Scott Wells Signs With Rams
The veteran center has reportedly agreed to terms with the St. Louis Rams
By PackerAaron
From the agency that represents Scott Wells:
Center Scott Wells has agreed to terms with the St. Louis Rams. Congrats Scott!
The Packers could still sign former Texans center Chris Myers, though he is also in conversations with the Titans and could also possibly return to the Texans.
Ted Thompson and company could also draft Wells' replacement in April's draft.
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Comments (59)
March 16, 2012 at 06:37 pm
Does anybody else think it is stupid to let guy who hands Rodgers the ball on every play sign with another team. Breaking that chemistry just seems like a bad idea.
March 16, 2012 at 06:54 pm
Agreed. Don't get this one, really don't.
March 16, 2012 at 06:58 pm
He's older. He's smaller. He's stubborn - so he wouldn't take a hometown discount. TT didn't draft him...
All strikes against Wells.
Meanwhile, the salary cap beckons. An 8 mil a year C simply doesn't make sense when you have limited resources and AR,GJ,CM3 all need new deals in the next 2 years...
March 16, 2012 at 08:34 pm
He's good. The only thing that matters.
March 16, 2012 at 08:44 pm
I wish it was like that but you and I know it's not... GMs are paid like they are because it's a damn hard job.
March 17, 2012 at 11:14 am
He's stubborn because he won't get low-balled? Would YOU play for a $2 million "discount?" Didn't think so. Did AJ Hawk? Ummm, no.
The packers routinely let over-30 players go---Kampman, Jenkins, Wells,are just a few. The keep the one's who TT thinks are in premium positions or that he has failed to find the replacements---Clifton, Woodson, Harris, Tauscher.
March 17, 2012 at 08:12 pm
Choices come down to keeping Jennings next year or Wells as $8M/yr center. This is a cap and market driven business.
March 17, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Where did you see he got eight million per?
March 16, 2012 at 08:13 pm
Dude i just think he didnt want to come back?
March 16, 2012 at 08:41 pm
Wells was a one-trick pony.
He was damn good in that one trick, though, and our offense needs that trick to work properly.
In theory it's a big loss. I don't believe any C that might come, be it FA or draft, will be an improvement over Wells, exactly because of said chemistry.
The unknown variable is EDS. The way they dealt with Wells (offering him 4.5MI, short of the desired but considerable money for a C) tells me that even though they were prepared to move on from him, he was clearly a better option than what they have now. I said it in another post, EDS better be prepared, he's the starting center day 1.
March 16, 2012 at 06:43 pm
is lang a candidate for center? there is mention that a few guards rate highly in the draft and questioning if lang may slide to center to make way for a guard in the draft...?
March 16, 2012 at 07:19 pm
and move Dominguez to LG ?
March 16, 2012 at 08:37 pm
I sure hope they're not thinking something like that. He's gonna be a good LG. Enough of the musical chairs, leave him alone.
March 16, 2012 at 06:51 pm
Sounds like a sound move professionally. Go from a team that was 15-1, a year and change out from a Super Bowl win to the dumpster of the NFC West. A stadium so docile a sports commentator described the venue "as eerily quiet". Apparently Wells is about $ and not winning. Thus, a welcomed departure. Good luck making your millions in one of the worst football cities in the country.
March 16, 2012 at 08:46 pm
You have to take into account that they tried to replace him every chance possible. As much as it is money, there's a big grudge in there.
March 17, 2012 at 01:04 am
GB was only team to draft Wells. GB was the only team to put Wells on their PS. GB was the only team to promote Wells to the 53. GB was the only team to train, coach & convert a 7th round draft pick into a Pro-Bowl player. GB made Wells a rich man when he may have never gotten the chance anywhere else.
Grudge ???
March 17, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Are you trying to convince me there's no grudge? I'm not saying he's right, but it's there, lots of reports saying so.
