I wouldn't say Hawk and Jones were paid like top-flight players for ILB, but they were paid more than they should have been. They were paid like starters and clearly they aren't. Hawk has declined in the past year+ and Jones was a fart in the wind.
Not to quibble, but... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/07/a-j-hawk-will-get-almost-11-million-in-2011/
"Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports and PFT has confirmed that Hawk received an $8 million signing bonus when he inked the deal. Including a $1.8 million roster bonus and $1.15 million base salary, Hawk will earn $10.95 million in 2011.
He is set to earn $21.35 million over the first three years of the deal and $33.75 million over the entire five year deal."
I know AJ eventually accepted a salary reduction but he was way, way overpaid on his second contract. In fact, he still counted over $5M against the cap this year.
TT has been exceptional about not overpaying players like Wells, G. Jennings, EDS, etc. But he made a big error paying Hawk so much and compounded it with the contract given to B. Jones. They are both signed through next season, ugh.
With that much money devoted to the position it absolutely prohibited the team from looking elsewhere to find suitable replacements in my view and that is why CMIII had to be moved to the position.
Anyway, I still find it ironic that a former inside linebacker has been such a great judge of WRs and CBs but his achilles heel seems to be at the position he played.
So I guess you have an opinion. Good for you.
Perhaps TT identifies with the journeyman inside linebacker and wants to give them the support he feels he never received.
$5M against the cap this year
Where does that rank for ILBs in the NFL?
Originally Posted by Hungry5:
$5M against the cap this year
Where does that rank for ILBs in the NFL?
Number 11 overall. Jones is 16th.
So there you go, Hawk is probably the 11th best LB in GB and Jones is probably the 16th bes...
Oh wait. NFL... never mind.
Bobby Wagner. If James Laurinaitis is making $9.6 million per... what is Bobby Wagner going to make?
Doesn't SEA have a bunch of guys looking at big paydays this offseason?
Not sure, but I'm guessing Russell Wilson will be making more than $800k next season. Multiply that number by about 30 and that's probably about right.
Wagner is due to be paid. But I didn't realize he's 44th on this list and the market for ILB has kind of been set at $8.5 million plus.
Laurinaitis $9.6 million is kind of an Al Davis / Nnamdi Scrabble "Yeah, I know the contract says $15 million per but let's remember Al has been wearing diapers for years" contracts. Wagner is getting at least $8.5 million per and possibly $9.0 million. Damn.
With the WASH hire:
@PackerUpdate: As of today, just under 20% of the GMs in the NFL were hired by and worked for Ron Wolf in Green Bay. What a legacy.
20% = 6.4 GM's
I'll take a guess it's just 6 GM's 
That fact about Wolf might help with HOF voters....
Originally Posted by pkr_north:
time for tt to hit on a LB big in the draft this year, called it!!!
Mississippi State ILB Benardrick McKinney has declared for the draft.
My concern is that both he and UCLA's Eric Kendrick's may not last until the 32'nd pick in the draft.