So where do we go from here? Who do we resign?
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/fr...l/green-bay-packers/
Biggest decisions:
Jones, Linsley, Tonyan, Taylor, Sullivan, Greene, Lewis
Positions most needed to upgrade right now appear to be D-line, CB, RB (if Jones not resigned), TE (depending on Lewis / Tonyan), and G / C (again depending on resigned guys)
Draft / Free Agent possibilities?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
33 is done in Green Bay.
85 needs to resigned as does 63
Let Taylor and Sullivan walk
keep Greene
try and land a fa corner.
Draft D line o line cb.
we have the te that went on ir. Degura (spelling)
bring in a punter via fa or the draft.
inside backer
The Packers could really use an upgrade at the 2nd and 3rd CB positions. Sullivan’s play sucked most of the year. It was disguised when playing mediocre QBs like Trubisky,Goff, etc.
Who is slated to back up Love in 2023?
@packerboi posted:The Packers could really use an upgrade at the 2nd and 3rd CB positions. Sullivan’s play sucked most of the year. It was disguised when playing mediocre QBs like Trubisky,Goff, etc.
If you're going to build your roster on draft and develop, getting upgrades at these types of positions (as well as STs) should be a given. For all the talk about draft and develop, we haven't seen a lot of development at the bottom third of the roster...
Step 1 - Bring in a young and innovative DC.
Step 2 - Bring in a competent Teams Coordinator.
Step 3 - Let Free Agents walk.
Step 4 - Cut dead weight and bloated salaries to get under cap
Step 4 - Resign RFA's and UFA's we want to keep.
Step 5 - Draft
Step 6 - Pray that we make the playoffs with a weaker roster and tougher schedule.
They first have to decide as an organization whether they are going to take a shot at going at least somewhat all-in and try to win a Super Bowl at the expense of some salary-cap pain down the road. Either that, or just tacitly admit you are going to reload because you think this window is closed. They've already shown by the 2020 draft that they are not going all in at any point.
Jones is gone. (<5% chance of returning I'd estimate).
The writing was on the wall as soon as they drafted Dillon. If they did resign Jones now, using a 2nd round pick on Dillon was even more questionable than it already was. Sportrac has him projected at 4 years and 56 million. He'll get that somewhere.
Linsley is probably gone (25% chance of returning). He's at 3 years and 30 million on Sportrac which is not much more than he's at now, but I think he'll get more than that.
Out of the other group (Tonyan, Taylor, Sullivan, Greene, Lewis), Tonyan is the only one back for anything other than vet minimum. You could go with a first (4.8 million), second (3.4 million), or original round minimum tender (2.2 million) to give you a chance to match. I love Tonyan, but let's not make him out to be Travis Kelce or George Kittle. I think you go 3.4 million and then negotiate a longer extension (maybe 4 years and 14 million)? I don't think anyone is going to trade a second-round pick for him which is what the Packers get if they don't match an offer. The lowest tender means they get nothing for him if they don't match. That's too much of a risk.
I think you bring Jamaal Williams back on a reasonable contract (3 years, 10 million?). He's not a star, but he's basically the Packers version of James White on the Patriots.
1st Round - long snapper
2nd Round - 3rd String QB
3rd Round - 135# Corner with 4.9 speed
4th Round - holder
5th Round - Defensive Coordinator
6th Round - 4th string RB
7th Round - Special Teams Coordinator
Compensatory Pick - Groundskeeping Intern
Yeah, I sure hope we draft another long snapper and punter.
Nothing screams we want to take advantage of our aging HOF qb window like drafting a shitty punter and long snapper who caused a shit ton of missed XP's.
@FLPACKER posted:So where do we go from here? Who do we resign?
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/fr...l/green-bay-packers/
Biggest decisions:
Jones, Linsley, Tonyan, Taylor, Sullivan, Greene, Lewis
Positions most needed to upgrade right now appear to be D-line, CB, RB (if Jones not resigned), TE (depending on Lewis / Tonyan), and G / C (again depending on resigned guys)
Draft / Free Agent possibilities?
Jones - Gone
Linsley - Gone
Tonyan - Resign
Taylor - Who gives a fuck?
Sullivan - Resign
Greene - If cheap, resign. Never healthy.
Lewis - Gone
King - Gone
Draft needs: CB, DL, OL, MLB, WR... no particular order.
1. New defensive coordinator.
2. New special teams coordinator.
3. New receivers coach.
3. Convince Rodgers not to restructure.
4. Resign Tonyan.
5. Realize Rodgers made it clear you don't have a choice but to restructure.
6. Use free cap space from seeing Rodgers leave after the restructure and use it to keep Jones since we are now a run heavy (only) offence.
7. Find out what size game jersey Love wears and give him a tour of the playing field.
8. Draft a quarterback, then pickup another from the UDFA pool.
Everything depends on how teams will deal with the salary cap. It's just baffling that the league is allowing teams to be gutted just because teams DIDN'T plan on revenues declining so sharply. How could anyone have planned for that. If GB knew that this would happen no doubt they would have structured Rodgers (and others) contract accordingly. We're going to see GB, NO, PIT among others have to essentially gut their roster and rework multiple contracts to stay flush with the cap. The league should give give teams a $22M cap credit (difference of '20 cap and '21 cap) for contracts that were signed prior to '20 offseason. Then you would at least allow teams to proceed with normal roster turnover and cap casualties and allow teams to re-sign veteran talent, their draft class, and their RFA's. Or at a minimum give leeway with contract structure to maybe allow contracts with structure that reduces the first year hit to be manageable or allows a greater portion to be spread out over future years. Can't believe the NFLPA isn't have a fit over this because while teams like JAX will stuff their roster with vets to meet the salary floor, lots of vet players will either take discount deals or just not be signed because most teams can't afford it.
GB will be lucky if they can rework Rodgers and ZSmith to squeeze out enough cash to pay the draft class. A cap at $175M means we have like a Toyota Camry of cap space (No offense to Toyota Camry, it just costs about how much space we would have).
after games like that and the last decade just losing like this is absolutely gut wrenching. i question a lot of things about why i watch this team in the first place...used to be the packers were an idgaf team, in the 80's, yes they were crappy, but nobody worried about hotels and ski hills and bla blah...i just see where we are right now, this team has lost the edge to want to go for it, we are on the short back half of a generational qb - again - yes x 2 - and just piss it away. there are no other teams with that kind of luck...and lose in the big games not once, or twice, or 3x but 6....it's just gut wrenching. sometimes, you just want to suck and stockpile talent for half a dozen years, then make a serious run...and feel good about it. just venting and thanks for listening.
Sadly, I'm kind of growing accustomed to these big game flops. Yesterday did not shock me. It was very disappointing but not surprising. I think both 2010 and 2014 will forever remind me nothing is a given and anything really can happen.
It was a great season and a gift, considering world events over the last 11 months. But only 1 team makes it out of this thing happy.
This loss was hardest on me. First time in 35 years that I didn't have a basketball team to coach (season cancelled due to Covid) so all my extra-curricular attention was on the Packers. More investment / harder the loss.
@DH13 posted:Sadly, I'm kind of growing accustomed to these big game flops. Yesterday did not shock me. It was very disappointing but not surprising. It was a great season and a gift, considering world events over the last 11 months.
Could not agree any more.
My teenage son was devastated, but I hardly batted an eye when Miller scored over King to end the half.
Reminded me of the Giants 2011 Hail Mary at the end of the half and the D seemed so confused about what it wanted to do (taking a TO after Tampa Bay took a TO) that it just seemed par for the course when it comes to the Pack screwing the pooch in the playoffs.
What I actually found more shocking were the 3 picks that the D came up with to keep it close in the second half.
Anyway, it seems like the organization has not prioritized winning a Super Bowl for the past decade so I could at least be happy with the pandemic distraction of this 13-3 season.
I guess it is time to start getting ready for the Jordan Love era to begin in 2022 and maybe he can turn into a 3rd straight hall of fame QB and we can win another SB (but just 1) with him as our next QB.
@Grave Digger posted:Everything depends on how teams will deal with the salary cap. It's just baffling that the league is allowing teams to be gutted just because teams DIDN'T plan on revenues declining so sharply. How could anyone have planned for that. If GB knew that this would happen no doubt they would have structured Rodgers (and others) contract accordingly. We're going to see GB, NO, PIT among others have to essentially gut their roster and rework multiple contracts to stay flush with the cap. The league should give give teams a $22M cap credit (difference of '20 cap and '21 cap) for contracts that were signed prior to '20 offseason. Then you would at least allow teams to proceed with normal roster turnover and cap casualties and allow teams to re-sign veteran talent, their draft class, and their RFA's. Or at a minimum give leeway with contract structure to maybe allow contracts with structure that reduces the first year hit to be manageable or allows a greater portion to be spread out over future years. Can't believe the NFLPA isn't have a fit over this because while teams like JAX will stuff their roster with vets to meet the salary floor, lots of vet players will either take discount deals or just not be signed because most teams can't afford it.
