The most perplexing move/non-move of the offseason

[Pokerbrat2000]

I like the signing of Kendrick, but I would have been fine using that money as well as the money the Packers currently have under the Cap to improve the defense by signing a CB as well as a mid tier OLB like Barwin.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I think many of us are assuming, myself included, that Clay Matthews is going to have another lackluster 2017 season. The optimist in me and probably the Packers as well, are thinking that he is basically playing in a "contract year" and he actually may end up playing up to the $10.975M he is ultimately costing the Packers by not cutting him. I think if the Packers had a young up and coming stud at OLB, Clay would get cut. That could still happen if they think they found one in the draft and come September that player has worked their way into the starting lineup. In that situation, we might see the Packers do to Matthews what they did to Sitton and cut him loose.

 

[XPack]

The Packers had enough cap space to sign a #1 cornerback this offseason, especially after saving $9 million by releasing Shields.

I don't think cap space was ever an issue for us under TT. He's always had space for a splurge...one that never comes to fruition.

 

[Pkrjones]

I think if the Packers had a young up and coming stud at OLB, Clay would get cut. That could still happen if they think they found one in the draft and come September that player has worked their way into the starting lineup. In that situation, we might see the Packers do to Matthews what they did to Sitton and cut him loose.

So what you're saying is... Welcome TJ Watt!! ??

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

So what you're saying is... Welcome TJ Watt!! ??

I do love TJ, but I a fully admit to being a Badger Homer and seeing him play in every game probably taints my opinion of the guy. If the Packers determine he is a good pick AND he ends up being a good pick , I would be ecstatic to have him playing in Green and Gold.

 

[Mavster]

What's nuts to me is that TT & co. watched first hand as this defense was torn to shreds throughout the whole season, and we've done little to nothing to improve it so far. Plus I don't think there's anyone really left now that could immediately fill a hole at either EDGE or CB.

Looks like we're putting all of our eggs in the draft basket... again

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Looks like we're putting all of our eggs in the draft basket... again

Don't forget the "non-injured" development basket as well.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think many of us are assuming, myself included, that Clay Matthews is going to have another lackluster 2017 season. The optimist in me and probably the Packers as well, are thinking that he is basically playing in a "contract year" and he actually may end up playing up to the $10.975M he is ultimately costing the Packers by not cutting him. I think if the Packers had a young up and coming stud at OLB, Clay would get cut. That could still happen if they think they found one in the draft and come September that player has worked their way into the starting lineup. In that situation, we might see the Packers do to Matthews what they did to Sitton and cut him loose.

While the Packers releasing Sitton was a surprising move as well I truly don't believe Thompson and the coaching staff have any plans to cut Matthews before the start of the 2017 season.

 

[Mondio]

I'm getting tired of that excuse. There's absolutely no doubt there were several cornerbacks available in free agency presenting a significant upgrade over the players currently on the Packers roster.

of course there were better players available, but were they worth it? We're going to find out I guess. Just like last year that guy that went to Chicago was probably better than what we had at the time, was he worth it? I'd say after season 1, no he wasn't. Just like this year Hightower would be better than what we have, he really isn't worth it at that price. Is Gilmore better? most likely, would he be worth it? I guess if he were sam Shields for us yes. But i didn't watch the Bills at all, did anybody? He had decent numbers last year, no doubt. Was he worth a 40 million dollar guaranteed investment? We'll see.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

While the Packers releasing Sitton was a surprising move as well I truly don't believe Thompson and the coaching staff have any plans to cut Matthews before the start of the 2017 season.

I don't expect it either, than again I wasn't expecting Sitton to be cut the way he was either. I just think it's an option if all of a sudden the Packers find themselves with a couple of OLB's (besides Perry) that can out perform Clay.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

of course there were better players available, but were they worth it?

Thompson would have been fine with paying Shields $9 million next season to be the team's #1 cornerback. It's extremely tough to understand that he didn't even use that amount of money to improve the position.

FWIW it seems TT could have gotten Claiborne and House with the cap soace the teamsaved by releasing Shields.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Cowboys got considerably thin at CB in the off season. Currently, Orlando Scandrick, Anthony Brown & free agent addition Nolan Carroll as their top 3

 

[PackerDNA]

of course there were better players available, but were they worth it? We're going to find out I guess. Just like last year that guy that went to Chicago was probably better than what we had at the time, was he worth it? I'd say after season 1, no he wasn't. Just like this year Hightower would be better than what we have, he really isn't worth it at that price. Is Gilmore better? most likely, would he be worth it? I guess if he were sam Shields for us yes. But i didn't watch the Bills at all, did anybody? He had decent numbers last year, no doubt. Was he worth a 40 million dollar guaranteed investment? We'll see.

Is this a football team trying to win a championship or a bank or accounting firm?

 

[yooperpackfan]

Is this a football team trying to win a championship or a bank or accounting firm?

EXACTLY!!!!!!

 

[yooperpackfan]

EXACTLY!!!!!!

