Official 2026 Free Agency/Offseason/Non-Draft Thread

[Patler]

The Packers have avoided any prolonged effects from "cap hell" because they are willing to bite the bullet and get rid of expensive players, including not overpaying too many second or third contracts; they consistently structure second and third contracts to include acceptable, even if expensive, outs in later years; ...
....

You can sign a guy like Enagbare to a 4 year deal that has a minimal year 1 cap hit. Others too. I'm not predicting anything here, just pointing out that sometimes higher price guys actually cost less in the first year or 2.

In spite of what I wrote above, I wonder a bit where GB is headed with veteran contracts under Gute/Ball. I've mentioned this before. Under Wolf and Thompson the Packers re-signed a lot of their best players to good contracts, but not cutting edge ones financially. They often ended up in the top 10 for their positions, but often around 5-8 in pay, just below the really expensive ones. Often the players seemed a bit unhappy, but not enough to uproot their careers and move. Often the pundits commented on the team-friendly aspects of the deals, even "home team discounts". (I'll leave out the QBs, Favre, Rodgers, Love. They are different and less replaceable than any other position. If you have one, you pay him.)

Under Gute/Ball the Packers have hit the upper crust with a lot of players. Bakhtiari, Alexander, Jenkins (for a guard), Clark and now Parsons all signed contracts that were near or at the very best for their position at the time they signed. Comments tend more toward the player being a bit overpaid, including guys like Gary without cutting-edge contracts. Two of those contracts completely backfired for the team and two others did not return the best value to the team.

Teams that consistently overpay their players tend to be the ones who stumble over their salary caps.

[pbmax]

In spite of what I wrote above, I wonder a bit where GB is headed with veteran contracts under Gute/Ball. I've mentioned this before. Under Wolf and Thompson the Packers re-signed a lot of their best players to good contracts, but not cutting edge ones financially. They often ended up in the top 10 for their positions, but often around 5-8 in pay, just below the really expensive ones. Often the players seemed a bit unhappy, but not enough to uproot their careers and move. Often the pundits commented on the team-friendly aspects of the deals, even "home team discounts". (I'll leave out the QBs, Favre, Rodgers, Love. They are different and less replaceable than any other position. If you have one, you pay him.)

Under Gute/Ball the Packers have hit the upper crust with a lot of players. Bakhtiari, Alexander, Jenkins (for a guard), Clark and now Parsons all signed contracts that were near or at the very best for their position at the time they signed. Comments tend more toward the player being a bit overpaid, including guys like Gary without cutting-edge contracts. Two of those contracts completely backfired for the team and two others did not return the best value to the team.

Teams that consistently overpay their players tend to be the ones who stumble over their salary caps.

I think the rookie slotting for their contracts moved money into vet contracts and agent demands followed suit. You regularly see the next top free agent sign a deal that is near the top of the range. Less about scouting and more about their turn. Prescott and CD Lamb bagged a bigger deal from the Cowboys just because Jerry wanted to wait.

Also harder to sign early and get a deal though it can still happen. And I think a lot of those contracts under Thompson (Brandt and Ball) were early deals rather than discounts in their FA year.

If I remember correctly, the big swings and misses were on the third deals. I think.

[Joemailman]

I saw that for the Vikings and went Holy Shit and they have to sign Addison.

Jefferson has a cap hit of 39 million next year, and it only goes up from there. Their cap guy will be busy.

[texaspackerbacker]

Absence of an abnormal pandemic, there ain’t such fuck as a “cap hell” anymore in the NFL.

The NFL is essentially a colossal monopoly with antitrust exemptions and government subsidies. As such, it is able to overcharge customers and force the Networks to pony up…and steal from taxpayers in the name and game of stadium upgrades. In other words, NFL revenues continue to skyrocket, and it will continue skyrocketing - absence of an abnormal pandemic. So long as revenues continue to skyrocket, so too will the salary cap - and thus, rendering “cap hell” irrelevant.

Jerry Jones traded “Peerless” Parsons to the Packers not because signing Parsons to a sumptuous contract would put the Cowfuckers in the dreaded cap hell. Jones coulda paid Parsons more than the Packers did if he desired.

