Free agents are higher financial risks. But if you are going after the BEST, PROVEN free agents, you have a better chance of getting a good deal then dishing out money to draft picks that might get you NOTHING for your money.
Look at how many draft picks Ted made, that maybe would have been good players if they had not already been hurt when he picked them. He always tried to get broken players that WOULD have been graded very high, but had injury problems already.
Kind of like buying a big screen TV for a cheaper price, that you know was dropped off a truck with the box it's in badly damaged, and taking a chance that the TV inside isn't smashed that badly.

Unfortunately, Ted's TV's were all smashed.

I'd rather get a proven VETERAN, who can immediately step in and play well.

Originally Posted by: Cheesey 

Remember Joe Johnson?

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 

Free agents are higher financial risks. But if you are going after the BEST, PROVEN free agents, you have a better chance of getting a good deal then dishing out money to draft picks that might get you NOTHING for your money.
Look at how many draft picks Ted made, that maybe would have been good players if they had not already been hurt when he picked them. He always tried to get broken players that WOULD have been graded very high, but had injury problems already.
Kind of like buying a big screen TV for a cheaper price, that you know was dropped off a truck with the box it's in badly damaged, and taking a chance that the TV inside isn't smashed that badly.

Unfortunately, Ted's TV's were all smashed.

I'd rather get a proven VETERAN, who can immediately step in and play well.

Originally Posted by: Cheesey 

Free agents are higher financial risks. But if you are going after the BEST, PROVEN free agents, you have a better chance of getting a good deal then dishing out money to draft picks that might get you NOTHING for your money.
Look at how many draft picks Ted made, that maybe would have been good players if they had not already been hurt when he picked them. He always tried to get broken players that WOULD have been graded very high, but had injury problems already.
Kind of like buying a big screen TV for a cheaper price, that you know was dropped off a truck with the box it's in badly damaged, and taking a chance that the TV inside isn't smashed that badly.

Unfortunately, Ted's TV's were all smashed.

I'd rather get a proven VETERAN, who can immediately step in and play well.

Originally Posted by: Cheesey 

The problem is other talent needy teams with a lot more cap room drive the price tag of the best and proven FA's. Most often these are players whose team does not want them to leave but can't afford to keep them. Agents for these guys aren't stupid. They know exactly how much cap space is available and which teams will go after their man.

GB is not in a bad place cap wise but has about half the amount available as the teams with the most cap room. If they are going to compete for the best and proven FA's out there they will essentially have to pay what OTHER teams can afford. Not necessarily what they can afford.

Originally Posted by: warhawk 

This thread is about how poorly GB did at forming the 2017 Packers. Yet how many of you were "Gung Ho" over the team as the 2017 Season began ? Ready to defend the GM on all fronts.
Not willing to suffer a critical comment posted as a sincere real fact.

Originally Posted by: Smokey 

As the familiar saying goes, "There's more than one way to skin a cat." Trades, not aggressively pursuing in house Free Agents, the Draft, and others are some of the tools available to a GM.

Some NFL players have their roots in small towns/the country and are more comfortable playing for smaller market teams. Larger market teams like Chicago, New York, or Los Angles do not have the appeal for them that a GB or Buffalo or Kansas City or Charlotte has. They pay them well without their having to deal with the pressures of the larger markets. This is not true for all, but it's true for some.

Originally Posted by: Smokey 

Larger market teams have BILLIONAIRE OWNERS who subvert the salary cap with lucrative advertising contracts on the side. Green Bay doesn't have that.

Thank you Ted for keeping this franchise financially viable.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann