fine with the singing and i'm pretty happy TT got it done...

[HarveyWallbangers]

Everson Griffen just got almost $9M/year from the Vikings. Does that make us feel better about the Shields signing? While he is a decent player with good potential, he's performed nowhere near the level that Shields has. I'm not saying that a bad move for the Vikings, but I think this might be a year where we have some "he got what?" thoughts. The cap went up, and it's supposed to go up A LOT in a couple of years, so salaries may jump to head scratching level this offseason.

[red]

people keep saying that the jones deal isn't a bad deal for a starter (2.5 to 4.5 million a year)

no its not a bad deal, FOR A STARTER. and thats where the problem comes in. jones should not be a starter, and he's never shown that he could be a starter imo. at best he is a decent backup, and backup LB's should not be making 4 million dollars a year, they should be guys on rookie deal, or vets making closer to the minimum

yes, we can easily get out of the deal, and i think we should, because 4 million this year for a backup quality guy is way too much imo

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Got to agree with red about Brad Jones. I hated the contract then and I hate it now. He's not an adequate starter and if it requires 4 million to keep him as a stop gap then I would have let him go. Lattimore or the like could have also been serviceable stop gaps. Not a good use of money.

[KYPack]

Well Red, I'll join you over on the "Dark Side" for a bit. From what I've seen, one of the ILB spots is a place where you can get a decent player for a value price. Two coaches seem to be able to do that quite a bit. Belichick and Mike Zimmer know the league talent and get good guys at an inside backer spot. BB picked up Junior Seau at the end of his career and he filled in really well at an ILB job. I saw Zimmer sign a guy the Raiders cut, Thomas Howard who played at a high level for Cincy. Scott Fujita was also on the NFL scrap heap when NO picked him up. Scott gave the Saints a good run at ILB at a pro Bowl level.

There any number of inside backer vets every year that could be had at less than Jones' price. I am sick of waiting for this guy to pop. Really, I've never seen him return to his rookie level of play when he was at LOLB.

We can use the extra jing this would save. We need to sign a small village of DLineman, we could save at the backer spot to do that.

[Patler]

Howard was signed to a 2 year contract for $6.5M. I don't know how much was guaranteed.
Fujita was signed to a 3 years, $14M contract with $8M guaranteed.

Can't find the info on Seau.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Howard was signed to a 2 year contract for $6.5M. I don't know how much was guaranteed.
Fujita was signed to a 3 years, $14M contract with $8M guaranteed.

Can't find the info on Seau.

And those guys were better players.

[red]

And those guys were better players.

agreed

those are real starters, and team leader type vets

[Patler]

And those guys were better players.

Fujita anyway. I don't know much about Howard, to be honest.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/249201491.html

Good article. Not sure way he thinks its a "pretty good bet" Raji signs the one year deal though. Does he know something we don't?

[red]

Howard was signed to a 2 year contract for $6.5M. I don't know how much was guaranteed.
Fujita was signed to a 3 years, $14M contract with $8M guaranteed.

Can't find the info on Seau.

you looking for when he signed with the pats?

this isn't a very reputable site, but they have him making a million a year when he was with the pats

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nfl/junior-seau-net-worth/

[Patler]

you looking for when he signed with the pats?

this isn't a very reputable site, but they have him making a million a year when he was with the pats

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/ric...eau-net-worth/

That seems to be right, I have since found a couple places that mentioned the $1M/year, and I have somewhat of a recollection of that. But he never really played much for them. Didn't he end up on IR the first year he signed with them? He played only in spots the next couple years.