Free agency mock

[Half Empty]

Vernon Davis's stats his first 3 years in the league weren't blazing, nor were they last year. Give Richard Rodgers a chance to develop, A-Rod seems to have confidence in him as well.

2009, 2010, (maybe) 2011 and 2013 were pretty special for TE play. That's four of nine years in the league. Lots of folks here still bemoan the loss of Finley, and 2011 was pretty much it for him. "At the right price..."

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I´m fine with improving the position but I don´t want the Packers to sign a 31-year old TE on the downside of his career who was terrible last season.

I get that. Again, I'm not saying the Packers should give him a massive contract. But it's foolish to think either Rodgers or Quarless have the same upside of Davis. Davis is only a couple years removed from being one of the top TEs in the NFL. It's a real possibility that much of his drop-off is because he has a QB who can't throw well and he played on an offense that emphasized the run.

Quarless has been in the NFL long enough, on a team that has had a revolving door at TE, to show what kind of player he is. Reliable but his ceiling is low. Rodgers was pretty good in the redzone but he didn't exactly stretch the middle of the field (he didn't get much work at all outside the twenty). Rodgers wil probably improve but Davis is far more athletic and could probably put in a career year playing with Rodgers.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I get that. Again, I'm not saying the Packers should give him a massive contract. But it's foolish to think either Rodgers or Quarless have the same upside of Davis. Davis is only a couple years removed from being one of the top TEs in the NFL. It's a real possibility that much of his drop-off is because he has a QB who can't throw well and he played on an offense that emphasized the run.

Quarless has been in the NFL long enough, on a team that has had a revolving door at TE, to show what kind of player he is. Reliable but his ceiling is low. Rodgers was pretty good in the redzone but he didn't exactly stretch the middle of the field (he didn't get much work at all outside the twenty). Rodgers wil probably improve but Davis is far more athletic and could probably put in a career year playing with Rodgers.

First of all Davis is still under contract with the Niners, so they would have to release him. In addition I don´t think Davis will sign for a bargain deal if he´s released as he was holding out during the entire offseason program although being scheduled to make more than $5 million last season.

While you´re correct about the fact that he was a top TE in the league some years ago I don´t see any reason to believe he´ll be capable of getting back to being that guy.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

"At the right price..."

The 4 key words when talking about any FA.

In the case of many of the FA's talked about here; Suh, Davis, Thomas, etc.....The price won't be right for TT and the Packers and they will rely on the draft and grooming their own.

 

[Ace]

For those of you who follow the JS Online Comments account on twitter, a must follow if you aren't btw, I saw something that made me chuckle and think today. Now, let me preface this by saying this will in now way happen but someone posted a to-do list for this offseason...

1. Resign Cobb - Absolutely

now it gets a little out there lol
2. Sign Julius Thomas
3. Trade for Patrick Peterson
4. Trade for Ryan Shazier
5. Draft hotshot ILB - I 100% agree with this one too but that's besides the point

Just for fun, completely hypothetically speaking, would you...

Sign Julius Thomas, Trade Clay for Patrick Peterson, and Trade our 1st for Ryan Shazier in order to complete this to-do list?

Also notice no mention of Bulaga, I guess they thought that might make this list crazy.

I also wanted to say that this is why people still don't like TT. Someone actually said this and is going to be mad when it doesn't happen. These are completely unreasonable expectations outside of #1 & #5, and when they don't happen I'm sure whomever submitted this comment is going to hate TT probably more than they already do.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

For those of you who follow the JS Online Comments account on twitter, a must follow if you aren't btw, I saw something that made me chuckle and think today. Now, let me preface this by saying this will in now way happen but someone posted a to-do list for this offseason...

1. Resign Cobb - Absolutely

now it gets a little out there lol
2. Sign Julius Thomas
3. Trade for Patrick Peterson
4. Trade for Ryan Shazier
5. Draft hotshot ILB - I 100% agree with this one too but that's besides the point

Just for fun, completely hypothetically speaking, would you...

Sign Julius Thomas, Trade Clay for Patrick Peterson, and Trade our 1st for Ryan Shazier in order to complete this to-do list?

Also notice no mention of Bulaga, I guess they thought that might make this list crazy.

I also wanted to say that this is why people still don't like TT. Someone actually said this and is going to be mad when it doesn't happen. These are completely unreasonable expectations outside of #1 & #5, and when they don't happen I'm sure whomever submitted this comment is going to hate TT probably more than they already do.

Whoever posted this idea doesn't have a clue how the NFL works.

 

[Carl]

For those of you who follow the JS Online Comments account on twitter, a must follow if you aren't btw, I saw something that made me chuckle and think today. Now, let me preface this by saying this will in now way happen but someone posted a to-do list for this offseason...

1. Resign Cobb - Absolutely

now it gets a little out there lol
2. Sign Julius Thomas
3. Trade for Patrick Peterson
4. Trade for Ryan Shazier
5. Draft hotshot ILB - I 100% agree with this one too but that's besides the point

Just for fun, completely hypothetically speaking, would you...

Sign Julius Thomas, Trade Clay for Patrick Peterson, and Trade our 1st for Ryan Shazier in order to complete this to-do list?

Also notice no mention of Bulaga, I guess they thought that might make this list crazy.

