The amount of the Malik Jackson contract made me wonder just what people would be willing to pay for different FA possibilities.

So, of those FA out there this year (including those with franchise tags), if you were Packer GM, who would you be willing to sign for:

1. $15 million/year or more?

2. $10 million/year up to $14,999,999.99?

3. $5 million/year up to $9,999,999.99?

4. $3 million/year up to $4,999.999.99?

To keep things relatively simple, answer this question only with regard to the 3-5 positions you consider the Packers' biggest needs right now.

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My list:

1. $15 million/year or more?
Cordy Glenn, OT. (But only if Buffalo comes down from the 2 first-round picks requirement.)

2. $10 million/year up to $14,999,999.99?
Malik Jackson DT(had he not already signed).
Muhammad Wilkerson DT (only if NY comes down from 2 first requirement)

3. $5 million/year up to $9,999,999.99?
Olivier Vernon (DE)
Bruce Irvin (LB)
Danny Trevathan (LB)
Alex Mack (C)
Jaye Howard (DT)
Ladarius Green (TE)
Martellus Bennett (TE)

4. $3 million/year up to $4,999.999.99?

Nick Fairley (DT)
Chris Long (DE)
Dashon Goldson (S)


(just a clarification on the OP: I am asking what *you* would be willing to pay, not what the market will be)

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As much as some would like to see Ted Thompson go Free Agent shopping, I would not count much on it. Dreaming, wanting, and wishing will not, IMO, change TT's team building policy.

I prefer proven players if they can be acquired, even if it means releasing or trading under preforming players. We can of course post our opinions and evaluations, but in the final analysis, Ted Thompson will make the decisions (right or wrong) that will determine the success or failure of the 2016 Packers.

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Can Bruce Irvin cover? He's an OLB on our D.

I'd go maybe up to $3-5/yr on Daniels. I think the thing about not costing us compensatory picks is a big part of Ted's strategy.

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If you can get me a Joe Thomas LT, or a Beast OLB (more of beast than Matthews ever was). and I would be OK with the 15 or more.

Other positions we need TE top 2016 cap hit right now is 9 million, and I don't think any of the TE are really worth that much. I'd consider possibly the 10 million range for a 3 down ILB that actually can cover. But I suspect we will see less of that an more splitting with Safeties.

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Great concept for a thead, Wade.

Do we have to take in account the salary cap and future years? If so, I wouldn't want any single free agent worth more than $10 million a year, I think.

1. $15 million/year or more?
Nearly never worth it. The only guy on our roster making more than that is Rodgers. That's franchise QB money. Or Suh money if you're the Dolphins.

2. $10 million/year up to $14,999,999.99?
-Muhammed Wilkerson. I'd love to pick up one of the best d-linemen in the league for around $13 million a year. I'd make caproom for him. Of course, he's both franchise tagged and would get something like $19 million a year from a team like the Jaguars.

3. $5 million/year up to $9,999,999.99?
-Derek Wolfe DE/DT. The Broncos are paying him around $9 million a year. A number that I would've gladly spent on him, as well.
-Malik Jackson DE/DT. The Jaguars are paying him around $15 million a year. I would've gladly spent around $9 million a year on him.
-Olivier Vernon DE/OLB. He's going to be one of the better pass rushers for the coming years. I'd have loved to lock him up for $9 million a year (maybe more if we let Peppers go). That, again, is a lot less than he'd most likely get in the open market, had the Dolphins not tagged him.
-Damon Harrison NT. I'd love to sign this guy. If you go as high as $6 million a year, you're already making him the highest paid pure NT (EDIT: I'd still go a bit higher than that). It's also relatively safe to give him a bit of guaranteed money, because of his age and skill. Next to that, you can easily cut Guion if we have too much money tied up in the position, since we gave him next to no guaranteed money. This is the only one I can actually see happening.
-Danny Trevathan ILB. I don't like spending big money on ILBs, but I'm afraid that you'd have to do just that to get Trevathan. I'd give around $6-7 million a year, but I can imagine that a team with more cap space gives him a million or 9-10 a year.

4. $3 million/year up to $4,999.999.99?
-Rolando McClain ILB. He could be a bargain with the way he's been playing the last two years. I wouldn't like to give him a lot of guaranteed money, but he could be a bargain at $3.5 million a year, for a year or two.
-Tahir Whitehead OLB/ILB. We wouldn't be getting an amazing player, but he would upgrade our ILB situation. He's certainly worth $2.5 million per year on a short contract.
-Travis Benjamin WR. I don't really know what the market value is for him right now, but I do think that he could be a hidden gem and add something to the offense that we don't have. He could start as a number 2 receiver on most teams and I figure that, if you can get him for around $3.5 - 4 million a year on a short contract, the offense would become that more deadly.