Thompson scorecard

[Bretsky]

Bretsky, my memory is that Sharper was asked to drop to $4 million in salary or take a four million dollar cut. His salary was $7 mil, I think his new one would have been 3-4 million for the current year.

And I am on record as opposing paying Sharper even that amount, as he's a high risk player on a defense that could no longer support him. Interceptions are great, beaten for TDs is worse.

What gets lost when you lose a vet, is that everyone assumes that the phrase "gives the younger players a chance to step up" is just coach speak. But there really is an upside to it. They are less expensive so you can afford Woodson and evena mistake like Manuel. They are less prone to injury and breakdowns.

And at this point, I am much more excited about Collins/Bigby/Rouse than I was/am about Sharper and Mark Roman.

I'LL FIND A FEW SOURCES NOW; TIME TO GO NET HUNTING

[Bretsky]

Bretsky, my memory is that Sharper was asked to drop to $4 million in salary or take a four million dollar cut. His salary was $7 mil, I think his new one would have been 3-4 million for the current year.

And I am on record as opposing paying Sharper even that amount, as he's a high risk player on a defense that could no longer support him. Interceptions are great, beaten for TDs is worse.

What gets lost when you lose a vet, is that everyone assumes that the phrase "gives the younger players a chance to step up" is just coach speak. But there really is an upside to it. They are less expensive so you can afford Woodson and evena mistake like Manuel. They are less prone to injury and breakdowns.

And at this point, I am much more excited about Collins/Bigby/Rouse than I was/am about Sharper and Mark Roman.

I'LL FIND A FEW SOURCES NOW; TIME TO GO NET HUNTING

Packers ask Sharper to take major pay cut
Sunday, February 27, 2005, 5:18 PM
By Bill Scott
The Green Bay Packers have asked safety Darren Sharper to accept a major pay cut and based on Sharper's reaction, he could be ready to try his luck as a free agent. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, if Sharper doesn't agree to the cut, the Packers are expected to cut him before he is due a $2.6-million roster bonus on March 12. Sharper is reportedly set to earn around $6-million next season, but the Packers are asking Sharper to take a salary next season of around $2-million, a $4-million reduction. If the Packers were to cut Sharper, the Journal Sentinel reports that the Packers would gain $3.4-million in cap room.

http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=7B021A8D-8A4B-4CD9-9BA3812A4571D506

Darren Sharper�s eight-year career with the Green Bay Packers ended on Thursday when the team waived the former Pro Bowl safety.

Sharper, 29, was recently asked to take a substantial pay cut but refused. Sharper was scheduled to earn $6 million in salary and roster bonus, but the Packers asked him to accept about $2 million in compensation for the 2005 season.

Sharper struggled last season, due in part to a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Week 7.

Sharper started at free safety for the last six seasons. He ranks fifth on the Packers� all-time interceptions list with 36. He was drafted in the second round in 1997.

� Press-Gazette, sports @ greenbaypressgazette.com



Packers gain cap space by releasing safety Sharper
March 10, 2005
SportsLine.com wire reports

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/8276545

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers released two-time Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper on Thursday to trim $3.4 million off their salary cap and avoid having to pay him a $2.6 million roster bonus this weekend.

The Packers tried to get Sharper to restructure his deal, but he balked at a pay cut, hoping he can make more on the open market than the approximately $2 million Green Bay was offering for 2005.

Sharper started at free safety the last six seasons and ranks fifth in team history with 36 interceptions. He led the team with four interceptions last year and scored three defensive touchdowns.

The Packers have lost three safeties this offseason. They released Michael Hawthorne and Bhawoh Jue signed with San Diego last week at the start of free agency, when Green Bay also lost both of its starting guards: Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle.

[Bretsky]

I'd agree with Patler that is was terribly difficult to find a way to fit Wahle in and it's harsh to criticize w/o pointing out the how's of making that happen.
Cutting Bubba Franks immediately would have been one of many steps that probably would have needed to occur.

However, I'm a Darren Sharper fan and always felt TT was an absolute tight ass in lowballing him.

[Patler]

Why Tom Silverstein didn't mention the Javon Walker fiasco :

I was trying to stick to free agency, Craig. Walker was a trade obviously and since he was under contract it didn't really have anything to do with a free agent move.

