2018 (or is it 2019?) Free Agency Moves/Trades/Releases

Brown Paper Sack posted:

You can blame Rodgers for that Cobb contract.

https://fansided.com/2014/12/1...e-sign-randall-cobb/

Nope, wrong. Ted Thompson never signed anyone because his star QB demands it. That's actually part of the story how you ended up with Brett Favre playing for the Vikings. Brett threw a fit when Ted was outbid by New England for Randy Moss before the 2007 draft, and then threw another fit and "retired" less than 24 hours after Moss re-signed with New England the next offseason. If Brett would have gotten his way, he probably would have finished his career with the Packers. He only "retired" because Ted wasn't willing to break the bank and mortgage the future to get him another Super Bowl ring.

More Bennett brothers news today: the Patriots are releasing TE Martellus Bennett, per league source.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 7, 2018

Edit: Demovsky says he was due a $2 million dollar roster bonus next week from the Pats under the terms of the Packer deal.

packerboi posted:

One other thing to consider. If the Packers do in fact sign Wilkerson, that would leave a rotation of Kenny Clark, Daniels, and Wilkerson. So, what does that do to Monty Adams and his development? The Packers spent a 3rd rounder on this kid. 

Not saying GB shouldn't kick the tires on a Pro Bowl veteran, but that move would bury Adams pretty deep in a position that the Packers seem to be well stocked to begin with. 

If the Pack get Wilkerson, that brings up the 4-3 or 3-4 scheme again in my eyes.

Get your best defensive players on the field and go 4-3?  It would be a very good d-line with depth for rotational purposes when you add in Dean Lowry too, who could play DE or DT.

Agree. If we lack a good edge rusher, then go 4-3 a lot of the time and see if the DL can generate pressure. With those four up front and rotating in Lowry and someone else, why not give it a try?

packerboi posted:

One other thing to consider. If the Packers do in fact sign Wilkerson, that would leave a rotation of Kenny Clark, Daniels, and Wilkerson. So, what does that do to Monty Adams and his development? The Packers spent a 3rd rounder on this kid. 

Not saying GB shouldn't kick the tires on a Pro Bowl veteran, but that move would bury Adams pretty deep in a position that the Packers seem to be well stocked to begin with. 

That’s the TT way of thinking that people have been complaining about for years. I agree with you, but the consensus among the 50 drunks on this forum seems to be do whatever it takes to get the defense better immediately. Daniels, Clark, Wilkerson looks better than Daniels, Clark, Lowry/Adams.

ilcuqui posted:

packerboi posted:

One other thing to consider. If the Packers do in fact sign Wilkerson, that would leave a rotation of Kenny Clark, Daniels, and Wilkerson. So, what does that do to Monty Adams and his development? The Packers spent a 3rd rounder on this kid. 

Not saying GB shouldn't kick the tires on a Pro Bowl veteran, but that move would bury Adams pretty deep in a position that the Packers seem to be well stocked to begin with. 

I don't disagree but all four of those guys have injury history and it is likely one if not more will miss a game or more. Can't have enough quality depth at any position. If Wilkerson is affordable you have to consider bringing him in.

Agreed. I can see trimming some fat but unless it's complete dead weight you can't completely pillage the roster and hope a bunch of picks hit or a FA is a sure thing. Bird in the hand and all. 

For the most part I'm not passing any judgements on this new regime until we see the outcome.  Gutekunst needs to prove he's got the chops and that Murphy made the right choice. The one thing about the hire that sticks in my craw is Highsmith leaving. Wolf? I get it but it sure seemed like the FO jumped ship to go to ****ing Cleveland. New blood, could be great, could be a disaster. 

Be aggressive in FA within reason. That's a ****load of cap as well as experience that's getting jettisoned.  Yet, if it gives Pettine the tools one can't complain too much. 

Fandame posted:

Agree. If we lack a good edge rusher, then go 4-3 a lot of the time and see if the DL can generate pressure. With those four up front and rotating in Lowry and someone else, why not give it a try?

That's a lot of Hoss to account for. Considering Daniels and Clark have some pass rush skills adding Wilkerson would be a hell of a front. Add in Perry as a 4-3 DE (if he doesn't get a hangnail) and that would be pass rush heavy line. Rotate Matthews to MLB in 4-3 and things could get interesting. 

Now about that secondary . . . 

