Adding Context to the Bargain of the Packers Top 3 WRs

Possibly no team in the NFL is getting more bang for their buck at the receiver position than the Green Bay Packers.

Such a reality is further highlighted when comparing the salaries of Green Bay's top three receivers to the money Greg Jennings is now making with the Minnesota Vikings.

As pointed out by Brian McIntyre of Yahoo! Sports, the Packers combination of Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and James Jones will make just over $7 million in combined salary in 2013. What's more, that trio of bargains will only earn roughly 54 percent of what the Minnesota Vikings are paying Greg Jennings next season.

Let that tidbit of information soak in for a minute.

Cobb, Nelson and Jones combined for 193 catches, 2,483 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, but their 2013 compensation will cost the Packers just over half what Jennings pulls in from the Vikings. Whoa.

McIntyre calls the trio of receivers Green Bay's "best bargain," but this is much more than just a bargain, especially given the context of Jennings' money. This borders on highway robbery for general manager Ted Thompson.

#PACKERSmicroblog

 

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Comments (38)

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hayward4president's picture

August 01, 2013 at 11:10 am

This is crazy ....especially considering I would take at least 2 of these guys over Greg at this point in time. Go pack go!

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redlights's picture

August 01, 2013 at 11:10 am

Cobb is still in his rookie contract, so we'll see how that plays out. Jones had no other offers. Nelson is the smart one that listened to how the salary cap breaks down by position and realized ego is the only thing that makes WR's ask for the moon.

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redlights's picture

August 01, 2013 at 11:13 am

Guys like Jennings get the money they do from teams that are desperate for a Lombardi. Or even just a deep run in the playoffs. Minny is a prime example when they signed BF. They build for a one or two year run; frequently fail; then spend years telling their fans how well the re-building process is going.

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The TKstinator's picture

August 01, 2013 at 11:56 am

My opinion in these matters doesn't count for much, but, during the TT regime, the ONLY player that he ever signed to "big" money that left me scratching my head was AJ Hawk.
Ted just DOES NOT overpay anybody. Sound management, healthy cap, infusion of young talent, knowing when to let a player go in free agency, etc. TT knows what he is doing. Of course we are not going to agree with EVERY move he makes, but this is not a business in which ANY GM bats a thousand.

(Not even in SF!)

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 12:39 pm

No problem with Finley's 2-year extension? ... Kuhn? ... T. Williams? ... Some even wonder about TJ Lang at this point. Even the extensions given to both Woodson and Driver were a surprise at the time.

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Ryan's picture

August 01, 2013 at 12:45 pm

Tramon signed his at the peak of his career...a great run of games where he was one of the best corners in football. Obviously, he hasn't played like that since.

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 01:26 pm

I agree completely ... What happens this year if he can't decisively win the starting job over his competition? (House, Hayward, Shields) .... Do you continue paying him or show him the door?

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 03:22 pm

Knew the Pack were on their way to the SB trophy when this happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcuVNjNDJLk

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Evan's picture

August 01, 2013 at 03:33 pm

I think I almost passed out from screaming so loud when that happened.

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The TKstinator's picture

August 01, 2013 at 03:45 pm

Not Tramon or Finley or TJ. Maybe Kuhn.
I also consider the possibility that if I disagree with TT it MIGHT mean that I'M the one who is mistaken.

And no, I don't worship TT or think he's perfect, as stated earlier. But he HAS earned the benefit of the doubt in my opinion. I WOULD say he is damn good!

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 12:34 pm

All you've done is pick a point in time and compare contracts. ... Wait until Jones, Nelson and especially Cobb sign their next contracts (where ever that may be) and then make a comparison.... Relevancy counts.

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PackerBacker's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:12 pm

But you could make the arguement that it IS relevant because TT saw Jennings coming due for an extension and instead drafted Cobb who would be in a rookie contract instead of a veteran extension.
Whenever possible, he signs core vets early and for slight discounts. Especially if they have a possibility to have a large upside (Burnett this year, Nelson in the past).
All smart moves if your going to stay relevant in the NFL for more than 1 or 2 years.

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Stroh's picture

August 01, 2013 at 07:55 pm

The ONLY relevancy that matters is right now! Thompson signed or had the opportunity to sign every one of them. That probably won't be the case next year, making any future discussion IRRELEVANT!

Good Lord, you just don't get a thing do you?!

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 08:14 pm

Your post just doesn't make any sense .... again. .... Otherwise, I might actually answer.

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Stroh's picture

August 02, 2013 at 08:25 am

I understand... Logic just doesn't apply w/ you!!!

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Purple Pride's picture

August 01, 2013 at 01:21 pm

Yep, typical Packers propaganda. Skew it in your favor.

Keep this in mind there Zach 'em Boy:

"The Vikings combination of Harrison Smith, Josh Robinson and Chris Cook, a young, hungry and fast-rising secondary with a knack for bringing the pain, made a combined $2M in 2012. What's more, that trio of bargains earned only roughly 14 percent of what the overpaid Charles Woodson earned in 2012."

Google "poor pass defense" for more information.

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Zach Kruse's picture

August 01, 2013 at 01:24 pm

You didn't really just compare Harrison Smith, Josh Robinson and Chris Cook to Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson and James Jones, did you?

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JakeK's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:37 pm

Now you're doing the straw man thing. ...He used a different example but his point is the same one I made ... relevancy.... Anyone can research and obtain numbers that go in both directions.... What does it mean? ... Very little.

