Wouldn\'t It Be Nice?

I know it's early, and there's absolutely zero reason to panic, but wouldn't it be nice if, just once, the Packers were AHEAD of the curve in regards to getting their draft class signed to contracts, rather than waiting until the last week of July to have them all done in what appears on the outside as a mad-dash fire drill?

Yes, I realize it matters little, if at all, but one thing that has annoyed me since Thompson took over is the fact that the Bears always get their guys locked in early and the Packers are always seemingly waiting until the last minute. (Hell, this was happening even before Thompson got here - anyone remember the story of Nick Barnett watching the first day of practice from across the street in a gas station parking lot?)

Again, realize 'when they sign' isn't as important as 'how hey sign'. Just bugs me every offseason and I thought I'd vent...

 

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Comments (9)

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retiredgrampa's picture

June 08, 2009 at 07:20 pm

It's certain that all the draft picks WILL get signed in time. I would imagine these guys won't feel that they're really a part of the team until the contract is signed, so, if nothing else, they would be more relaxed and satisfied. Maybe TT prefers to see them practice as if their contract depended on it, as to some extent it does. I'm more concerned that TT doesn't seem too anxious to satisfy guys like Jennings, Kampman, and Collins to extensions...although there are legitimate concerns about Collins' attitude and if Kampman can handle the new duties. But who knows what TT is thinking?

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Brian Carriveau's picture

June 08, 2009 at 07:33 pm

Remember that by waiting to sign picks until July, the Packers are getting to see about about 8 or so extra players in a practice environment until training camp begins.

Last I counted, the Packers have 87 or 88 players on their roster, but the draft picks don't count until they sign. Once they start signing, the Packers have to start cutting players one by one until they're down to 80. They want to see all their players in action through OTAs and minicamp so they have a good idea of who they should cut before training camp.

There's a reason to Ted's madness.

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keeley's picture

June 08, 2009 at 08:41 pm

Aaron - got to call you out on this one. The reality is that the Packers are on somewhat of a "fixed income". You just don't reach into the owners pockets and start printing money in Green Bay. Isn't it better to see what the market will truly bear before writing checks that "your body can't cash"?

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Dave's picture

June 08, 2009 at 09:49 pm

Brian beat me to the punch here, but I think waiting until right before camp is the right strategy. Why not keep those roster spots open as long as possible? It's not like our draft picks are going anywhere.

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L.A.'s picture

June 08, 2009 at 10:04 pm

Those boys have their insurance policies signed, and they're just fine. Who knows...maybe Ted will bring in a high-profile free agent while the draft picks are in a holding pattern.

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retiredgrampa's picture

June 08, 2009 at 11:58 pm

Excellent, Brian. That reason slipped by me. (Not the first time)

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IronMan's picture

June 09, 2009 at 07:06 am

Brian hit the nail on the head!

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Hadji_Hadj's picture

June 09, 2009 at 07:12 am

Additionally, the longer the Packers wait to sign the player, the longer they can delay any liability to paying them.

What if a player like Jarius Wynn, the day after he signs his contract, gets in trouble with the law (something serious), and he is not going to be able to play football for years (becauase he is in jail). Just one example - could be any number of seen/unseen situations.

It's probably much easier to just wait to sign them until the last minute, so that window of having to go through litigation to recover any bonus money would be moot.

There is no benefit to signing them early, other than marking it off their to-do list. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if preliminary talks happen well before they actually sign, and that it's just a formality that they haven't signed it yet.

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PackerAaron's picture

June 09, 2009 at 07:22 am

I take back what I said in the previous post about the quality of the commenters. You guys are def the best of any Pack site I visit...
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Obviously, I realize and agree with all of the above. I think my frustration is a lack of fresh things to write about in June rather than having to go back and watch the Carolina game again (which I did last night) looking for new tidbits to explore...

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