Starting to get irritated with lack of free agency news..

[HardRightEdge]

There aren't many ILBs available, after the Cobb and Bulaga signings this position should be next. Even though the Matthews experiment has worked well and Barrington has been a nice surprise, I think an upgrade at that position would really help the defense. Rey Maualuga from the Bengals in an interesting option, he would be reconnecting with his USC running mates in Matthews and Perry, but if I recall he has had some injury concerns. Jasper Brinkley from Minnesota is about the only other guy worth mentioning. Maybe some of the Steeler's linebackers will be looking to cut ties with there team and would give Dom's defense a shot?

We've discussed this previously but I think it remains an interesting idea:

If the Packers cut Hawk and B. Jones, the net cap savings after dead cap would be $7.25 mil.

SF is well over the cap already for next year. They can free up $7.4 mil in cap space by releasing or trading Willis in consideration of the fact Borland has been a decent low-cost replacement. Willis is due $8.3 mil in 2015 and $9.6 mil in 2016, none of it guaranteed. The idea of "trading" Hawk, Jones and a draft pick for Willis, with a $1 mil net cap hit for 2015 with no guarantees thereafter should be appealing.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Actually, Seattle's in very good cap shape for the next couple of years.

They currently have $119 mil in cap commitments for next year with no major free agents coming up...James Carpenter is the only name of note. 2016 is where the rubber meets the road...Wilson, Lynch, Okung, Wagner and Irvin will be free agents after 2015. Even then, they could sign Carpenter this offseason, have a large slug of cap carrying over to 2016 and get those 2016 FAs signed (though Lynch will be about done) with the cap going to $140+ mil. Seattle's current cap number for 2016 is currently only $77 mil.

The Seahawks are allowed to negotiate new contracts with Wilson, Irvin and Wagner after this season. There´s no way Wilson plays another season under his current contract. I´ve read some quotes they´re ready to make him the highest paid player in the NFL.

 

[ivo610]

The Seahawks are allowed to negotiate new contracts with Wilson, Irvin and Wagner after this season. There´s no way Wilson plays another season under his current contract. I´ve read some quotes they´re ready to make him the highest paid player in the NFL.

I would be shocked as well if they didn't reach an agreement with wilson before the 2015 season starts. Schneider is lnt going to put the team in cap hell but things will look different if they have to pay Wilson $25 mil a year or so.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the post season, do you think he deserves to be paid like a top 3 player in the league?

 

[ExpatPacker]

We've discussed this previously but I think it remains an interesting idea:

If the Packers cut Hawk and B. Jones, the net cap savings after dead cap would be $7.25 mil.

SF is well over the cap already for next year. They can free up $7.4 mil in cap space by releasing or trading Willis in consideration of the fact Borland has been a decent low-cost replacement. Willis is due $8.3 mil in 2015 and $9.6 mil in 2016, none of it guaranteed. The idea of "trading" Hawk and Jones for Willis, a draft pick, and $1 mil in cap hit for 2015 with no guarantees thereafter should be appealing.

Willis had a season-ending injury to his toe (which has been a nagging injury), but it sounds like it will be fixed with surgery. I really doubt that GB has much of a shot at trading for Willis, but that scenario would be an absolute home run for the Packers. But it sounds like a dream, nothing more.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I would be shocked as well if they didn't reach an agreement with wilson before the 2015 season starts. Schneider is lnt going to put the team in cap hell but things will look different if they have to pay Wilson $25 mil a year or so.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the post season, do you think he deserves to be paid like a top 3 player in the league?

Taking a look at his passing numbers there´s no way he should be paid like a top 3 player. But Wilson is a proven winner and guys like him are tough to find.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Willis had a season-ending injury to his toe (which has been a nagging injury), but it sounds like it will be fixed with surgery. I really doubt that GB has much of a shot at trading for Willis, but that scenario would be an absolute home run for the Packers. But it sounds like a dream, nothing more.

The 49ers have to make some moves to get under the cap for next season so it´s highly possible they will listen to trade offers for Willis. It depends on what they´re asking in return and if Thompson wants to give up a draft pick for him.

 

[ivo610]

Taking a look at his passing numbers there´s no way he should be paid like a top 3 player. But Wilson is a proven winner and guys like him are tough to find.

He doesn't ever lose games, but he doesnt often put the team on his back either

 

[ivo610]

Don't tell the Seahawks fans as they wont believe this is real

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[HardRightEdge]

The Seahawks are allowed to negotiate new contracts with Wilson, Irvin and Wagner after this season. There´s no way Wilson plays another season under his current contract. I´ve read some quotes they´re ready to make him the highest paid player in the NFL.

They could certainly take care of Wilson after 2015. As we know, a big signing bonus spreads the cap hit. The very low cap number for 2016 gives them a lot of flexibility.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

They could certainly take care of Wilson after 2015. As we know, a big signing bonus spreads the cap hit. The very low cap number for 2016 gives them a lot of flexibility.