GB will be lucky if they can rework Rodgers and ZSmith to squeeze out enough cash to pay the draft class. A cap at $175M means we have like a Toyota Camry of cap space (No offense to Toyota Camry, it just costs about how much space we would have).
100% agree with you, Digger. With the media strength and financial power of the league and owners, they ought to be able to find a way to keep the cap at the previous level.
Since I'm too depressed to do otherwise, I'm going to give an upbeat/optimistic view of next year:
Jones is gone, but Dillon plays so well, that no-one cares. Linsley is signed and the line rejoices. King is gone, and all Packer fans rejoice. Smith is gone, but Gary gets even better so no one cares.
A bunch of players restructure their contracts and allow the team to sign most everybody else and a few F.A.s
The Packers draft a stud C.B. in the first round who starts immediately. The wide-receiver drafted in the 2nd round starts slow but by Game #19, the league knows he's going to be really good. The DL drafted in the 3rd starts by mid-season and looks to be a stud. The rest of the draft is a couple of O-linemen, and D-linemen.
Love has an impressive pre-season and plays very well in the 2 games that AR misses due to a low ankle sprain. At this point, the pundits are lauding Gutey as the most brilliant GM in the modern era. The defense is playing much better under their new coordinator. Also, the new ST coordinator has the team in the top 1/3rd with our 2nd round pick a threat to score whenever a team punts/kicks to him. JK Scott finally hits puberty and leads the league in punt average and balls inside the 10.
Although the record is below 13-3, the Packers once again host the NFCC game. This time, against the 49ers. The weather is awful with better cold and intermittent snow. It's a tight game with Packers ahead by 4 with 3:15 to go. However, SF is driving as their new QB, Stafford, has gotten hot. Fortunately, one of his passes is tipped at the line and intercepted by Savage. He has nothing but green grass in front of him but is told to go down by Z-Smith. Packer fans have horrible flashbacks to 2014. But, MLF has no intention of running it up the middle 3 times for 2 yards. The first play is a play action pass that hits DA and gets the ball to the 5. 2 runs in a row get the ball to the 1 and on 3rd down AR hits, the recently unretired, Mercedes Lewis for the dagger.
The Super Bowl is a walk in the park. They score TDs on their first 4 drives and never look back. The media darling chiefs don't know what hit them and their quest for the first ever 3-peat falls woefully short.
@BrainDed posted:Yeah, I sure hope we draft another long snapper and punter.
Nothing screams we want to take advantage of our aging HOF qb window like drafting a shitty punter and long snapper who caused a shit ton of missed XP's.
We do need to find a franchise long snapper...😆
@FLPACKER posted:This loss was hardest on me. First time in 35 years that I didn't have a basketball team to coach (season cancelled due to Covid) so all my extra-curricular attention was on the Packers. More investment / harder the loss.
Now that I'm in my 50s, I don't get as upset as when I was younger as I appreciate how little this stuff matters in the scheme of things, but this is probably top 5 in terms of disappointment as a Wisconsin sports fan. Here's my personal view. Title games are worse because you've done everything else to get there. The games like yesterday sting, but a lot still has to happen to win a Super Bowl.
1. Game 7, 1982 World Series. I was in middle school and listened to almost every Brewers game on the radio during the year. I was too young to remember Kareem well, so this was the only Wisconsin sports team that ever made a title game or series in any sport from the time I was 4 until I was 27 years old. To a 13 year old that was devastating. I cried myself to sleep that night in October 1982.
2. Super Bowl 32. Loss to the Broncos. I just went for a 1-hour walk afterwards all over the suburban Washington DC neighborhood we lived in at the time. I was so confident in a Packer victory in that game. We'd be looking at a Packer dynasty, or so I thought. Holmgren got too arrogant.
3. Wisconsin Badgers 2015 title game loss to Duke. I'm not as big a Badger fan as I am of the pro teams, but it's still a huge part of me. I'm not an alum, but I was born on campus. That game remains the single worst officiated Wisconsin sports-related game in my lifetime. Coack K got to the refs and it was a joke.
4. Philly 4th and 26 playoff loss. Completely dominate a game and lose.
5. Seattle NFC title game loss. Completely dominate a game and lose.
6. Yesterday's game. The team wasn't quite as dominating as 4th and 26 or Seattle/Brandon Bostick games, but they still should have won.
7. Favre interception in OT to lose the 2008 title game.
And the one that wasn't a season-ender, but may end up as one of the biggest inflection points for a Wisconsin sports team was the Bucks OT loss in Game 3 vs. the Raptors in 2019. If the Bucks win that game, they almost certainly win a title as they go up 3-0 to a team that Kawhi was looking to leave ASAP after the season ended and would have played a beaten up Warrior team. Instead they lost in OT, Giannis' FT woes literally started that night, and the defensive wall philosophy was established.
