As we think about wants/not wants in 2016 draft and free agency, one should at least take a peek at 2017. In the draft we must be thinking DL, OLB, OL and RB later, but not too much later. In general I like the idea of signing one stud FA as opposed to 2-3 mediocre guys; but given all the holes in the 2017 roster, the only position that this makes sense is for a stud DLman that replaces Guion’s salary; we may need to sign 2-3 guys for modest 2-3 yr deals to fill the holes in the 2017 roster like the 2 year deals for James Jones, Starks and Neal of years past. And I think this shows there are far more important positions to fill rather than TE and ILB.

Currently, for 2017, we have 28 players under contract for about 123M here they are [Kinda scary]:

Daniels, Guion [3M savings if cut]
Mathews [11M cap savings if cut], Ryan
Shields, Dix, Burnett, Randell, Rollins, Gunter, Goodson

Linsley, Bulaga, Taylor [2.4m savings if cut]
R.Rodgers, Backman
Nelson. Cobb, Adams, Monty, Abby, Janis, Johnson
Ripkowski
Rodgers, Hundley, Williams

Available to be added to this will be:

9 2016 draft picks: $7.5M

3 RFA: Pennell, Elliot, Banjo: $5.5M w/ lowest tender

13 ERFA: about $6.2M
Ringo 450
Thomas 480
Lavato 442.5
Walker 480
Henry 525
Vujonovich 450
Crockett 480
Rotherram 450
R. Daniel 442.5
Williams 450
Bradford 525
McByde 450
Campbell 525

Total 53 guys $142.2M

If cap is 160M; Ted Thompson will have 6M roll over giving us about 166M to spend. We need 2M to sign 2017 draft class [drafting #32, of course]; $7M rollover into 2017 and R.Rodgers, Adams and Linsley will get a playing time raise costing about $2.5M. We’ll have about $12.3M to spend on FAs and extensions.

Wait, the 1st day of the 2016 season is when we start looking at 2017?? You're really Ted Thompson, aren't ya??? lol


It is worth peeking into when considering how much money to spend on this offseason.

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2017 Unrestricted Free Agents
[list=1]

Josh Sitton - will sign

Micah Hyde - will sign, has no value elsewhere

David Bakhtiari

T.J. Lang

Jared Cook

J.C. Tretter

Datone Jones

Eddie Lacy

Sam Barrington

Josh Boyd

Nate Palmer

Tim Masthay

Nick Perry

Julius Peppers[/list]

Sitton will be extended during the season and probably Hyde as well. If Bakhtiari improves, he'll be extended. Lang it really depends on how well he heals from shoulder surgery.

The salary cap is projected to increase by $10 million so really extending or re-signing the necessary guys will not be too horrific. Spotrac shows the Packers will have over $28 million in salary cap to spend.

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this is a big reason why I wanted Ted to go for it this year.

You did forget about Lacy Barfarn.

We can't pay starters salary to all of the Oline. I expect only one of the guards to be signed, probably Sitton. Taylor will take over for lang. I would let Bahktiari go, I just don't think he is worth the salary he is going to get paid.

I would expect by the start of the 2017 season both Rodgers and Matthews will have renegotiated contracts which will give is considerable more space to play with.

Lacy is going to be interesting depending on his performance this year. If he has a big year, can we afford to keep him and also do we trust him enough that he won't go Oprah and load back on the pounds. I think that is a big reason for the two year deal with Starks, is for insurance incase Lacy gets offered a first day FA deal, and we haven't drafted a replacement.

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Anyone else underwhelmed by most of the players on this list?

Major value players: Sitton and Lang. Probably Lacy (assuming he rebounds this year) and Cook (if he pans out)
Retiring guy: Peppers.

Everyone else = backup quality guys.

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They will be guys that need to be replaced though. I think it means we draft an OG and an OT this year. Those 2 comp picks in the 4th are quite handy.

Any thoughts on who the OG/OT might be? OG is a possibility -- there are going to be a fair number on the board between picks 50 and 150. But unless someone falls unexpectedly, they're going to have to reach a fair amount to get a potential future starter at tackle. More average backup guys.

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We have a major problem on the offensive line/future salary. And that problem is that the best players are guards and they do not command a higher salary. We can't lose either one, but can't afford to pay both either. The other problem is that or tackles aren't tackle starter money. Rodger is still getting a lot of pressure from the pash rush, when he should be pretty comfortable back there. I realize both Bulaga and Bahktiari have been fighting through injuries, but priority number 1 is protecting Rodgers, and these guys are not nearly as good as the Tauscher/Clifton combo from a decade ago.

Offensive tackle is probably our biggest need in the draft, even though we have capable starters. We need to pull another Tauscher coup out of the draft.

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I'd keep Sitton and Lang and ditch Bulaga. I've always been a Bulaga supporter, but he's lost something against speed rushers after all the knee injuries. Otherwise they'd have moved him over to LT when Bakh went down.

Either way, we need a T. I wonder if Bakh could play on the right side.

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I agree with this, but I wonder if Bulaga's exorbitant contract would prevent such a move.