An Embarrassment of Riches

3 biggest dilemma's IMO:

Ryan Grant is due 2 million smackers in less then 4 weeks. Set to be paid 6.5 million for the year. Do you pay him this?

James Jones if a CBA comes will be a free agent. Do you extend him and if so to what kind of contract?

AJ Hawk. 10 million in 2011. No way the packers will pay that. So what's a fair price for him?

Agreed Packerboi. I'd add Jenkins to your list as well.

I'd get Hawk back in here for sure. Grant we'll need due to the depth needed at RB. Jones is so inconsistent and I think he'll be looking for more than the Packers can give, but you never know. He already cost himself a lot of money with the drops he had this year. Maybe Jones will sign a 1 year deal.

Strike a deal with Grant and Hawk.

Let Jones go...

Since rookies will be locked out with the vets until two weeks before the start of the regular season, I expect TT to trade all of this year's draft choices for next year's and to spend the available cap space on an OLB FA and a WR or OT Fa

If the Packers could move some of their draft picks into future picks a round higher, I would not be opposed.

Depending on a new CBA Ted does have choices.
As it stands today he has:
53 man roster
7 man practice squad
16 on IR
1 Jolly suspension
8 Draft picks.
Or 85 players or potential players he has to make a decision about. Plus I am sure he will want to bring in some non draft free agents. So he will have to let a bunch of players leave.
The Packers might have an ultra completive train camp next year.

I think it becomes trickier with Jones should Driver end up retiring. If Donald were to be gone, Jones would have more leverage. I wouldn't want to see the chemistry of our wideouts messed with too much.

I think the biggest decision they have to make as a team is whether or not they will pay (bring back) Cullen Jenkins. While I understand they still retain the rights to Jolly, I could see a scenario where they extend Jenkins and cut Jolly loose. Or they could bring both of those guys back.

The other interesting development will be at LB. Hawk played well this year, but there is no way the Packers will retain him at $10MM per season. Either they will force a move there (maybe an extension) or he could go ala Darren Sharper or Mike Wahle. Then there's Nick Barnett. Personally, I see no scenario where he comes back. Some of it is due to his talent/fit with this defense, but I also think he's too mouthy and disruptive for his own good.

Finally, now that Driver and Woodson have a ring, do you think they will retire? If Woody goes that's a pretty big loss even with the emergence of Shields and Williams. To a lesser extent I can say the same about Driver at this point.

I think they will let Jones walk - but that's just me. If Driver goes I don't think they'd let Jones walk- but stranger things have happened. They could always convert Finley to a WR. He plays that type of a role anyway.

I've seen nothing that indicates either Woodson or DD are leaning toward retirement. Jones is who he is and TT has to determine the price he's willing to pay for brutal inconsistency. I think he can find an upgrade in the middle and lower rounds.

If I understand...the current situation is that even without a new CBA there will be a draft this year, but no trading of players. So what do you do with Barnett or the like? If you can't trade them for a draftpick.....what can you do? I'm not even saying that Barnett needs to be traded, I'm just generally asking.

I think who they keep will also depend a lot on the possible move to an 18 game season. I've heard talk that if they go to 18 games, the roster may get bigger to help with the increased likelihood of injuries. I would assume that with a bigger roster would come a bigger salary cap.

The other thing that influences these decisions is that the Packers are built to win now. Jones, while inconsistent, knows the offense and has the ability to be great. Any knew wide receiver (especially rookie) is going to have a learning curve.

In terms of Hawk, I think he needs to rework his deal. He's been healthy and consistent this year, but not worth 10 million. Jenkins is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. With Neal/Jolly possibly coming back, I don't think they will break the bank on him.

I will be interested to see how winning the SB a effects players thoughts on staying or going. Will players take less to stay with a team they (I assume) like playing for who has the talent to win another SB, or will the fact that they played on a SB winning team, artificially increase there value and price them out of the Packers range?

quote:

Originally posted by Tschmack:
Finally, now that Driver and Woodson have a ring, do you think they will retire?

I believe watching the game on the sidelines will have them motivated to come back next year and get another ring. I think it really stung to not be able to be out their in the 2nd half and helping their team.

I think Jones and Hawk stay and Grant goes.

Jones can improve and I believe strongly that he will.

Wide receivers frustrate fans, its what they do. Jones does more good than bad and has not capped his potential.

WEll, we got lucky this year. Next year TT better step up and sign a vet QB as a back up. Look at the Bears. Did they leave the back up job to their untested young QB? No, the signed a tested veteran to take his place. Is Adelius Thomas still available?

I believe Rodgers will have some input on what receivers stay. Grant will need to renegotiate or get cut. Hawk I believe will want to stay and will renegotiate a fair contract. Barnett will most likely go i.e. injury prone, bad chemistry etc.

Colledge gone? He's not great but they could do worse. Unless they think Newhouse is the guy?

I would think some point in camp they would sign Sitton and Nelson to extensions.

Jones is tough - he is open all the time but the drops are incredibly painful.

Jenkins is great but he's arguably the #1 DE prospect and that is a huge commodity. Someone will likely give him a big contract.

There are a few things that will come into play that will make it easier to keep some of these guys. I think we will probably see someone like Donald Lee get cut which will free up some money (he is due 2.2 million this year) and we could very well see Nick Barnett get released or traded which will also free up some money.

