I want to know what DocBenni has to say before I believe anything.
Bedard's Top 50 Free Agents. Shields at #33, Raji not listed. Obviously just one man's opinion, but I haven't seen those two get love in many of the current rankings.
Possible both are back at a much lower price than I think we all have in our minds.
This is literally the third time this has been posted - today. We need a universal FA thread.
DocBenni was right at the time, the thought was Jolly would be done.
Right, and "Jolly expects to return" isn't the same as medical clearance or some inside info from DocBenni. 
Great news on JJ. Would love to see him back.
Originally Posted by IL_Pack_Fan:
Bedard's Top 50 Free Agents. Shields at #33, Raji not listed. Obviously just one man's opinion, but I haven't seen those two get love in many of the current rankings.
Raji is in the 51-100 list.
I think you're being a bit generous there, ammo. Raji was a sad, pathetic excuse for a DL last year. If he played with even half the emotion that Jolly does, he'd still be a great player.
Initially the thought was c3/c4... so the news of a fuse of the c5/c6 is very good news, at least for JJ, if not for Packers fan.
Originally Posted by Pack-Man:
I think you're being a bit generous there, ammo. Raji was a sad, pathetic excuse for a DL last year. If he played with even half the emotion that Jolly does, he'd still be a great player.
Since you seem to doubt me, here it is:
59. B.J. Raji
Interior DL, Green Bay (Age 28)
Ninth overall pick in â09 draft has youth and durability on his side. But his play headed downward last season. A change to 4-3, one-gap system could unleash him. Best fit: Bears. Would be good pickup for the NFC North rival if allowed to freelance more.
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/26/...-free-agents-100-51/
For what it's worth M.D. Jennings is number 100. Now that's being generous.
ProFoootballFocus has Raji ranked as the 2nd worst Dline FA available..
https://www.profootballfocus.c...-interior-d-linemen/
The guy hasn't been starter quality for the past 2 seasons. Move on.
That is great about JJ but he is a long way from being out of the woods as far as having any impact for GB again. How long did it take a 22yr old Richardson to recover from his fusion surgery? and then how old is JJ going to be by the time he is recovered? Cards stacked against him again.
Cap number set?
For 2014, each team will have $10 million more to spend than it had a year ago.
Per a league source, the salary cap will be $133 million in 2014. Thatâs a significant jump from the spending limit of $123 million last year, especially in light of recent increases of only a million or two per year.
Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports that the official number will be announced most likely by Monday, and possibly as soon as tomorrow.
In response to recent reports that the cap will be $132 million, we were told it could be a few million higher. In the end, itâs only a million more. Still, itâs a big jump over the $126.3 million projection shared with owners during the 2013 season.
The increase is good news for teams that need cap space, like the Steelers and Cowboys. But itâs bad news for teams that prefer to keep their money in their coffers. The current labor deal requires each team to spend 89 percent of the unadjusted cap, on (for now) a three-year rolling average.
If/when the official cap numbers are released, the various franchise tags also will be set. Under the 2011 labor deal, the franchise tags are tied to a percentage of the cap.
The higher the cap, the greater the tags will be.
Originally Posted by Hungry5:
More money to keep Shields and Raji.
...and Jolly, or Jones, or Starks, or EDS, or ???
Found on PFT:
"The Minnesota Vikings donât need this high of a salary cap.
We already attract the best players in the league that sign league minimum contracts because they want to contend for a Super Bowl.
Our franchise is that historic and decorated."
Jaymo???
"The Minnesota Vikings donât need this high of a salary cap.
We already attract the best players in the league that sign league minimum contracts because they want to contend for a Super Bowl.
Our franchise is that historic and decorated."
Jaymo???
Some major talent in the FA market. Added cap space gives TT room to dabble. But I think he'll use it to lock up guys like Shields and EDS/Neal.
If he is going to do it, he should do it before FA starts. The more the money available, translates to higher salaries, not more players. JMO.
As Long as we don't waste the extra $$ on Raji, I'm happy
@AdamSchefter: Packers and CB Sam Shields will not have a deal done before free agency starts and Shields will test market. Still could return to GB later.
Nice. it's not like you need an elite CB in todays NFL anyway.
Sometimes I think this team is headed backwards
You guys know what Shields is asking for?
Sometimes TT's lack of paying for FAs or our own FAs does make me wonder if he just has an obsession with being the youngest team out there year after year. While it's hard to argue with GB's regular season success, it wasn't until Wolf brought in some seasoned vets that the team was able to have playoff success as well. The same with TT bringing in Woodson, keeping Driver, Jennings, etc. It never hurts to have some veterans to help show the way to succeed.
Is there a player Ted has let walk that played up to the contract he received on his next team? Jenkins is the only name that comes to mind, and even he only earned 2 of the 5 years on his deal.
Ted sets a price on each of his guys and won't exceed it just because someone else will. This is how the team can lock up truly irreplaceable players like 12 and 52 and contend on an annual basis.
Howdy Y'all
I don't have any inside info on Jolly or Finley at this time. However, if I remember correctly, Finley and Collins both had fusion involving c2-c3 or c3-c4. The higher up the cervical spine you go, the greater the risk. I will be very surprised if Finely gets cleared by the medical staff. If Jolly had the same surgery as Richardson, then there is every reason to believe that he has a chance to be cleared and return.
Here's the real burning question.
Are they real and are they magnificent?
I thought it was spectacular 
Wood it really matter?
Originally Posted by DocBenni:
Howdy Y'all
I don't have any inside info on Jolly or Finley at this time. However, if I remember correctly, Finley and Collins both had fusion involving c2-c3 or c3-c4. The higher up the cervical spine you go, the greater the risk. I will be very surprised if Finely gets cleared by the medical staff. If Jolly had the same surgery as Richardson, then there is every reason to believe that he has a chance to be cleared and return.
I had surgery on my coccyx. Any chance I will ever score again?
Originally Posted by Goalline:
that thing you just read
How do you define scoring?
Depends. Think you can convince Kiel to quit being so selfish and starting pitching for a change?
Vontae Davis may provide some free agent CB competition for Sam Shields.
Has it been reported that the Packers wont franchise Shields? I know that is what we expect, but haven't seen a report that states it.
Franchising Shields would be north of 11 mil for the year. Transitioning him is like 10 mil.
He isn't worth that. I would be shocked if GB does it unless they were trading him (can't see that either). They will let him test the market.
Originally Posted by KonKrete:
Depends. Think you can convince Kiel to quit being so selfish and starting pitching for a change?
Soccer goalies are by their nature, SELFISH. Not going to happen.
Originally Posted by packerboi:
Franchising Shields would be north of 11 mil for the year. Transitioning him is like 10 mil.
He isn't worth that. I would be shocked if GB does it unless they were trading him (can't see that either). They will let him test the market.
Completely agree, but with these reports out on Davis and others not being franchised, I hadn't seen anything either way on Shields. I hope they don't franchise him and don't think they will, it's not TT's MO.
If Shields was instead an average linebacker, TT would have already overpaid him.
They can slap a tag on him and get an extra few months to sign him. Shields doesn't want to play for the tag any more than the Packers want to pay him 11 million.
Shields may not want the tag, but I imagine he'd struggle through a guaranteed $11.8 million one year deal. I hope the Packers can keep him, but it only takes one team that's willing to overpay.