Who comes back? 2015 Free Agents.

[Cheddar2014]

Who comes back from our list?....

RFA
Barclay
Boykin
Richardson

FA
Bulaga
Bush
Cobb
Flynn
Guion
Harris
House
Kuhn
Lattimore
Raji
Sherrod
Taylor
Tolzien
Williams

 

[Cheddar2014]

Can't disagree but of some of the others...

What do you pay Bulaga, Cobb, and Lattimore(if he continues as starter)?

Raji and Guion for another try?

House signing a key if TW gone?

 

[ivo610]

Tolzien
Williams
Bulaga
Bush
Cobb

 

[Luca]

Barclay - will be back
Boykin - probable
Richardson - probable

Flynn - unlikely
Tolzien - probable
Harris - unlikely, maybe for league minimum
Kuhn - unlikely
Taylor - unlikely, maybe for league minimum
Cobb - priority #1
Bulaga - priority #2
Sherrod - unlikely, maybe for league minimum
Raji - unlikely
Guion - maybe
Lattimore - priority # 3 (cut Jones)
Williams - if he keeps playing like he does, it will be very difficult to fit a deal below cap. Therefore unlikely. Another team will pay him some $$$.
House - very likely if Williams is not signed
Bush - maybe, he is still an important special teams guy

 

[adambr2]

Good thread.

All of the RFA's look to me like guys they will probably tender at the lowest RFA amount and hope not to lose them. Richardson they might just non-tender and try to re-sign for less or just let walk.

Would guess they will probably just keep one of Flynn or Tolzien and let the other walk. All things being equal I think they like Tolzien more but won't overpay for either.

I agree with most of the rest. Bulaga needs a fully healthy year, and even then they might be nervous about overpaying to bring him back given his injury history. Cobb is a likely re-sign if the money is right on both sides. The only way I can see Raji back is on another 1 year deal for a low base salary and some incentives.

Agreed that Jones probably will and should be cut, which does make a Lattimore deal more important. Lattimore is an upgrade from Jones, but I hope they don't make the same mistake they did with Jones and overpay on a multi-year deal based on what they hope he will be able to do. Either way, ILB needs to be an offseason priority.

Probably one of Williams or House returns and not both. Essentially a youth vs. experience decision that will hinge greatly as usual on what the market dictates for both.

 

[adambr2]

Good, tough questions.
On paying Lattimore, I would look at the contract Brad Jones got to start, which was 3 years $11.25 million. Some time has passed so maybe he gets a little more than that, and we might want to add a 4th year. We could ask Brad Jones to restructure, cut him which would create $1 million in dead space, or backload Lattimore's contract a bit. There is value in keeping Jones for his last year for depth and then hoping to get a compensatory pick for him when/if he walks when his contract is over

On paying .Bulaga, I'm really not sure on that one to be honest. It has to be a contract we can get out of, maybe put some escalators in there for games played or protection against injury if he goes on IR. The Packers should have the leverage because Bulaga has a starting spot on this team and his injuries might scare other teams.

On paying Cobb, maybe around $7 million per year? His production has only been around 20th, and that's where he is around right now. He missed most of last year as well. Guys are getting around $6 million per year right now for being the 20th highest paid WR. I think Cobb gets a little more because he's young with more potential.

I've stated previously that I'd really like to bring Raji back. I would try to get him to a long-term deal for a reasonable price around $4-$5 million per year, but if he won't do that then I would do another 1-year deal for cheap.

Guion is tougher. I'm not sure who he is yet. He was pretty bad early on, but he was thrown into a really tough spot. He didn't practice much and then he was thrown in to start. I feel like he's getting into football shape now, he had quite the game, but it will be interesting to see long-term what he does. We don't exactly have a lot of big bodies to be throwing away.

And yes, signing House is key. He is just hitting his stride and he has more value to us than anybody else. Signing him should be easy and a win-win.

Agreed on Lattimore but I wouldn't give him the money we gave Jones. I'd look for a 2 year deal, if possible. Something like what Neal got.

If Cobb will sign for $7m a year I think we'd be all for it.

