DID DONALD DRIVER SIGN AN EXTENSION? RUMOR

[Harlan Huckleby]

Driver was under contract for the next two years at a very low rate.

And at his age, and the number of hard hits he takes, it is entirely possible that he only has two good years left. Projecting beyond that is certainly risky.

Why do you suppose Thompson redid Driver's deal? Why not wait two years, and save the organization about 8 million dollars?

[MJZiggy]

Because you have an abundance of cap room now and what better way to show the rest of the team what can happen if you work hard and consistently put up good numbers for years? Imagine what Jolly and Moll must be thinking when they see a 7th rounder work his ass off and get the payday.

[Harlan Huckleby]

No, a GM does not pass-out 8M as a goodwill gesture.

If Thompson really could have gotten away with waiting two years, he would have.

[The Leaper]

I agree the entire situation turned out horribly for Walker. It almost was disasterous for Green Bay too.

I just want Thompson to learn from this...he's got a lot of good young talent on the roster, and he needs to keep the ones that turn out in town. That won't happen if he ignores them when they want to talk about $$$.

[MJZiggy]

No, a GM does not pass-out 8M as a goodwill gesture.

If Thompson really could have gotten away with waiting two years, he would have.

I thought he was kissing the cap minimum?

[Harlan Huckleby]

I agree the entire situation turned out horribly for Walker. It almost was disasterous for Green Bay too.

Probably Walker would have done better working things out with Green Bay. But if he recovers 100%, he has a good chance of collecting on his contract.

This is slightly off topic, but when employees go on strike, as Walker essentially did, they almost always lose. Sometimes they can make it up in the long term. The real beneficiaries of a strike are other people negotiating contracts. The occasional strike makes the THREAT of a strike more credible.

Driver doesn't have to threaten to hold-out. Walker has done the dirty work for him by demonstrating the viability and harm of a hold out. The Packers are now extra-vulnerable to a holdout by Driver, and a holdout is indeed an unspoken implicit threat. . Without Walker's holdout, Thompson would have held Driver to his contract. A contract is a contract, after all, nothing unfair about waiting to negotiate the new deal.

[Scott Campbell]

I agree the entire situation turned out horribly for Walker. It almost was disasterous for Green Bay too.

Probably Walker would have done better working things out with Green Bay. But if he recovers 100%, he has a good chance of collecting on his contract.

This is slightly off topic, but when employees go on strike, as Walker essentially did, they almost always lose. Sometimes they can make it up in the long term. The real beneficiaries of a strike are other people negotiating contracts. The occasional strike makes the THREAT of a strike more credible.

Driver doesn't have to threaten to hold-out. Walker has done the dirty work for him by demonstrating the viability and harm of a hold out. The Packers are now extra-vulnerable to a holdout by Driver, and a holdout is indeed an unspoken implicit threat. . Without Walker's holdout, Thompson would have held Driver to his contract. A contract is a contract, after all, nothing unfair about waiting to negotiate the new deal.

That's some incredibly loose supposition, but whatever floats your boat.

[Scott Campbell]

Driver doesn't have to threaten to hold-out. Walker has done the dirty work for him by demonstrating the viability and harm of a hold out. The Packers are now extra-vulnerable to a holdout by Driver, and a holdout is indeed an unspoken implicit threat. . Without Walker's holdout, Thompson would have held Driver to his contract. A contract is a contract, after all, nothing unfair about waiting to negotiate the new deal.

I can just as easily argue that Driver would never hold out because of what happened to Javon. Walker has to play well and stay injury free this year, or he DOES NOT GET PAID.

The bottom line is, the players like Driver and Harris who have been behaving appropriately have been getting their paydays.

[RashanGary]

Probably Walker would have done better working things out with Green Bay. But if he recovers 100%, he has a good chance of collecting on his contract.

This is slightly off topic, but when employees go on strike, as Walker essentially did, they almost always lose. Sometimes they can make it up in the long term. The real beneficiaries of a strike are other people negotiating contracts. The occasional strike makes the THREAT of a strike more credible.

Driver doesn't have to threaten to hold-out. Walker has done the dirty work for him by demonstrating the viability and harm of a hold out. The Packers are now extra-vulnerable to a holdout by Driver, and a holdout is indeed an unspoken implicit threat. . Without Walker's holdout, Thompson would have held Driver to his contract. A contract is a contract, after all, nothing unfair about waiting to negotiate the new deal.

Acctually, Driver and Thompson have been working on this extention for a long time. According to Drivers agent the were inching the offers up month by month. Driver is getting 17 mil over 4 years. That is peanuts compared to what Walker was asking. That is peanuts compared to what he is worth.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Walker is in jeopardy because of injury, not because of his holdout. I think he has a 50-50 chance of collecting a big contract.

Ummm, as far as the good guys getting their paychecks, it is because they have the bargaining position. Al Harris had his bargaining position enhanced when McKenzie held out.

Grady Jackson played his ass off in Green Bay, was greatly underpaid given his contribution, compared to his peers at his position around the league. He didn't get his contract redone because he lacked the bargaining position (age & health were shaky.) Players are not paid out of loyalty or fairness.
The "good guys get paid" theory is a fairy tale.

[RashanGary]

To put it in perspective, Driver is now making Fergi type money. I don't think he got away with anything.

There was a factor of deserving because if Driver didn't earn it, Thompson wouldn't have signed it but there was also a factor of the discounted rate for an early signing.

If Barnett and Collins want to step up and do 4 year deals early for 17 mil I'd be all over it. Thompson is not setting a rediculous precident like Walker would have been. Denver wanted Walker bad enough to give up a valuable high second round pick but even they were unwilling ot give him money up front.

Thompson was following standard procedure when he started talking with Donald months ago and he was follwoing standard procedure in regards to an injured player asking for millions up front. leverage came into play but it wasn't some deal where Driver forced the Packers to do the deal. The wnated to because Driver was negotiating a lower rate.

[Scott Campbell]

Al Harris had his bargaining position enhanced when McKenzie held out.

I disagree. Al Harris had his bargaining position enhanced because he was not stupid enough to hold out.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Actually, Driver and Thompson have been working on this extention for a long time. According to Drivers agent the were inching the offers up month by month. Driver is getting 17 mil over 4 years. That is peanuts compared to what Walker was asking. That is peanuts compared to what he is worth.

Well, Driver is not as good as Walker, and is entering his declining years, so no point in comparing the two.

Driver having a shot at 17M is huge, compared to the 2.5M (or so) he was scheduled to make.

What do you suppose Driver would have done if Thompson had said, "We'll talk about it in 2 years?" Do you really think Driver would have just quietly kept playing, giving 100%, knowing that his current contract could easily be his last?

OF COURSE DRIVER WOULD HAVE HELD OUT!!

[Harlan Huckleby]

I disagree. Al Harris had his bargaining position enhanced because he was not stupid enough to hold out.

Losing McKenzie was a huge blow to the Packers, one that they are still recovering from. Al Harris became much more valuable to the Packers when McKEnzie went AWOL. A holdout by Harris would have been devestating.

[RashanGary]

I doubt he woudl have held.

There are many underpaid players across the league. Not too many of them hold out. Look at Green.