Jones traded Parsons because Parsons’ contract would fuck with his bottom line. Pigs seek to get fat after all.

The usual suspects (not talking about you) continue to whine about the cap - yet the Packers did/do a pretty good job of putting together a great roster and winning through it all (oh yeah, no Super Bowls - so bad so sad hahahaha, missing that one big day each season). Joe's comparison above with the rest of the division says it all about "cap hell". As for the Packers making tough decisions or whatever you'd call it, shedding "Bach, Alexander, maybe Jenkins, maybe Clark" really wasn't that tough. It woulda been smart regardless of the cap situation.

Jerry Jones' bottom line? That for Jones certainly ain't an annual thing. It's the value of his team compared to what he paid for it long long ago - he's gotten fat as an Arkansas razorback by that standard. The Parsons thing was more of a pissing contest than anything else where stubbornness cost the Cowboys and benefitted the Packers (maybe - the jury is sorta still out on that).

As you say, NFL revenue continues to skyrocket, and with that revenue, so does the salary cap - a fact which the whiners either are oblivious to or choose to ignore.

[ThunderDan]

The usual suspects (not talking about you) continue to whine about the cap - yet the Packers did/do a pretty good job of putting together a great roster and winning through it all (oh yeah, no Super Bowls - so bad so sad hahahaha, missing that one big day each season). Joe's comparison above with the rest of the division says it all about "cap hell". As for the Packers making tough decisions or whatever you'd call it, shedding "Bach, Alexander, maybe Jenkins, maybe Clark" really wasn't that tough. It woulda been smart regardless of the cap situation.

Jerry Jones' bottom line? That for Jones certainly ain't an annual thing. It's the value of his team compared to what he paid for it long long ago - he's gotten fat as an Arkansas razorback by that standard. The Parsons thing was more of a pissing contest than anything else where stubbornness cost the Cowboys and benefitted the Packers (maybe - the jury is sorta still out on that).

As you say, NFL revenue continues to skyrocket, and with that revenue, so does the salary cap - a fact which the whiners either are oblivious to or choose to ignore.

Fuck, you have been begging for ARod and Alexander back in threads this year.

So apparently, it wasn’t that obvious to get rid of them.

[texaspackerbacker]

Me? Are you kidding or just stupid?

I haven't said one word about bringing back Rodgers - I don't recall anybody in here even suggesting that. As for Alexander, I sorta half-heartedly endorsed giving him a try/bringing him back cheap if he showed any sign of still being good, but certainly not selling out to get him. As for "getting rid of them", I'm kinda hazy on that in both cases. I thought and still think Rodgers could be effective until well into his 40s. However, if it came down to a decision of keeping him or Love, similar to the way it was many years ago with Favre and him, I would go with the young talent rather than the old superstar. As I recall, Alexander's situation made it pretty obvious that it was best that he was gone.

[ThunderDan]

You start a thread with this post.

As I said, I am all for Jordan Love as much as anybody. I also have always said I wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers plays to the same age as Brady did. I think he would be good for at least 1, maybe 2 or 3 more years, maybe even more - unless he just chose to retire. As good as Love is, I think Rodgers would be as good in the short term, and then of course, we'd have a ton of draft picks.

[ThunderDan]

He you are willing to trade a 6th or 7th rounder for Alexander.

I tend to doubt "his time is done". It's also far from a sure thing that he will return to a quality level better than Valentine, Hobbs, or Nixon (in that order). I think somebody will take a chance on him - either a trade of a 6th or 7th or just signing him if he is cut. I wouldn't mind if the Packers did it.

If a team gets him in trade, they're stuck with his big salary, right?

[texaspackerbacker]

ok hahahaha knock yourself out being a God damn fact checker, you piece of shit.

A very lukewarm endorsement of Alexander - your dumbass comment above said "begging for" bringing him back.

As for the Rodgers comment, I forgot I said that hahahaha, but I stand by every word of it. I'm very thankful we have Love, but I wouldn't mind having the GOAT and several #1 picks instead. I'm pretty sure we'd have just as good a team in the present and maybe better in the future. Does that sound like "begging for" to you, you stupid shithead?

I bet you're a lousy CPA too. I'd take APB anyday.