Not to beat a dead horse but Raji is not getting $4-$5M a year on a multi-year deal unless it's a backloaded deal with almost no guaranteed money. That completely ignores how horrible he was in 2013 and coming off a major injury in 2014. Most likely scenario for him is another 1 year deal with a lower base than last year with some possible incentives.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

I forgive you That`s nice

 

[red4tribe]

I think you have to sign Cobb. The receiving core hasn't been as great as in years past and I think losing him would be a devastating blow.

I would pay Bulaga, and I think we have to sign either House of Williams. I really like Williams, has had a lot of big ints over the years so I'm reluctant to see him go, but he will be 32 and likely on the downside of his career. So House might be the better choice, and he's been a pleasant surprise this year.

 

[adambr2]

One correction is that I'm not completely ignoring the 2013 year. That is a big reason I said $4-$5 million and not $8 million.

I think you're drastically overrating his present value based on a couple good seasons early in his career and his draft position, but we're both obviously entitled to our opinions. We'll see in the spring.

 

[Pkrjones]

I'll play, with my suggested contract/$$.
RFA
Barclay - Yes, level 1 tender of around $1.5Mil for 2015.
Boykin - No, we've seen his ceiling and have better waiting in the wings.
Richardson - Yes, level 1 tender of around $1.5Mil for 2015.

FA
Bulaga - Hell Yes! Although injured frequently he makes this line gel when he's in there. 5 yr/$28Mil with a chunk of that in per game active bonus. This would put him in the same pay range as Sitton & Lang, his pals.
Bush - No, end of the line.
Cobb - Yes, 3yr/$20Mil... he'll have the shot at a bigger payday after 2017 when he'll still be only 27 yrs old. Don't think his agent would go for a 5yr/$40, will opt for shorter and another big deal.
Flynn - Offer 2yr/$2Mill to stay, if he doesn't want it offer that to Tolzien.
Guion - ??? Was highly motivated against Vikes, needs to show-up big for rest of the season.
Harris - Yes, 2yr/$2Mill. Already knows offense and what's expected. If no TT will mid-round draft a potential #3 RB who's bigger and more "between the tackles"-ish.
House - ??? Needs to bring it and be consistent for remainder of 2014. Agree with others, though ~ gotta keep Tramon or House. Keeping Tramon for 2 years gives TT time to find and get another CB developed.
Kuhn - No, gotta think there's more athletic talent available to block and 1yd dive for TD's.
Lattimore - Yes, Turns 26 soon and just became a starter. 4yr/$20Mil after the season, assuming he keeps playing hard and sticking runners.
Raji - Yes, 1yr/$4Mil prove-it deal. Doubt he'll get any more from another team.
Sherrod - No, had high hopes that he'd prove that he can play ~ he can't.
Taylor - No, gotta find players who can actually play their position if needed.
Tolzien - Yes if Flynn turns down offer. 2yr/$2Mill
Williams - No, unless it's a 2 yr/$12Mil deal to let him finish a Packer.

 

[thisisnate]

This is harder than I thought it would be a few months ago. I was operating under the assumption that Peppers was going to be a one year rental, but dang he looks strong yet.

I think....
Barclay- yes
Boykin- no
Richardson- yes
Bulaga- yes
Bush- no
Cobb- yes
Flynn- no
Guion- don't know until the season's further in
Harris- yes
House/Tramon- one of the two
Kuhn- no
Lattimore- yes
Raji- yes
Sherrod- no
Taylor- no
Tolzien- yes

 

[adambr2]

$5M a year for Lattimore? I like the guy, but I think we're overrating him a bit. I don't see any way he gets a bigger deal than what Jones got.

I think Cobb would be more likely to return on 5/40 than 3/20. We'll see.

$4M would be okay for Raji but that shouldn't be the base. Low base and max of $4M if he meets all escalators would be how I would structure it. I agree that he's unlikely to draw much interest elsewhere, so I think he's stuck for now.

I'd still try to keep Boykin on the low 1 year/$1.4M tab for one more year. That's still cheap WR depth. Then I'd let him walk as a UFA.