This captures what I just posted about very well.
With the cap being that crunched, all those free agents are going to be crushed as well. There are not enough teams out there with a ton of space to sign a lot of guys to big contracts. You'll see about one guy per team get a big FA contract -- possibly. According to Spotrac, cap space drops off really, really fast.
That will leave a lot of guys willing to take a lot less on one-year prove-it deals. A smart GM could pick up a number of rentals and still stay under the cap and make a pretty good run.
Either that or you're going to see Jones, Lindsley, Prescott, Green, Miller, Henry, et al., all in Jacksonville, New York, or Indy.
Maybe the one saving grace for the defense is that it’s young and there’s still some upside in certain guys like Savage, Gary, the rookie ILBs, Keke if he can get over the concussion issues.
They clearly will have to find another CB and we all know they’re not easy to find. I think another DT to help Kenny Clark is a must as well. He pretty much was the only true starter caliber player on the line. Keke flashed enough talent to be taken seriously but he was out an awful long time with the concussion issues which makes me wonder if he’ll have a very short career despite having some talent.
Source: packers.com
Free-agent LBs Tipa Galeai and De'Jon Harris, OG Zack Johnson, TE Isaac Nauta, DLs Willington Previlon and Anthony Rush, RBs Mike Weber and Dexter Williams, CB Stanford Samuels and P Ryan Winslow signed Reserve/Future contracts with the Green Bay Packers on Monday, Jan. 25.
Thanks Joe Bryant
Both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason.
Designating this thread as the Official 2021 Offseason Thread.
no
@Grave Digger posted:Designating this thread as the Official 2021 Offseason Thread.
It's still so difficult to accept that it's the off-season. I really thought we would win this one. I thought we would probably lose to KC in the Super Bowl but I thought we were going. This is one of the most difficult losses I have endured in my 50 years on earth. I just hope things work out with AR and we get another chance.
I’m 48 and my most gut wrenching experiences are as follows:
1) Seattle choke job in 2014. As bad as 4th and 26 was and 2011 NFCCG and even the 1998 playoff loss to SF I wasn’t right for weeks after that one. Pure disbelief when it happened. Shock. Anger. All of it. Just terrible all the way around. I hated football for a while after that.
2) Bucks 2000/2001 ECF loss to Philly. No one will ever convince me David Stern didn’t screw the Bucks out of a title and yes I do think Milwaukee would have beaten the Lakers.
3) Badgers title game loss to Duke. The Badgers had that game won until the refs went 2002 Kings/Lakers officiating in the second half. Beat an undefeated UK team - arguably the best in my lifetime - then lose a close one in that fashion to Duke? Such a bummer.
4) Brewers 2018 game 7 loss to the Dodgers. Much like this years Packers team, that Brewers team just had a certain magic feel to them. Yelich nearly ties the game in the 5th and then that POS Puig hits a 3 run bomb to seal it.
5) Favre choke job in 2007/2008. Not so much for the outcome (which was bad enough) but it truly signaled an end of an era. Only it wasn’t as Rodgers came alive and became the replacement and kept the train moving.
@Tschmack posted:I’m 48 and my most gut wrenching experiences are as follows:
1) Seattle choke job in 2014. As bad as 4th and 26 was and 2011 NFCCG and even the 1998 playoff loss to SF I wasn’t right for weeks after that one. Pure disbelief when it happened. Shock. Anger. All of it. Just terrible all the way around. I hated football for a while after that.
Im 57 and this one hurts A LOT. I thought for SURE we would take this one and move onto a Victory in the SB. I am still in "hate football" mode today. #12 isn't going to be around much longer...and I fear for a future like the 1970's ahead. I hope Im wrong....dammit.
@Tschmack posted:I’m 48 and my most gut wrenching experiences are as follows:
1) Seattle choke job in 2014. As bad as 4th and 26 was and 2011 NFCCG and even the 1998 playoff loss to SF I wasn’t right for weeks after that one. Pure disbelief when it happened. Shock. Anger. All of it. Just terrible all the way around. I hated football for a while after that.
2) Bucks 2000/2001 ECF loss to Philly. No one will ever convince me David Stern didn’t screw the Bucks out of a title and yes I do think Milwaukee would have beaten the Lakers.
3) Badgers title game loss to Duke. The Badgers had that game won until the refs went 2002 Kings/Lakers officiating in the second half. Beat an undefeated UK team - arguably the best in my lifetime - then lose a close one in that fashion to Duke? Such a bummer.
