Packers 2014 free agents - who leaves/stays? (Flynn Re-Signs)

Hometown discount. Wants to win another Super Bowl

‏@PackerUpdate

Fact that EDS hasn't signed yet suggests he's not getting the offers he expected. Could soon follow Neal and Quarless back to GB.

Grand...maybe he can give up some more sacks.

How dare you doubt Big Ern

PRO BOWLER!

You dumdum. 

When I look at how the Packers have approached this offseason with their guys it's really hard to get upset about much of anything.

They resigned the one guy they had to bring back (Shields) and the Neal and Quarless deals are pretty reasonable. 

They've floated an offer for Raji (1 year, $4MM) if he wants it, and I have a feeling it's very possible that EDS and James Jones might end up coming back to GB with modest deals given the interest they are attracting in free agency.  I'm not sure how much interest Finley or Jolly are going to get on the open market given their recent injury issues so they could come back also.

This is typical TT - cold blooded - and thankfully he's on our side.  When you see some of the funny money being thrown around out there I don't really have a problem with what he's doing.  Instead of going crazy on signing guys like Eric Decker (for instance) they will likely use that money to lock up their own guys like Cobb or Jordy. 

TT needs to get us a safety, failure to do so is huge. His frugality generally serves the team well and we end up competitive year after year, but there is no reason he couldn't go for a known commodity like T.J. Ward, who signed for 5.7 a year. We offered a slug like Raji (who no one wants by the way) 4 mil a year, when that money could be have been very well spent on Ward. stubbornness is good at times, not so much at this time IMHO.

There's a lot more to FA than just flipping money somewhere.  Did Ward take a pay reduction to play in Denver?  Does Ward fit our scheme?  Was Ward interested in playing in GB?  

It's not all TT.  

Ward centered the 24th ranked defense in the NFL last season....25th against the pass.  I like to think I'm a moderately intelligent football fan and I've never even heard of T.J. Ward until FA began.  Are we sure he's even an upgrade over Micah Hyde?  Just because Ian Rapumpapumpum says so doesn't mean it's true. 

Had me till this point..

If I were you I wouldn't suddenly stop walking IC, you would get a nerd suppository. 

I just stumbled across this on Wilde's website/blog...  just noticed the arrows don't actually create a circular effect which I bet wasn't the artist's intent. 

While I wouldn't agree with you, I think it's perfectly fine to disagree with TT's philosophy on where he spends his money. But to suggest he's ever been "frugal" or not spent every dollar allotted to him is just wrong.

The sooner the whole fanbase can distinguish between not spending money on outside FA and not spending money all together, the better our quality of message board discourse will be.

This issue is the guys he does spend money on aren't getting it done. Nobody's saying sign a Haynesworth deal, that's a strawman of epic proportions. There are quality guys had a reasonable prices though and TT hasn't gotten one of those since 2006.

blanket statements don't often work out very well.

This issue is the guys he does spend money on aren't getting it done.

AR, Jordy, Crosby, Masthay, Sitton...  they ain't getting it done?

I'd strongly disagree with that, but I couldn't definitively say "you're wrong." That's the beauty of opinions, and why that's an acceptable stance vs. "Ted is cheap."

Again, strawman and missing the point. Those guys are all internal guys having only played in Green Bay.

When "Draft & Develop" fails at a position, it still needs to be fixed if a team is to be successful. The other methods are trades and free agents. Woodson and Pickett were the last two free agents brought in from other teams who made significant contributions that year. The other vets brought in were cheap but not good enough to be kept nor make an even rotation contribution. (Hargrove, etc.)

Even a guy like Schofield or Woods, not a front-line starter but a solid rotational guy who can contribute right away, would be nice.

Pakrz, 

Is spot on.  Who knows if they went after Ward, probably not.  But as much as we like to think playing for the Packers is the best thing since sliced bread, I'm sure there are alot of players, who don't want to come to GB.  It could be the "cold", the entertainment, the lack of diversity, the WI tax rate, etc.  Should TT have to overpay players for coming to GB, to make up for these issues, so a perceived need can be filled?  

Had me till this point

Ted doesn't sign many free agents, but the team is still 86-57-1 since he has been GM with 1 SB win. Free agent spending may seem like a logical idea to fans because, on the surface, it fills an immediate need with an experienced player, but clearly that isn't the only way to win. There is more than 1 right answer with how you win in the NFL, Ted isn't running his team like Tampa Bay or Denver, but his method has still been very successful. To me that's what it comes down to which is why a lack of activity in free agency doesn't bother me. If you want the Packers stacked with players from another team, go be the GM on Madden.

Ron Wolf didn't have an issue attracting FAs once he established he treated them with seriousness.

