Report: Driver Agrees to New Deal with Packers
According to Lance Allan, the Packers and receiver Donald Driver have agreed to a new deal.
By Zach Kruse
The back and forth debate has waged in Green Bay for most of the 2012 offseason.
Would the Packers bring back veteran receiver Donald Driver for his 14th NFL season? Or could the talent behind the 36-year-old on the team's depth chart push the former seventh round pick out this summer?
By Wednesday morning, we could have a definitive answer—and it's looking like a foregone conclusion that Driver will return.
According to Lance Allan of TMJ4 in Milwaukee, the two sides have agreed on new terms for Driver's contract.
The @Donald_Driver80 agent Jordan Woy just emailed:"We have agreed to terms with the Packers but need to review it tomorrow to finalize."
— Lance Allan (@lanceallan) May 30, 2012
The deal is expected to be a paycut for Driver, who has 735 career receptions and 10,060 yards in 13 seasons in Green Bay.
We'll have more information as it leaks out tomorrow.
Comments (50)
May 29, 2012 at 11:16 pm
woot!
May 30, 2012 at 01:05 am
He still has to make the team.
May 30, 2012 at 02:36 pm
Get real
May 30, 2012 at 01:06 am
Unsure if I like it. On one hand Driver is a great guy, who gave it all for the Packers. On the other the young guys on the practice squad last year will probably stay there or will move on to another team. Plus Driver won't play on special teams.
Maybe the Packers go with 3 TEs on the roster into this season and add a 6th WR to the squad to develop a new guy.
May 30, 2012 at 03:23 am
The way I look at it, we should be okay. Ted Thompson will make the right moves as he always does when it comes to showing old talent the door. Donald Driver may not play an important part of our offense anymore, but the more receivers you have, the better. The NFL is a passing league. If one of our WR's went down, I really think we'd wished we kept him, even if he was only our 4th or 5th receiver. I want to see Gurley get on the field. I want to see Cobb and JJ get more time. But sometimes you need a veteran guy to be on the team.
Not to say that he won't be released (which I don't think he will), but the more I think about it, the more I'm okay with keeping DD (when I was totally against it before).
May 30, 2012 at 11:33 am
"But sometimes you need a veteran guy to be on the team."
And the Packers have plenty of those.If the only thing he brings to the table is 13 years of experience, then I'm even more against it than I was before.
Not that I'm "against" it, per se. I'm all for him battling it out in camp and letting the chips fall where they may. I just don't expect him to make the cut.
May 30, 2012 at 01:38 pm
Name the bet... I say he's on the 53. Ted has him already penciled in, he know who Driver is, what he brings, he is not fighting for a roster spot. Name the bet.
May 30, 2012 at 01:43 pm
Sorry, dude. I couldn't care less about betting you about this.
And pencils are designed to be erased.
May 30, 2012 at 04:02 pm
Shocking.
May 30, 2012 at 04:06 pm
Ha. Why's that?
EDIT: Actually, never mind. I don't care.
May 30, 2012 at 01:34 am
I understand everyone's concern for the roster spot Driver will "take up" but losing a practice squad wide receiver won't kill us. After Driver we still have plenty of years of Jennings Nelson Cobb and Jones, I'm pretty sure any Brett Swain could play number 5 guy, plus these guys will be around long enough for us to develop their successors. I'm glad we still have Driver and am glad he occupies a spot on the most loyal team in America, don't have that much anymore these days.
May 30, 2012 at 04:03 am
I don't care who's out there just catch the ball.
May 30, 2012 at 08:14 am
1. This guarantees nothing. He still has to make the team. May the best men win.
2. As many have pointed out, with Quarless at the very least starting the season on the PUP list, I could easily see the Packers keeping 6 WRs.
May 30, 2012 at 08:15 am
Nothing better than a Donald Driver with something to prove. This has up side written all over it.
May 30, 2012 at 09:24 am
8-)
That is all.
May 30, 2012 at 10:41 am
A rewritten contract for DD virtually assures him of a spot on the 53.
It'll be nice come late August when 'wannabbees' like Gurley & Borel are sent packing by the Pack. I still can't believe that so many fans are so 'high' on PS players that have done absolutely "zero" in their quest to be an NFL WR. Some PackFans need to study "NFL 101" & quit embarrassing the rest of us. (Not even Bear fans get ga-ga over PS players)
May 30, 2012 at 10:46 am
"A rewritten contract for DD virtually assures him of a spot on the 53."
No it doesn't. It only guarantees him an invite to training camp. If he hadn't redone his contract he would have been cut.
And I wouldn't say I'm "gaga" over any PS players, but I do think their long-term prospects are greater than Driver's.
May 30, 2012 at 11:23 am
If it's anything like the recent vet contracts TT has dealt, with little to none guaranteed money, it does the exact oposite of guaranteeing he makes the roster.