The Seahawks could wait after until the 2015 season but I highly doubt Wilson would be happy to play for $800K next season.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Taking a look at his passing numbers there´s no way he should be paid like a top 3 player. But Wilson is a proven winner and guys like him are tough to find.

We could say the same about Flacco's deal. In a way, where Wilson might rank is less relevant than the question, "if not him then who?"

The 2013 Packers are a painful illustration of what happens when you're forced to go with an unproven QB or one with a spotty record. There are several examples around the league of very good teams missing that one critical piece.

Further, the NFL must be concerned about the weak crops of QBs over the last several years. The number of QBs under age 29 that one could feel confident building around are few and far between. Luck, Wilson and that's about it.

Kaepernick looked like he might be another but his pocket passing has regressed over the last 2 seasons. Newton looks to have plateaued with perhaps too much concern for "branding" over refining his game. RGIII...who knows. Foles looked like a surprise hit, then the sophomore slump and injury. Stafford and Dalton...up and down like yo-yos. Tannehill...maybe. Flacco and Ryan will be 30 by the start of next season.

It's gotten to the point where if you have a guy who's at least decent you pay him. The only thing that constrains QB salaries is the appeal to winning. Once signed to the franchise deal, deserving or not, a "partnership" is established whereby the QB might be convinced to take less or defer pay for the benefit of the cap.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The Seahawks could wait after until the 2015 season but I highly doubt Wilson would be happy to play for $800K next season.

I meant to say after "2014". The low cap number for 2016 gives them a lot of flexibility in deferring the cap hit into 2016 and beyond with a generous signing bonus in 2015.

 

[adambr2]

It's gotten the point where if you have a guy who's at least decent you pay him.

Don't tell that to Bears fans.

But yeah. The nature of accelerating QB salaries makes me appreciate how much of a bargain Aaron Rodgers is even as the highest paid NFL QB. Don't look at the salary, look at the difference between him and the next tier guys. Is having Aaron Rodgers instead of Matt Ryan worth an extra $1.25M? Rodgers instead of Flacco for $1.9M? Rodgers instead of Cutler for $3.9M? Yes, yes, absolutely yes.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Don't tell that to Bears fans.

But yeah. The nature of accelerating QB salaries makes me appreciate how much of a bargain Aaron Rodgers is even as the highest paid NFL QB. Don't look at the salary, look at the difference between him and the next tier guys. Is having Aaron Rodgers instead of Matt Ryan worth an extra $1.25M? Rodgers instead of Flacco for $1.9M? Rodgers instead of Cutler for $3.9M? Yes, yes, absolutely yes.

Dalton too. His current deal averages $16 mil per year, though with a low $17 mil guarantee. Stafford...$18 mil average with $42 mil guaranteed.

Brady has been the real bargain. He's been taking less average take home over the years in exchange for up-front guaranteed cash in the form of signing bonuses in serial renegotiations.

But I bet if you asked the front office guys and coaches in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta or Detroit if they're happy with their QB's and their contracts they'd say "yes". There's a Super Bowl winner in that group. All of those guys have two or more playoff appearances. It comes down to the alternatives. Without at least a decent QB you can dump out to the bottom half of the league, and if you don't get fired as a result you're left rolling the dice on a first round pick where the odds are the guy doesn't work out in the first two years and you get fired anyway.

If the risks were not always high with a draftee, all of the read-option pistol QBs coming out of college make the risks even higher. At this point, they've been wired into that mode of play going back to high school. I'm a little surprised a few more teams have not followed the Seattle model by adapting their offense to the college mode. Risk of injury is clearly a big consideration. But also it's a matter of front office and coaching personnel that are largely trained, have worked and been recycled for decades in the "pro style" system and the talent evaluation process that goes with it. SF was going along that path, but then they loaded up Kaepernick with pro style concepts and tried to keep him in the pocket with regressive results.

 

[Ace]

Thinking about what some of these QB's make and how close they are to what guys like Aaron irritates the hell out of me. I understand that's the way it is in today's NFL but there is no way you will ever convince me that Dalton/Cutler/Stafford etc should even be in the ballpark of what Aaron makes. Not to single Aaron out but I'm just saying that caliber of QB.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...estimating-the-price-tags-for-top-free-agents

 

[PikeBadger]

Thinking about what some of these QB's make and how close they are to what guys like Aaron irritates the hell out of me. I understand that's the way it is in today's NFL but there is no way you will ever convince me that Dalton/Cutler/Stafford etc should even be in the ballpark of what Aaron makes. Not to single Aaron out but I'm just saying that caliber of QB.

Why does it irritate you? I think it's great that these teams are spending that much on an inferior product. It allows us to be on even footing with available cap money.

 

[Ace]

Why does it irritate you? I think it's great that these teams are spending that much on an inferior product. It allows us to be on even footing with available cap money.

Valid point but it irritates me because it in a way devalues what a guys like Aaron/Brady etc. mean to a team that's all.