Corey Linsley released, retirement coming

[bobblehead]

Clark is a somewhat unusual case. He won't even be 29 years old until October. It's easier to give a third contract to a player that young.

Plus, the very important skill set of "big man" doesn't go away with age. A lot more big men play well into their 30's than guys who rely on speed and agility.

[bobblehead]

We had cap issues, and Meyers had a MUCH better contract. I don’t think they value interior lineman enough for a 3rd contract.

Yes. The entire point of the debate is that Tex thinks the cap is a myth and we can sign whoever we want. I was pointing out that he was a cap casualty.

[Joemailman]

In 2020, Linsley also missed all or most of 5 games with back and knee injuries. That may also have contributed to the Packers not wanting to bet on his future.

[texaspackerbacker]

Yes. The entire point of the debate is that Tex thinks the cap is a myth and we can sign whoever we want. I was pointing out that he was a cap casualty.

You want to make this thread about the cap too? ok, I'll play.

Obviously, the cap is not a "myth". It exists, just like the speed limit on streets and highways. Does everybody follow it to the letter? Hell no. Virtually everybody to more or less of an extent find a way to beat, bypass, manipulate, whatever both of those things and a lot of other things in life. There are many ways to defeat or get around the cap - most of which the Packers have done with great success over the decades that the cap has existed, especially with Gutekunst.

I really don't recall any moves the Packers have made (or not made) that were strictly because of the cap/not a good idea to do regardless of the cap.

As for Linsley, he was good, but slightly overrated, as were O Lines during most of the Rodgers years because of Rodgers' mobility and accuracy.

Meyers was drafted to be an upgrade or at least equal to Linsley from day one. He may not have been exactly that, but he's a helluva lot better player than many in here give him credit for.

IMO, it's unwise to spend really big money in general on O Line, as the difference between just ok and perceived by many as good is really not very much. As long as you aren't forced to start Marshall House or maybe the second year version of Royce Newman, pretty much anything goes in terms of O Line quality that leads to success.

[RashanGary]

His age is a plus. A negative is that he’s pretty high mileage for 29. Another plus is that good DTs are pretty hard to come by these days.

I personally wouldn’t break the bank for him, but would be open to a reasonable extension.

Agree. He’s a good DT, there aren’t many good ones so he should get paid. But top dollar…. No way.

[Scott Campbell]

I really don't recall any moves the Packers have made (or not made) that were strictly because of the cap/not a good idea to do regardless of the cap.

They happen all the time. Nearly every season “restructure” moves are announced that convert current year salary into a bonus where the cap hit gets spread out over the remainder of the contract. The cap is the only reason these moves are made.

Another move the Packers just made was the DeVondre Campbell cut. They specifically designated him as a post June 1 cut for the sole reason of spreading the dead money cap hit over 2 years instead of just this year.

[texaspackerbacker]

THAT is precisely what I was referring to by defeating the cap. As you say, it happens every time it needs to happen.

Campbell was cut because after a great season and a big contract, he faded fast and was no longer worth the money. THAT, not the cap, was why he is gone, and the Packers will be better for it.

[bobblehead]

Lindsley was still a pro bowl center. The ONLY reason you let that guy leave is because of cap concerns. You never let a guy like that go otherwise.

[texaspackerbacker]

Unless you figure that the money he was demanding was more than a Pro Bowl Center was worth, and you figure you can find a very adequate replacement for a lot less

[RashanGary]

We’ve drafted OL well for 30 years. This is a bit of a privileged Packer fan comment here, but I don’t like paying guards and centers too much.

[bobblehead]

Unless you figure that the money he was demanding was more than a Pro Bowl Center was worth, and you figure you can find a very adequate replacement for a lot less

That simply wasn't the case though. And if you are "all in" trying to win, you still overpay him. Face it Tex. Linsley was a cap casualty. He just was. Any noise you make saying otherwise is just that. Noise. Same as Campbell. We cut a good NFL off the ball LB while switching to a 4-3. It created a draft NEED instead of BPA situation. That was for cap considerations, not because suddenly they decided Campbell couldn't play LB any longer or his worth plummeted in one season.

[Joemailman]

The release of Campbell was both cap related and results related. He had declined noticeably since his great 2021 season. I think Packers would have been looking for an upgrade even if his cap hit was much lower. His large cap hit just made it an easy decision.

[texaspackerbacker]

We’ve drafted OL well for 30 years. This is a bit of a privileged Packer fan comment here, but I don’t like paying guards and centers too much.

That's one way of looking at it. What I would say, though, is that we had super QBs who made mediocre O Linemen get overrated all that time - outstanding O Linemen just not being all that necessary for winning football. You're right to not like paying Guards and Centers or really any O Linemen all that much because they just aren't that big of a factor in succcess.

[texaspackerbacker]

bobblehead, if you want to call Linsley a cap casualty, fine, as he was a good player. The fact is, though, they were as well off without him as with him. I suppose part of cap manipulation is prioritizing positions, and O Line should be low on that list.

[bobblehead]

The release of Campbell was both cap related and results related. He had declined noticeably since his great 2021 season. I think Packers would have been looking for an upgrade even if his cap hit was much lower. His large cap hit just made it an easy decision.

Half agree. He was fighting an injury and wasn't as good as he was without fighting an injury. Everyone agreed with that. He is still however a solid LB who is still 30 years old. He would have been an asset to have on the roster and his COST (not cap number) was just under $7 million. The rest he already collected.

Yes, they wanted to be younger and better, but bottom line, Campbell was cut MORE for freeing up cap space than he was for his play during an injury plagued season.