 

[Pkrjones]

$5M a year for Lattimore? I like the guy, but I think we're overrating him a bit. I don't see any way he gets a bigger deal than what Jones got.

I think Cobb would be more likely to return on 5/40 than 3/20. We'll see...

Based my Lattimore contract off of Desmond Bishop's '11 contract (after having a great year, so Lattimore needs to keep playing VERY well!). Bishop's was 4yr/$19Mil, he was 26 coming off of a great year.

Think Cobb still believes he can/should get Jordy-type contract but knows it probably won't be after '14 (unless he stays on the field for all 20 games and really shines). If he does step-up and match Jordy's production the 3/$20 or 5/$40 will be too low and might bump to 3/$27 or 4/$36 contract... keeping in mind he's got another pre-30 contract to get down the road.

Boykin is working way down the depth chart, so don't see TT wanting to keep him around.

 

[paulska]

Who comes back from our list?....

RFA
Barclay
Boykin
Richardson

FA
Bulaga
Bush
Cobb
Flynn
Guion
Harris
House
Kuhn
Lattimore
Raji
Sherrod
Taylor
Tolzien
Williams

Important:
Barclay- he won't be expensive, but he can back up any position on the line competently. He reminds me of Mike Flanagan of yesteryear. Flanny was our starting C, but I remember that he started at LT for a game and was just as solid out there. My grandpa used to say "you don't need a tool until you need it, and then you need it." If you follow the bouncing metaphor, Barclay is such a tool.

Bulaga: Our line is shoddy as is. Without Bulaga, we suck and ARod struggles. I know he's had more injuries than a Shoney's breakfast buffet has biscuits and gravy, but he's good. There's no one in the pipeline who can offer us similar or better play. Bakhtiari could be an ascending player, but there's no one like that at RT. I don't know what we do if someone drops Daryn Colledge money on him. Yuck.

House vs. Williams: I think House is the guy we can afford. I think Williams is the guy someone throws big money at that we gulp at matching. I like both. We need one, FOR SURE.

Cobb: In the absence of a Finley-esque TE, he's the swiss army knife that makes our offense unpredictable. He's worth 7 million a year, not only for how he can score and shift momentum (Jordy likely will catch more yards than him year in and out) but for the seamlessness and trust he offers ARod. The last two games show that ARod can dominate with two legit weapons when we can OK run the ball.

Definitely maybe:
Guion- if he can learn to be consistent, that's something we haven't had at NT for years. That's nothing to sniff at in our base, and he seems to have a knack for collapsing the pocket on obvious passing downs. Wait- wasn't that what Raji was supposed to offer.

Tolzien - Flynn is what he is. His first throw pick against Minny is a reminder that he's not a starter or even a 1c option. He's a run of the mill #2... Tolzien can learn to be a better #2, and one 400 yard+ game with 94TDs won't turn him into the FA Princess because he didn't win a title at LSU in college.

Meh/Replaceable
Boykin- Adams. Abredaris (it's Sunday morning- I can't spell, and I'm not googling it. Hate on haters). Janis. They can all do what he does as well as or better. Case closed.

Everyone else on the list.

Sad Face/We'll Miss You
Kuhn- the dude is fun to watch, and who else has a last name that lends to the 80,000 strong cat call every time he touches the ball? When he's gone, some of the magic will be too...

 

[NOMOFO]

Cobb is gonna get paid. It'll take a hell of a lot more than 3.5-4 mil a year, and that's not "an opinion".

 

[Packerlifer]

Shouldn't we at least get this season to midpoint before worrying about this.?

 

[NOMOFO]

Shouldn't we at least get this season to midpoint before worrying about this.?

agreed

 

[Bensalama21]

The guys who don't come back for the 90 will be Bush, Flynn, Kuhn, Sherrod, and Williams.

Williams has been playing great as of late and if he keeps it up, don't be surprised if he signs back cheap for a 1-2 year deal.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Too many "what ifs" at this point. To start with, I'd like to see who survives the season without a broken neck or a torn ACL. Seeing how the guys play in these last 11 games is important; seeing who regresses/plateaus/progresses matters a lot.

