Packers Among Teams Interested in S Michael Huff
The Green Bay Packers are among a handful of teams interested in former Oakland Raiders safety Michael Huff, according to Aaron Wilson.
By Zach Kruse
The Green Bay Packers are reportedly among a handful of teams interested in adding a former first-round safety currently available on the open market.
According to Aaron Wilson of Scout.com and the Baltimore Sun, Green Bay, Tennessee, Dallas and Baltimore have all expressed interest in former Oakland Raiders safety Michael Huff, who was released by Oakland in a salary-purging move last week.
Ravens among those interested in safety michael huff as well as dallas cowboys green bay packers and tennessee titans per a league source
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) March 18, 2013
The Raiders drafted Huff, who turned 30 years old earlier this month, with the seventh overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. In his seven years in Oakland, Huff recorded 11 interceptions, 5.5 sacks, 55 passes defensed and four forced fumbles.
He intercepted three passes, forced three fumbles and had four sacks in 2010, Huff's best professional season. He was named a second-team All-Pro safety for his efforts.
For various reasons, Huff hasn't had the same type of elite impact since.
Mostly a starting free safety with the Raiders, Huff (6-0, 211 lbs.) was forced to transition to cornerback early last season when injuries decimated Oakland's depth chart. He allowed 710 yards and six touchdowns as a cornerback, but Huff's willingness to play multiple positions could be enticing for NFL teams.
When push came to shove, the Raiders had to make a business decision against a high-character member of their locker room.
Despite Huff being named the Raiders' Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2012, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie was forced to make the cut to help get a still-chaotic salary cap situation in Oakland figured out. Huff was scheduled to make $8 million in total salary in 2013.
At the right price, Huff could combine with Morgan Burnett in Green Bay to provide a fast, complementary safety duo.
However, the interest from three other teams—with at least two (Dallas, Baltimore) having pressing needs at safety—suggests Huff might command a market outside of Green Bay's monetary range.
Zach Kruse is a 24-year-old sports writer who contributes to Cheesehead TV, Bleacher Report and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also covers prep sports for the Dunn Co. News. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].
Comments (35)
March 18, 2013 at 05:23 pm
Like his versatility. Like his size. Don't know much else about him, though. How is his tackling?
As for Dallas being interested, seeing as they have $100,000 in cap space, I don't see it happening.
March 18, 2013 at 05:26 pm
wouldn't hate this as long as he stayed at safety. don't see Dallas or Baltimore being able to afford him so he will probably end up in Tennessee
March 18, 2013 at 05:42 pm
here we go again...
I again can see this as a TT type of move. Figures to be a lower cost player.
I don't know how much the Packers are really in play for him, or is this another one of those players that are using the Packers as leverage against other teams?
Until the Packers actually sign a free agent, I'm not going to waste to much time thinking about the players they are 'interested' in...
March 19, 2013 at 11:44 am
Yup. "Interested in" and "willing to pay for" are two different things. Not saying they should, I'd prefer they draft one, just saying that...this isn't really news yet.
March 18, 2013 at 05:53 pm
Don't know anything about this guy. He can't be any good or he would have gone elsewhere by now.
Huff aint coming to El Cheapo ville.
Teams and agents now are fully aware the Ted is trying to play Moneyball and they are wise to it and telling their players, not to expect anything from GB.
March 18, 2013 at 06:17 pm
Thats why Erik Walden was snapped up so early...
March 18, 2013 at 05:58 pm
Another player the Packers are interested they won't sign because somebody will offer more than the vet. minimum.
March 19, 2013 at 03:07 pm
With all of the safeties out there, why would they offer a big contract. Find some nice talent at a cheap price and then draft a rookie too. Best of both worlds and you don't break the bank.
March 18, 2013 at 06:26 pm
There are more needs on this team than they are likely to fill I the draft.
Picking up a starting caliber safety or running back would allow TT to focus on the trenches in the draft.
March 18, 2013 at 09:44 pm
Yep.
March 18, 2013 at 07:11 pm
The move would make the team better. I'm sure TT knows what he's doing. In Ted we trust
March 18, 2013 at 07:32 pm
the guy is 30 years old and will want a decent deal. sorry but it ain't gonna happen
March 18, 2013 at 07:58 pm
R.C. Packer Fan hit it right on the head! Bingo!! All these proposed signings are about agents leveraging the Packers against other teams to drive their client's price up. It's a dirty little business that's part of the game all agents play.
