Now the Deleware County Times chimes in on Walker Trade

[MJZiggy]

This is just one of those questions, but how does the Delaware County Times know ANYTHING about a possible trade between Green Bay and anybody. I question their credibility.

[Fritz]

Me, I was happy to see that somebody's reading the ol' Delaware County Times. A fine newspaper.

I'd take just about any of those scenarios - a second next year, a late first this year. I'd trade Walker and move right on down the road.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I'd rather have a 1st or a 2nd rounder this year. If it's a 2007 pick then it better be conditional so that it can turn into a 1st.

Cliff Christl speculated that Walker is only worth a 4th round pick this year!

I don't think any of us understands the market for an injured wide receiver who refuses to play for the team that is trying to trade him. It's too complex. I wildly guess he is worth a conditional 2nd round.

[MJZiggy]

Were we trying to trade him?? Or are these teams trying to get us to trade him because that's what he wants?

[Harlan Huckleby]

What are the alternatives to trading him?

Walker can sit-out 10 games next fall, continue his rehab, then make an appearance to fulfill his obligations to the Packers. Then the Packers get nothin.

I don't think the PAckers hold many cards.

[MJZiggy]

As GBM said, just because we activate him, doesn't mean we have to play him. let him ride the pine those last six games (oops, we don't think he's sufficiently recovered from his horrific knee injury!!) and see what kind of big long-term contract he gets after that. If he's gonna be cry, let's give him something to be cry about is what my Daddy always used to say.

[Partial]

Then we get nothing. The only way we'll ever get the value for him is to trade him now, or risk him not coming back and being effective. If he is though, then we play him, and franchise him and trade the rights to him for a 1st or second.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Well, waiting might give us more value for a pick next year. I'd recommend that course of action if a 4th round pick is the best offer. Walker is said to be on schedule and he's a hard worker. If we wait, it could show that his rehab is coming along better. At this point, nobody knows how far along he is. Maybe he'll be ready by the time training camp rolls around.

Ideally, you get a pick in this draft and a conditional higher pick in a future draft.

[MJZiggy]

We could do that at the end of the season anyway. We may not get as much for him, but the next guy who is thinking of pulling this kind of crap might think it through a little more. Besides, if they figure out a way to suspend him or deactivate him for even ONE of those games (say, he can't keep his mouth shut about how unfair it is) and gets slapped with a one-game suspension for misconduct, then it's all over and we have his rights for another year. With that one, you frustrate him and maybe have our buddy John Clayton sniff for a story (I'm sure he's dumb enough to do it) and he might just vent a little.

[HarveyWallbangers]

The trade deadline ends after week 6. After the season, he is a FA. We can't wait beyond week 6 of the NFL season. If I had to guess, I'd say you'll see a situation similar to Mike McKenzie (trade in the first few weeks of the season). Maybe Thompson can convince Walker to stay patient until he's healthy before a trade is consumated.

[ND72]

i honestly feel like he's goign to get traded draft weekend. I don't know why, I just do. Personally, I hope he's traded to a team in the AFC (denver) then we dont' ahve to deal with him if he does come back to form. but then there is the old football player in me that says trade him to the 49ers, probably a worse team than us, so we have a better chance of getting to hit him.

[Harlan Huckleby]

As GBM said, just because we activate him, doesn't mean we have to play him. let him ride the pine those last six games ...see what kind of big long-term contract he gets

I expect JW would be delighted to finish out his contract this way, get a little spending money, allow time for full recovery with no risk of further injury. And other clubs are hardly going to care about Walker's symbolic time on the pines.

Even if this strategy did harm JW, the Packers aren't in the business of being spiteful.

Face it, the Packers are the losers in this situation. Hard to say how JWalk will come out, but Pack is in no-win situation. They've lost their most talented player. All Thompson can do is damage control, get what he can.

[retailguy]

I expect JW would be delighted to finish out his contract this way, get a little spending money, allow time for full recovery with no risk of further injury. And other clubs are hardly going to care about Walker's symbolic time on the pines.

Even if this strategy did harm JW, the Packers aren't in the business of being spiteful.

Face it, the Packers are the losers in this situation. Hard to say how JWalk will come out, but Pack is in no-win situation. They've lost their most talented player. All Thompson can do is damage control, get what he can.

Harlan,

I really hope that this post is exactly backwards to what actually happens. While I concede that it doesn't look so good at the moment, we all know that Javon's retirement threat won't happen. If it did, he goes on the packers reserve/retired list and never becomes a free agent. If the rumors of money problems are true, that ain't gonna happen.

Lets say he "rides the pine" for the last 6 games of the years, after missing the first 10. (With money problems, yeah right, thats gonna happen). But, what is to keep Ted from franchising Javon anyway? Hey, if he knows he's recovered, why not? Now, he's guaranteed a 1st round draft choice, or at least the leverage in a trade, and basically forces Walker to come back to the table. If walker plays, it probably costs TT in the ballpark of about 10-12 million for the franchise tag next year. That's what they'd pay in a signing bonus anyhow, plus walker takes the injury risk for future seasons. They've got the cap room to do that, don't they? Walter Jones got franchised 3 years in a row, and many say that the Seahawks got the better end of that deal, and very little risk.

What is the key point, is, will TT blink? I've seen zero indication so far in his tenure that he'll blink. If he doesn't, walker either plays, or gets franchised, and plays next year. If walker comes in and behaves as McKenzie did, then there is a signal to the other teams that he really is a turd, like TO. Say what you want to about TO, his contract really wasn't that great, being that it is really three 1 year deals.

I just don't buy the concept that JW has all the leverage. I think he has zero leverage. The only thing he can hope for is a media frenzy, or locker room discord. The odds are in TT's favor. Will he blink? We'll see.

[Harlan Huckleby]

But, what is to keep Ted from franchising Javon anyway? Hey, if he knows he's recovered, why not?

I don't think it is in the Packer's interest to get into a two-year battle with a player who doesn't want to be in Green Bay. The GM has better uses for the franchise tag. It would just damage Green Bay's reputation among players and lead nowhere. Even if you could force a sullen JW to collect millions to stay in GB, what would be the point?

[MJZiggy]

As GBM said, just because we activate him, doesn't mean we have to play him. let him ride the pine those last six games ...see what kind of big long-term contract he gets

I expect JW would be delighted to finish out his contract this way, get a little spending money, allow time for full recovery with no risk of further injury. And other clubs are hardly going to care about Walker's symbolic time on the pines.

Even if this strategy did harm JW, the Packers aren't in the business of being spiteful.

Face it, the Packers are the losers in this situation. Hard to say how JWalk will come out, but Pack is in no-win situation. They've lost their most talented player. All Thompson can do is damage control, get what he can.

The little detail you're forgetting is that if he gets himself suspended for a game, he doesn't earn his season and we retain his rights...