What free agents should Thompson have taken?

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Green
Griffin
Moss (I know he would have had to be traded for, but he was still someone I really wanted).

[RashanGary]

Yeah, this was a worse than usual free agency. It was becusae of the big increase in cap space that no casualties hit the market.

I think next year will probably be a pretty weak one too, but after that it should start to take off with teams having a couple years to dig a hole.

That is when our team should be at its best. Right when teams dig the hole and our team is not in one at all we'll be able to take advantage of the market and we'll have our rise. I think we can be good now, but I think the real benefits are going to be felt for many years, not just one.

Thompson has shown that with a decent group of FA's on the market that he's willing to grab a couple up. For the money, I think we got the best two FA's last year. Some guys might have been a little better but Woodson and Pickett were good and wern't over the top with their price. Shows that Thompson is even able to get value on the FA market. That is hard to do. It's impossible to do when the whole class sucks like this year, but I think he's more than willing to add a guy to the mix if the ups outnumber the downs. I just think it's a bad idea to sign a guy if you have to let another one go who is better a year or two down the road or you don't have the money to sign the really good one that might pop up the next off season. I don't know, I think a roster is a balancing act and Thompson seems to have done a pretty good job, all things considered.

[Bretsky]

Ahman Green wanted to stay here; I'd like to have seen TT make that deal work before free agency started. IMO that could have been done for a much lesser price than he received from the Texans.

Just curious, what makes you think that?

My impression is just the opposite. Green has been paid well, but has always been a bit underpaid compared to what the biggest running back packages were. He never complained, but insisted he would eventually get his share. He signed the one year deal to prove he could still play and have the opportunity for a big contract.

I think he knows this was his last opportunity, and wanted to max out on it. From what I remember there wasn't a huge difference between what the two teams offered overall, it was just the guaranteed portion from the Texans was more, even though the overall packages weren't that different. That tells me he wanted to max out, because he would be financially set for life either way. I don't think he was ever willing to give the Packers a home team discount in this, his last big chance.

Much of my views comes mostly from the media around that time. We heard continuously Ahman Green wanted to stay in Green Bay. I believe there were articles written that stated that, and also stated Ahman Green wanted in the 5 Mil per year range on a deal, and Green Bay did not want to go that high. I truly believe if TT could have made the deal work to completely avoid the Free Agency fiasco.

But he was holding firm as was Ahman, and then the Texans blew everything out of the water with their expensive deal. And if the rumors are right, TT increased his offer to try to keep him here after free agency started.

I just feel something could have been worked out for both sides so the dirty Texans would have never entered the picture.

[Zool]

Ahman Green wanted to stay here; I'd like to have seen TT make that deal work before free agency started. IMO that could have been done for a much lesser price than he received from the Texans.

Just curious, what makes you think that?

My impression is just the opposite. Green has been paid well, but has always been a bit underpaid compared to what the biggest running back packages were. He never complained, but insisted he would eventually get his share. He signed the one year deal to prove he could still play and have the opportunity for a big contract.

I think he knows this was his last opportunity, and wanted to max out on it. From what I remember there wasn't a huge difference between what the two teams offered overall, it was just the guaranteed portion from the Texans was more, even though the overall packages weren't that different. That tells me he wanted to max out, because he would be financially set for life either way. I don't think he was ever willing to give the Packers a home team discount in this, his last big chance.

Much of my views comes mostly from the media around that time. We heard continuously Ahman Green wanted to stay in Green Bay. I believe there were articles written that stated that, and also stated Ahman Green wanted in the 5 Mil per year range on a deal, and Green Bay did not want to go that high. I truly believe if TT could have made the deal work to completely avoid the Free Agency fiasco.

But he was holding firm as was Ahman, and then the Texans blew everything out of the water with their expensive deal. And if the rumors are right, TT increased his offer to try to keep him here after free agency started.

I just feel something could have been worked out for both sides so the dirty Texans would have never entered the picture.

Couldnt find the article, but Green was offerred $4mil per and 2 less years to stay in GB. I can't blame him for turning down $5mil per for 4 years. I would do the same, but no other team in the league is going to give Green that contract. It will be the right thing to do in the long run, maybe not for this season neccessarily but beyond.

[Tarlam!]

(...)I can't blame him for turning down $5mil per for 4 years. (...)It will be the right thing to do in the long run, maybe not for this season neccessarily but beyond.

He may only see one year of that contract before he is cut...

[red]

green for sure, if your going to let a damn good RB gop then you better have some kind of plan for replacing him, we had nothing and did next to nothing IMO

the big one for me was griffin. we had a major need at that position, he was a pretty good guy at that position, and was perfect fit for what we ran. he signed for very modest money, there is no reason why we couldn't have signed him

and i still think we should have

[Lurker64]

Not to play thread necromancer, but the Raiders just cut Justin Griffith.

Anybody still want him? He'll be available.

[Fritz]

In retrospect, that was a ho-hum bunch, wasn't it?

Anybody still interested in Ahman Green?

I love hindsight. No wonder God thinks h/she is so smart.

[taylor 31]

So will Green

[sheepshead]

[quote="Fritz"]In retrospect, that was a ho-hum bunch, wasn't it?

ho-hum might be too enthusiastic.

[cpk1994]

Just more proof that TT is indeed smarter than all of us posters here at PR.

[BallHawk]

Griffith can't even be on the list.

TT contacted Griffith's agent about a possible meeting and the agent told TT Griffith did not want to be a Packer. And that was it.

TT did what he could.

[Lurker64]

I just thought this was important to bump this thread, not only because Griffith is now available and a lot of folks (myself included) would have liked him to be William Henderson's replacement, but because Friday is the start of Free Agency.

So we didn't sign Eric Johnson, Justin Griffith, or Ahman Green. Things still turned out okay and you can count the pro-bowls for those three in the last couple seasons on the fingers of one head.

So let's keep that in mind in case anybody wants to get het up about FA.

[Bretsky]

Pretty tough to get up for FA when you are a Packer fan

Washington reportedly is interested in Chris Canty; he's an up and comer who IMO would fit in well.

My expectations are pretty minimal

[Lurker64]

Pretty tough to get up for FA when you are a Packer fan

Washington reportedly is interested in Chris Canty; he's an up and comer who IMO would fit in well.

My expectations are pretty minimal

If the reports are accurate and Washington is going to give Haynesworth $100,000,000, how on earth are they going to afford anybody else, ever?

I'd rather have Olshansky than Canty anyway.