Three weeks into free agency, Ted Thompson has declared his hand.
The Green Bay Packers general manager has signed only one free agent, a bargain one at that in backup safety Anthony Smith, and still has about $29 million in salary-cap space. With the chances of spending significant money on a free agent now all but gone, its safe to say almost all of the cap room Thompson saved this year will go to contract extensions for players on his long list of 17 potential free agents in 2010.
Hes had plenty of time to prioritize that list, so what remains is finishing some contracts.
Well do this in time, Thompson said this week. Not tomorrow, but over the course of the next few months, whatever, well see what we can do.
The player clearly at the top of the list is receiver Greg Jennings, whose agent, Eugene Parker, started negotiations with the Packers at the NFL scouting combine in February. Parker has little to no contact with reporters, so its unclear how far along those talks are, but its a given the Packers will work hard to do a deal with their best young playmaker who is just entering his prime at age 25.
The priorities after that depend on several factors, among them, who will be the easiest to sign. There also are players the Packers probably want to see in their new 3-4 defense before offering new deals, such as Aaron Kampman, who is moving from defensive end to outside linebacker, and Ryan Pickett, who will be a nose tackle.
The Packers also talked to safety Nick Collins agent at the scouting combine, and considering he went to the Pro Bowl last season, he figures to be high on the list.
But theyve also recently started talks with the agent for guard Daryn Colledge, who has shown steady improvement his first three years in the league and might be signed at a price the team considers palatable.
I know theyre discussing things with Jennings and Daryn Colledge, said Brian Ayrault, the agent for another player on the list, guard-center Jason Spitz. But I have not had discussions with them yet concerning Jason Spitz.
The biggest names on the list of potential 2010 free agents are Kampman and left tackle Chad Clifton. At age 29 Kampman is valuable to the Packers for what he does both on the field and in the locker room, and though hes no longer young its a solid bet hell have some productive years after he turns 30. But any talks of an extension probably will have to wait until at least several weeks into the season, when he and the team can gauge how well he fits in the new defense.
Cliftons future beyond 09 is in even greater doubt. The left tackles knees have become chronically sore the past few years, and the accumulation of miles plus some rust that goes with being limited to only a day or two per week of practice began to show in his declining performance last year. He hopes that the arthroscopic surgery on both knees this offseason relieves some of the pain, but at age 32 he turns 33 in June his body could be breaking down. The Packers have to find his replacement soon, perhaps in this years draft, and theres a chance this will be his last season with the team, though his play will be a factor as well.
Theres also a wild-card in any contracts talks: the NFLs collective-bargaining agreement, which has only two seasons remaining and will change free-agency rules significantly if a new deal isnt in place by next March. Without a new deal, 2010 will be uncapped, which is good for the players, but the eligibility requirement for free agency will go up from four years of service to six, which is a major blow to them.
The Packers have several players who could lose their free-agent eligibility from that change, including Jennings (this will be his fourth season), Collins (fifth), Colledge (fourth), Spitz (fourth), defensive lineman Johnny Jolly (fourth) and cornerback-return man Will Blackmon (fourth).
The possible change to six years gives the teams more leverage in talks with players who could be affected, though agents are warning against teams trying to use that leverage and having it backfire.
Should a CBA be negotiated (by March) a guy like Nick might be a free agent after the season, said Alan Herman, who works for the agency representing Collins, though hes not handling the negotiations. And now Nick Collins and guys like him remember what it was like to be taken advantage of and say, Im not going back to those guys. After my fourth year they didnt make it right. I went to the Pro Bowl and I dont see anything happening where theyre taking care of me at this point.
So I think the teams that think youre going to go six years thats highly unlikely. Those players that are forced to accept the fifth year without fair and equitable negotiations will turn around and not feel good about remaining where they were.
The NFL Players Association just this week hired an executive director to replace Gene Upshaw, who died last Aug. 21. The players voted in attorney DeMaurice Smith this week to head their union and front their CBA negotiations with the owners, who set the current course by opting out of the CBA last year. Smith and the league are expected to begin talks soon, though whether they can strike a deal by next March is anybodys guess.
These things usually take place, if you look at labor-relations history, at the last minute, Herman said. Its in everybodys best interest to have a working relationship.