Packers to sign Za'darius Smith

[Pokerbrat2000]

So you think there gonna cut Graham?

Everyone has been saying they want to see how it works out with new scheme. It makes no sense at this point to let him go.

If they are cutting Graham it is because they are drafting Hockenson!

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[brandon2348]

If they are cutting Graham it is because they are drafting Hockenson!

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LOL. Nice try! There not cutting Graham. That would be very very very bad.

 

[GleefulGary]

LOL. Nice try! There not cutting Graham. That would be very very very bad.

HRE is saying that after this year, the 2019 season, so going into the 2020 season, the Packers will most likely cut Graham just like they did with Perry.

It makes sense financially, and because of the level of his play.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

LOL. Nice try! There not cutting Graham. That would be very very very bad.

Keep telling yourself that!

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[brandon2348]

HRE is saying that after this year, the 2019 season, so going into the 2020 season, the Packers will most likely cut Graham just like they did with Perry.

It makes sense financially, and because of the level of his play.

Maybe he has a great 2019 and someone else falls off. Its way to early to be making these decisions.

We have a whole season of Football to see this play out.

 

[hallzi43]

Even if they drafted Hockenson, Graham wouldn't go anywhere next season.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Even if they drafted Hockenson, Graham wouldn't go anywhere next season.

True, can you imagine what those 2 could do on the field!! Batman and Robin.....The Dynamic Duo! *waves to Brandon*

 

[Dantés]

Even if they drafted Hockenson, Graham wouldn't go anywhere next season.

Oh Graham is gone after this year. If they don't cut him this offseason, that is.

 

[Dantés]

If I may share, from the outside looking in it does not appear that way.

Noted.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Oh Graham is gone after this year. If they don't cut him this offseason, that is.

If he has a repeat performance of last year, I would agree with you, but you never know.

 

[Dantés]

If he has a repeat performance of last year, I would agree with you, but you never know.

He would have to have some crazy kind of season for them to bring back a 33 YO tight end on an 11.7M cap hit.

 

[brandon2348]

Oh Graham is gone after this year. If they don't cut him this offseason, that is.

Now you guys are just casting ******** to fill your big PIPE DREAM NARRATIVE!!!!!

Sorry Dante, your 200 hours of film watching of Hockenson won't help you now.

He is going to Seattle. Too bad so Sad!

But But But But But But But he was the Mackey Award Winner. Lmao.

 

[hallzi43]

He would have to have some crazy kind of season for them to bring back a 33 YO tight end on an 11.7M cap hit.

I don't think it would have to be all that crazy. Barring any major injury even a 70 catch, 800 yd, 5+td season would be upper tier TE play in the league. That 8M saved probably wouldn't be better spent than that in 2020. Even if you had super high hopes in Hockenson.

 

[Dantés]

I don't think it would have to be all that crazy. Barring any major injury even a 70 catch, 800 yd, 5+td season would be upper tier TE play in the league. That 8M saved probably wouldn't be better spent than that in 2020. Even if you had super high hopes in Hockenson.

The cap hits of the new signees basically double next season. They're going to have to free up space.

 

[HardRightEdge]

So you think there gonna cut Graham?

Everyone has been saying they want to see how it works out with new scheme. It makes no sense at this point to let him go.

I meant what I said. This year is it for Graham. The Packers have to-date pushed the 2020 cap spend to an extremely high level for only 31 players under contract for that year with some notable free agents missing, including Clark and a few other guys who are probably starters this year who will need to be replaced.

Graham is one of the few guys whose age, production and cap savings spells a cut next offseason.

Our erstwhile beat reporters are saying Graham is sticking. I'm not in the room. Go with that.

But if Gutekunst gets a wild hair up his *** and signs another mid-tier FA, somethings gotta give. It could be one of the other guys where cap savings can be found. But I'll say this much. Cut Graham now and that's nearly $9 mil in base salary and roster bonus you are not paying, and from a 2 year perspective that's $9 mil in addditional cap to work with.

Graham ain't all that. In fact there are a couple of things wrong with him. What argues against cutting him is the ol' "who else ya got" in a year where the blueprint has skewed toward "win now". Since that's the best I can say about him, I keep the possibility of a cut on the table.

Heck, the Packers could cut Graham, reach for Hockerson at #12, upgrade the position, capture the $9 mil savings, and pay Hockerson a little over half that savings over his first 2 years. I'm not saying the Packers have that in mind, but it illustrates possibilities and implications.

 

[hallzi43]

The cap hits of the new signees basically double next season. They're going to have to free up space.

I have faith that the financial department sees a year down the road and has a better plan than cutting Graham for 8M. Especially when he could possibly be once again our only TE on the books.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I meant what I said. This year is it for Graham. The Packers have to date pushed the 2020 cap spend to an extremely high level for only 31 players under contract for that year with some notable free agents missing, including Clark and a few other guys who are probably starters this year.

He's one of the few guys whose production and cap savings spells a cut next offseason.

Our erstwhile beat reporters are saying Graham is sticking. I'm not in the room. Go with that.

But if Gutekunst gets a wild hair up his *** and signs another mid-tier FA, somethings gotta give. It could be one of the other guys where cap savings can be found. But I'll say this much. Cut Graham now and that's nearly $9 mil in base salary and roster bonus you are not paying, and from a 2 year perspective that's $9 mil in adddition cap to work with.

Graham ain't all that. What argues against cutting him is the ol' "who else ya got" in a year where the blueprint has skewed toward "win now"? Since that's the best I can say about him, I keep the possibility on the table.

