TOP FREE AGENT SAFETIES.....POOF

[3irty1]

Yes. They have 3.374 times the population of Wisconsin.

I guess what I should have said is "There is a reason Florida is a FA magnet." Which is true for all sports. All 3 of the Florida teams are bottom 10 in attendance though and the bucs and jags routinely get blacked out. Maybe Jacksonville isn't a nfl cancer specifically created for an elaborate tax-dodging conspiracy but I won't apologize for asking the tough questions

[HarveyWallbangers]

Ward is a guy that I didn't want in Green Bay. Wrong fit and he had one good contract year. Lang is a good player. To say he has been a weak spot for years is ludicrous. He's not at Sitton's level, but a good player nonetheless. I was actually hoping the Packers might go for a guy like Malcolm Jenkins, but then I saw the price tag (close to $6M/yr, wasn't it?). I'd so no thanks at that price. I'm not convinced that Micah Hyde couldn't be the answer at safety, but I'm sure the Packers will look to safeties at draft time also.

[Smidgeon]

To me, contracts fluctuate year in and year out. A few years back, it was the WR contracts. This year it's the CB contracts that are going up. And the safety contracts going down. They aren't static year to year, so comparing contracts signed this year to contracts signed a year or two ago seems to miss the changing market. Yeah, the safety contracts may look like bargains compared to last year, but with a moving floor, I'm not sure that justifies just going out and getting a safety. If TT and team identified that the cost of a safety was decreasing, they were wise to adjust their spending accordingly. That's how good businesses stay in business (and how good cap managers stay under the cap).

On the other hand, does it really matter if players x, y, or z are overpaid on our team if we have the fifth or sixth most salary cap space in the league? Having those players "overpaid" (which is an arbitrary designation often hotly debated by fans) does not affect our ability to sign anyone. Rodgers and the Claymaker just got two of the largest deals in team history, several players on the team are "overpaid", and we could still go out and get whomever we wanted. Makes the "overpaid or not" debate completely irrelevant to me.

[3irty1]

To me, contracts fluctuate year in and year out. A few years back, it was the WR contracts. This year it's the CB contracts that are going up. And the safety contracts going down. They aren't static year to year, so comparing contracts signed this year to contracts signed a year or two ago seems to miss the changing market. Yeah, the safety contracts may look like bargains compared to last year, but with a moving floor, I'm not sure that justifies just going out and getting a safety. If TT and team identified that the cost of a safety was decreasing, they were wise to adjust their spending accordingly. That's how good businesses stay in business (and how good cap managers stay under the cap).

On the other hand, does it really matter if players x, y, or z are overpaid on our team if we have the fifth or sixth most salary cap space in the league? Having those players "overpaid" (which is an arbitrary designation often hotly debated by fans) does not affect our ability to sign anyone. Rodgers and the Claymaker just got two of the largest deals in team history, several players on the team are "overpaid", and we could still go out and get whomever we wanted. Makes the "overpaid or not" debate completely irrelevant to me.

Great point.

[Zool]

LT has been our weak spot since Clifton left. RT hasn't been much better other than when Bulaga is healthy. Center was merely adequate last year. Lang is a player and if we lost him, you would notice (or maybe not since no one seems to notice that Baktiari isn't all that)

Lang isn't fantastic, but he's light years ahead of Marshmallow or EDS or Barclay. Red calling him the weak link is either ranting or lying.

[red]

To me, contracts fluctuate year in and year out. A few years back, it was the WR contracts. This year it's the CB contracts that are going up. And the safety contracts going down. They aren't static year to year, so comparing contracts signed this year to contracts signed a year or two ago seems to miss the changing market. Yeah, the safety contracts may look like bargains compared to last year, but with a moving floor, I'm not sure that justifies just going out and getting a safety. If TT and team identified that the cost of a safety was decreasing, they were wise to adjust their spending accordingly. That's how good businesses stay in business (and how good cap managers stay under the cap).

On the other hand, does it really matter if players x, y, or z are overpaid on our team if we have the fifth or sixth most salary cap space in the league? Having those players "overpaid" (which is an arbitrary designation often hotly debated by fans) does not affect our ability to sign anyone. Rodgers and the Claymaker just got two of the largest deals in team history, several players on the team are "overpaid", and we could still go out and get whomever we wanted. Makes the "overpaid or not" debate completely irrelevant to me.

no it doesn't. but why are people so terrified of "overpaying" on other peoples free agents, when they clearly don't have a problem with overpaying our own?

[red]

Lang isn't fantastic, but he's light years ahead of Marshmallow or EDS or Barclay. Red calling him the weak link is either ranting or lying.

i actually think our whole o-line is greatly over rated, they can't pass block for shit imo, and we're a pass-first team

i've just never been impressed with lang, sitton is way better IMO (its not even close), but they make just about the same coin

[call_me_ishmael]

Clemmons is still there. Are you also saying this is the right year to overpay?

It's not overpaying. It's the market rate.

[Zool]

i actually think our whole o-line is greatly over rated, they can't pass block for shit imo, and we're a pass-first team

i've just never been impressed with lang, sitton is way better IMO (its not even close), but they make just about the same coin

I'll give you they aren't the best in the league, but think back to Darryn Colledge starting at RG for a few years. Think back to Newhouse the turnstile last year. Lang is decent. You can't have a probowler at every position. It's just not possible.

[ThunderDan]

I'll give you they aren't the best in the league, but think back to Darryn Colledge starting at RG for a few years. Think back to Newhouse the turnstile last year. Lang is decent. You can't have a probowler at every position. It's just not possible.

Sure it is. And if you don't its proof that your GM sucks.

Of course we had a Pro Bowl Center in 2012 who got benched at the end of the year he was so BAD. So I don't put as much into who is a Pro Bowler or not as some people do.

[red]

I'll give you they aren't the best in the league, but think back to Darryn Colledge starting at RG for a few years. Think back to Newhouse the turnstile last year. Lang is decent. You can't have a probowler at every position. It's just not possible.

but thats just it, he's paid near pro bowl money

calling him the weak link might have been a bit much, but i do think he's replaceable, and for cheaper

[Smidgeon]

i actually think our whole o-line is greatly over rated, they can't pass block for shit imo, and we're a pass-first team

i've just never been impressed with lang, sitton is way better IMO (its not even close), but they make just about the same coin

I prefer this o-line over the Barbre as RT and Newhouse as LT days. Greatly.

Not saying this one's all-world, but it has better potential than it did in the days of what's his name notching 5 sacks against us in one half.

[Zool]

but thats just it, he's paid near pro bowl money

calling him the weak link might have been a bit much, but i do think he's replaceable, and for cheaper

I'll give you that's possible, but I'd much rather keep him and get someone better to replace EDS and Marshmallow. EDS should be a backup and Newhouse is flat out terrible.

[Fritz]

A top notch rookie safety can come in and play - to me, Clinton-Dix is the most NFL-ready guy.

I hear that Jimmie Ward has skills, but is he another four-years-to-develop prospect like Nick Collins was?

And how about the Wisconsin guy? What's the word, you Badger people?

[mraynrand]

Ward is a fine player but he doesn't really play the same position as the others we're talking about here. Ward is not a great coverage player and strong safeties in that mold aren't in short supply. I wouldn't want him at that contract in GB.

yeah, and his coverage skills were on display at the end of last season. They were not enviable.