JJ Watt being released

[KYPack]

I've seen enough Houston games the last couple of years to be hopeful he still is good. He was doubled teamed or more on virtually every pass play, and he still had some success. Playing next to Clark, and with the Packers' OLBs, he should have a lot more success.

Watt was the most double team edge rusher in the league (30%). The second most double team guy was our Z Smith at 29%. That stat must have the Pack thinking.....

[HarveyWallbangers]

All the speculation about what Watt would or should be willing to sign for is leaving out an important factor. It's not just about whether you do or don't already have enough money. When you accept a discounted offer, especially when you leave a large chunk of money on the table ($10M/year vs. $17M as some are proposing), your decision has a negative effect on the earning power of all the other players in the league. Your "hometown discount" depresses the market, affecting not only guys like Watt who have already banked a considerable amount but also the up and coming guys who are negotiating their second contract. That makes the owners very happy. The players union, not so much.

Is that really true? There have been players who have taken a discount in the twilight of their careers (Tom Brady is the biggest example). It really hasn’t depressed the market.

[Upnorth]

My opinion of watt has trended up a great deal but any team that gave him 17m per is foolishly ignoring his injury risk. 10m per is still a tremendous risk but one I think he could handle in a smart rotation, with less work at the beginning of the year.but

Unfortunately every year there are foolish teams

[Sparkey]

Give him a 5yr/51million deal.
20mil Signing bonus
3mil roster bonus each March (yr 2-5)
Yearly base 1mil, 2mil, 5mil, 6mil
Games played bonus 8+ 500,000; 12+ 500,000
Probowl bonus 250,000 each year

First year cap hit 5 million

[run pMc]

Watt will get 15 sacks per year for a couple more years. And he’s a good run player, instinctive, smart and plays overall defense at a really high level. He’ll be one of the best lineman in football for a few more years.

Except in the last two seasons he's had 4 and 5 sacks respectively. The guy is a month shy of 32 and has an injury history...he's on the downside of his career, he's not a 15 sack-a-year player anymore, but you could get 10 from him which isn't bad at all. Playing with Z, Gary, KC would certainly free someone up on the pass rush, and he's a big improvement over Lowry/Lancaster.

I like him plenty but I just don't know how he's gonna get signed by GB when there are teams like NE with tons of cap space who could make a pitch for him. Gute and Ball have to make more cap room just to sign draft picks.
It's fun to dream and talk about, but consider me very skeptical this signing happens.

[texaspackerbacker]

I like Sparkey's plan too, but I also am thinking it is 50/50 at best we get him.

[bobblehead]

NFL hard cap doesn't mean every last dollar gets spent. Browns had, what, $30M left in cap space in 2021? Salary negotiations regularly take into account recent contracts signed by comparable players.

Under collective bargaining agreements the teams are required to spend a pretty high portion of the cap. They can carry amounts over, but have to meet that number over a given time frame. If JJ signs for league minimum it actually puts MORE money in younger guys pockets, not less.

[GB-Brandon]

Watt isn’t gonna sign for the league minimum nor should he. He played a thousand snaps last season and his advanced metrics rated very high. He was doubled more then anyone else in the entire league. Sacks don’t measure everything. While 17 million is out of question the league minimum is completely ridiculous on the other end of the spectrum.

[Upnorth]

I would like to see a 2 yr heavily incentivised package base 8mil with up to 8 mil for incentives like snaps games pressures and sacks.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Watt was the most double team edge rusher in the league (30%). The second most double team guy was our Z Smith at 29%. That stat must have the Pack thinking.....

Actually, Z-Smith was gang blocked only 27.2% of the time.

That’s 1.8% less than 29%. 1.8% ain’t much, but consider this: Homo sapiens share 97% of their DNA with Orangutans. The 3% difference is what makes me wiser than orangutans like Mike McCarthy and Tony O’Day.

[KYPack]

Actually, Z-Smith was gang blocked only 27.2% of the time.

That’s 1.8% less than 29%. 1.8% ain’t much, but consider this: Homo sapiens share 97% of their DNA with Orangutans. The 3% difference is what makes me wiser than orangutans like Mike McCarthy and Tony O’Day.

Goiddamn, Tanky. You are right. This is the first post you made I can remember that isn't a lie or some goofy bullshit. This might be a positive step forward for you.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Goiddamn, Tanky. You are right. This is the first post you made I can remember that isn't a lie or some goofy bullshit. This might be a positive step forward for you.

Wait, the part about me being wiser than Tony O’Day ain’t goofy? Must be true, eh?

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Btw, Kentucky, here’s a nice article in which high ranking suits in the NFL talk about cooking the cap (“There’s always a lever you can pull”):

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/money-isnt-issue-for-packers-watt

[RashanGary]

Btw, Kentucky, here’s a nice article in which high ranking suits in the NFL talk about cooking the cap (“There’s always a lever you can pull”):

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/...r-packers-watt

There is play in which year the money falls, but the money always falls. If it was free money, it wouldn’t be a topic.

[KYPack]

Btw, Kentucky, here’s a nice article in which high ranking suits in the NFL talk about cooking the cap (“There’s always a lever you can pull”):

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/...r-packers-watt

But that isn't cooking the cap. Cap cooking implies you can make an unlimited number of maneuvers to get the players you want. There are real limits to what you can do. This scenario to sign Watts involved some moves with player buy-in. One major player refuses that offer and the whole scheme is down the tubes.

You usually invoke the "cap cook" to sign whatever is your latest fan boy fav. It doesn't work that way. SOMETIMES you can pull a lever, but you usually only get to pull it once.

Maybe you can hire out to the Saints. They'd like to figure out how to fix the cap hell they are in right now.