March 18, 2012 at 10:10 am
Rocky,
the Packers couldn't wait to replace Wells with a bigger, more physical center- they basically took Wells' job away and gave it to Jason Spitz a number of years ago.. The thing was, Spitz certainly didn't straight-out "Win" the job in camp- not convincingly, at any rate.
Spitz struggled, but the ONLY reason Wells was given his job back was because Spitz ended up injured. Wells took hold and ran away with the job ever since, but he never forgot that the powers that be didn't want him to be the starting center. They were out to replace him.. EDS was another guy brought in with the hopes of replacing Wells.. as was McDonald..
The Packers want a bigger center, and haven't been shy about letting Wells know about it.
Yeah, he carried a grudge.
March 17, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Eh, they have a new coach that they are (stupidly) excited about, a good young QB that will probably bounce back, and draft picks to fill a LOT of holes. They're gonna be a real good team in a year or two.
March 16, 2012 at 06:54 pm
Bummer, but not unexpected. Sign that dude from the Texans or draft one.
March 16, 2012 at 06:56 pm
Time for TT to dip into mid-level FA. This is the perfect time to do it too - many quality C's out there right now.
I'd be shocked if he grabbed Myers though. Too much $$, and he's not much younger than Wells.
So let's add C to the list - RDE,ROLB,S (probably) and C - all need to be able to start right away.... that's a lot to ask of 3 drafts - it would be an insane 1 draft.
Time to dip the toe into FA TT. #justdoit
March 16, 2012 at 08:32 pm
Exactly why I don't understand it going down like this. Sometimes you've got to pony up a bit more than you'd like to for the good/continuity of the team. #justanother-unnecessary-holetofill
March 16, 2012 at 08:51 pm
Short term you are absolutely right. In 3 years this will look genius on TT's part.
What about Molk in rd 4? Or how about a mid level FA at C for 2 mil a year?
There are cheaper options out there than Wells. With the salary cap you sometimes have to pick your poison and hope it doesn't kill you. This was one of those times.
March 16, 2012 at 09:15 pm
I could be dead in three years, this is a -win now- league. And aside from some defensive tweaks, this team is built to win now. Three years? Who knows.
I'm all for a guy in the mid-to-late rounds, but while he's developing, keep the guy that's proven in your system around. And if the new kid looks great going into year two... Cut Wells.
For an extra mill or two... Your O-line keeps arguably their most consistent lineman. To me, it would be money well spent for a year or two while grooming a draft pick. We will agree to disagree.
March 16, 2012 at 09:44 pm
"this team is built to win now"
I'm worried the window is closing...
Neal with no cartilage and gone for a quarter season. Little from Green last season. Wynn and Wilson seem to have no upside. Raji is worn out. Pickett is getting old. Guy has a concussion in training camp.
Hawk can't shoot the gap, nor can he cover. The other OLB position just can't get it done. Matthews is getting beaten up while 2x teamed.
Collins has a fused neck -- will he risk his family life, 'cuz necks get bent when trying to tackle? Woodson has lost a step in the last two years, and grabs a lot. McGinn said he missed a lot of tackles last year, which was always a strong point with him. Shields is fast, but a total pussy when it comes to tackling.
At $5.6 mil under the cap (and who really knows how this works exactly...), they can't be a "player" in free agency.
Sooooo...
WTF do ya do ???
March 16, 2012 at 11:28 pm
" I’m worried the window is closing…"
All the more reason you keep a proven commodity in Wells. A proven commodity on the money side of your team nonetheless... The offense.
Releasing Clifton and driver frees up 10+ mill... Shoulda bit the bullet and paid Scott.
March 17, 2012 at 01:16 am
Funny how cow42 doesn't look so 'crazy' anymore. Unfortunately, it could get worse. Gotta hope Graham Harrell never has to start a game for GB.
PackerAaron
March 17, 2012 at 01:25 am
It could indeed get worse. Or (gasp) it could get better. Good God people - its March.
March 17, 2012 at 02:13 am
Trades are rare in the NFL. Free-agency is drying up pretty quickly. That leaves only the draft for any additional talent to be added to the Pack.