Ted Thompson has directly or indirectly helped Greg Jennings, Tom Crabtree, Steven Jackson, Chris Canty, Shonn Greene, and Cullen Jenkins get better contracts. Teddy will do the same for Ahmad Bradshaw and Micheal Huff. Teams like Dallas with there $100,000 of cap space are more likely to sign Huff before Tightwad Ted. Teddy would rather fill his squad with bottom feeders to be had at league minimum or free off the waiver wire.
March 18, 2013 at 08:27 pm
I think Canty would have been in GB if he had passed his physical and the training staff had trusted his knees
March 19, 2013 at 03:10 pm
So you're saying that TT is complicit in helping other teams waste cap space on players that they could have gotten cheaper if it wasn't for the Packers? I'm OK with that.
March 19, 2013 at 07:36 pm
Isn't that what happened with Greg Jennings? ;)
March 19, 2013 at 09:18 pm
I certainly hope so. Put out a fake news story that you'd be willing to pay him 10 million. See what happens.
March 18, 2013 at 08:25 pm
Ted will wait until after the draft, and see who's avail! FA. (see Woodson-Pickett)
Teds Blue light special! Just the way it is!
March 18, 2013 at 09:43 pm
I thought Pickett was signed relatively early in FA, no?
March 18, 2013 at 10:26 pm
I don't think he was. i thought he was a little later. Like a week or 2 in? I don't remember though.
March 19, 2013 at 07:17 am
Me neither. Ha
March 18, 2013 at 08:27 pm
As we know with Green Bay,interest and actually signing someone that they have interest in are two different things. Not going to happen!
March 18, 2013 at 08:39 pm
Yep, called drivin the price! Make-em spend:)
March 18, 2013 at 08:43 pm
Viqueens just got caught up in that :)
March 18, 2013 at 11:09 pm
This would be a good pickup.
I think Thompson just has his own dollar figure associated with every available free agent, and he won't move off that number come hell or high water.
If Huff wants to play in GB for that number, he'll do it. And if he asks for thirty cents more, Thompson says forget it.
March 19, 2013 at 08:27 am
Or, Russ Ball does a great job, matches offers from other teams, and guys just don't want to live in northern Wisconsin. They kind of have the right to choose.
March 19, 2013 at 10:41 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58LpHBnvsI
March 18, 2013 at 11:11 pm
I can see this move happening. Dallas and Balt are probably in worse shape cap wise than GB. Huff is just like Collins, same size and he used to run really well, so he has range. Safeties in general don't have nearly the wear and tear that other positions do, so a safety can have a longer career. He should be able to play well till 33 yrs old, maybe longer. Not sure but Reed is probably over 35, so giving Huff a 3 or 4 yr deal would probably work out.
March 19, 2013 at 02:16 am
YEP, only if he comes cheap!
Not going to happen.
I think TT is happy on back end, unless
he finds a stud lost in the dust as he did W/ Woodson.
March 19, 2013 at 02:35 am
BUT- I bet he brings in a Vet just for shits and giggles!
March 19, 2013 at 09:22 am
liked this guy comin' out of college.
lost track of him since he entered the league.
no idea if he's any good.
gotta be better than jennings.
for some reason i have a good feeling about mcmillian, though.
other young, unproven Packers i have a good feeling about...
manning
moses
house
ross
boykins
harris
perry
young Packers i think will flop...
worthy
daniels
sherrod
jennings
quarless (that inj. was too gruesome).
williams (te)
young Packers i think will never be more than ST/depth...
smith
lattimore
richardson
datko
taylor
no rhyme or reason for any of this.
just gut feelings.
March 19, 2013 at 09:33 am
I'd put Daniels in the "depth" category. I think in a 4-3 he could even be a servicable (not spectacular) starter.
I'm not sure about Perry yet. I think he can, I just don't know if he will. Same for Worthy.
Sherrod and Quarless, their futures are very dependent on injury recovery. No one knows.
March 19, 2013 at 10:51 am
I agree with cows list, again with the exception of Daniels. I think he'll end being like Cullen Jenkins...he certainly outplayed Worthy last year. If you remember Jenkings was on the roster for 3-4 years before he did much of anything other than an occasional "flash"
March 19, 2013 at 11:34 am
well boys,careful what we say,teddy is reading cheesehead tv,as i noted at 3:19 yesterday on the hawk restructure article, seymour 4 mil, bradshaw 3 mil, and HUFF 3 mil next year and we will still be 10 mil under cap and wont have to watch m.d. jennings chase kapernick and vernon davis from 10 yards behind next january as we are getting ripped by the niners by 3 td's again!! you can not win championships with m.d. jennings as a starting safety,or with any rookie besides maybe vaccaro and thts a stretch. Aaron has 5 good years left TED,dont choke this thing,like we did with favre!!!!
March 19, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Tinkering Ted scheming again!