Packers Need Free Agent Wins
By jasonperone
By now, many NFL free agent rumors are likely floating around. There may even be some deals that have been agreed to. Hopefully, the Green Bay Packers are early in the conversations.
The Packers, since general manager Brian Gutekunst took on his role over a year ago, have been much more active in trying to acquire outside talent than they were in the many years prior.
That's a welcome change to many, but Gute has also come up empty on a few of those attempts. This offseason needs to be different.
That's not to say the Packers should sign every free agent and irresponsibly use their cap space this season and beyond. But hopefully the team has done its due diligence on what it will reasonably take to land their top targets.
Terms can change in an instant and the Packers should have earned our trust, by now, that they'll make fiscally good decisions. But this year may be the time for the Packers to turn it up a notch, both in free agency and trade scenarios.
Who those top targets are aren't entirely known.
There were reports that turned out to be erroneous (at least as far as those close to the team are saying) that the Packers were in on the Antonio Brown trade talks. That was a good reminder that until a deal is done, it's not done and what we think we know, may not be true.
Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford was given the team's franchise tag and the team is listening to offers for Ford. The Packers have reported interest. They would have to both sign Ford and send compensation to the Chiefs for his services. Green Bay's second round pick (44th overall) seems to be the sweet spot and Ford is a lot safer than an unknown second-round rookie.
If the Packers decide to pursue that avenue and give themselves an experienced pass rusher, they need to come in with the right compensation versus trying to get a steal. It would help them outbid other suitors and get a solid, known entity to rush the passer. It would also help protect any intention the Packers may have to pick a linebacker early in the draft.
Our Brandon Carwile recently wrote about acquiring Ford.
While the approach for Ford needs to be with the expectation that they are going to need to pay for him, the safety position is a different matter.
Last week, several veteran safeties were released by their teams. The position is changing fast and the days of needing two solid safeties on the field every snap are dwindling. The value of those players has dropped.
Top veterans Earl Thomas and Landon Collins are still going to be looking for near top dollar but there are a lot of options out there right now. Tre Boston, Tashaun Gipson and Adrian Amos are a few others who might end up a better value for a team in need.
It would make a splash to see either come to Green Bay, but the Packers can likely find suitable help for less than they're likely to command.
Then there's the running back position. On Sunday, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported that the Packers were a "team to watch" with regards to free agent running back Mark Ingram.
At a position where Green Bay already has good young talent in place, spending the type of money that Ingram will be seeking is not advisable. Some will point to Aaron Jones's injury history as a reason to fortify the position, but is the likely cost for a 29-year-old back the best use of the Packers' cap space?
Major team needs are best addressed via free agency. Playing heavily in the first few days has proven not to be the best investment for those teams who have dipped in. But the right mix of top and mid-tier players should net the Packers, who have just over $30 million in cap space, a nice haul.
Buckle up for a week of crazy rumors, surprise teams landing players and fan bases claiming victory in March. Of course, we'll have all Packers-related news for you right here.
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Jason is a freelance writer on staff since 2012 and also co-hosts Cheesehead TV Live, Pulse of the Pack and Pack A Day podcasts. You can follow him on Twitter here
Comments (92)
TKWorldWide
March 11, 2019 at 06:38 am
Wins are good.
We’re all big fans of wins.
TKWorldWide
March 11, 2019 at 12:29 pm
I guess one voter isn’t.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 12:35 pm
Probably prefers a tie.
holmesmd
March 11, 2019 at 06:42 am
S>OLB>CB>OL>WR/TE
Roadrunner23
March 11, 2019 at 06:42 am
This should be an interesting couple of weeks. If the Packers could come out of this period with a:
A Veteran Safety to lead and solidify the secondary
A Solid Pass Rusher to bolster the front seven
A Solid Offensive Lineman to add bolster the right side
These don't have to be sexy signings but solid veterans who can lead! The rest can be filled in with the draft and a few June Veteran Cut pickups.
Accomplish this and the road back to a winning season looks a bit more promising.
Go Pack!
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 10:36 am
You've hit the nail on the head, Nostradanus.
A veteran safety is our greatest need. We also need the O-line and the Front 7 defender.
I think we've got our Front 7 guy.....Muhammad Wilkinson. He'll most likely sign a vet minimum, incentive-laden "prove-it" deal. That would give us six D-linemen and that's all we'll carry on the 53: Daniels, Lowry, Clark, Adams, Lancaster, and Wilkinson.
I do think that if, as an organization, you are depending on FA to keep you competitive on the field.....then you're in trouble, because ultimately you get burned. A deal doesn't work out, a guy gets hurt, etc. and you've spent a lot of money on something that didn't work.
IF you swing for the fences, you're going to strike out more often. That's just a fact.
Demon
March 11, 2019 at 11:41 am
" A deal doesn't work out, a guy gets hurt, etc. and you've spent a lot of money on something that didn't work"
Perry comes to mind. Thats why its so important to send him packing no matter the cost. Perry and the rest of Green Bays Fragile 5 all need to be shown the door. Injuries are a part of the game we all know it but when its the same guys over and over its time to move on.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 12:19 pm
So Perry is part of the "Fragile 5"? His 72% availability is better than average for that position.
Demon
March 11, 2019 at 03:01 pm
Yes Perry is part of the fragile 5. 72% availability for games huh? How many games were played with a club on his hand? How effective was he with said club?
Perry is constantly hurt. You know it, the Packers know it, the whole NFL knows it. Thats why he will be cut very soon. Perry was a mistake from day 1. Should have never been drafted. Just another piss poor pick of the great Twisted Ted.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 04:02 pm
How many games does anybody play hurt? Rodgers played a bunch of hurt games and so do quite a few other guys. And how effective was he? He's got 32 sacks in his career, and that's better than a long, long list of guys at that position.
Perry is not constantly hurt. Just repeating that he is doesn't change the fact that he's been available for about 72% of the games and that's a little better than average for his position.
Don't take my word for it. Go to www.pro-football-reference.com and go to play index and search for all the DEs and OLBs since 2010 and arrange them by games or sacks or whatever you want and look for yourself. Do a little basic math and you'll see that 70% availability for the BEST 100 guys over that period is about average.
He's not Top 10 or Top 20, but he's been better than average. It would be stupid to pay $11 million to him to not play for us.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Also, the gratuitous smearing of Thompson is just nonsense. "Twisted Ted". This guy fixed our salary cap situation so we didn't have to keep losing good players over money, drafted Aaron Rodgers, and got us into the NFC Championship game 4 times in 10 years.
Please name the other Packer GMs...other than Lombardi....who've done this. For that matter, why don't we start listing all the GMs in history who've done better? I mean, it's a short list and includes the Steel Curtain's GM, the guy from Dallas in the Landry years, the Montana 49ers, and a few others.
What he did for Green Bay should be respected.
Lare
March 11, 2019 at 07:01 am
The tampering rules in the NFL are pretty much a joke, by now every team knows pretty much what its going to take to sign or trade for players. The only unknowns are what teams do at the last minute as agents & teams are working the phones playing offers against each other.
Unfortunately, the Packers cannot compete on certain players against teams with 2-3 times the cap space they have available. Gutekunst knows this and he'll be hoping to get a few "wins" in free agency in order to reduce any glaring needs he has on the roster. That would free him up to take BPA in the draft in order to build quality talent & depth on the roster.
TKWorldWide
March 11, 2019 at 07:16 am
I wouldn’t want Gute to get in a bidding war and end up paying crazy money anyway.
Someone said a long time ago that in FA, you pay for availability rather than according to ability. Wise words.
dobber
March 11, 2019 at 09:53 am
I think Ron Wolf also said that players who have been hurt tend to stay hurt. Another wise adage.
Demon
March 11, 2019 at 11:54 am
I said the same thing a cpl months ago dobber and got blasted for it his quote was "injured players tend to stay injured"
If K King doesnt come out of camp completely healthy and ready to contribute, time to unload him too.