Not going to be easy.
March 18, 2012 at 10:16 am
Rocky70- Maybe.. Just maybe... There is a C who is good enough to play the position at a high level ALREADY on the roster.
Do not discount the developing young players on the roster or practice squad.. These guys are on a roster for a reason.
There's no guarantees, of course. But just because we, the fans, aren't in the know, doesn't mean the Packers aren't.
Another poster on a different sight brought up Sampson Genus.. It could be that the Packers feel very good about this kid at center.
March 16, 2012 at 07:17 pm
As I said in an earlier "Wells" column, it'll be EDS at Center with a long look at Genus, who will benefit from a full off-season to prepare.
I do find it interesting that TT didn't rework Clifton or Driver's contract -- to intimate that there might be some extra cash for Wells. Granted GB doesn't have to move on either contract for several weeks, but they could have done something, just to throw Wells a bone. Instead, they do nothing.
I personally believe waaaay too much money is tied up in older vets (eg: Woodson). Clifton will be gone -- just a gamble from a medical standpoint. Driver should be gone -- sorry, but we've got to get Gurley and Borel on the field, and see what they've got. They won't last another year on the PS. Plus, we've got to get ST out of 4th/5th WRs. Additionally, it's a 50/50 chance that they don't resign Jennings -- there's just no damn money when you've got to work on Rodgers and Matthews, too.
As usual, we've seen nothing in FA -- but let's get serious: we're $6-8mil under the cap, and that ain't gonna sign shit, based on contracts I've seen so far.
March 17, 2012 at 01:04 pm
I agree with you. Driver and Clifton - Bless both for what they have done, but it is time to move on to new and resign the key players that we have. Love your thought pattern!
March 16, 2012 at 07:47 pm
EXPECTED...... I know we all want a seamless transition for Arod but totally expected and I think center in this scheme is the least important position on the line..
Go Pack GO!
March 16, 2012 at 07:52 pm
I think we have plenty of cap space to sign whoever we want and still get everyone else re-signed when its their time.
In 2 years the salary cap is expected to rise to 140 million and change when the new TV money kicks in. So TT acually has a good amount of room to breathe even without restructuring or cutting anyone.
Not sure what Wells was thinking signing with the Rams but they must have exceeded everything that the Packers were offering. If not then maybe he was even more pissed than anyone thought. IDK.
Got my fingers crossed that we will sign Myers and Wimbley with Kendall Langford as another real possibility. Im dreaming I know.
March 16, 2012 at 08:13 pm
Plenty?
$5.6 million??
http://nfltraderumors.co/nfl-team-cap-space/
They may have enough to take care of Rodgers and Matthews two years from now -- but this year there isn't much wiggle room.
Wimbley? they wouldn't have enough for him if they cut Clifton and Driver's salaries.
You just light up ?
March 16, 2012 at 08:54 pm
Now now, let's not start degrading other people's opinions based on their lifestyle, mmmkay? Thomas Jefferson said it's ok...
March 16, 2012 at 08:57 pm
I was gonna ask if he could share...
March 17, 2012 at 05:29 pm
LOL!
March 16, 2012 at 08:11 pm
Is it just me or did it seem like Wells had no intention of coming back to the Pack?
March 16, 2012 at 08:48 pm
Sure he was pissed Aussie, but in the end, it's all about the Benjies:
http://m.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120316/PKR01/12031...
For a Center, an extra 1.5 - 2.5 mill a year is huge. So huge in fact, it's worth going from the top shelf to the cellar. That's too much of a hometown discount. Can't blame the guy... Business decision.
March 17, 2012 at 11:11 am
Sure doesn't care too much about winning. The Rams are horrible. The NFC is where good players go to fade into obscurity. Business move sure. But if Wells actually cared about winning over dollars, not the team he would have chosen. He got his money, not he can get used to being on the crappiest team in the crappiest division in football. Enjoy that new hummer douche bag.
