Roster casualty fallout - Post-2017

[adambr2]

Clay Matthews - This one is relatively easy. Matthews at this point in his career is a name only player, whose production no longer comes close to living up to that name. Cutting him comes with absolutely no dead money, making it easy to move on and avoid his $11.4M cap number.

Randall Cobb - This one pains me, because he seems like a really good guy to have around. But we already have one WR/RB gadget guy in Montgomery, and Cobb has easily fallen to 3rd at best in the WR and just doesn't produce enough in the box score to justify his $12.75M cap hit, so we move on from his last year in favor of the $9.5M in savings.

Martellus Bennett - A total bust so far by any measurement, Bennett has already announced intention to retire at season's end. What this means for his dead cap money is unclear to me if the Packers intend to recoup bonus money. At a minimum, moving on from Marty should result in $6.45M in additional cap space for 2018.

Mason Crosby - While this will be controversial to many, Crosby's current contract structure makes 2018 a good time to move on, as a $5.25M cap number is just too much for a kicker, particularly one who ranks only 20th in the NFL in FG percentage and 26th in XP percentage, and $4M can be freed up for 2018 as a post June 1st cut. I'm not opposed to a restructure instead although I'd prefer to move on to a younger cheaper option at one of the most replaceable positions in football.

These moves would result in nearly $60M total available cap space to work with going forward as we attempt to rebuild this roster.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Clay Matthews - This one is relatively easy. Matthews at this point in his career is a name only player, whose production no longer comes close to living up to that name. Cutting him comes with absolutely no dead money, making it easy to move on and avoid his $11.4M cap number.

Randall Cobb - This one pains me, because he seems like a really good guy to have around. But we already have one WR/RB gadget guy in Montgomery, and Cobb has easily fallen to 3rd at best in the WR and just doesn't produce enough in the box score to justify his $12.75M cap hit, so we move on from his last year in favor of the $9.5M in savings.

Martellus Bennett - A total bust so far by any measurement, Bennett has already announced intention to retire at season's end. What this means for his dead cap money is unclear to me if the Packers intend to recoup bonus money. At a minimum, moving on from Marty should result in $6.45M in additional cap space for 2018.

Mason Crosby - While this will be controversial to many, Crosby's current contract structure makes 2018 a good time to move on, as a $5.25M cap number is just too much for a kicker, particularly one who ranks only 20th in the NFL in FG percentage and 26th in XP percentage, and $4M can be freed up for 2018 as a post June 1st cut. I'm not opposed to a restructure instead although I'd prefer to move on to a younger cheaper option at one of the most replaceable positions in football.

These moves would result in nearly $60M total available cap space to work with going forward as we attempt to rebuild this roster.

I still prefer to restructure the contracts of Matthews and Cobb to keep them around for the 2018 season. It's all but guaranteed Bennett won't return for another year with the team.

You will take a lot of heat for advocating to cut ties with Crosby though once again.

 

[adambr2]

I still prefer to restructure the contracts of Matthews and Cobb to keep them around for the 2018 season. It's all but guaranteed Bennett won't return for another year with the team.

You will take a lot of heat for advocating to cut ties with Crosby though once again.

I have no doubt. I just can't justify $5.25M for an average to slightly below average kicker.

I just don't think people fully realize how incredibly replaceable kickers are. Jake Elliot is a 5th round rookie this year and he's been awesome. Harrison Butker was a 7th rounder this year and he's been awesome. Zane Gonzalez has missed 5 kicks (4 FG, 1 XP), but Crosby has missed 4 (2 FG, 2 XP). Veteran kickers are capable of having bad years just as much as rookies. That Tavechio dude that the Packers brought in to compete with Crosby a few years ago was just thrown in to replace Janikowski and has been great.

Kickers are better than they've ever been and the ones that aren't get weeded out and thrown back on the street very quickly.