He'll still have to grind it out to get that spot.
May 30, 2012 at 10:55 am
Hey Rocky70, remember that practice squad "wannabbee" running back for the NY Giants who went on to have back to back 1,200 yard seasons for the Packers?
(crickets)
May 30, 2012 at 11:47 am
Didn't tramon start out on the PS?
May 30, 2012 at 11:53 am
He was an undrafted free agent with the Texans.
May 30, 2012 at 01:32 pm
Hey Mark, remember that PS "SUPERSTAR" Tyrell Sutton that half the people on this site had a poster of him on their wall?
(crickets)
May 30, 2012 at 01:44 pm
Half the people on this site? Nice straw man.
May 30, 2012 at 04:05 pm
Yeah, thanks man, It was probably more like 60%... I don't remember you around here in the Sutton days... Were you?
May 30, 2012 at 04:12 pm
That's simply not true. But whatever, dude. You believe what you want. I'll believe what I want. I'm not even remotely interested in getting into a pissing match with you.
May 30, 2012 at 04:38 pm
Were. You. Here. Then.?
Sure the poster on the wall was an exaggeration, but the sheer number of people swinging from the dudes nuts was comical. What exactly are you telling me was "simply not true"? That half the people posting about him thought he was 'our next great back'? Got news for ya 'Evan', that's the way it was... But since you don't remember, because you weren't here at the time, I suppose your input on the matter will not be required, or even taken into account.
And that's a good choice. You would lose. Every time.
Bye!
May 30, 2012 at 04:47 pm
Nothing quite like trying to pull rank on a message board. Almost as impressive as the internet tough guy persona you got going on.
To answer your question, yes, I was on here back then. And your account is not accurate. Were there some people on here upset that he didn't make the final 53? Yes. Was it a significant amount? Not by a long shot. And does any of that have anything to do with today's topic? No.
You can have the last word.
May 30, 2012 at 09:28 pm
LMFAO. I'm not going for any persona, but if that's what you're picking up... Cool! I'm not pulling rank either. It was just a simple question of whether or not you were commenting here in Sutton's heyday, because if you weren't, you have no business telling me something about the comments at the time. Can you wrap your head around that? And I personally don't remember seeing an 'Evan' post on here outside of the last year or so, not saying you didn't... Maybe they were just forgetable like your current posts.
FYI though, I'm a well rounded badass. I don't limit my badassness to the net. Maybe I'll buy you a beer sometime... We can talk about it. Lol.
May 30, 2012 at 01:58 pm
And how about Tony Mandarich?? I'm very obviously not saying EVERY practice squad player is a stud. There's no guarantees with any player.
But I am saying Rocky70 makes a fool of himself when he disses practice squad players (and fellow fans), in spite of the fact that our best RB came from a practice squad.
May 30, 2012 at 11:00 am
Driver was 39 picks away from being an priority free agent himself. Some teams gave him a draftable grade, others didn't. Borel and Gurly both had draftable grades, that's why they were labeled, 'priority free agents' and were coveted by several teams.
Why is it so unfeasible that Borel and Gurly can't develop in a comparable fashion as Driver, who was in an almost identical situation following the 1999 draft?
May 30, 2012 at 11:20 am
Go ahead --- Rewrite history. ---DD was drafted & has played for 13 years. The only comparison here is between an established NFL player & a couple of PS players. Why alter reality just to support a supposition?
May 30, 2012 at 11:22 am
It was a legitimate question without snark. My mistake was giving you benefit of the doubt that you've evolved critical reading and comprehension skills. I won't bother in the future.
May 30, 2012 at 11:33 am
Looks like this discussion is at an end. You usually attack when you realize you've got 'nothing'.
Some advise --- stick to reality when trying to make a point. These 'creative' rewrites of yours (DD was almost undrafted) only serve to undermine the validity of your posts.
May 30, 2012 at 11:38 am
Dude, what's with the hostility? It was a perfectly legitimate question.
While not identical, Driver's entrance to the league is not THAT different from Gurley or Borel's.
Sure, he made the 53 his first year (though he barely ever saw the field, catching only 3 balls), but all of them were raw, developmental guys. It took Driver three years to break out.
As someone else succinctly put it earlier, young guys get better. Old guys get worse.
May 30, 2012 at 11:46 am
I will also say this when comparing Driver in 1999 to Gurley/Borel in 2011. The 2011 WR roster was infinitely more talented than in 1999. Driver cracked the 53 with Freeman, Schroeder and Bradford holding down the top WR spots. I don't think it's a stretch to say that 1999 Driver wouldn't have made the 2011 Packer's active roster either.
PackerAaron
May 30, 2012 at 04:25 pm
"I still can’t believe that so many fans are so ‘high’ on PS players that have done absolutely “zero” in their quest to be an NFL WR."
This could have been posted on a Giants forum last summer when discussing Victor Cruz.
