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Packers look into new deal for Williams
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers want to extend the contract of defensive tackle Corey Williams before he becomes an unrestricted free agent a year from now.
"Yeah, I think so," general manager Ted Thompson said. "We've dabbled at it a little bit. He has the ability to rush the passer. I think he's played well."
Agent Jeff Courtney and team negotiator Andrew Brandt have talked off and on for some time about an extension for the 26-year-old Williams, but tough bargaining has yet to unfold.
"The best way I could put it is there's clearly a reciprocal interest," Courtney said. "I can't sit here and tell you we're having substantial dialogue on it right now. I think 'dabbled' probably is a pretty good word to use."
With the free-agent signing period almost two weeks old, the only player signed by the Packers is backup cornerback Frank Walker. They rank fourth in available cap space with $21.757 million, but the top five players at almost every position no longer are available.
All teams are required to spend 85.2% of their cap in 2007, which in Green Bay's case is $109.653 million.
The Packers have loads of cap room to unload over the next nine months, and it would appear that their method to do it is give Williams and linebacker Nick Barnett front-loaded extensions before they hit the market next March.
"We would prefer to identify players that we want going forward and invest in those players," Thompson said. "The best way for us to improve is improve from within."
The unrestricted market, winnowed by re-signings and seven franchise-player designations, didn't exactly wow Thompson.
"If I can add a veteran to add to our locker room that would be a high-class individual and show these guys how to play the game, then that'd be good," he said. "But we're not going to get bad guys and we're not going to get guys that are just going to get in the way. If they're just guys, I'm not really interested in them."
Williams, a sixth-round draft choice from Arkansas State in 2004, wasn't physically or mentally mature enough to hold a starting job that was all but handed to him in '05. He still was languishing as the No. 4 tackle for the first three games of '06 before he came on to start 11 of the last 13.
"He's come a long way," Courtney said. "I really don't think you've seen the best of him yet."
Last month, the Packers signed another fourth-year defensive lineman, Cullen Jenkins, to a four-year, $15.84 million deal that included a $4 million signing bonus and $6.8 million in guaranteed money.
Certainly the Jenkins deal will be used as a comparable for Williams, but Courtney wouldn't say if his client expected more.
"I don't want to say yes or no," he said. "You see a lot of the new money that's happened recently. I think he's going to obviously make a lot more money. What may be something that could happen now may not be in the future."
In 1,071 career snaps, Williams has 105 tackles and 26 pressures, including 10 sacks. That's an average of one tackle every 10.2 plays and one pressure every 41.2 plays. His seven sacks in '06 trailed only Oakland's Warren Sapp and Detroit's Cory Redding among all tackles in the league.
Jenkins has 125 tackles and 63 pressures (13 1/2 sacks) in 1,466 snaps, averages of one tackle every 11.7 plays and one pressure every 23.3 plays.
"Jenkins is better . . . by a lot," an NFC personnel man said. "Jenkins is big-time on the come. He signed that deal a little bit too early. You can find another Williams."
For now, at least, Williams is willing to bide his time. An escalator clause in the final year of his four-year contract boosted his '07 base salary from $510,000 to $850,000. He can live with it as the two sides negotiate an agreement that would make it worth his while to give up a chance to strike it rich on the unrestricted market in '08.
"Corey loves Green Bay and would love to play there for his entire career," Courtney said. "He's a good guy and he doesn't cause any trouble off the field. I think he fits Green Bay well."
By BOB McGINN
Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers want to extend the contract of defensive tackle Corey Williams before he becomes an unrestricted free agent a year from now.
"Yeah, I think so," general manager Ted Thompson said. "We've dabbled at it a little bit. He has the ability to rush the passer. I think he's played well."
Agent Jeff Courtney and team negotiator Andrew Brandt have talked off and on for some time about an extension for the 26-year-old Williams, but tough bargaining has yet to unfold.
"The best way I could put it is there's clearly a reciprocal interest," Courtney said. "I can't sit here and tell you we're having substantial dialogue on it right now. I think 'dabbled' probably is a pretty good word to use."
With the free-agent signing period almost two weeks old, the only player signed by the Packers is backup cornerback Frank Walker. They rank fourth in available cap space with $21.757 million, but the top five players at almost every position no longer are available.
All teams are required to spend 85.2% of their cap in 2007, which in Green Bay's case is $109.653 million.
The Packers have loads of cap room to unload over the next nine months, and it would appear that their method to do it is give Williams and linebacker Nick Barnett front-loaded extensions before they hit the market next March.
"We would prefer to identify players that we want going forward and invest in those players," Thompson said. "The best way for us to improve is improve from within."
The unrestricted market, winnowed by re-signings and seven franchise-player designations, didn't exactly wow Thompson.
"If I can add a veteran to add to our locker room that would be a high-class individual and show these guys how to play the game, then that'd be good," he said. "But we're not going to get bad guys and we're not going to get guys that are just going to get in the way. If they're just guys, I'm not really interested in them."
Williams, a sixth-round draft choice from Arkansas State in 2004, wasn't physically or mentally mature enough to hold a starting job that was all but handed to him in '05. He still was languishing as the No. 4 tackle for the first three games of '06 before he came on to start 11 of the last 13.
"He's come a long way," Courtney said. "I really don't think you've seen the best of him yet."
Last month, the Packers signed another fourth-year defensive lineman, Cullen Jenkins, to a four-year, $15.84 million deal that included a $4 million signing bonus and $6.8 million in guaranteed money.
Certainly the Jenkins deal will be used as a comparable for Williams, but Courtney wouldn't say if his client expected more.
"I don't want to say yes or no," he said. "You see a lot of the new money that's happened recently. I think he's going to obviously make a lot more money. What may be something that could happen now may not be in the future."
In 1,071 career snaps, Williams has 105 tackles and 26 pressures, including 10 sacks. That's an average of one tackle every 10.2 plays and one pressure every 41.2 plays. His seven sacks in '06 trailed only Oakland's Warren Sapp and Detroit's Cory Redding among all tackles in the league.
Jenkins has 125 tackles and 63 pressures (13 1/2 sacks) in 1,466 snaps, averages of one tackle every 11.7 plays and one pressure every 23.3 plays.
"Jenkins is better . . . by a lot," an NFC personnel man said. "Jenkins is big-time on the come. He signed that deal a little bit too early. You can find another Williams."
For now, at least, Williams is willing to bide his time. An escalator clause in the final year of his four-year contract boosted his '07 base salary from $510,000 to $850,000. He can live with it as the two sides negotiate an agreement that would make it worth his while to give up a chance to strike it rich on the unrestricted market in '08.
"Corey loves Green Bay and would love to play there for his entire career," Courtney said. "He's a good guy and he doesn't cause any trouble off the field. I think he fits Green Bay well."
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