I would have absolutely no problem if the Packers wanted to keep kickers solely for 4 years to serve out their rookie deal and then repeat the process and spend the money elsewhere on a position that actually has a correlation between price and production.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I have no doubt. I just can't justify $5.25M for an average to slightly below average kicker.

I just don't think people fully realize how incredibly replaceable kickers are. Jake Elliot is a 5th round rookie this year and he's been awesome. Harrison Butker was a 7th rounder this year and he's been awesome. Zane Gonzalez has missed 5 kicks (4 FG, 1 XP), but Crosby has missed 4 (2 FG, 2 XP). Veteran kickers are capable of having bad years just as much as rookies. That Tavechio dude that the Packers brought in to compete with Crosby a few years ago was just thrown in to replace Janikowski and has been great.

Kickers are better than they've ever been and the ones that aren't get weeded out and thrown back on the street very quickly.

I would have absolutely no problem if the Packers wanted to keep kickers solely for 4 years to serve out their rookie deal and then repeat the process and spend the money elsewhere on a position that actually has a correlation between price and production.

Absolutely agree that it doesn't make any sense to have a kicker count more than $5 million towards the cap. I remember a lot of posters disagreeing with that take after several posters (including both of us) criticized the Packers re-signing Crosby to his current deal during the 2016 offseason though.

 

[thequick12]

I still prefer to restructure the contracts of Matthews and Cobb to keep them around for the 2018 season. It's all but guaranteed Bennett won't return for another year with the team.

You will take a lot of heat for advocating to cut ties with Crosby though once again.

Don't think TT has ever restructured a contract nor does he really ever cut a player that he signed to a big contract before the completion of that contract. So it seems pretty unlikely matthews or cobb will be cut or restructured and the same goes for Crosby. I'm not sure what's up with Bennett. But he hasn't been a bust when Rodgers was on the field he was forced to play as essentially a 6th offensive lineman because of injuries. I'd argue that had that not been the case he would have been far more effective as a receiver down the seam. The way i look at 2018 after rodgers injury and what looks like hundleys inability to win a game in his place is one last shot for TT with this roster. I think in 2019 you see one of the heir apparents take over and make decisions on whether to resign cobb, matthews, Nelson etc. So id bet TT keeps those key guys for one last hurrah while drafting for the present and future. Which means a pass rusher early perhaps a trade up in the first and one last second round wr for TT to add to his legacy. And maybe just maybe one last Charles woodson, Julius peppers type free agent acquisition. TT is in really good position with the high comp picks he should receive for the losses of TJ Lang, Micah Hyde, and jc tretter etc to reload the roster with a few impact players. Add in a draft position that seems destined to be a lot closer to the top than the bottom of the draft order things look pretty encouraging for Rodgers 2018 return

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Clay Matthews - This one is relatively easy. Matthews at this point in his career is a name only player, whose production no longer comes close to living up to that name. Cutting him comes with absolutely no dead money, making it easy to move on and avoid his $11.4M cap number.

Randall Cobb - This one pains me, because he seems like a really good guy to have around. But we already have one WR/RB gadget guy in Montgomery, and Cobb has easily fallen to 3rd at best in the WR and just doesn't produce enough in the box score to justify his $12.75M cap hit, so we move on from his last year in favor of the $9.5M in savings.

Martellus Bennett - A total bust so far by any measurement, Bennett has already announced intention to retire at season's end. What this means for his dead cap money is unclear to me if the Packers intend to recoup bonus money. At a minimum, moving on from Marty should result in $6.45M in additional cap space for 2018.

Mason Crosby - While this will be controversial to many, Crosby's current contract structure makes 2018 a good time to move on, as a $5.25M cap number is just too much for a kicker, particularly one who ranks only 20th in the NFL in FG percentage and 26th in XP percentage, and $4M can be freed up for 2018 as a post June 1st cut. I'm not opposed to a restructure instead although I'd prefer to move on to a younger cheaper option at one of the most replaceable positions in football.