I also wanted to say that this is why people still don't like TT. Someone actually said this and is going to be mad when it doesn't happen. These are completely unreasonable expectations outside of #1 & #5, and when they don't happen I'm sure whomever submitted this comment is going to hate TT probably more than they already do.

Wow this is a stupid to do list. Gives me a chuckle too Ace.

 

[Ace]

Whoever posted this idea doesn't have a clue how the NFL works.

Wait a second... this isn't a perfectly coherent and reasonable off season to do list.. the hell you say

 

[TJV]

Silverstein has an interesting article on jsonline titled, “Packers have salary cap space to burn in re-signing their own” http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...-signing-their-own-b99446688z1-292308221.html

A couple of quotes from the article:

They are in such good shape that they really don't have to lessen linebacker Julius Peppers' scheduled $12 million cap hit or mess with anyone else's contract.
…
What's more, the Packers are in great shape in terms of how much cash they have committed to their 2015 roster … As of last week, they had $94,561,201 committed to the 57 players signed to contracts, which ranks 11th in the NFL for the lowest total.
…
As always, the first order of business for Thompson this off-season is signing his own. If he doesn't get it done, it won't be because he doesn't have the cap space or cash to do it. Both are readily available heading into 2015.

My guess is it’ll make sense to re-do Peppers’ deal, depending upon who they want to keep and at what cost. But the article may be correct and they’ll want to put a lot of money toward the 2015 cap in order to help with the cap in future years. At the bottom of the article he lists the cap numbers for all players, including the dead cap money. I don’t know what the average dead money amount is league-wide but the Packers have less than $600K. I know it’s an old story about how well Thompson (and currently Ball) manage the cap, but in the wake of signing Rodgers and Matthews to long-term deals it’s still remarkable.

 

[Ace]

NFL notified teams today that it expects the cap to be between $140 & $143 million, at least $1.5 higher than projected according to Schefty.

 

[RepStar15]

I know the above was a joke, but I cannot help but assess JT. My issue with Julius Thomas is he is no better than Charles Clay, but asking for a Gronk payday. I think he is very overrated.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

scratching my head here....maybe its off season fog..... but besides during the draft.....when was the last time TT made a trade?

 

[Ace]

scratching my head here....maybe its off season fog..... but besides during the draft.....when was the last time TT made a trade?

Ryan Grant?

 

[Half Empty]

How soon we forget. Just last year, that blockbuster of Worthy to the Pats for (as it turned out) nothing.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

At the bottom of the article he lists the cap numbers for all players, including the dead cap money. I don’t know what the average dead money amount is league-wide but the Packers have less than $600K. I know it’s an old story about how well Thompson (and currently Ball) manage the cap, but in the wake of signing Rodgers and Matthews to long-term deals it’s still remarkable.

Currently five teams have less dead money counting against the cap than the Packers, the league average is appeoximately at $3.8 million.

 

[Ace]

How soon we forget. Just last year, that blockbuster of Worthy to the Pats for (as it turned out) nothing.

Ah yes, I was more thinking of trading draft picks for players but you're right.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I think the ghost of the 1974 John Hadl trade still lives in the Packers office and prevents them from wanting to ever trade too much for players again!

The John Hadl trade set back the Packers organization for a long time, as they traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a third-round pick. All that was sent in return for a quarterback who played 22 games for the Packers and threw 9 touchdowns against 29 interceptions

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Ryan Grant?

Think that was for a conditional pick that ended up costing a 6th rounder, not a bad deal. But I did mean when did the Packers last trade one of their own players (trading Matthews was mentioned-still laughing) for another player?

 

[Half Empty]

I think conventional wisdom has player-for-player trades almost dead throughout the league, I assume for cap reasons. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/trades

 

[TJV]

I think the ghost of the 1974 John Hadl trade still lives in the Packers office and prevents them from wanting to ever trade too much for players again!

Although that was one of the worst trades in Packers history, I don't think that trade had anything to do with the way Wolf and Thompson have run the Packers. That trade was just one event in two decades of poor management and futility. BTW, in 1974 Ted Thompson was in his senior year in college about to sign as an UDFA with the Houston Oilers in 1975.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

How soon we forget. Just last year, that blockbuster of Worthy to the Pats for (as it turned out) nothing.

Does it really count as a trade if you get nothing in return?

 

[yooperpackfan]

Does it really count as a trade if you get nothing in return?

No, that would be a giveaway, but since we gave them nothing, it can't even be a giveaway.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Davis has played in nine career games with the temperature under 40 degrees. In those games he has 25 receptions for 433 yards and 4 TDs. While the receptions per game are lower than his career average he has more receiving yards anf TDs per game.

Actually he dropped 6 of 32 catchable passes this season for a drop rate of 18.75%. That´s terrible.

Yeah, but now that he's added 15 or 20 lbs. he's better insulated against the cold.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Does it really count as a trade if you get nothing in return?

I wouldn't say "nothing"...you gain a roster spot.

 

[adambr2]

Well if we're not counting Worthy, more recently than Grant we did trade a certain QB to the Jets for a 3rd round pick...

In 2008 we put the franchise tag on Corey Williams and then traded him to the Browns for a 2nd round pick.

Not sure about player for player. Those are rare in the NFL for any team.