TKWorldWide
March 11, 2019 at 08:03 pm
Furthermore, objects in motion tend to remain in motion, while objects at rest tend to remain at rest.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 11:24 am
The unofficial legal tampering period begins at the combine.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 11:32 am
When does the official illegal tampering period begin?
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Noon. Eastern standard time. Then agents start to leak stuff pretty quickly to the media. I don't think the team can comment until 4:00 pm EST on Wednesday.
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 11:44 am
Nobody needs to tamper with the money that is being thrown out. 10mil is the starting Point.
RCPackerFan
March 11, 2019 at 07:04 am
I saw on twitter this morning talk of the Packers possibly trading Martinez and a mid round draft pick for Dee Ford.
I am not sure exactly how this topic got going, but I just found it interesting.
I thought I would ask it here. Would you guys trade a mid round pick and Martinez for Dee Ford?
This week is going to be a lot of fun. There is already big moves being made. I expect even more to be made in the next 48 hours or so. Hopefully GB can make a few key moves to add to the team.
Donster
March 11, 2019 at 07:22 am
Why in the hell would you want to trade Martinez? He's the best LB the team has. You would create one hole by filling another. Doesn't make sense to me. Trade Fackrell maybe, not Martinez.
TheKanataThrilla
March 11, 2019 at 07:34 am
You would trade Martinez if you thought that you could replace his talent in the draft with a Devin White or Devin Bush. Martinez is also going to need a new contract soon. Perhaps it is better to replace that big salary with another player on a rookie deal.
RCPackerFan
March 11, 2019 at 07:53 am
That was something that was brought up further down in the twitter comments. That they maybe interested in White or Bush and this is a way to get them. Also they are really high on Burks. Adding Bush or White to go with Burks, that adds a LOT of speed at ILB.
RCPackerFan
March 11, 2019 at 07:51 am
Like I said i don't know how this topic even got started. I think its that KC is wanting ILB's, and maybe it was just an idea proposed. I have no idea. I just thought it was an interesting topic.
I don't think this will happen, but one never knows I guess.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 09:24 am
It is a very NE thing to do. Pretty good player that BB doesn't really want to pay gets traded because BB figures he can coach someone up to replace said player. I think Pettine can coach. I can wait to pay Martinez $5M, $7M, whatever.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 12:22 pm
I think the question is "why is KC....who led the league in sacks and finished 24th in defense....looking to shed their edge rushers?" I've been repeatedly told how important they are if you want to win.
Martinez is a guy who always suits up and plays sideline to sideline and makes lots of stops. He's an asset, and he's underappreciated.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 12:40 pm
I am not arguing that. I probably do underappreciate Martinez. Just saying that BB makes it work, sometimes even with undeniably very good players.
Before GB gives Martinez 4 yrs, $26M, they should at least glance around for a replacement if not an upgrade.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 04:38 pm
Of course. Always try to get better and younger and cheaper.
$26 over 4? That'd be about what Van Noy is getting in New England. Same exact number of tackles, oddly.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 04:38 pm
delete
CalPacker
March 11, 2019 at 03:17 pm
The instant Ford was called offside on the interception that would've sent KC to the Super Bowl, I turned to my roommate and said, "Ford will end up getting traded, I hope the Packers get him." I mean, seriously: how does Ford even show his face on city streets, let alone the locker room? Too much baggage for him to continue as a Chief, IMO...
Swisch
March 11, 2019 at 03:28 pm
That was crossing a line, but you have to admire his eagerness.
Maybe the Packers can coach him up.
TKWorldWide
March 12, 2019 at 07:20 am
“Crossing a line” literally. Well done!
Demon
March 11, 2019 at 11:56 am
No way! Martinez plays smart, plays hard and stays healthy. Bad idea!
holmesmd
March 11, 2019 at 08:25 am
I absolutely would not! Martinez is our leading tackler and the captain of the defense. Very smart, good locker room guy...no way would I train Martinez.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:41 am
They all all expendable. Doubt the extensd him a big dollar contract in 2020.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:43 am
are........they auto incorrec
TKWorldWide
March 12, 2019 at 07:21 am
FYI “Auto Correct” would be a great name for a mechanic’s repair shop.
dobber
March 11, 2019 at 07:13 am
I hope that BG doesn't approach FA as "needing wins". It's like going to the dealership and telling the salesman you need to buy a car right now. It's not going to work well for the buyer.