[Fritz]

So you're criticizing Thunder Dan for just showing you what you actually, actually wrote - as opposed to the "media pukes" who you say make shit up. You said that shit, Tex. There it is. So responding by saying "knock yourself out being a God damn fact checker, you piece of shit" is bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. You thought it would be okay to give up a sixth or seventh for Alexander, and you have been adamant that it'd be fine by you for the Packers to get Rodgers back and trade Love.

Name calling isn't going to change what you wrote.

[texaspackerbacker]

Did I deny I wrote it? I doubled down on it. The dumbshit claimed I was "begging for" keeping the two he mentioned. The cowardly little p.o.s. just kinda reminds me of those damned fact checkers you often see in the God damned media. You? You did a fine job of just repeating what I just said. Congrats for that hahahaha.

As for namecalling, yeah, I do that sometimes, but only for a select few who really fit the description. Have I namecalled you anything lately?

[bobblehead]

I have to revisit Rasheed Walker. I think they need to lock this guy up. I know that I probably fueled the "Morgan is the future at LT" fire more than most and I do believe in him, but I have to ask a question.....if he's not a step down from Walker why isn't he even getting practice snaps there. I am terrified they fucked this kid up by trying to force his round ass into a square slot.

I think they need to start doing a little rotation at LT right now to make sure they can let Walker leave. This team has just taken WAY the fuck too long to figure out what I said on draft day. Belton is the RG of the future and Morgan is the LT of the future. They both lost a campful of snaps at the position they need work on. Morgan continues to not be able to focus on his future position. And I have to ask....was Rhyan a center all along?

I do like the makeup of the current OL believe it or not. If Belton continues to improve and they all gel as a unit the talent is finally in the right spots...but seriously pay Walker right now or start rotating Morgan in.

[Joemailman]

I have to revisit Rasheed Walker. I think they need to lock this guy up. I know that I probably fueled the "Morgan is the future at LT" fire more than most and I do believe in him, but I have to ask a question.....if he's not a step down from Walker why isn't he even getting practice snaps there. I am terrified they fucked this kid up by trying to force his round ass into a square slot.

I think they need to start doing a little rotation at LT right now to make sure they can let Walker leave. This team has just taken WAY the fuck too long to figure out what I said on draft day. Belton is the RG of the future and Morgan is the LT of the future. They both lost a campful of snaps at the position they need work on. Morgan continues to not be able to focus on his future position. And I have to ask....was Rhyan a center all along?

I do like the makeup of the current OL believe it or not. If Belton continues to improve and they all gel as a unit the talent is finally in the right spots...but seriously pay Walker right now or start rotating Morgan in.

How do you know Morgan isn't getting practice snaps at LT? Practices are closed to public and press.

[texaspackerbacker]

Did Walker do any more than make a nice fumble recovery? We weren't running outside to the left much as I recall. I don't want them to overpay for him.

I said from the day Jenkins went out injured that Rhyan did fairly good at Center, way better than he ever did at Guard and better than Jenkins had done at Center.

Belton has been downright decent at RG; Banks has been showing a few signs, but nowhere near what a $17 million man should be.

Tom looked almost like his old self. Hopefully he stays healthy and keeps it up.

Morgan? He looked fairly decent at RG, and he may have a future at LT, who knows.

The O Line in general has been better lately, but it's kinda a matter of lowered expectations. Love was still rushed virtually every time he dropped back, but his mobility made the line look better than it was. And Jacobs did have a few openings, same as Wilson the week befpre, but not like last season and not like it should be.

The Packers can win with this O Line as well as with the lame-assed Corners they have, thanks to talent at the "skill positions" and of course the pass rush, but it won't be easy, and there's little or now room for slip-ups, turnovers, etc.

[bobblehead]

How do you know Morgan isn't getting practice snaps at LT? Practices are closed to public and press.

After camp ends there simply aren't enough real snaps to allow for it when he is primarily playing RG, RT, LG or wherever the fuck else they have played him. And a walkthrough isn't the same as a real snap. I imagine they have put him there for 5 snaps a week and expected him to absorb the gameplan just in case though....along with his 5 at every other position making sure he couldn't retain any of it.