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Barnett, Packers open to extension
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers are open to extending linebacker Nick Barnett's contract this offseason and have had amiable preliminary talks with his agent.
However, the chances of finishing a deal anytime soon depend in large part on Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs signing a long-term deal with Chicago early this offseason, and also the kind of deal General Manager Ted Thompson and Barnett are willing to accept based off that.
Barnett has one year left on his rookie contract at a salary of $691,000, but he has wanted to extend that since last season.
The Packers, like many NFL teams recently, appear more willing to be proactive regarding extensions for core players who have a full season or more left on their deals. Barnett's agent, Charles Price, has been talking regularly with Packers Vice President Andrew Brandt since late last year.
"We have common starting ground in that they'd like to have Nick for the long haul, and he'd like to be there for the long haul," Price said Tuesday. "That's pretty much all we've established at this point. There's an incredible starting position, and after talking to Andrew Brandt, we both feel good about working together to get this done."
Part of the market for linebackers was set late last year, when Minnesota's E.J. Henderson signed a five-year, $25 million deal in December that included a $10 million signing bonus. Barnett surely will want a better deal.
The questions are, how much better, and how close to the more lucrative deal Briggs probably will sign this offseason?
Briggs, 26, has become one of the NFL's top linebackers and was selected for his second Pro Bowl this season. He'll be a free agent on March 2, but the Bears are trying to sign him to a long-term deal before then, and if they can't, they're expected to use their franchise tag on him. That would guarantee Briggs a $7.2 million salary this year, though the Bears would try to reach a long-term agreement sometime in the offseason.
Barnett, who turns 26 in May, doesn't have Briggs' credentials — he hasn't been to a Pro Bowl — but he's one of the Packers' best young players and a core member of the defense. He's also proven to be durable. In four seasons as their middle linebacker, he has missed only one game. Last season, he broke his hand against New England on Nov. 19, then sat out the following week at Seattle before playing the rest of the season wearing a cast.
With the salary cap going up about $7 million this year to about $109 million, salaries for core players will continue to escalate. Barnett will have to weigh his desire to get paid similarly to Briggs against the risk of sustaining an injury, whether he could get a Briggs-type deal in free agency next year and whether the Packers might use their franchise tag on him. It's difficult to know how much guaranteed money Briggs will get if and when he signs a long-term deal, but a decent guess is the $15 million range.
"If things pan out and everybody gets a good look at the lay of the land and what free agency could bring for a guy like Lance Briggs this year," Price said, "then we'll probably be able to say, 'Look, if we got to this point next year you could make a pretty good argument Nick is going to get Lance Briggs money.'"
Brandt acknowledged having ongoing conversations with Price but would not comment further.
Price repeatedly expressed optimism the sides can reach agreement but said Barnett won't stage any offseason protests if they don't. Cornerback Al Harris, for instance, sat out all voluntary minicamps and organized team activities last year to signal to Thompson that he wants a contract extension this offseason.
"I don't think so," Price said when asked if Barnett is considering a similar maneuver. "There's a contract in place. Whether it's perfect or imperfect, he signed it, and it's coming up on its last year. Nick's not going to walk away from it, he'll honor it. If it gets reworked, that's awesome, and in the event that it doesn't, it doesn't change anything."
I know Barnett his detractors, but he is a very good player who I think has benefited from the coaching of Winston Moss. He is now entering what should be the prime of his career. It would be a huge mistake to let him go, and I'm confident TT won't let that happen.
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Packers are open to extending linebacker Nick Barnett's contract this offseason and have had amiable preliminary talks with his agent.
However, the chances of finishing a deal anytime soon depend in large part on Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs signing a long-term deal with Chicago early this offseason, and also the kind of deal General Manager Ted Thompson and Barnett are willing to accept based off that.
Barnett has one year left on his rookie contract at a salary of $691,000, but he has wanted to extend that since last season.
The Packers, like many NFL teams recently, appear more willing to be proactive regarding extensions for core players who have a full season or more left on their deals. Barnett's agent, Charles Price, has been talking regularly with Packers Vice President Andrew Brandt since late last year.
"We have common starting ground in that they'd like to have Nick for the long haul, and he'd like to be there for the long haul," Price said Tuesday. "That's pretty much all we've established at this point. There's an incredible starting position, and after talking to Andrew Brandt, we both feel good about working together to get this done."
Part of the market for linebackers was set late last year, when Minnesota's E.J. Henderson signed a five-year, $25 million deal in December that included a $10 million signing bonus. Barnett surely will want a better deal.
The questions are, how much better, and how close to the more lucrative deal Briggs probably will sign this offseason?
Briggs, 26, has become one of the NFL's top linebackers and was selected for his second Pro Bowl this season. He'll be a free agent on March 2, but the Bears are trying to sign him to a long-term deal before then, and if they can't, they're expected to use their franchise tag on him. That would guarantee Briggs a $7.2 million salary this year, though the Bears would try to reach a long-term agreement sometime in the offseason.
Barnett, who turns 26 in May, doesn't have Briggs' credentials — he hasn't been to a Pro Bowl — but he's one of the Packers' best young players and a core member of the defense. He's also proven to be durable. In four seasons as their middle linebacker, he has missed only one game. Last season, he broke his hand against New England on Nov. 19, then sat out the following week at Seattle before playing the rest of the season wearing a cast.
With the salary cap going up about $7 million this year to about $109 million, salaries for core players will continue to escalate. Barnett will have to weigh his desire to get paid similarly to Briggs against the risk of sustaining an injury, whether he could get a Briggs-type deal in free agency next year and whether the Packers might use their franchise tag on him. It's difficult to know how much guaranteed money Briggs will get if and when he signs a long-term deal, but a decent guess is the $15 million range.
"If things pan out and everybody gets a good look at the lay of the land and what free agency could bring for a guy like Lance Briggs this year," Price said, "then we'll probably be able to say, 'Look, if we got to this point next year you could make a pretty good argument Nick is going to get Lance Briggs money.'"
Brandt acknowledged having ongoing conversations with Price but would not comment further.
Price repeatedly expressed optimism the sides can reach agreement but said Barnett won't stage any offseason protests if they don't. Cornerback Al Harris, for instance, sat out all voluntary minicamps and organized team activities last year to signal to Thompson that he wants a contract extension this offseason.
"I don't think so," Price said when asked if Barnett is considering a similar maneuver. "There's a contract in place. Whether it's perfect or imperfect, he signed it, and it's coming up on its last year. Nick's not going to walk away from it, he'll honor it. If it gets reworked, that's awesome, and in the event that it doesn't, it doesn't change anything."
I know Barnett his detractors, but he is a very good player who I think has benefited from the coaching of Winston Moss. He is now entering what should be the prime of his career. It would be a huge mistake to let him go, and I'm confident TT won't let that happen.
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