Thanks for writing,

TS

Then why did he bring up Wahle and Sharper? They were under contract, too. Cutting Wahle and Sharper was no different then cutting Cetidus Hunt or some of the others still under contract. Why didn't he mention Hunt?

[hoosier]

Why Tom Silverstein didn't mention the Javon Walker fiasco :

I was trying to stick to free agency, Craig. Walker was a trade obviously and since he was under contract it didn't really have anything to do with a free agent move.

Thanks for writing,

TS

Then why did he bring up Wahle and Sharper? They were under contract, too. Cutting Wahle and Sharper was no different then cutting Cetidus Hunt or some of the others still under contract. Why didn't he mention Hunt?

Cuz he's a lazy sack of ____ and he got caught being lazy and now he's trying to cover his tracks....and doing a pretty lazy job of it.

[cheesner]

Why Tom Silverstein didn't mention the Javon Walker fiasco :

I was trying to stick to free agency, Craig. Walker was a trade obviously and since he was under contract it didn't really have anything to do with a free agent move.

Thanks for writing,

TS

Then why did he bring up Wahle and Sharper? They were under contract, too. Cutting Wahle and Sharper was no different then cutting Cetidus Hunt or some of the others still under contract. Why didn't he mention Hunt?

Because the decision to cut Hunt is like choosing between living with a grapefruit sized boil on your ass or having it removed. That move did not prove/disprove TT a genius.

[Patler]

I'd agree with Patler that is was terribly difficult to find a way to fit Wahle in and it's harsh to criticize w/o pointing out the how's of making that happen.
Cutting Bubba Franks immediately would have been one of many steps that probably would have needed to occur.

However, I'm a Darren Sharper fan and always felt TT was an absolute tight ass in lowballing him.

I think he did lowball Sharper, and I think he did it for several reasons.

1. I don't think Sharper fit the outline of what TT wants for a safety. Look at all the safeties he has signed and drafted. All were reputed to be very physical guys, good in run support. Sharper is a different kind of safety.

2. Sharper had been hurt for several years and really had not played very well. He really looked to be on a decline. In fairness to TT, he had to make these decisions within weeks of getting to GB, and with the benefit only of watching tape. To Sharper's credit, he has played better in MN than he did the last two years in GB.

3. The Packers were in a very tight cap situation, even after releasing Wahle. Releasing Sharper, or keeping him at a very low cap number was one of the significant moves that provided cap flexibility. TT picked a number that he was willing to invest in Sharper, and valued the cap flexibilty more than having Sharper at a higher number. Those are the decisions GMs make all the time. You can't always afford to keep the best players.

[Bretsky]

2. Sharper had been hurt for several years and really had not played very well. He really looked to be on a decline. In fairness to TT, he had to make these decisions within weeks of getting to GB, and with the benefit only of watching tape. To Sharper's credit, he has played better in MN than he did the last two years in GB.


TT is pretty detailed; he knew exactly what he was losing when he lowballed Sharper. He was watching Ryan Grant and Ward all offseason. Each team has immense scouting reports of every team. I can sit with TT didn't value keeping Sharper over the offer he made, but he was sitting in the rooms watching tapes all year and had a view of Sharper before he arrived.

[Patler]

TT is pretty detailed; he knew exactly what he was losing when he lowballed Sharper. He was watching Ryan Grant and Ward all offseason. Each team has immense scouting reports of every team. I can sit with TT didn't value keeping Sharper over the offer he made, but he was sitting in the rooms watching tapes all year and had a view of Sharper before he arrived.

You really have to put it all in context of time and responsibilities. When TT first came to GB, he said he knew very little of the Packer roster because his responsibilities at Seattle were primarily for the draft and for free agent players. He did not study NFL rosters much. He moved to GB the middle of January. Wahle happened in early February. They negotiated with Sharper in Feb/early March. Sharper was signed by the Vikings already in early March.

One of the more interesting interviews with TT was just before his first draft (late April). He was asked what he thought of the Packer existing roster. He said he had just completed watching all the game tapes literally only a day or two before that, and he was surprised by many players. When quizzed further, all he would said was that "the roster was not quite what he expected" from a team that had won as much as the Packers had.

If he studied Sharper, it was probably only the last couple years, during which Sharper was often hurt and, as most would admit, did not play well. Sharper even admitted it, but said it was because of injuries. Personally, I thought his best days were past. Sharper was right.