This "victim card" mentality is kind of silly. These guys want to get paid and most want to play for a winning franchise. They can live wherever they want in the offseason.

teh Strawman of epic proportions

It's about money, I guarantee Ted checks into every single free agent to find out what their demands are. They have a value attached to every single free agent just like they have a grade attached to every draft eligible player. If it is worth his time to pursue negotiating, meaning the player is not demanding unrealistic money, then he pursues that player. He's not going to overpay or get into a bidding war. People mistake apathy for not wanting to overpay or not wanting to waste time. It would have been a huge waste of time showing interest in Jairus Byrd because there was no way GB was going to pay what NO paid. Some say it was a mistake to not bring TJ Ward in, there were 29 other teams that didn't bring TJ Ward in, many of them could have used help at Safety. They can't all be wrong. 

We won one superbowl under the Wolf regime with those shiny free agents.   Think about WTehF you are talking about.

I know you still think lovingly of....and am surprised you chose to name drop Wolf instead of your real american hero

Until TT gutted the team in '05, Sherman had a better winning percentage than McCarthy, if you want to play vacuum stats games.

This "TT is infallible" ball washing is ridiculous. Nobody here is saying he's terrible or anything but my god, he's not the best and only good GM in the NFL.

trust is not the same as the ridiculous ball washing meme

Sherman 2000-2004 53-27 (win %= 66%)

McCarthy 2006-2013 82-45-1 (win %= 64%)

Yeah, huge difference without that 2005 season that Thompson tarnished. 

Sherman's winning % drops to 59% when you include 2005 by teh way.

Ahhh....the great sherminator.   His real undoing was the gutting by ROTTT.

That is why sherminator cannot get another cup of coffee in the NFL as a head coach since he was ****ed over by ROTTT in 2005

Lets check the sherminator bio upon leaving the evil ROTTT.

2006-2007 Houston Texans OC 2 years- His high powered offenses helped lead the texans to 6-10 and 8-8 seasons.

2008 to 2011 Texas A and M - fired after going 25-25

The guy that replaced him has managed to have a little bit of success since the sherminator left.   Probably only because of the players her inherited from the sherminator.

2012-2013  Philbin buddy hire gone wrong - Sherminator fired after 27th ranked offense he led did not make the playoffs.

Sherminator clearly and continually still be ****ed by ROTTT

Ya, the only thing wrong with Sherman was TT. Look at the success Sherman has enjoyed since he left TT.

AT LEAST HE SIGNED FREE AGENTS! 

Again, missing the point.

Nobody is all good or all bad and people latch on to single data points to try to make it look like it is. It's not that binary. I generally like what TT does, don't want him fired or anything silly like that but I do think he's too conservative when it comes to free agency.

Again, not saying he was an idiot for not outbidding the Saints for Byrd, but I am saying other teams are bringing in solid contributors at reasonable prices, not just the marquee names.

I thought Sherman was a pretty good coach but was over his head as a GM. Ted has made a ton of mistakes as GM as well. Not willing to make the trade for Anthony Gonzalez or Lynch are examples of just thinking a 3rd round draft choice is better than proven veterans. Has Ted ever made a trade outside draft day. That would be an indictment of him if he hasn't. Dorsey and Schneider are examples of using the entire system available to improve the team. It is amazing those guys who worked directly under Ted use everything at their disposal and not just the draft. And both those guys were successful in a very short time.

Losing Rodgers last year should have been a wake up call for Ted in how sorry the Packers performed with young players throughout the roster. But again, no change. Packers have serious holes at DL, ILB, Safety, TE, possibly center, and possibly WR and again will count on young players to fill the role.

Some will say we are pissing and moaning because it is the time of year we always do it. And then those that are jumping on us for Teds lack of activity are the first ones to jump on Capers, Campen, Whitt, McCarthy and company when those young players are out of position or just can't make a play to stop a drive. Ted deserves the heat then just as he does now.

I think part of the argument about signing free agents is also about priorities within the team. Thompson seems to place a higher priority on making sure he has enough money to pay his own players before signing outside players. Say Thompson signs $15 M in new free agents this year, plus the ~$5 M it takes to sign a draft class, that means he would only have about $7 M to give new contracts to guys like Jordy, Cobb, etc. who will all be free agents next offseason. Those are some core guys who we want/need in GB, who we don't want to see test the market. I'd rather secure those guys long term than sign some free agent who may or may not be more of a difference maker on the team than a rookie. 

I want a Red Rider BB-gun, not socks and underwear.

Really, I do.

Grave Digger, I am not sure there is not enough money to do both. I for one am not looking for him to spend 15 million on free agents. he had money last year at the end of the year that he carried over. He did the same the year before. I guarantee by the time this season is over he is going to carry another 10 million into next year. He not only does not use trades or free agency to improve the team, he doesn't use all the money allotted in the year to improve the team. It is nice to have an extra 10 million to carry forward. But to not use it every year isn't great either.

TT gets it: wait and see what the market sets, then welcome back guys who want to play for a winner with a potential HOF QB. At times Quarless played really well with Flynn; it doesn't seem like Rodgers has targeted him much. Let's see what training camp brings. I wouldn't mind TT getting another TE in the draft, but he can now look for a safety, LBs, etc., without feeling like he needs another TE up higher.

It's interesting that we're getting these guys back when in years past we'd lose them for sure. We'll probably be saying, "welcome back" to EDS and JJones in a day or so.