Nick Perry released.

[pbmax]

But he's an important cog this year.

I'd say more Sprocket.

[mission]

And besides Peppers, there's no one better on the team than Perry at strip-sacks. In fact, I'd be surprised if his caused fumble : sack ratio isn't the best on the team. Now sure, he hasn't stayed healthy enough to make his numbers anything more than a small sample.

[Pugger]

I hated the Perry pick and that never changed until now. I was wrong. Capers has him playing to his strengths and he's developed a speed rush to go with his power. The way he's played this season, he looks like a 10+ sack guy. Very good pass rusher and run down player.

This might be the first year he is relatively healthy too. I don't think it is a coincidence the defense is better with him playing better.

[gbgary]

I'd say more Sprocket.

did you say sprocket?

[vince]

Yeah if he stays healthy this year, he's gonna get paid by someone - not likely the Packers though I don't think.

If there were someone out their tracking a disruptivity factor per snap stat - adjusted for injury - for the 130 or so 3-4 OLB and 4-3 DE's in the league, I think Perry would fit into a tier that reaches well into the top half of the league and ends before you get to the "average" group.

Bill Polian said that to win in this salary cap era you need a franchise QB who's going to make about 15% of your cap by himself. Then about a dozen or so vets who will make up the core of your team will consume about 50%. Then the other 50 guys plus dead money (though 10 are on the PS but they now count against the cap too) get the remaining 35% which means they need to be on vet min and/or rookie deals.

Perry's right on the border in terms of being worthy of fitting into that core vet group in my opinion. If you're going to have to pay him full value when healthy, that's a gamble Ted might not be able to afford to take.

2016 Cap Hits on the books
Rodgers $19.25

Core Group - $80 mil
Matthews $13.75
Peppers $10.5
Shields $12.125
Sitton $6.6
Lang $6.2
Cobb $9.15
Burnett $6.05
Nelson $8.8
Bulaga $5.6

Potential Value Players - $13 mil
D. Jones $2.5
Dix $2.3
Randall $1.8
Masthay (or his replacement) $1.5
Lacy $1.1
Adams $1.1
Bakh, DickRod, Rollins, Hyde, Palmer $.8 each

That's at least $125 mil with dead cap, PS and contingency fund.

Then you have
Daniels - pay the man. Core guy and has the work ethic to get better. Low bust potential and the right age. $5 mil with backload (Teddy don't like backloading but he's been doing it and he's going to have to do it again here)
Raji - $5 mil. I'm signing him over Perry if possible. Both have bust potential when they get paid but at the same price I think Raji's more valuable.
Guion - $4 mil.
Crosby - $2 mil.
J.Jones - $2 mil is a bargain the way he's playing. MAYBE there's room with Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Janis, Abby already in-house.

That's $145 mil. on 26 guys. Cut Peppers and Masthay and that drops it down to $134 on 24 guys likely on the books.

$26 mil left for the other 29 guys. That's assuming the following are NOT re-signed.
Neal
Perry
Hayward
Starks
Quarless
Barclay
Goode
Kuhn

Plus in 2017 it gets even more challenging with Sitton, Lang, Bakh, Tretter, and Lacy to sign (or their replacements) and not enough money to do it with after another $12 mil in additional built-in backloaded cap hits from Rodgers, Matthews, Cobb, Nelson, Bulaga, Burnett deals.

Plus in 2017 Elliott, Pennel, Barrington, Boyd, and Thomas - though these guys will all be available on the cheap.

No Peppers, Neal or Perry leaves them mighty thin at OLB but the cap's getting tighter and tighter. There are gonna be some guys who will sign elsewhere for more than Ted's going to be able to afford in the next couple years.

Draft well Ted - and hopefully you're doing it right at the bottom of each round.

[pbmax]

Packers could benefit from GMs not knowing what Perry looks like.



He does have 8 tackles, 2 assts, 1 FF and 3 sacks. If he keeps it up, its going to be hard for him not to land a good deal. As odd as this seems to say, he might be headed for that weird place where he is took expensive as a backup to keep but not healthy enough (or good enough when dinged up) to start.

He's Matt Flynn.

[red]

surprise surprise

he's hurt again