Be patient. Know the field and where your best options are. Know your price points on players and stick to them. It's not just about signing players, but signing the right players at the right numbers...and then filling in around them through the draft.
Lphill
March 11, 2019 at 08:04 am
I would be happy with Landon Collins , forget Dee Ford ,draft an edge guy and a cover safety maybe take a chance on Justin Houston but I would not sell the farm for Dee Ford.
mrtundra
March 11, 2019 at 08:46 am
The Chiefs also released LB Justin Houston. He would be a cheaper option for GB than Ford would be and would provide a veteran presence at pass rusher. We wouldn't have to give up a pick for him either. Something to think about.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 11:16 am
Just so I understand...…..the Chiefs led the league in sacks last year, but finished 24th in scoring defense.....and they cut Houston and are trying to trade Ford?
Doesn't KC realize that's exactly the wrong direction? Edge pressure is more important than anything....at least that's what I've been told.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 09:57 pm
They have a lot of cash tied up in those guys. One has to go. If they want the 4-3 look, KC. may be trying to sign Barr. They will pick up up a NT also. They made a mistake letting Poe leave. You have to be able to stop the run when its crunch time in the playoffs.
ShooterMcGee
March 11, 2019 at 09:09 am
There is going to be a wave of veteran cuts in the next 2 days as teams shed contracts. There should be plenty of good safeties, linebackers, and guards available. These are the 3 positions I think we should address in free agency. Signing cut players also has the benefit of not counting in the compensatory formula which good teams always should consider. I wonder who on the Packers could be a surprise cut- Tramon Williams would save 5 million, Nick Perry 5 million, Mike Daniels?? save 8 million but better to restructure.
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 09:35 am
No one is Reggie White. How can anyone be happy with Houston, or Ford. KC isn't!! I believe the packers must get a safety first. Their going to have to over -pay any OlB/edge. I wonder if Mathews just isn't the better solution until we do. To many missing pieces yet. RG, SS, FS. ILB, DE. And what about next year. Would Reggie White have come to Green Bay with all these holes and changes? Mathews wants to be a Packer. Can we say the same for some Cast - offs? Whose only objective is SHOW ME The Money. Lets fill our needs first. Go for that guy who wants to be a packer. Reggie White was what these guys aren't. His character and leadership were worth every penny. Making the wrong choice can hurt this team. In a perfect world we fill our holes. The Free Agents objective is money. Ours should be the Reggie Whites.
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 09:45 am
I know Reggie White was a minister but he also was human. Reggie White went to Green Bay because Green Bay offered him the most money. He was no different than most other players looking for their once in a lifetime big payday. He was worth the money and was a difference maker. Earl Thomas IMPrO, is the ONLY Reggie White out there this year that would immediately change Green Bay's defense and make it great again.
Dash
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 10:04 am
Reggie White was offered more money then he got from GB. He liked GB chances. And Brett Favre.
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 10:14 am
I don't believe he was offered more. He actually said God told him to go to Green Bay which of course nobody believed. So who was the team stockholder? You may be right, I may be crazy.
Dash
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 10:29 am
Wash. Redskins and Sf. And he did say, God told him to go to GB.
mrtundra
March 12, 2019 at 09:14 am
Reggie also said that God wanted him to go to San Francisco. When Green Bay made their offer, Reggie said, Oh, THAT San Francisco!
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 11:19 am
It's always nice when God tells you to do the thing that makes you the most money. The stuff about coming for Favre is a myth, and I have always been under the impression that Green Bay's offer was the best offer.
Reggie White was a transformative figure in the history of this franchise and is certainly as responsible for our 1996 Superbowl as any other player.
