What do you guys think the off season Priorities are? These include our pending free agents, who you you think should go (player wise), who should stay, which positions need to be drafted, which pending free agents from other teams do you covet, etc. Tell us why!


My number one priority was signed in mid season (Daniels) thankfully! As for our remaining free agents...


1) Mason Crosby- Clutch and extremely consistent for the past couple of years, and just took over as the teams all time scorer. I think it's a no brainer that Mason needs to stay. Finding consistency at Kicker is tough, so why mess up a good thing?

2) BJ Raji- I know a lot are down on Raji but I think he quietly had a very solid season as a run stopper and even offered a little bit of pressure up the gut. I think if we can get him back for 2.5-3million a year on a 3 or 4 year deal it'd be great for both sides. I don't think I'd pay much more than that though.

3) Nick Perry- I doubt we're going to be able to resign both Neal and Perry AND hang on to Peppers. I think Perry will come cheaper of the two just because of his injury history. When the dude is healthy though he can change a game. Hope we can work something out to keep him around.

4) Casey Hayward- Casey had an up and down season and I think it's clear that playing outside full time doesn't suit his skill set. He's a pretty solid slot corner which is important to have. I have a feeling he's going to get overpaid (ala House last year) but if we can get him on an incentive laden deal and keep our depth high at the position I would welcome it.

5) RFA and ERFA- I think it's a no brainer to bring back Lane Taylor, Chris Banjo, Justin Perillo and Andy Mulumba and let them compete for a roster spot.

6) John Kuhn- If Kuhn wants to keep playing I want him in Green and Gold, he's still solid out of the backfield and on ST. If Ripkowski can beat him out right in camp, I'm obviously happy to see him go to though. But for now bringing him back is an easy decision

7) James Jones- The young guys stepped up in the playoffs and that makes us all happy, however I'd hate for injuries to happen in preseason again only for a nice fill in to not be available. If James is game to compete for a roster spot and not be gauranteed one, we should happily bring him back. This way if Davante, Janis, and/or Abby disappoint or get hurt we have a guy who can play on the roster.


8) Letroy Guion- I like Guion a lot as a rotatinoal player, he made some solid short yardage plays last year. But he's limited in his repertoire. If he comes back cheap I'd be ahppy to have him in the rotation. If not So long jack, Pennell might be able to take over most of his snaps.

9) Mike Neal- I like Neal but again I don't think we can sign both he and Perry AND keep Peppers. He's got some great hustle ability and is a better pass rusher than many folks realize. If we can't get Perry I hope we keep Neal, and vice-versa.

10) James Starks- I like James as well, but his frivolous dangling of the ball has always scared me. He fumbled quite a bit this year but was a solid back in a shared backfield. He might want a chance to be a fulltime back and I can't see us paying him like one. A little more than the minimum is what I would go for.

11) Tolzein- Bring him back and let he and Hundley compete for the backup spot, who knows maybe a QB hungry team trades for one of them during camp (unlikely but one can dream right?!).


As for Folks that NEED to go I think my tops are

Don Barclay, Nate Palmer, Joe Thomas- Barclay showed promise early on but that knee injury has really inhibited his abillity. See ya later! Nate has wore out his welcome here with inconsistent and mistake prone play, adios! Joe Thomas- Though better and more athletic than Nate I would love to see Thomas cut thanks to an influx of new blood at the position/return of Sam Barrington.

As for other teams Free agents I think

Danny Trevathan ILB from Denver might fall into our price range. He's an immediate upgrade over anything we have at this point (unless Ryan really comes on) and would provide some consistency at the position.

Derrick Johnson ILB Kansas City- He's probably on the down end of his career, but guy has a lot of intensity that would really help out our team. He's likely out of our price range though.

Matt Forte- Crazy right? If we lose Starks and really want to light a fire under Lacy's ass what about bringing a guy like Forte in to share the backfield and to be our 3rd down guy? One of the best receiving backs i've seen since Marshall Faulk and word is he's pissed at the bears...might be a match made in heaven if the price is right. Probably more of a pipe dream though sigh....



For the Draft I think our main targets need to be

OLB, ILB, WR, TE, and OT. I'd love to see a trade down into the early/mid second to increase our pick load.

Whatever it takes to sign Crosby, and the rest I would let test the free agency market. We already drafted Kuhn' s replacement last year. Sign Raji or Guion for run stuffing but not both. Pennel is just as good as those two and works harder. Mike Neal would be worth bringing back but not for any major money, and Nick Perry would probably rather go to a team that plays a 4-3 defense. If someone is crazy enough to give Casey Hayward a large contract, he walks.

As for other teams free agents, I refuse to get my hopes up.

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Hayward, Starks, Raji, Guion are the main ones for me. Perry is on the second tier. With Raji and Perry, Ted will name a number, and they'll be able to take it or leave it.

