Let's face reality here.
Free Agency for the Green Bay Packers is not as simple as for some other teams. There are very few reasons to come to Green Bay outside of a large lucrative contract. Most people either do not originate from the Wisconsin area, dislike all that cold and the outdoor stadium, or have no interest in the "nightlife" in Green Bay when they can enjoy NY. One of the reasons that people did come here was to play with Favre, but that reason's now replaced with playing in a 3-4 defense. But then, this will be our first season in a 3-4 and likely that many players would be wary of whether we can be successful or not in the scheme. Why would they take that chance with us?
Hence, the only way to lure a free agent to Green Bay is to overpay relative to the potential amount that we could have paid for that player, if we were in a bigger market.
"TheEngineer" wrote:
I think you've hit the nail on the head. The very thing we as fans love about the team (big time football in a relatively small town), is the same quality that I think turns off a lot of players. Hence, Green Bay has to work to overcome that presumption of "hick town with nothing to do."
One way to do that is to overpay, which is a piss poor strategy. The other way is to find the right kind of people that don't mind that they would be living and playing in cold Wisconsin.
All the same though, it pisses me off that Green Bay seemingly gets the shaft in the eyes of free agents who won't even come to visit. Not saying that Canty was in that camp, but I'm sure there are other players who think along these lines.
Fine, don't come to Green Bay. It makes it all the more sweeter when the Pack wins a Superbowl.
"I wouldn't root for the Minnesota Vikings to win a chess match against Nazi Germany."