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Agree Old School. Favre had nothing to do with Reggie coming to Green Bay. After he signed the biggest contract in NFL history of course he mentioned Brett Favre in a positive and was looking foward to playing with him. He was just being PC at that time. It was all about the money and if by God he meant his wife told him to sign with Green Bay than I would believe him more. Some men do refer to their wives as "God" so maybe that's what Reggie secretly meant. Who the hell would question a baptist minister? Nobody. As for the money, I know SF was interested. Don't remember Washington but I too thought GB's contract was the highest offer of all. Perhaps our guru of salary cap info TheGreatReynoldo can provide the correct answer. I will only go by what he says since he does have street cred here.
Dash
OnWisconsinGoPack
March 11, 2019 at 10:09 am
I'm with you Dash. Bring in Thomas. His injuries are bone injuries and last year he came out like a man on fire.
His impact could be the same as Reggie's and Woodson when they joined. Get him today!
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 10:22 am
Yep OWGP, if you are going to play the free agent game you might as well go for the best and Earl Thomas not only is the best but he also just happens to fill our most glaring need on the entire team. I can't think of a more perfect time to go all out on a player. He is worth all the money they spent last year on all their dud free agents. As Reggie proved, one great free agent signing is worth 10 crappy ones. Gute's time is running out. He needs to start winning as the author suggests. Again, I would settle for simply a single win at this point just to break the bad losing streak. What better player to do that than Earl Thomas.
Dash
SterlingSharpe
March 11, 2019 at 09:36 am
Dee Ford has had one double-digit sack season, in the NFL. So we've seen it at this level. Projecting from college is a huge crapshoot. See Barkevious Mingo, Aaron Maybin, Vernon Gholston, Deion Jordan, etc.
Markus Golden also had double-digit sacks in 2016 in the NFC West. He's still young and won't cost a third of what Ford will get.
Give me:
Golden + Maxx Williams + Philip Dorsett or Kevin White + Tashaun Gipson all for the same price as Ford will cost our Cap $.
4 guys with talent who have shown ability to help in the NFL. Maxx Williams was a popular #1 pick in mocks to us just 4 years ago. Steal him now.
New England liked Dorsett (and Cordarrelle Patterson) enough to A) get them and B) win a Super Bowl with them.
Kevin White was extremely talented that he was the #7 overall pick 4 or 5 years ago. He was picked that high for a reason.
Sometimes you can obtain talent cheap. See Jerry Hughes to Buffalo..... there are often reasons why they didn't thrive that don't mean the player sucks. Sometimes the team, the QB, the system sucks and they pay dividends with a change. See Drew Brees let go. Randy Moss to New England. Charles Woodson to Green Bay. Tons more....
dobber
March 11, 2019 at 09:51 am
"Dee Ford has had one double-digit sack season, in the NFL. "
Actually...2: 10 sacks in 2016, 13 in 2018.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:50 am
Gipson is gone from the sweepstakes, Malik Jackson spurned lowball and went to Philly. Stay tuned for the Perry decision.
dobber
March 11, 2019 at 11:56 am
I think the Perry decision has everything to do with whether they reach an agreement with a higher-end pass rusher in the next day or so. If not, they'll keep him.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 12:06 pm
They will keep him if he is not physically wrecked, otherwise bye bye. Hopefully they pull in Za Smith and deal for Ford. In REALITY they have one guy on the current roster who has gotten to the QB, Fackerell and he will be in the last year of his contract. EDGE Rush is the lead weight for this defense. I would hope they are in the Mosley discussions, but the Steelers want a replacement for Shazier and just dumped two cap headaches. Lots of fun and games until Wednesday. If Gutekunst solves the edge voids he can get Oline and a FS with the high picks.
dobber
March 11, 2019 at 02:49 pm
Flowers just signed with the Lions for something like $17M aav.
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 09:40 am
I love the title, Packers need free agent wins. Yes we do and thank you for reminding the herd here how "empty" Gute came up last year. Based on last years horrible deals I would settle for a single free agent signing "win". Just one.
Dash
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 10:20 am
Which One. #1 Adrian Amos , #2 Jared Cook TE , #3 Za Darius Smith , #4 Preston Smith, #5 CJ Mosely?
