Agree Pack-man. There are options out there and some of these FA's aren't going to require Brandon Marshall money and/or picks to bring in. Danny Travethan is sitting there too. And the Bronco's will be in cap hell.
Yep. A 4th round rookie should make an immediate impact. What the **** was Ted thinking????
Yeah, the Packers should just wait a couple of years until Ryan becomes an all-pro, and if he doesn't? Oh well, at least they didn't waste money and effort trying to make the team better. All Ted's picks are superstars if you just wait long enough.
grignon posted:Per the Sporting News, Steelers TE Heath Miller done as well.
Any update on Big Ben?
The Road Warrior Animal was released by the Rams? Whoaaaa.
Dammit.
Still not a Goalline thread
Only 4 ****in pages, only if Ted was more active. This thread would be epic.
The Ref fka Blair Kiel posted:grignon posted:Per the Sporting News, Steelers TE Heath Miller done as well.
Any update on Big Ben?
GBFanForLife posted:Yep. A 4th round rookie should make an immediate impact. What the **** was Ted thinking????
You need to relax, friend. I didn't say he should be ****canned, I said he needs to prove he's worthy of a starting spot. He's already better than Thomas and Palmer, and about on the same level of Barrington. ILB and TE are by far the worst position groups on this team. Both need a serious infusion of talent. McCarthy has already said we're not going to see Matthews inside again next season, so they're obviously going to be targeting ILB in the offseason.
Well, since all were cut I believe any of them could be signed without interfering with precious comp picks. That and it being February make this worth entertaining.
Long requires too much projecting health, weight change and position switch. I'd be surprised.
Laurenitis has always reminded me of a better tackling Hawk. Steady, reliable -hasn't missed a start in his career - but very little flash plays.
Cook probably intrigues me the most. 6'5, and came into the league with 4.4 speed. His overall production has never jumped off the page, but look at the Offenses and QBs he's had to work with. He was top 10 in YPC last year which means he can move with the ball if you get it to him. A trait that's currently lacking on this team.
As with all FA, it all depends on the price tag.
GBFanForLife posted:Only 4 ****in pages, only if Ted was more active. This thread would be epic.
If Ted Thompson were coach, would he have gone for two?
He would have. While holding a Bud Light with ice in it.
Laurinaitis would look great in a Packer uniform. But, what's the price and how many productive years does he have left? After all the flack that TT has taken for not going after free agents like Vernon Davis last year for example will he be more open to it now? Probably not.
Cook would be a perfect fit for Green Bay. Proven, very productive pass-catching TE with the ability to stretch the field. Should have at least three more productive years in him. Would be nice to pair with the younger Richard Rodgers.
I'm not a big fan of this tight end draft class. There might only be one tight end worth taking in the first two rounds and maybe as few as ten tight ends worth drafting. Considering this, and that Richard Rodgers is still a young player, it seems to make more sense that Green Bay goes out and gets a veteran tight end.
Laurinaitis is 29 I believe and has rarely missed or hasn't missed a game over his career. He'd be perfect to pair with a young stud draft pick.
Agreed. Laurinaitis is a better version of AJ Hawk. While that is faint praise, he's a little quicker and better at anticipating, attacking and reading plays. He's the kind of guy Jake Ryan could develop in to in a couple of years.
Laurinaitis is a much better ILB than Hawk. He is actually a fit for ILB, Hawk was never a fit. JL is stronger and more aggressive.
I agree with you there mostly, but Laurinaitis is somewhat limited athletically and in space, which were part of Hawk's limitations.
Pro Football Talk Live with Mike Florida James Laurinaitis
http://podplayer.net/#/?id=12327060
FWIW, mentioned his wish is to play for a team that can compete for a championship and particularly for a team with a top flight quarterback.
Pro Football Focus graded Laurinaitis as one of the worst ILBs in the league last season. So either those guys don't know anything or he's not close to the player he used to be.
I'm not sure many, if any, think he's great, but he's better than what they have now. He'd be a stop-gap guy for a year or two.
Matt Williamson discussing free agent TE's and other players. Good listen:
Laurenitis also played behind a very good Dline the last couple years.
Cook interests me much more than Animal.
After reading more about Laurinaitis............there has to be a better ILB option out there. He wasn't that good behind arguably the best d-line in football, so it's only going to get worse in Green Bay.
