RealGM

He is going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. We desperately need a D tackle among other things, but do we have a chance at getting him. We have the cap room

We have the cap room (granted, if we assume that we extend Collins/Jennings and other transactions, will it be smart to do then?) and I think the only way we can get him is if we offer him some massive contract he can't refuse on the first day of being on the market. Otherwise, we will lose the sweepstakes.

I need concrete numbers of course, but I feel like we will be stretching things to resign Jennings and do this.

Still the age, history, and ability, as well as it fitting an obvious need makes it something to look at seriously.

He's going to get big big time money from someone and it won't be the Packers

Most of the league can afford to sign massive free agents. Even if Thompson backed a truck full of money up to his place, I can't see Green Bay being an attractive free agent destination.

I would love to sign him or Peppers and would pay heavily to do so.

We have a chance with Haynesworth if Reggie gets God to tell him to play for Pack.

LUKE23 wrote:I would love to sign him or Peppers and would pay heavily to do so.

One big problem with elite free agents like those two is generally in free agency, the elite free agents get signed pretty early or right away because a team or two will offer such a massive contract just so that player won't go flying around and offering his services all over the place. They in effect are "overpaying" and know so, but that's what it takes if you want that elite free agent to sign on the spot and not fly around and get offers from multiple different teams. That takes a very aggressive and bold offer without seeing first if you're over bidding against yourself.

Does that strike you as something Thompson would be willing to do? Blow away the competition with a huge offer right away? I'm not really ripping TT for that because the odds are both Haynesworth and Peppers will end up getting bigger contracts than what will match their production with a new team. I'm just saying that i don't see it in Ted's nature to make the bold, aggressive, and massive offer it would take to get either guy to even consider playing in Green Bay.

I could see him signing a player or two in free agency, but i'd be very surprised if he makes a play for an elite one that would take huge money.

Virtually any team can afford to sign any free agent if they really want to. They can shuffle things around and push a lot of their other contracts to future years. Of course they put themselves in cap hell later on.

While I think TT will open up his wallet next spring I don't see him signing any of the huge names out there. That's not the way he operates, for better or worse. Certainly going into year 5 with 3 seasons out of the playoffs could sway him somewhat but I doubt it.

And those guys could be tagged anyway.

Haynesworth can't be tagged.

If a free agent is desirable enough to warrant a lot of interest, Thompson would have to blow away the next highest offer, similar to what the Yankees had to do with CC. If it comes down to Green Bay and a bigger market (or one in a better climate...or both), the Packers are losing out.

Just for curiosity sake, i was trying to guess the up front cash these two defensive line studs are looking at?

My guess is 30 million in guaranteed money at the very least, maybe 35?

I still think many people here are overestimating someone actually wanting to play for the Packers, God told Reggie to come but that was because they offered the most money at the time, far and away. If 2 or 3 teams offer Haynesworth the same amount of money, I am not sure the leagues smallest market, in the coldest climate is all that attractive.

No way he gets 30 million guaranteed. Tommy Kelly got a little under 14 and that was tops for DT's. Tommie Harris got 11 and Kris Jenkins 10. 20 is possibly conceivable, but that's pushing it. It probably will be an unprescedented deal for a tackle though.

aaprigs311 wrote:No way he gets 30 million guaranteed. Tommy Kelly got a little under 14 and that was tops for DT's. Tommie Harris got 11 and Kris Jenkins 10. 20 is possibly conceivable, but that's pushing it. It probably will be an unprescedented deal for a tackle though.

Harris never hit the free agent market. Kelly got 18 million in guarantees and Haynesworth is a much better and highly thought of player. At minimum, i see him getting 25 million in guarantees. Same with Peppers.

He hasn't played a full season since 2002 and is hurt again. I'd rather have Suggs.

I think climate is overrated when it comes to getting free agents. I haven't seen Miami in many Super Bowls since free agency started. Same with Arizona or Houston. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game in 12 years. New Orleans, Atlanta. Minnesota has attracted free agents despite frigid weather and one of the worst places to play in the league. They spend money and that's what brings in free agents. We got a ton of good free agents in the 90's because we 1. paid them 2. have a solid organization and 3. we were winning games. There wasn't any more nightlife in Green Bay in the 90's than there is now.

No one wants us to make a Joe Johnson mistake and take a cap hit. But TT seems to be really paranoid about that. Sometimes you have to take a chance. He did it with Woodson and it paid off. A lot of "experts" thought we overpaid Reggie too.

I haven't seen Miami in many Super Bowls since free agency started. Same with Arizona or Houston. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game in 12 years. New Orleans, Atlanta. Minnesota has attracted free agents despite frigid weather and one of the worst places to play in the league.

You're confusing the correlation of signing free agents and winning, as opposed to simply signing them.

Miami did sign Joey Porter and Chad Pennington. Arizona signed Kurt Warner and Edgerin James. Dallas has brought in Terrell Owens, Leonard Davis, Zach Thomas, Tank Johnson and Ken Hamlin. New Orleans signed Drew Brees, Randall Gay, Jason David, Kendrick Clancy and Scott Fujita. Atlanta signed Michael Turner, Lawyer Miloy and Domonique Foxworth. Minnesota plays their games in doors.

Location, climate and market aren't overrated when it comes to attracting free agents. You need those things. But what's overrated is free agency itself. You said it yourself. Miami, Arizona, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Minnesota...not a lot of success on that list despite signing a ****-ton of big name free agents over the years.

I wouldn't consider very many of those guys "big" free agent signings. Sure some of them worked out, like Warner, but he was not in high demand. He was signed as a backup. Most are second and third tier. Brees and Turner have been worth it.

There will always be players who value nightlife and partying #1. But those aren't the guys I would want anyway, especially after they sign a big contract..

Big is relative. Not many of the top players ever make it to free agency while they're in their prime.

Personally, I don't even know how much of it is nightlife and partying. Sure, some guys value it quite a bit. Javon Walker and Marques Anderson used to spend numerous weekends in Vegas while they we here. But you know Greg Jennings, don't you? He doesn't seem like the type that wants to be out at the club until 2:00 in the morning. Some people just prefer a more metropolitan setting. More money means you can experience more things. I know if I had the cash I wouldn't be thrilled that my culinary choices came down to an IHOP and Favre's Steakhouse. Museums, nice restaurants, year-round golf, other professional sports teams, the ocean, the culture...there are plenty of reasons Green Bay is behind the 8 ball and it's not just because of their night life.

I agree that the GB climate is brutal and does prevent some players from considering us. But our players head out of town in early January and don't come back until April when OTA's start. I think for most guys 4 months vacation is plenty of time to do what you want to do.

It will be interesting to see how TT plays free agency this year.