Missing the playoffs, particularly if the defense remains inconsistent (that's usually code for "sometimes pretty bad"), might require some house cleaning. A new Defensive Coordinator would likely have some different opinions than the prevailing ones regarding certain players.

 

[Cheddar2014]

Too many "what ifs" at this point. To start with, I'd like to see who survives the season without a broken neck or a torn ACL. Seeing how the guys play in these last 11 games is important; seeing who regresses/plateaus/progresses matters a lot.

Missing the playoffs, particularly if the defense remains inconsistent (that's usually code for "sometimes pretty bad"), might require some house cleaning. A new Defensive Coordinator would likely have some different opinions than the prevailing ones regarding certain players.

Was bored after the blowout win and was done praying for a Lions and Bears loss on Sunday.

Figured a few might be worthy to sign now on the cheap if possible.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Was bored after the blowout win and was done praying for a Lions and Bears loss on Sunday.

Figured a few might be worthy to sign now on the cheap if possible.

In those terms, I'd venture this much:

The only guys in the OP list that might be worthy of an early deal are:

- Cobb, but he won't be cheap
- House, but deep in the season if he continues to play well
- Bulaga if he holds up physically, but again deep in the season. Whether signed early or late, I think the Packers will go to some lengths to get him signed if he's able to stay on the field this season. He brings that certain something...I'd call it the warrior ethos for lack of a better term...you need some guys like that who also happen to be able to play good football
- Williams is an interesting case. Keep in mind that it's not just the House variable that plays into the equation. Williams has been playing some good nickel/slot with House at cover corner, while Hayward is into a second year of nursing the hamstring/glut. Hayward looked pretty good this week...we'll see if he can stay on the field. To put icing on the cake, there would also need to be confidence that Hyde could take nickel with Hayward going to cover corner in the event of injury to Shields or House...I don't think that will happen, but if it did I think they'd let Williams walk. Or they let him walk anyway and go for a cover corner in the upper rounds. Like I said before, too many health and performance variables at the moment.

No other team will try to sign away any of those 3 restricted FAs from even a modest Packer tender. That's two "just guys" and a credible but IRed backup. Nobody pays the price for a RFA unless they see him as a solid starter, and even still it's an uncommon occurrence.

If one takes off the rose colored glasses, the rest are "just guys" or damaged goods, of limited value to anybody else....no early signings among them. That's reserved for core players.

 

[adambr2]

I see no reason to effectively label certain topics off-limits. I think it's important to understand that a lot will change, but there is value and entertainment in talking about this kind of stuff right now for many people. As the situation evolves so can opinions and analysis.


I agree that it is possible that we keep him for cheap. I think it would be a James Jones kind of situation where he tests the waters and nobody bites, but right now I'm betting against him coming back.

Agreed. While the 2014 season is obviously the main focus right now, teams are always evaluating the future, no reason fans shouldn't have the same discussions and its fun to see how talks evolve as the season plays out, both here and the team with the players.

There are plenty of threads that deal with the current events of the team -- if this one doesn't interest you until mid season or later, by all means just return to discuss it in the future.

 

[ExpatPacker]

I think you re-sign Raji unless he doesn't recover properly from his injury. Even with questions about his play, he is sorely missed. Probably the Packers' most significant injury of the season.

 

[PikeBadger]

I love threads like this even though it's very early. I think most of my thoughts on this subject were hit, especially by HRE so I guess I will address the obvious aspect of all this...... The big elephant in the room called injuries. Unfortunately it is inevitable that there are more that will come our way. I do think it is possible that Cobb and Bulaga could be extended during this season to deals that would be team friendly. I also think that regardless of what happens, it's unlikely that Williams will be wearing a Packer uniform next year. We'll know more in 6 weeks.

 

[rodell330]

Williams has been playing great as of late and if he keeps it up, don't be surprised if he signs back cheap for a 1-2 year deal.

But if he plays great this year why would he come back for CHEAP? I can see him going to San Fran or or St. Louis...these seem like two teams that would pay him.