March 18, 2012 at 10:25 am
It's an obscene amount of money either way, Point Packer, But when push comes to shove, I think as much as I'd be perfectly fine with 4.5 mil a year, it is really hard to let and extra 1.5 million a year slip through your hands.
I wouldn't feel like *I* need to make more than 4.5 mil a year..
BUT.. an extra 8 million over 4 years? Now I'm starting to think about my legacy to my family.
It could be the difference between ensuring complete financial security for two generations of my immediate family, or complete financial security for 5 or 6 generations of my family.. Plus, all the more positive things I could affect in my community with an extra 8 million over 4 years.
You might be right, maybe he's just all about a garage full of luxury cars. But you don't know that. People make business decisions based on what is best for their FAMILY all of the time. That doesn't necessarily change just because of the amounts involved.
March 18, 2012 at 01:30 pm
Well put.
March 16, 2012 at 09:54 pm
This is where TT finds some undrafted guy that comes in and totally exceeds expectations and solidifies the position.
...or at least that's what I'd like to say. Thompson seems more hit or miss on the line than other positions.
March 16, 2012 at 11:30 pm
He sure does.... And I have no idea why. Crapshoot I guess.
March 16, 2012 at 10:51 pm
Packers going to be fine without Wells.
March 17, 2012 at 08:35 am
I don't see this turnning out well for us. Just like last year, there were 10 good reasons to let Jenkins go and only 2 or 3 good reasons to keep him. Letting him go and missing out on the 2 or 3 reasons hurt our D-line bad. Take a key spoke out of the wheel and it weekens all the rest.
March 17, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Jenkins started 16 games in 2011, yet had one-half sack in the last 11 games of the 2011 season. Look at his stats by quarter -- good in the first qtr; half the man in the 4th.
While we all remember good games during the SB season, but he is now 31.
Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.
If there are 10 reasons to cut and 2 or 3 to keep -- you've got to be smart and let him go. Otherwise you're gambling -- and every snap is a bet. That many bets in a game, over the course of a season, with those odds: you're gonna lose big.
March 17, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Do you guys really think the window is closing, with only Woodson and Pickett as key guys above 30? Goddamn people, stop panicking. Take a breath...
March 17, 2012 at 01:45 pm
Not panicking.
The offense is OK, even with two players suffering ACLs and C/LT unsettled.
But the defense is another matter.
By Capers own admission, his defense needs two "marquee" OLBs -- we only have one. Hawk is unspectacular and overpaid.
Neal is suspended and likely won't be the same player after his surgery. Green/Wynn/Wilson are marginal.
Will Guy be OK?
Collins could be risking his life, if he plays again.
Woodson can't really cover WRs any more-- if he gets beaten, he grabs.
Can House avoid a mental meltdown? Capers is his fourth defensive coordinator in four years.
If we have something in Guy, House, and MD Jennings -- then McClellin/Massaquoi may make everything turn out GREAT !!
March 17, 2012 at 04:39 pm
It's easy to say 'don't panic' when there are no games being played. The bottom line (W - L) is not yet being affected.
However, you know enough about the NFL & the Pack to realize that at some point in time, improvements are nearly impossible. A team improves through free-agency (somewhat), through the draft & internal improvement in players already on the roster.
Free-agency is drying up. The draft is & always will be a crapshoot. The Packers have many who have (IMO) already reached their peak performance & will only be an albatross to better team performance.
The Packers are going to have to hit on 3 or more players in the 2012 draft that will have an immediate impact on the "D" in season 2012. That's hard to do.
It could be a long season in GB if AR & company have to continuously score 46 points because our "D" gives up 41 points. (GB 46 Lions 41)
March 18, 2012 at 10:29 am
"Free-agency is drying up. The draft is & always will be a crapshoot."
History has shown that Free Agency is the biggest crap shoot of them all.
Just ask the Redskins.
Drafting, of course, isn't an exact science, either. But Draft and develop produces far more consistent return on your investment than big name free agent acquisitions.
Do. Not. Panic.