I've said it before, they will either get a deal worked out with Hawk or pay him the 10 million. He was so critical to this teams success IMO that he will be kept no matter what. Grant will get paid also I think, but they will work on a new deal that would probably pay a lot up front. That seems to be Ted's style. Both guys are key team leaders and not only is Grant still a solid RB, I think they will want him around so his attitude will rub off on Starks who is obviously a big part of the plans for next year.

Jones is one guy who won't be brought back IMO. He seems like a guy with solid character, but you don't hear great things about his work ethic like you do about Jennings or Driver. And frankly, he may be a very gifted athlete and just a good receiver, but he's not going to be worth the money he would get somewhere else. If I'm wrong and he would come back to GB for a reasonable deal then I would love to have him back, but someone like Washington or Carolina, who need WRs, are going throw a bunch of money at him.

quote:

Originally posted by The GBP Rules:
Colledge gone? He's not great but they could do worse. Unless they think Newhouse is the guy?

I would think some point in camp they would sign Sitton and Nelson to extensions.

Jones is tough - he is open all the time but the drops are incredibly painful.

Jenkins is great but he's arguably the #1 DE prospect and that is a huge commodity. Someone will likely give him a big contract.

We could do worse, but we could do better. There are some solid Guards in this draft I think Ted will look to. Colledge will go where the money is and I don't think GB will get into a bidding war for him.

Agree on extensions for Sitton and Nelson. Both guys deserve it.

I don't think Jenkins will make it to free agency. I think they will franchise him honestly. It will cost us about 12.4 million and I'm sure Jenkins would be mad about it, but it will give us time to work on an extension. Ted doesn't let talented players just walk away, if Jenkins is in the plans for the future, he will be in GB next season. If not, we will get a very nice 3rd round compensatory pick in the 2012 draft.

I agree that Grant would make for a hell of a backfield and we all learned how much we took him for granted this year. But, we also saw that GB can hoist a Vince Lombardi trophy with only two quarters from the guy. And while the jury is still out on Starks' durability and ability to repeat, I think he gives you enough at the position to let Grant walk. If he comes back at a discount, I'd love it. But I can't see paying him $6M.

Jones decides to drop passes at the worst times, but I don't think his number of drops are so far above league average that you just throw out his ability and potential. Especially with the way this team spreads the ball, and Donald's time running out.

I'd probably franchise Jenkins and take one more year to sort out the D Line.

quote:

Originally posted by turnip blood:
Depending on a new CBA Ted does have choices.
As it stands today he has:
53 man roster
7 man practice squad
16 on IR
1 Jolly suspension
8 Draft picks.
Or 85 players or potential players he has to make a decision about. Plus I am sure he will want to bring in some non draft free agents. So he will have to let a bunch of players leave.
The Packers might have an ultra completive train camp next year.

Off the top of my head...guys that could be cut from the 85 assuming everybody is 100% healthy for next year.

Havner
Tauscher
Bustin
Bigby
Barnett
Popinga
Briggs
Anthony Smith
Francios
Howard Green
Hall
Nance
Donald Lee
Deitric-Smith or Spitz

that took me about 5 seconds to get down to 71 players and I didn't even consider some of the dead weight on the practice squad.

quote:

Originally posted by FreeSafety:

Howard Green

Green sure is nice insurance for Raji, though. It's nice to have another wide body in the rotation in the middle.

Howard Green might be a keeper; rest of the list looks reasonable and all of them would find work elsewhere

If either Jolley or Jenkins doesn't return I'd expect Green to be in the DL next season, other than that I agree with Free Safety's post.

I really like Green but I don't think you can keep Raji, Pickett, Jenkins, Wilson, Wynn, Neal, Jolly and Green, just too many.

Also have to think about the value of Wilhelm and Underwood.

First off, let's see what happens in TC. Time to challenge the positions of depth in the backfield, oline and find a starter opposite Clay. Dline has great depth and maybe Green sticks but I just don't see how.

Who Ted choses to keep versus allow to walk is always opposite of some jeenyouses. One factor for those who are tuned in better than most of us is allowing some vets to go to free agency in return for a comp pick. Allowing vets to leave because of salary reasons rarely nets a return. Hawk, Grant, and Tauscher would be nice to keep without salary pain.

All I know is I hope TT starts wheeling and dealing some picks into future picks like the Pats did. Definitely is one of the biggest reasons that organization has been a competitor year in and year out.

Need to find a way to keep AJ. Believe Jones will improve.

Can see him signing Jones for a year or two, drafting his replacement and then trading Jones for a future pick. Sign Jenkins, keep Green: solid interior D linemen who have to do nothing but the dirty work don't grow on trees. Restructure Grant and Hawk. Grant can see the writing on the wall, but I think he wants to be part of something like we got going. Hawk knows he succeeds because of the system, not his talent level -- at least he should!

James Jones is NOT going to sign a one or two year deal. Someone is going to overpay for him. Think what Randal El got from the Skins.

Jones has been in the league for four years and I wish I had the optimism of his impending improvement that others apparently do. His familiarity with the offense is a plus, but he's easily replaceable by a more consistent alternative through the draft.