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 10:25 am
Earl Thomas
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 10:30 am
Bet Amos gets the call.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:57 am
He is linked to Vic Fangio. See what Elway does today.
stockholder
March 12, 2019 at 09:19 am
Dash this was so predictable. Amos will be our new SS.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 11:22 am
If we're going to shoot a wad on one guy, I guess Thomas is the best bet. I wouldn't bet against Mosely....he'll be affordable, he's a vet and a real competitor, he's a three down player, we do not have a starter alongside Martinez right now in the base, and Martinez is in his contract year.
He'd strengthen this defense in the middle, no doubt.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:52 am
Mosley....it makes sense if they want to move Martinez in the Ford deal. They would have to Move Up in the draft to get White.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 12:28 pm
Mosely makes sense even if we keep Martinez.
In our base defense, we play two ILBs. We do not have a starter next to Martinez in the base....which we play quite a bit of the time. And of course, if Martinez gets hurt we're playing Burks and ???...
Moseley makes us better right away in the middle . And it gives us an alternative if we choose not to keep Martinez beyond this season. Personally, I think Martinez and Mosely behind this defensive line would probably do a real good job of stopping the run.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 01:05 pm
I liked Mosley from day one in the 2014 draft. Ted just needed to move up four spots but he sat like a bump on a log we were stuck with Dix. The rest is history.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 01:05 pm
I liked Mosley from day one in the 2014 draft. Ted just needed to move up four spots but he sat like a bump on a log we were stuck with Dix. The rest is history.
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 11:05 am
Malik Jackson signed with Philly for 10 mil a year for 3 yrs. I said he would be great instead of Wilkerson. Philly just filled a big need. Anyways it will take 10 mil. plus for anybody this year.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 11:10 am
Malik Jackson is a really good player. But I think we can get Wilkinson for a lot less, frankly, and except for last year, they're very comparable players.
Jackson has been indestructible so far, and consistently produces. He's worth $10 million.
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 11:37 am
No way. The comparison isn't even close. I still say they replace Wilkerson.
jannesbjornson
March 11, 2019 at 11:55 am
THey may look for a five technique in this draft four or five valid picks. At this point Richardson is ahead of Wilkerson. in terms of relative value Fadol Brown looked to apply more pressure than Wilkerson last season.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 12:34 pm
The comparison of Jackson to Wilkerson isn't even close????
………………………..Wilkerson...……………………...Jackson
Games...………….108...………………………………..110
Sacks...……………..44.5...……………………………...32.5
Tackles...………….245...………………………………..196.
Fumbles forced....11...………………………………...6
Wilkerson is 9 months older and 20+ lbs heavier. He's been in the league one year longer.
I'm not seeing how Jackson and Wilkerson aren't even comparable. Looks to me like Wilkerson actually is a little ahead in someways.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 11, 2019 at 12:45 pm
Neither do I. Wilkerson with be getting a third of what Malik got.
stockholder
March 11, 2019 at 02:47 pm
Do the last three years. Not Career. Also Jackson has a higher rate of passes defended. Still Wilkerson has to many miles and injuries. But the stats were interesting. Thanks.
Swisch
March 11, 2019 at 12:04 pm
I can't believe the Packers haven't signed a free agent yet.
Just sign anyone, already.
All of the speculation is too much. We need a real signing to talk about.
It doesn't matter who or how much.
;-)
P.S. When's the draft?
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 12:10 pm
I don't know if this will excite you or not Swisch but I heard from two anonymous sources that Packers are interested in Dan Stodola to be an assistant physical therapist working with Chriz Gizzi.
Dash
Swisch
March 11, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Good stuff, Dash. Thanks for the insider scoop to get me through Monday.
I can never get enough of the latest buzz about assistant coaches and various other staff changes.
What's Stadola's time in the 40? Who's our best ankle-taper at this point?
I think the recent dip in national unemployment is due mainly to the hiring of staff by NFL teams -- plus the media hiring of commentators on the NFL for various pre-game, halftime, and postgame shows, not to mention off-season programming.
Any respectable panel has to be at least nine people.