Not saying they are Cruz - just saying, no one knows.
May 30, 2012 at 04:45 pm
That's the great thing about DD. For a #5 WR, what more can you ask for than a proven commodity. 35-40 catches, 400-500 yds, we all know DD can get those #'s and that's perfect for a #5. And if we keep 6 on the 53, that leaves either Borel or Gurley on the PS. If somebody plucks him, and ends up with the next Cruz, good for them, but I won't lose sleep worrying about it.
May 30, 2012 at 05:11 pm
Just play the odds.
Neither are likely to be a Cruz (PS) or a Welker (UDFA).
Somehow I have the feeling both TT & MM have a pretty good idea. It's the fans that simply don't know. Either Gurley or Borel would have been on the 53 in 2011 if they were good enough. ---- They weren't.
May 30, 2012 at 06:45 pm
i also believe that tt and mm have a good idea.... probably why they paid them like 53'ers when they coulda' just let 'em go.
you're right - they weren't good enough to make the roster last year. probably means they never will be. this whole "develop the players you have" strategy seems to be a bust, anyhow.
May 31, 2012 at 08:49 am
+1
May 30, 2012 at 11:03 pm
If they flash like a Victor Cruz or Antonio Brown we can simply carry 6 WRs. Driver isn't done.
A professional scouts take: "To be fair, Driver was playing on bad legs a good part of last year. Man is still a very fine slot and can find the soft in zone with the very best of them. A healthy Driver might be better in the slot than Cobb let alone any of the other young ones.
This is not the Ward thing in Pittsburgh! Driver is still a very sound WR that could find work elsewhere. There is also no system change that took away Driver's bread n butter as happened to Ward."
May 31, 2012 at 01:06 pm
+2
May 31, 2012 at 01:49 pm
Driver has the veteran savvy to exploit zones. The problem is playing man coverage.
The Giants assigned a LB to cover him, and he succeeded most of the game, as Driver was targeted only 3 times. If he was on bad legs it wasn't disclosed.
He does have value as I've already said but he needs to show he can still beat coverage 1-on-1 or else he won't play. The Packers can't afford to put on the field a guy that's going to get blanketed by a LB.
May 30, 2012 at 11:04 am
If I had to guess, this move was 50% bringing back a savvy, talented WR, and another 50% about bringing back a team leader.
The NFL is full of talented athletes, but it's often how teams gel, and how teams are led which creates separation.
Glad you're back 80.
May 30, 2012 at 01:35 pm
Agree 100%.
May 30, 2012 at 12:23 pm
I suspect if DD wasn't DD, that the Pack would have cut him to open a spot for their other prospects. They were clearly tying to open one up by putting JJ on the trading block prior to the draft. I think the thing that concerns MM the most(and I think it bothers him more than anyone, by far) is the possibility of reduced touches for Cobb and Finley. They also would have an extra body for ST duties(notwithstanding DD's roll on the hands team).
Wish the NFL had an extra one-year "emeritus" spot on the active roster for players who have been with the same team for let's say a dozen or more years. Then - after the final trip around the circuit - the team would be required to cut-him. thus easing the player out to the meadows, where he can graze happily for the remainder of his life. Neigh you say?
Anyway, despite the roster-spot problems DD creates, I'm glad he's back (although he still has to beat-out the other WR's in theory).
May 30, 2012 at 01:05 pm
I think his records and fan appreciation influence the decision some way, but IMO the history on the field, of being healthy almost every time, of running precise routes (not pulling a T.O. and running the route 3 yards short just to beat coverage), of knowing the playbook completely, of knowing how Rodgers throws it, and of being sure handed in important games plays a bigger factor.
Still, if he proves to be too slow, that he cannot beat man coverage anymore at all, all that won't matter. Teams figured out a formula to beat the Packers (yeah yeah), they were playing press man, and in the playoffs refs are more lenient with calls on defense, so if you have a receiver that cannot beat man coverage at all, you won't put him on the field.
May 30, 2012 at 07:20 pm
I hope for DDs sake and all the fans that may get to watch him (as limited as it may be)this season applaud him,for this season will be his good-bye tour.
May 30, 2012 at 07:49 pm
What no one has considered is that DD is an excellent motivator, maybe even a coach.
Our current WR coach, Edgar Bennett, was only moved to that position in 2011. Edgar is an outstanding development of talent but WR coach? Don’t be surprised to see some movement in the front office.
There might be a future position for #80 as a development coach, then WR coach.
Remember, you need to have a strong front office as well as field players in this league.
Also, DD has seen as many cornerback cover schemes as Dom Capers, therefore can help young & up & coming WR’s today & tomorrow.
I am glad #80 is back. He connect well with the fans, paid his dues & me thinks still has quite a lot to offer the Green Bay organization in later years.
Go Pack
June 01, 2012 at 10:26 am
I couldn't agree more with this statement.