4) Brewers 2018 game 7 loss to the Dodgers. Much like this years Packers team, that Brewers team just had a certain magic feel to them. Yelich nearly ties the game in the 5th and then that POS Puig hits a 3 run bomb to seal it.
5) Favre choke job in 2007/2008. Not so much for the outcome (which was bad enough) but it truly signaled an end of an era. Only it wasn’t as Rodgers came alive and became the replacement and kept the train moving.
I will add UW football crapping themselves in big spots like 59-0 and losing multiple Rose Bowls.
1982 Brewers World Series still hurts
Don't forget the Packers losses to the Broncos in the SB, the Jerry Rice "fumble" game, 4th and 26, going 15-1 and not winning. I am sure there are more but I choose not to think about that now.
If I was to plan things I would start with a young aggressive DC who can get players hitting people in the mouth.
I would try and get Linsley signed. A lot of people are down on him but he is widely considered one of the best in the game. But not sure they can afford them.
King? I would be open to keeping him with a cap friendly salary and in a one year "prove it" type of deal
Tonya - HAS to be resigned you cannot let him go
Lazard. Would like to see him stay he does a lot of the dirty things and can be a good #3 or #4 WR.
I would consider keeping Lane Taylor around if he can be a very cheap deal
Everyone else on that list of Free Agents I wouldn't give much thought in to it to let them go.
How would I draft? I think they have to go heavy on defense again. I think the biggest need is once and for all lets get an ILB who can play. And they need help on the DL because you are not going to win with the likes of Lancaster at DE. They also are going to need several corners as well.
Offensively? if a true playmaker falls in to their laps I say take a receiver. They also may need to find a hidden gem or two at RB.
@Dave in GA posted:Im 57 and this one hurts A LOT. I thought for SURE we would take this one and move onto a Victory in the SB. I am still in "hate football" mode today. #12 isn't going to be around much longer...and I fear for a future like the 1970's ahead. I hope Im wrong....dammit.
I don't think anything can replicate the 70's. The organization had layers of issues back then through the 80's that I don't think exist today. They are widely considered one of the best run teams in the league and have been since Harlan righted the ship. They may not be competing for SB's (maybe they will), but the team seems to be in good enough hands to prevent the kind of darkness we saw back then.
They have to get another corner. That’s whether or not King returns or not. Guys get hurt and it’s a passing league.
I also think DE is a must given Lancaster and Lowry just aren’t good enough.
LB may be OK as Barnes did some good things and Martin showed flashes before getting hurt. Still, if a pass rushing OLB is there you might go there given Preston Smith may not return.
If they could find a saavy veteran slot WR that would help. They really lacked a guy that could fill that role. Even better would be if that person could return kicks or punts.
I think Linsley should be re-signed and one of the top two draft picks should be a fat boy
@Tschmack posted:They have to get another corner. That’s whether or not King returns or not. Guys get hurt and it’s a passing league.
I also think DE is a must given Lancaster and Lowry just aren’t good enough.
LB may be OK as Barnes did some good things and Martin showed flashes before getting hurt. Still, if a pass rushing OLB is there you might go there given Preston Smith may not return.
If they could find a saavy veteran slot WR that would help. They really lacked a guy that could fill that role. Even better would be if that person could return kicks or punts.
Given where they are going to be after this year's free agency losses, I think you just take the BPA at your draft slot (except for QB). And drafting where they are, I think you consider trading down to acquire more picks.
The Packers have been outstanding at picking defensive talent in the first round the last 5 years. Clark and Alexander are among the best players at their positions already and Savage and Gary are both at least better than average.
The problem has been that their draft picks in rounds 2-4 the last 4 drafts on defense have almost all been busts. These are the guys on their rookie deals that are supposed to balance out your high-priced veterans. You don't expect every one of them to be a star, but only 1 of them has been even playable and that is Kevin King.
Look at this list
2nd round, 2018: Josh Jackson
3rd round: 2018: Oren Burks
2nd round: 2017: Kevin King
2nd round: 2017: Josh Jones
3rd round: 2017: Montravious Adams
4th round: 2017: Vince Biegel
The guys they've drafted in Rounds 5-7 haven't been great either, but you don't expect them to be great. There is a reason they are late-round draft picks. However, whiffing on those 6 picks is why the defense didn't improve. Those guys are either long gone or didn't improve at all as they gained experience.
I thought before the draft that KIng, Jackson and BIegel would be solid players
King at least could be considered OK, I was wrong on the other 2.