I'm pretty perplexed by Ted signing that RFA fullback!
Seriously, Our defense is declining right by our very eyes and the dolt signs a practice squad fullback not named Ripkowski???

 

[PackAttack12]

Is this a football team trying to win a championship or a bank or accounting firm?

Thank you!

Some will think I am beating a dead horse, but I honestly do not care. Aaron Rodgers is 33 years of age and will be for a good part of this season. I'll say that Rodgers, barring injury, has a minimum of 3-4 elite years left, with a maximum of lets say 7 (his 40th birthday). You have 7 years to cash in on a once in a lifetime talent. We have never seen the total package at the quarterback position like you see with Aaron Rodgers.

Moral of the story? You have 4-7 years to try winning as many Super Bowls as possible.

Not all franchises get lucky enough to have Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for 30 years. What are the odds that we land yet another hall of fame quarterback once he is gone? Chances are we will struggle for a few years.

That's what irritates me with the Colts and Andrew Luck. The man has trash around him.

What do the Patriots do after winning their 5th Super Bowl? They go ALL IN in free agency and trades while they still have Tom Brady operating at the level he's operating at. Lets get real, he could fall off a bridge between games at his age. But the Patriots aren't foolish enough to waste that opportunity.

The Patriots are the team right now that is acting like they are trying to win their 2nd Super Bowl in the past 7 years, not the Packers. Just makes me nauseous.

 

[brandon2348]

Makes you wonder what the Packers are saving all the money for.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Thank you!

What do the Patriots do after winning their 5th Super Bowl? They go ALL IN in free agency and trades while they still have Tom Brady operating at the level he's operating at.

I don't even think what the Patriots did could be construed as "all in". Bill Belichick just continues being extremely smart, while having a Pro Bowl Caliber QB, that he got in the 6th round.

 

[sschind]

Its not as simple as cutting a player with a high salary and having all that money to sign someone else. You have to replace that player as well and that may eat into a good portion of that money you just freed up. What is left with in the end may not be enough to make it worthwhile. The two names we saw most frequently linked to cap casualty cuts were Randall Cobb and Clay Mathews.

Lets start with Cobb. People see his 12 million dollar cap hit and salivate over which difference maker we could get for that money. The problem is if we cut him we have dead cap money of 6 million which means we only free up 6 million. So we do have 6 million but also have to replace Randall Cobb and his talent and production on our roster. It is possible that one of the cheap WRs we have could conceivable be that guy but I have seen nothing from any of them to convince me that is the case. That means we have to sign another player and to get one of Cobb's caliber it will cost us more than league minimum. Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4 million at least which leave us 2-3 million, if that, to spend to get that difference maker. It isn't going to happen.

Clay's numbers are a little more promising because cutting him would net around 10 million in cap space but in a similar vein as Cobb we now have to replace him. Can one of our cheap roster guys get it done. Again, possibly but I wouldn't count on it. So that means again that we would have to probably spend at least half that to replace him leaving us with around 5 million and IMO the guys we would replace Cobb and Matthews with for that money would not be any better. They may be but with the way salaries are rising I just don't see it. You don't sign 5 million dollar guys to step in and replace 10 million dollar guys and expect no drop off.

So, if we cut Cobb and Matthews and sign their replacements we have to hope that the guys we get are at least as good. We free up a total of about 7 million or so in the process and IMO that is not enough to get a difference maker given the uncertainty of the replacements.

Of course all my theory is predicated on the belief that Cobb and Matthews still have to the potential to reach production levels they have in the past. If you are convinced that they are done and what we saw in 2016 is all we can hope for in 2017 then yeah, you may think it is worth it. I don't.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Its not as simple as cutting a player with a high salary and having all that money to sign someone else. You have to replace that player as well and that may eat into a good portion of that money you just freed up.

Agreed, that's why it's even more perplexing that Thompson did close to nothing to replace Shields this offseason.

 

[brandon2348]

Its not as simple as cutting a player with a high salary and having all that money to sign someone else. You have to replace that player as well and that may eat into a good portion of that money you just freed up. What is left with in the end may not be enough to make it worthwhile. The two names we saw most frequently linked to cap casualty cuts were Randall Cobb and Clay Mathews.

Lets start with Cobb. People see his 12 million dollar cap hit and salivate over which difference maker we could get for that money. The problem is if we cut him we have dead cap money of 6 million which means we only free up 6 million. So we do have 6 million but also have to replace Randall Cobb and his talent and production on our roster. It is possible that one of the cheap WRs we have could conceivable be that guy but I have seen nothing from any of them to convince me that is the case. That means we have to sign another player and to get one of Cobb's caliber it will cost us more than league minimum. Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4 million at least which leave us 2-3 million, if that, to spend to get that difference maker. It isn't going to happen.