Weather permitted, so FA DL Mo Wilkerson landed in Green Bay and will have dinner with #Packers coaches tonight. The visit will be tomorrow. Obviously a lot of mutual interest on both sides, so this could come together.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2018

Gotta fit under within the cap, and remembering that Rodgers is due... not too excited -- yet.

packerboi posted:

Weather permitted, so FA DL Mo Wilkerson landed in Green Bay and will have dinner with #Packers coaches tonight. The visit will be tomorrow. Obviously a lot of mutual interest on both sides, so this could come together.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2018

Sweet BOGO almost cinches it!

It makes sense for him to come here. Played with Pettine in NY & did WELL.

Man, sign this guy already & let's show the rest of the league some new tape on defense.

Pettine: “Remember when we just needed a QB?.......”

Mo: “I need a pen”

For 5 years. All we've needed is some SEMBLANCE of a defense.

I hope 2018 provides that "semblance"

Brainwashed Boris posted:

For 5 years. All we've needed is some SEMBLANCE of a defense.

Really bad job by McCarthy and Thompson. **** 5 years !!!!

Mike can’t get a pass for saying he’s tired of the defense being a step child to the offense for the past few years. Someone needs to to get up in his grill and call enabling on his passive ass. 

I like Mike. But him calling step child on Dom after he covered Dom’s back for three years too many is patently bull****. 

Brainwashed Boris posted:

For 5 years. All we've needed is some SEMBLANCE of a defense.

I hope 2018 provides that "semblance"

If that "semblance" can keep the opponents to 10 points or less per game, we stand a chance if Hundley has to play. 

ChilliJon posted:

Mike can’t get a pass for saying he’s tired of the defense being a step child to the offense for the past few years. Someone needs to to get up in his grill and call enabling on his passive ass. 

I like Mike. But him calling step child on Dom after he covered Dom’s back for three years too many is patently bull****. 

Agreed.  After a complete boondoggle of a season any slack for Glorified OC is gone.  

I don't like the new "lines of communication" Murphy set up but I wouldn't doubt it has more to do with firing a shot across GOC's bow.  

A point I'd like to add into this whole FA commentary.  Due to The Wizard's and GOC's incompetence there are players on this defense that haven't been accurately assessed.  Yes, they need an infusion of talent but once again going to the Hayward/Hyde example, with the exception of OLB, do we even know what's in the defensive cupboard?

Pettine is a competent DC.  Hopefully we start to see production out of the slew of defensive picks collected over the past few years.  

I know it's been a famine when it comes to FA but I sure the hell hope Gunk doesn't go full Danny Snyder. 

Good to see the McCarthy bashing is returning to its usual irrational level.

GOC has had plenty of years to prove himself and for the most part it appeared justified to give him props.  In the course of one season he completely unraveled any semblance of competence.

This isn't any mere GOC bashing, he was exposed.    

ChilliJon posted:

Mike can’t get a pass for saying he’s tired of the defense being a step child to the offense for the past few years. Someone needs to to get up in his grill and call enabling on his passive ass. 

I like Mike. But him calling step child on Dom after he covered Dom’s back for three years too many is patently bull****. 

Wonder how much Thompson influenced the GB tenure for Dom? Not that he dictated keeping him around, but Thompson's defensive background could have subconsciously factored into any staff discussions he and McCarthy had.

McCarthy has never, ever been a knee-jerk reaction guy. He, to a fault at times, has been slow to adjust - not the in-game adjustments, but the in-season or off-season decisions. 

That's an interesting thought.  GOC always seemed to be rather protective of his coaching hires but could it be more "lines of communications" issues?

I'm truly more interested in this whole "line of communications" issue that Murphy felt he needed to implement.    

Thompson may have been too hands off for Murphy's liking? That could have been part of the lines of communication change.

Being a quiet stoic leader can work if there is a sense of fear in job security. But that wasn't Thompson. He often commented about how he hated the cutting a player part of his job, having gone through that himself. 

Some leaders thrive on the conflict and the autocratic position of head-chopping, others run from it or are sickened by it. I've seen both in my experiences. The best leaders I've dealt with find the right mix of being stern and compassionate in the personnel decisions

The whole 4-3 v 3-4 debate is an obsolete argument.  Doesn't matter.  Few teams run either of them on a consistent basis anymore because of all the sub packages.  Pettine will use concepts from both.  

Adams getting buried on the depth chart?  You can never have enough big men and the teams with the best fronts have healthy rotations.

To add to the obsolescence argument, I like the fact Pettine was observing in Seattle last year as well.  

excalibur posted:

The rich got richer with that Eagles trade for Bennett.

Do the Eagles get him for a whole season?

Hungry5 posted:

Thompson may have been too hands off for Murphy's liking? That could have been part of the lines of communication change.

Being a quiet stoic leader can work if there is a sense of fear in job security. But that wasn't Thompson. He often commented about how he hated the cutting a player part of his job, having gone through that himself. 