March 18, 2012 at 07:32 pm
I'm not advocating free agency. I've never been a fan of free agency. However, you have to admit that draft 2011 has added little to the overall quality of the Pack ---- especially on the "D". Now TT has to make up for sitting on his hands since the SB 45 parade ended. (only thing left is draft 2012)
You say 'don't panic', but you're afraid to get into specifics because names like Wynn, Wilson, B. Jones, Peprah, Zombo, So’oto, Neal, Guy, etc. keep entering the conversation. It's difficult to feel very confident with all that riff-raff on the roster.
March 19, 2012 at 01:59 am
Riff-Raff?? These guys are mostly depth players.. What do you expect?!
You realize that, of the players you've listed:
(1) was drafted in the first 4 rounds- Mike Neal, 2nd round
(1) was drafted in the 5th round (by NYG), Charlie Peprah
(1) 6th rounder- Jarius Wynn
(3) were last-round (7th round) picks, Guy, Wilson, and Jones
(2) were undrafted free-agents- Zombo, and So'Oto.
So'oto and Guy were brought in knowing they were going to be long-term projects. They are both physically gifted but need refinement. Guy is a physical carbon copy of Cullen Jenkins, who, coincidentally, was also a project player.
Brad Jones is a solid depth player at OLB. He's the only other OLB on the roster who can equally rush the passer, play the run, and play coverage.. outside of CM3.
CJ Wilson has flashed at times. He is progressing. He's not a starter, but again, a decent rotational player. He'll see more time this season.
Peprah shouldn't be counted on as a starter, especially without another veteran S on his side. 2011 was rough for him.. But he's a suitable back up, and with Collins flanking him, he played good ball- good enough to help the Packers win a super bowl.
Neal of course has been disappointing due to injuries, and now his suspension. All we can hope for is he's ready to play when he comes back.
Wynn was a mismatch for this D, don't know why the Packers even picked him. But, his pass rush has been more effective the last season.
all in all, you just showcased a bunch of the Packers' depth players, all but two of which were drafted in the 6th-7th round or were undrafted.
You do realize that on sunday about 30% of the players that are suited up to play for every/any NFL team aren't starters, right? I don't really see your point.
March 18, 2012 at 01:28 pm
I say don't panic, with ease, because of the track record of management.
Wins and losses only increase my security in them. 29 wins and 8 losses in the last two seasons, with a Lombardi to show for, is not too shabby IMHO.
Moreso when you consider that in only 1 of those 8 losses the difference in the final score was more than 1 possession. And that game had very peculiar circumstances.
Again, in the last two years, only ONCE we lost by more than 5 points, and people are saying this team needs drastic changes.
I only wish that the games were being played... It would put things back into perspective for a lot of folks.
March 18, 2012 at 07:19 pm
Again, I hear you say "don't panic". Then I look for the follow-up on why no PackerFan should panic.
You can't just say 'don't panic' because GB finished 15-2 in the 2011 season. That's history. I'm looking at season 2012 & see many holes on the GB roster.
Please don't try & convince anyone that Wynn, Wilson, B. Jones, Peprah, Zombo, So'oto, Neal, Guy etc. are going to be key in 2012. They aren't.
March 18, 2012 at 07:37 pm
I'm not... What I'm saying is that the other key players are more than enough.
Rodgers, Jennings, Nelson, Finley, Bulaga, Sitton, Raji, Matthews, Woodson, Tramon Williams, Bishop, those will be key.
All in all, this is a top 3, at least, team in terms of red and blue chippers. And it has red chippers on all key positions, quarterback, OL, pass rusher, dbs, inside DL, receiving corps.
And the chemistry and coaching of the team are also one of the best in the league.
March 18, 2012 at 08:01 pm
So you believe that GB can again finish last (or near last) in defense (yards allowed) & still be an elite team? --- I don't.
The real panic will begin when GB in season 2012 are losing games by 38-35 instead of winning them.
March 19, 2012 at 11:07 am
First of all, yardage isn't important.
And even considering yardage, I doubt, and am willing to bet, that GB won't finish last, not close to it.