March signals the start of free agency across the NFL. For everyone except the Green Bay Packers that is. While the rest of the league traditionally dabbles in the free agent process by courting players from other teams, the Packers, under general manager Ted Thompson, have traditionally stood watch from the sidelines. But with money...
Curtis Crabtree wrote:
Unless Ted is planning on completely cleaning house of all The Packers UrFA's, I just don't see where there is much money to be spent elsewhere.
"While the Packers will have decisions to make on defensive tackle B.J. Raji, nose tackle Ryan Pickett, tight end Jermichael Finley and center Evan Dietrich-Smith among others, the Packers will still likely have enough room to pursue other players outside their organization."
Of The four players the writer listed, EDS is the only one I expect back that would cost significant money, Pickett will come back at a very low cost or he will go elsewhere.
Raji and Finley will be offered more money elsewhere and will probably be gone, but that still leaves Shields, Jolly, Wilson, Neal, Francois, Lattimore, Jennings and Banjo on the defensive side....Quarless, Flynn, Kuhn, Jones, and Starks on offense.
I don't expect all of them back, but Shields alone is going to take up anywhere from 6-9 mil(depending on source), then there is the money for signing the rookies, plus Ted has always kept money in reserve for injury emergencies.
This FA talk, imho, still starts with what The Packers do with Tramon Williams, he is the one guy who's contract can be reworked, adding significant money to use this year in FA.
I was addicted to The Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around!