Some leaders thrive on the conflict and the autocratic position of head-chopping, others run from it or are sickened by it. I've seen both in my experiences. The best leaders I've dealt with find the right mix of being stern and compassionate in the personnel decisions

Curious if Murphy's move was a big part of Highsmith leaving?  I'm guessing TT gave substantial latitude.  But then substantial latitude in the FO and coaching staff was undeniably an issue.  

I think the Packers organization is entering a whole different universe at this point.  Possibly the reason Gertz got the call over Wolf.  

This FA period and draft may be a real eye opener.  

justanotherpackerfan posted:

excalibur posted:

The rich got richer with that Eagles trade for Bennett.

Do the Eagles get him for a whole season?

Depends on the team's W-L record week to week.  Duh. 

Henry posted:

GOC has had plenty of years to prove himself and for the most part it appeared justified to give him props.  In the course of one season he completely unraveled any semblance of competence.

This isn't any mere GOC bashing, he was exposed.    

This.

Hoping Philbin and Pettine raise McCarthy's IQ level, not to mention Rodgers.

Available sooner then originally thought?

Packers T Bryan Bulaga on @ESPNMilwaukee tells @WildeAndTausch his rehab is "going to take me all the way up to training camp."

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 8, 2018

More Bulaga to @WildeAndTausch on his future with the Packers: "My agents were in Indy last week and we haven't heard anything. My thought process on all that is 'no news is good news.' I'm getting ready to help the Green Bay Packers win football games next year."

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 8, 2018

Brak posted:

Good to see the McCarthy bashing is returning to its usual irrational level.

He burned up all his currency last year with that "The QB room is fine!"

He was exposed last year. Time to prove he still has it. This ain't 2010 anymore. That's why he received a "1-year extension." I LOVE IT!!

Don't worry Brak....Rodgers will save him AGAIN in 2018.

packerboi posted:

Available sooner then originally thought?

Packers T Bryan Bulaga on @ESPNMilwaukee tells @WildeAndTausch his rehab is "going to take me all the way up to training camp."

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 8, 2018

More Bulaga to @WildeAndTausch on his future with the Packers: "My agents were in Indy last week and we haven't heard anything. My thought process on all that is 'no news is good news.' I'm getting ready to help the Green Bay Packers win football games next year."

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 8, 2018

Honestly, I would have a hard time kicking Buluga to the curb because he's so damn good when he's healthy.  I haven't really seen anything showing he's considerably dipped in skill when he is on the field.  I think they need to be more concerned finding a replacement for Spriggs.  

"The QB room is fine."

I guess he could've said, "My boss hasn't done enough to get me a competent back up, he doesn't seem interested in going outside to get one right now, so we're stuck with the garbage we have."

Which is very likely what Murphy heard from MM at some point.  Maybe Rodgers, too, regarding the overall lack of free agent / trade activity.

It's a solid point. Very possible. BUT if that's the case, then MM MUST go to Ted privately & say something like. "Ted, this guy isn't cutting it."

This isn't about ego or anything else except the ability to play in the NFL.

I believe MM thought he could make chicken salad out of chicken $#!T & the "QB guru" would've proven to everyone, this team isn't just AR12. Unfortunately, for MM, he looks foolish for saying "The QB room is fine." Now he "needs to get that fixed."

That's so last year....he is still on the BH bandwagon, at least as of a few days ago.

Pikes Peak posted:

That's so last year....he is still on the BH bandwagon, at least as of a few days ago.

Yes. Idiocy.

Folks:  You don't bash a guy when he may have some value. Such as being a trade throw in with a draft pick or two to move up or collect more picks. Also it must be said that we must wait to see the progress on Rodgers' extension and filling the back-up QB situation (via draft, UDFA or FA pick-up until the regular season starts).

I wouldn't be surprised to see 7 on the roster until the last cut-down. 

There are a lot of GMs and coaches out there who think they can re-tool any player who isn't a malcontent or get a game or two out of him. Scotty Tolzien has made a nice chunk of change because of this logic. 

So don't release the guy until its proven he has no value whatsoever and the real games are about to begin.

Hungry5 posted:

 

Some leaders thrive on the conflict and the autocratic position of head-chopping...

Leave your politics out of this thread.

Don’t understand why Rodgers isn’t getting any bashing for this debacle of a season. It’s no coincidence this guy gives up dairy and his bones start shattering. He needs to add some fat as a cushion for those bones. This seasons on him. He needs to spend more time strengthening those bones and spend less time chasing celebrity poon and shooting State Farm commercials.