Well, I better go and check the latest reports for any acquisitions.
P.S. When's our first preseason game?
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Let the crazy money fly, and then take your shots.
One of the reasons we were successful in getting Woodson is that we held fire until a number of competitors had burnt some cash already.
Swisch
March 11, 2019 at 01:00 pm
Actually, Old School, your idea has a lot of merit.
Unless there's someone we really, really, really want above all others, it may make sense to wait awhile in free agency.
That could be a good discussion.
In general, I'm mostly poking fun at my own impatience, and susceptibility to getting overwhelmed with all of the possible scenarios in free agency and the draft.
As much as teams miss on these things with all of their scouting, it may be just as well for the Packers front office to save administrative costs and just come here to Cheesehead TV to get the insights of staff writers and fans.
Use the savings to lower prices on tickets and concessions and parking and souvenirs.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 01:58 pm
Here's the story....
An old bull and a young bull spied a herd of cows at the other end of the field, and the young bull said "I'm going to run over there and (mate with) one of them".
The old bull said "I'm going to walk over there and do it with all of them"
There's no urgency. Take your time.
ILPackerBacker
March 11, 2019 at 01:01 pm
Seriously? people call themselves packer fans and don't know that there was phone message left for Reggie, from GOD telling him to go to green bay. Doubtless none of these fans know who GOD was.
What a world!
What a world!
Skip greenBayless
March 11, 2019 at 01:38 pm
I know Holmgrem said he took a risk with that phone call but Reggie apparently got a laugh out of it so it worked. So you're saying Reggie was saying God was actually Holmgren?
Dash
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
March 11, 2019 at 02:22 pm
Good stuff!
Everyone obviously is in great spirits today.
Many good perspectives and ideas.
Be interesting to see how it all plays out. I have been thinking if we can get 2 or 3 mid-level starting caliber players in FA it is a major win heading into the draft.
Dash when he wants too can make a compelling argument. Would Thomas be that transformative player?
I'm with Swisch.....anxious to see what happened after the dust settles.
Swisch
March 11, 2019 at 02:51 pm
Apparently, the hypotheticals for us fans are simplified with the probable signing of Landon Collins by the Redskins. Outrageous at $14 million per year.
So maybe do wait for the crazy money to fly, a la Old School; and then maybe sign 2 or 3 less sensational guys who are mid-level starting-caliber players, a la KnockSnot.
We may also want to look into an assistant coach for long snappers.
sonomaca
March 11, 2019 at 03:10 pm
FA prices are getting crazy high. Packers will end up with a couple role players, aging vets on short term deals.
The best strategy for the Pack is to maximize number of draft picks, and to hit on more than a few.
crayzpackfan
March 11, 2019 at 04:15 pm
A lot of big names (and big contracts) are being signed as I type. For better or for worse, GB seems to be pretty passive early on. I guess I don’t feel one way or the other about missing out on some of these players, however, I cannot help feeling at least a little frustrated that once again GB is so content to seemingly not be very involved in the process. I’m not looking for them to overpay like a handful of teams seem to do year after year (thank God). But I would like to at least see their name in the hat. Just like I’m against overpaying, I’m also against table scraps and over the hill players being the only players GB goes after. The few times GB has gone big, it paid off (Favre trade, Reggie White, Charles Woodson, Sean Jones, Andre Rison, Desmond Howard, and Kieth Jackson come to mind).
sonomaca
March 11, 2019 at 06:32 pm
Many of the teams signing big money deals aren’t good: the Raiders, Redskins, Lions, Titans, Jets and Niners. Yes, KC and Philly made splashes, but many of the top teams are holding back at the moment.
Leatherhead
March 11, 2019 at 06:50 pm
The players we got in the 90s were because the Packers understood how to use FA better than other teams. They caught on, eventually, for the most part.
The Packers need help at safety most. Let's see what happens there, first.
Cwilly
March 11, 2019 at 09:26 pm
I read a lot of everyone’s comments on here but to never do anything with top free agents isn’t helping this team. If they score on the draft then everything will be fine but if not this team doesn’t go anywhere next year or years to come!