Clay's numbers are a little more promising because cutting him would net around 10 million in cap space but in a similar vein as Cobb we now have to replace him. Can one of our cheap roster guys get it done. Again, possibly but I wouldn't count on it. So that means again that we would have to probably spend at least half that to replace him leaving us with around 5 million and IMO the guys we would replace Cobb and Matthews with for that money would not be any better. They may be but with the way salaries are rising I just don't see it. You don't sign 5 million dollar guys to step in and replace 10 million dollar guys and expect no drop off.

So, if we cut Cobb and Matthews and sign their replacements we have to hope that the guys we get are at least as good. We free up a total of about 7 million or so in the process and IMO that is not enough to get a difference maker given the uncertainty of the replacements.

Of course all my theory is predicated on the belief that Cobb and Matthews still have to the potential to reach production levels they have in the past. If you are convinced that they are done and what we saw in 2016 is all we can hope for in 2017 then yeah, you may think it is worth it. I don't.

Matthew's should be bye bye but go ahead and keep him. The team is still 27 mill under the cap. They could of easily signed Barwin and Claiborne to 1 year deals which at the very least adds really good depth at both positions. My money would of been that Claiborne stepped into the no.1 corner spot. Barwin would of fit the rotation nicely at OLB.

Instead were counting on Randall and Frackrell which is far from an ideal situation.

Picking these guys up would of also had a positive effect on who to draft.
It doesn't take a free agency guru to make these moves but it does take someone with half a brain.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Its not as simple as cutting a player with a high salary and having all that money to sign someone else. You have to replace that player as well and that may eat into a good portion of that money you just freed up. What is left with in the end may not be enough to make it worthwhile. The two names we saw most frequently linked to cap casualty cuts were Randall Cobb and Clay Mathews.

Lets start with Cobb. People see his 12 million dollar cap hit and salivate over which difference maker we could get for that money. The problem is if we cut him we have dead cap money of 6 million which means we only free up 6 million. So we do have 6 million but also have to replace Randall Cobb and his talent and production on our roster. It is possible that one of the cheap WRs we have could conceivable be that guy but I have seen nothing from any of them to convince me that is the case. That means we have to sign another player and to get one of Cobb's caliber it will cost us more than league minimum. Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4 million at least which leave us 2-3 million, if that, to spend to get that difference maker. It isn't going to happen.

Clay's numbers are a little more promising because cutting him would net around 10 million in cap space but in a similar vein as Cobb we now have to replace him. Can one of our cheap roster guys get it done. Again, possibly but I wouldn't count on it. So that means again that we would have to probably spend at least half that to replace him leaving us with around 5 million and IMO the guys we would replace Cobb and Matthews with for that money would not be any better. They may be but with the way salaries are rising I just don't see it. You don't sign 5 million dollar guys to step in and replace 10 million dollar guys and expect no drop off.

So, if we cut Cobb and Matthews and sign their replacements we have to hope that the guys we get are at least as good. We free up a total of about 7 million or so in the process and IMO that is not enough to get a difference maker given the uncertainty of the replacements.

Of course all my theory is predicated on the belief that Cobb and Matthews still have to the potential to reach production levels they have in the past. If you are convinced that they are done and what we saw in 2016 is all we can hope for in 2017 then yeah, you may think it is worth it. I don't.

Good summary and I agree. Especially in regards to Cobb. Not sure why people are even thinking about cutting Cobb, but freedom of thought and expression.

I think if the Packers were convinced that Clay Matthews will have an identical season this year as he did last year, he would be cut, even with lack of depth and playmakers behind him. However, like the CB position, they must feel that his play will improve with a healthy 2017 season. Which is really the outlook you have to put on most players when evaluating them (they will be healthy), unless its chronic. The only way I see Clay getting cut, is if at final cutdowns, they have a suitable replacement for him and he isn't showing himself to be a rejuvenated player.

2018 and the dead cap hit could be a much different outlook for both players though, especially Matthews.

 

[ChicagoPackerfan]

Morris Claiborne and Connor Barwin both signed cheap 1 year prove it deals. Almost too perfect to be true. What a sane GM should have done was sign them and draft a LB and CB round 1 and 2 and allowed them to learn and blossom year 1. Now we are stuck with a worse pass rush than last year and no improvements in the secondary. This is the difference between our franchise and the Patriots and the reason why Tom Brady will go down as the GOAT and it's because Rodgers never had the chance. Very disappointed in the incompetence of this front office. It's a truly an outrage that we couldn't land at least one of those guys especially after the way our defense was absolutely dismantled in Dallas and Atlanta. Bennett and Kendricks are very nice additions and I will give credit where it is due, but you ain't gotta chance in hell in this league if you can't get the opposing offense off the field.

 

[thisisnate]

building a team is so easy on paper lol

 

[Mondio]

Is this a football team trying to win a championship or a bank or accounting firm?

You think the cap and accounting don't matter? Invest big dollars in a guy just to do it, you'll sink this year and the next 3 of Rodgers career.

As for Claiborne, I'm nervous enough investing in Perry having just gotten done with Shields and still having Matthews. I don't want even medium dollars invested in a guy like that.