They'll bring Crosby back.

People underrate Hayward. He's better than people think.

I think Perry wants to be a 4-3 DE, so he might be gone either way. In that case, make Neal an offer, but don't break the bank.

I'd bring James Jones back at least for camp. You just never know what might happen with injuries and whatnot. I look at him as a good role model for the young 'uns too. Apparently Davante needs that, from what I hear as far as rumors.

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Player I would be mad if they didn't bring back: Crosby.

Everyone else: ok if backup money; not as starters. Guion probably more than the rest, but other than him and Crosby, I'm perfectly fine with Ted Thompson taking a lowball approach across the board.

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I would like to keep them all, but roster spots and money will dictate who in the end is kept. I like depth on the Dline, those fatties get tired and a good rotation is always important I'd like to keep both Raji and Guion but if it comes to a choice, I'd probably go with Raji, he can be a little harder to move with his lower center of gravity than Guion. Hayward might be expendable with Shields, Rollins and Randall along with Goodson and Gunter

We need to concentrate on Pass rush, pass protection and run blocking.

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Great list FloridaPacker88!

Before commenting here’s where we’re at:
Per spotrac we have 54 guys effectively under contract and the cap spent on top 53 [not 51] is 139,170,000 [includes raises to Hyde and Bakteirhi and 2 ERFA of Perillo and Banjo at $600K]

Our roster doesn’t need to add anyone; but a kicker and a RB:
DL: Daniels, Pennell, Jones, Boyd, Ringo, McBryde, Campbell
LB: CM3, Barington, Ryan, Peppers, Elliot, Thomas, Palmer, Bradford
DB: Shields, Burnett, Dix, Randell, Rollins, Hyde, Banjo, Goodson, Gunter, Daniel

OL: Baktieri, Sitton, Linsley, Lang, Bulaga, Tretter, Walker, Rotherram, Vujonovich
TE: Rodgers, Perillo, Bachman, Henry
WR: Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Monty, Abby, Janis, Williams, Johnson
RB: Lacy, Crockett, Ripkowski
QB: Rodgers, Hundley, Williams

ST: Mastay, Luvatto.

Cap space= 21,016,417 [160,953,847 (Cap w/ rollover) - 139,170,000 (Contracts) - 767,437 (Dead money) Thanks TT]

Subtracting Cap hit for Draft picks is about 1.8-1.9M, we'll call it 2M, and 7M cushion to start next season leaves us with about $12M to spend this off-season.

Other teams are beginning to cut players that should be on 53, here’s a list of players that must be cut that should be our 53: SURPRISE!!!! ZERO Thanks Ted Thompson
Moreover, the new season hasn’t even started and Ted Thompson made a huge splash in acquiring a FA DLman that will be better than Suh in 2016 for half the price [Mike Daniels]. Thanks Ted Thompson
UFAs [my guess of] contract value per year:
Hayward $7 [some nut job GM could pay up to 9M for his late year and playoff play]
Perry $4.5M [some nut job GM could pay up to 6.5-7M for the #2 sack leader in playoffs]
Neal $4M
Raji $3.5M
Crosby $2.8M
Tolzein $2M
Guion $1.5M
Barclay Min. (Might get more if GB/another team thinks he’ll be better 2nd yr after surgery)
Starks Min.
Kuhn Min.
Jones Min.
Goode Min.
Goode Min.
Richardson X

RFA: Don’t think they get Lowest tender [about 1.7M].
Taylor [might get it]
Mulumba:

We need play makers, especially in the passing game. Jordy is our #1, but even in 2014 people were saying our passing game is poor. Then 2015 came and... boom.

Try to keep everyone, Perry is the only one that is flexible. Mike Neal brought the pressure when it counted. If we learned anything from the Broncos it's that winning in the trenches in most important on defense. Draft, Free Agents, I don't care. Build, build, build. Make sure our offensive line has the proper people, quit letting Aaron have 3 seconds till he is pressured.

Either draft on offense or defense, but make sure it's the line. And if Paxton Lynch drops to us in the 2nd round some how... Ted... don't pass it up!

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Here's Rob Demovsky answering from ESPN.com:

Green Bay Packers: Whether or not there's actual friction between coach Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson over the general manager's conservative approach to building the roster through the draft, Thompson won't change his attitude toward free agency. He may add a role player here or there, but there won't be a blockbuster signing like Julius Peppers or Charles Woodson -- his two most significant moves in veteran free agency in the past decade. -- Rob Demovsky

---Take off your seatbelts...there's no ride.

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Mike had the opportunity to jump ship for the open gig in Detoilet and coach under a different GM. He chose not to do so. He's had the same opportunity in Schitcago in recent years too.

I guess he can't be TOO pissed off.

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