These moves would result in nearly $60M total available cap space to work with going forward as we attempt to rebuild this roster.

Cobb - Say what you want, Cobb gets another pass this year. He's been healthy, but unfortunately Aaron Rodgers is not. If Cobb can somehow get over 500 yds receiving and 5 TDs with Brett Hundley, I'd say that it's a "successful year" for him.

Bennett - When he gets the ball, he's balling out. I think he's just a casualty of the scheme; plus how many years has the team ever come out of the gate red hot? It's always been about 3-6 games in before the offense really takes off. Had Rodgers not gone down, I think he would have had a HUGE postseason, because veterans like him are who you lean on to pull out a win. Sad to see him go, but I'm not going to go out of my way to say he can't be replaced.

Crosby - He's having a rough year, but at this point, so is everyone else. Kickers are head cases, they flame out with one team, and then lead the league with another. However, when it comes to this team, we rarely win by last second FGs; and even when that's the case, Crosby for as far as I can remember has always come through. Taking that into account, I can forgive a few shanks here and there.

Matthews - We can't jettison the best player from our weakest position. It's just common sense. Matthews' play(and the rest of the LB Corps) I honestly believe will elevate once the play of the D-Line improves. Someone on the opposite side of Mike Daniels needs to complete the equation, in addition to a new Defensive Coordinator.

 

[adambr2]

Don't think TT has ever restructured a contract nor does he really ever cut a player that he signed to a big contract before the completion of that contract. So it seems pretty unlikely matthews or cobb will be cut or restructured and the same goes for Crosby.

What? Sitton? Woodson? Shields? Hawk? Just to name a few

 

[El Guapo]

I'm with you on all of those except for Crosby. I know that I've always defended him, and will continue to do so until he proves otherwise. We shouldn't forget how clutch he was in the playoffs last year. The turnstile at long-snapper and even a new holder this season can't be ignored when looking at his stats.

 

[adambr2]

I'm with you on all of those except for Crosby. I know that I've always defended him, and will continue to do so until he proves otherwise. We shouldn't forget how clutch he was in the playoffs last year. The turnstile at long-snapper and even a new holder this season can't be ignored when looking at his stats.

I'm not even saying 'Crosby sucks.' I'm more just looking at this from a logic and reason standpoint.

There is zero correlation between kicker salary and performance, between veteran/young kicker performance and rookie kicker performance.

You could line up every kicker salary from #1-#32 and have zero predictability or idea on which are having the best and which are having the worst years.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

The way i look at 2018 after rodgers injury and what looks like hundleys inability to win a game in his place is one last shot for TT with this roster.

It has become pretty obvious after Rodgers was lost for the season that overall the roster completely lacks talent. Therefore there's no reason to bring back Thompson for another year.

Crosby - He's having a rough year, but at this point, so is everyone else. Kickers are head cases, they flame out with one team, and then lead the league with another. However, when it comes to this team, we rarely win by last second FGs; and even when that's the case, Crosby for as far as I can remember has always come through. Taking that into account, I can forgive a few shanks here and there.

Matthews - We can't jettison the best player from our weakest position. It's just common sense. Matthews' play(and the rest of the LB Corps) I honestly believe will elevate once the play of the D-Line improves. Someone on the opposite side of Mike Daniels needs to complete the equation, in addition to a new Defensive Coordinator.

Actually Crosby is having an average year but it's just not a smart way to handle business having a kicker count more than $5 million against the cap. Matthews isn't an elite player by any means anymore and definitely doesn't deserve to be paid like one going forward.

I'm with you on all of those except for Crosby. I know that I've always defended him, and will continue to do so until he proves otherwise. We shouldn't forget how clutch he was in the playoffs last year. The turnstile at long-snapper and even a new holder this season can't be ignored when looking at his stats.

As mentioned above it would be smarter to save the cap space by cutting Crosby and have a kicker on a rookie deal take over starting next season.