I happen to agree with you on the fact that I don't think this is a season to realistically expect the Packers to go very deep into the playoffs, if they even make the playoffs. However, let's play devils advocate/optimist and say the defense comes together and has a great year, but the Packers having cut Graham to save money, isn't quite hitting on all cylinders mainly because of only having Tonyan, Lewis and a rookie at TE. Then the old adage of "who else ya got" does come into play. I also think going into the season with just those 3 TE's on your roster would look very bad to the average fan who may not be looking at the big picture.

Much like Perry, if Graham was going to get cut this year, they would want to do it by....tomorrow? Otherwise, I believe his $5.3M roster bonus stays on the books.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The cap hits of the new signees basically double next season. They're going to have to free up space.

As noted elsewhere, the Top 51 cap spend so far for 2019, not including Allison, Lewis or anybody else that comes along, is at $170 mil. The cap spend for 2020 for the 30 players currently under contract for that year is already up to $160 million. It jumped nearly $40 mil in the last week. I repeat, that's for 30 players.

Those 30 players do not include Clark, Daniels, Martinez, Lowry, Fackrell, Bulaga, Lewis (again), Crosby and some other guys who may develop into something of value:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/2020/all/green-bay-packers/

Clark alone puts next year's 31 players up to the cost of the current 51 even on a 5th. year option.

As Gutekunst pushes toward the cap limit with the bolt on signings that are dribbling in and when considering future subtractions coming up (draft, 52 and 53, PS, PUP/IR reserve), there won't be much to carry over unless there are one or more cap casualties coming up. That's why I keep Graham on the table even if unlikely.

With no carryover and a typical $10-$12 mil in cap bump in 2020, somethings gotta give. Of course if Gutekunst hits a grand slam in the draft and a couple of last years draftees elevate to star status and the Lombardi comes home, nobody will give a sh*t what happens in 2020.

Do you (not "you" in paricular, rather "you" in general in a Clint Eastwood kind of way) feel lucky?

 

[HardRightEdge]

I happen to agree with you on the fact that I don't think this is a season to realistically expect the Packers to go very deep into the playoffs, if they even make the playoffs.

The Packers better be in playoff contention with these backloaded contracts and the "win now" tilt or there will be fandom hell to pay. This organization has already caught hell and if you think they do not feel the pressure you'd be mistaken.

9-7 or 10-6 and getting bumped out on a tie breaker is the minimum bar being set. At least then it can be said the new front office/coaches are righting the ship. Then comes the 2020 cap crunch.

When the Thompson window started closing a few years back my declaration was he needed one hell of a draft two years running. He got a few good players but it was not helluva. Then came the slippage. I'll say it again: Gutekunst needs one helluva draft to make 2020 look like something.

 

[hallzi43]

Going to be a lot of decisions going into next season. You are right in that they are pitting themselves in a corner with all these backloaded contracts into 2020. Hitting on our picks will be very key. Trading up in this draft not really an ideal option.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I have faith that the financial department sees a year down the road and has a better plan than cutting Graham for 8M. Especially when he could possibly be once again our only TE on the books.

There's an answer. Draft a TE, and I don't mean Day 3.

Here's what's wrong with Graham:

- He's aging.
- He had minor injuries last season that also come with age. It's not going to get better.
- He dropped more balls than you would expect from an "elite" TE.
- Perhaps more than drops, where you would have expected Graham to perform well was on contested balls. That didn't happen. Some folks call those drops. Call 'em what uou like. You're not going to get the red zone productivity that was expected in the first place without winning contests.
- This next point is controversial, but he does not run creative routes, which in the NFL means "not good routes". He was painting by numbers in the world according to Rodgers. How could that be from a guy with this resume? He won on athleticism in the past that has eroded.
- He's an inconsitent blocker which in the NFL means he's a lousy blocker.

That doesn't mean he's a bad player. It means he's not elite or "very good". It means he's decent but not worth the money and is replaceable.

 

[hallzi43]

There is no doubt in my mind we draft a TE in the first 4 rounds. Probably in the first 2. I just can't wrap my mind around them going Hockenson at #12.

 

[HardRightEdge]

...if Graham was going to get cut this year, they would want to do it by....tomorrow?

overthecap says he gets the $5 mil roster bonus if he's on the roster on the 5th. day of the league year.

The league year started on the 13th. which is now yesterday. If overthecap is right, Graham could be cut anytime up through 16th. to avoid the roster bonus. After that it is a lock he isn't going anywhere this season.

 

[scotscheese]

Whatever. We have done what we have done because we have had the biggest GAME CHANGER in the entire NFL "Aaron Rodgers". He has repersented much more then +4 points a game over his tenure so if you eliminte Rodgers were the door mat of the NFL.

The problem is everyone got FAT on it and they have failed to make any other personnel moves to bring in any additional GAME CHANGERS.

It makes simple sense/logic to put as many GAME CHANGERS around your ELITE GAME CHANGER and stack up Super Bowls. The Packers have failed to do that. Now were on some Boom or Bust defensive sellout.

John Dorsey would of had this offense ready to break records. BOTtOM LINE!

Even if you go back to 2010 that team was loaded wirh GAME CHANGERS on both sides of the ball. Were not even close right now unless these FA moves BOOM.

I WANT GAMECHANGERS!

Enjoy your Coffee.

so how are you paying for a team full of game changers??

dunno if you've heard, but there's this thing called the cap.

also, are you an anti-vaxxer?

 

[brandon2348]

so how are you paying for a team full of game changers??

dunno if you've heard, but there's this thing called the cap.

also, are you an anti-vaxxer?

It's far from exaggeration. This team has had to have had spent more $ in free agency(this year) along with drafting defense with high picks the last 4 years than anyone else in the league. If there not at the top there close.

This is the last chance to make it work or it's just a GIANT FRAUD. I have serious concerns it's not gonna work.


That goes to say it's far on how I would of done it or John Dorsey for that matter so well see what happens.