If you want a stop-gap veteran, bring in Derrick Johnson.
Meanwhile we all know Ted is going full monty on the wild side throwing 4th round compensatory picks at Tight Ends and ILB'ers.
Arbitration Ruling Leads to Increased NFL Salary Cap in 2016
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FEB. 23, 2016, 1:15 P.M. E.S.T.
NEW YORK — The NFL's salary cap will get an additional boost of more than $1.5 million per team for next season.
After the NFL Players Association won an arbitration hearing that means an additional $50 million or so will be available for teams to spend. The official salary cap has not been determined, but was expected to rise by at least $10 million from the $143.5 million ceiling of last season.
The NFL on Tuesday explained the adjustment as a technical accounting matter. But the union contends the league miscalculated or was hiding money due the players.
The issue was whether specific revenues the league called exempt from being applied toward the salary cap actually should be counted. An arbitrator found in the players' favor.
A new salary cap figure will be announced before the NFL's business year begins March 9.
What if the Sea chickens cut their injured TE to save some money? Is Graham going to have anything left?
Broncos offering Malik Jackson more than $10 million a year
Posted by Michael David Smith on February 24, 2016, 5:55 AM ESTAP
The Broncos are making a strong push to convince defensive lineman Malik Jackson to stay in Denver, without waiting to test free agency.
Jackson, set to become a free agent on March 9, has been offered a long-term deal worth more than $10 million a year, the Denver Post reports.
But Jackson hasn’t accepted the deal, and probably won’t, at least not until he’s been able to test the market first. There’s no reason for Jackson to rush to sign something when he knows he’s about to become an unrestricted free agent. The Broncos are planning to use the franchise tag on Von Miller, which means they can’t tag Jackson.
Jackson played well in the regular season and even better in the playoffs, helping the Broncos win the Super Bowl. He’s about to cash in for that strong play, whether he leaves Denver or stays. The Broncos hope he stays.
What's going to kill the Broncos chances to keep Malik Jackson are the "under the floor" Raiders and Jaguars - teams in need of interior pass rushers. Both of them are way under the spending floor and thus have to spend a bunch of money this year. If they're smart, they'll spend that money on a very good young player at a position of important, ie: Malik Jackson. Give him a bunch of money in 2016 to reach that floor and take a $30-35m cap hit on him this year (via huge salary or roster bonus, ie: no signing bonus), then have lower cap hits in subsequent years. Something like 5 years, $70m with a $35m cap hit in 2016, then $9m a year after that. Seems smarter to me to invest in a young player like that than spread that cap room around to a bunch of declining veterans (which is what will likely happen).
it took a few years, but the Raiders were smart to wait on McKenzie to get his balance and put some decent drafts together. He does a decent job of mixing FA and the draft and like TT, they are always way below the cap to make moves. Unlike TT, Reggie actually makes moves in FA.
He also had a LOT more holes to fill in OAK. Couldn't fill them all quickly enough with the draft.
packerboi posted:it took a few years, but the Raiders were smart to wait on McKenzie to get his balance and put some decent drafts together. He does a decent job of mixing FA and the draft and like TT, they are always way below the cap to make moves. Unlike TT, Reggie actually makes moves in FA.
And McKenzie plays his Janis's...
McKenzie is coming up on his 5th draft in Oakland, his first two years he did not draft well...hence the need for free agents. He hit on a QB, a pass rusher, and Wr so he's set himself up well for the future. That's the biggest driver of the Raiders improvement, not FA's. I guarantee Reggie would rather NOT dip in to FA, but he didn't have much choice. The cupboard was bone dry in Oakland when he took over.
Raiders had no first round pick in 2011. No first or second in 2012. All part of the previous regieme's trading picks for Carson Palmer. Worked out well for them.
Reggie didn't dabble in FA to help form a roster. He inherited a ****ty team that only had a total of 6 picks starting in round 3. He had no choice but to go FA's.
That his drafts got better in years 3 and 4 were certainly helped by picking in the top 5 both years.
ChilliJon posted:That his drafts got better in years 3 and 4 were certainly helped by picking in the top 5 both years.
Ted doesn't think picking in the Top 5 is all that great or helpful.