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Evan's picture

August 01, 2013 at 01:34 pm

hehe...I don't think you'll find a single person who will say Woodson wasn't overpaid last year.

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PackerBacker's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:20 pm

Wait, are you saying that paying multiple players less than other teams pay one player has happened before in the history of the NFL????

OMG, stop the presses. Let's never write about it ever happening again.

We'll see how your secondary matches up against our WR's, won't we?

Oh, and the difference between our teams is that we paid Woodson in a year that his play drastically declined and then got rid of him. The Queens chose to pick up a player who is on the backside of his career and has a recent history of missing multiple games due to injuries. We get rid of the player, you guys figure it's the best time to start paying them.

Good luck.

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Jamie's picture

August 01, 2013 at 05:25 pm

Young? Sure.

Hungry? If they haven't eaten lately.

Fast-rising? There certainly is ZERO evidence of that with Cook and Robinson...Harrison is a player though.

Knack for bringing the pain? Again, maybe Harrison.

So all you managed to do is show that the Vikings have one somewhat proven legit player in their secondary, and that you agree that Jennings is washed up and overpaid by comparing him to Woodson last year. Bravo!!

I doubt you'll read this...you seem like the hit-and-run type.

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Stroh's picture

August 01, 2013 at 07:58 pm

We'll see how your pass D looks when Cobb, Nelson, Jones, Finley eat them alive! Only Smith has shown to be more than average. Robinson and Cook are no Hayward, Shields or House.

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PurplePride's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:00 pm

No Zach, take of the Packers blinders. I was comparing the salary differences equal to results. As Evan even said, Woodson was overpaid last year and the Vikings trio of Smith, Robinson and Cook provided more value related to salary than Woodson. Just like the trio of Nelson, Cobb and Jones likely will provide more bang for the buck than Jennings. That's all it was there Zach 'em boy!

You could also say the Vikings got much more value from Kyle Rudolph per salary than the Packers did from JerMichael Finley. Finley came in at a $5.25M cap hit while Rudolph came in at $841,000.

Every year you could break down position-by-position cap battles. That's just the nature of the NFL and the salary cap.

Blair Walsh ($419,000) was a better value than Mason Crosby ($2.5M).

Eat!

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Calabasa's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:38 pm

So nice to have Purple Pride monitoring a packers website for "propaganda." Thanks for keeping it fair and balanced.

Or are you reading up on which rookies the queens should overpay when they're on the way back down?

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PurplePride's picture

August 01, 2013 at 02:43 pm

Thanks Calabasa, it's good to hear from you. I enjoyed that beer we had together last year.
Not catching up on rookies, the Vikes have enough good one's over the past years and will again this year.

Just wanted to see if you all needed any running back advice.

Let us know, we all know you need help!

And before you get started: We know Christian Ponder sucks. So anything you say, I agree!

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PurplePride's picture

August 02, 2013 at 10:19 am

Zach, pretty disappointed you are censoring my comments. How come? Just trying to have some good-natured fun before the season starts.

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Zach Kruse's picture

August 02, 2013 at 11:45 am

I'm not censoring anything. Some have their comments go through moderation before they are posted to the site. I can speed up that process manually through Word Press, but I rarely know or care (the comments eventually get posted anyway).

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PackerBacker's picture

August 02, 2013 at 11:53 am

Don't worry Purple, no one who comes to this site regularly is afraid of anything you have to say. We aren't all that afraid of your team either, for that matter.

Outside AP, that guys terrifying.

Bring it.

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PackerAaron's picture

August 02, 2013 at 01:49 pm

No one is censoring anything. Just hadn't gotten around to approving comments. Trust me, if I don't censor Pack66 or cow42, I sure won't be censoring you.

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PackerBacker's picture

August 02, 2013 at 02:26 pm

Don't forget JakeK.

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Stroh's picture

August 02, 2013 at 06:50 pm

My thoughts exactly. LMAO

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PurplePride's picture

August 02, 2013 at 01:41 pm

Thanks Zach 'em Boy! That being said there are two other comments that still have yet to be posted. Oh well.

EAT!

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JakeK's picture

August 02, 2013 at 07:32 pm

You may as well give it up. ... I've been a solid Packer Fan since the 60's and if I don't post the 'right things' or the 'company line', I get at the very least, chastised and ultimately censored. More than once my comments have disappeared. ... Unfortunately, that's the nature of too many Packer blogs.... As a Packer Fan, it's embarrassing.

BTW, I hate Fran Tarkenton.

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Evan's picture

August 02, 2013 at 08:23 pm

The 60s?? Jesus. I guess the line between petulant teenager and cranky old man is a lot thinner than I ever realized.

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JakeK's picture

August 02, 2013 at 08:26 pm

Thanks for the 'on the spot' proof of my post.... You and Stroh are so much alike, it's alarming!!

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Evan's picture

August 02, 2013 at 08:49 pm

I resent that. I have much better spelling than Stroh.

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Stroh's picture

August 03, 2013 at 09:28 am

Wanna challenge me to spelling bee? LOL

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redlights's picture

August 02, 2013 at 08:02 pm

At the end of the day NFL teams look at : a)profit; b)salary cap implications; and c) Lombardi trophies (or at least playoff run). In no particular order (usually)

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