The Future of the Green Bay D

[LUKE23]

Was just looking at this today. I am super pumped about the future potential of this D. Here's how I see next year playing out:

Get him locked up. Next years D:

DE: Jenkins (FA)
NT: Raji
DE: Pickett
Bench: Jolly (FA), Neal, Wilson

OLB: Matthews
ILB: Bishop (FA)
ILB: Barnett
OLB: 1st rounder
Bench: Chillar, B. Jones, whoever

DB: Woodson
DB: Williams (FA)
Nickel: Harris
Bench: Draft pick, Shields

S: Collins
S: Burnett
Bench: Peprah, Draft pick

Jenkins, Bishop, and Tramon are the 3 FA's worth talking about. Given that I feel we either drop Hawk or re-negotiate his contract, that will save us some money, and I think we need to get all three of those guys signed. I'd just let Bigby walk, he cannot stay healthy and isn't significantly better (if even better at all) than what we have at safety right now anyway. I'd bring back Jolly cheap (he will be cheap if he's not in prison). Definitely need to try and find an impact OLB in the draft. But man, overall this D is looking nasty if it can stay on the field.

[xTitan]

I would renegotiate Hawk (which I am fairly sure they do) I would see if Barnett has any trade value at all, probabvly doesn't because of the injuries, but would love to acquire an additional pick for him...I think Williams and Bishop are must signs.....Jenkins will not be a very easy decision IMO...

[Newz]

I would renegotiate Hawk (which I am fairly sure they do) I would see if Barnett has any trade value at all, probabvly doesn't because of the injuries, but would love to acquire an additional pick for him...I think Williams and Bishop are must signs.....Jenkins will not be a very easy decision IMO...

I agree with this.

I'd rather go into next year with Bishop/Chillar/Hawk as our top 3 ILB's than Bishop/Barnett/Chillar. I just have no faith in Barnett to stay healthy. If we can net another draft pick for him, I would do it.

I agree that Williams and Bishop are must signs. I also agree that Jenkins is going to be tough. I think he's going to get a pretty big chunk of change in free agency...

If we can bring back Jolly and get Neal healthy along with Pickett and Raji, it might not be that important to bring him back.

[LUKE23]

Jenkins is only 29, I know he's been gimpy this year, but overall has been pretty durable throughout his career. I'd say he's definitely a priority considering he's our best pass rushing DL and a big time locker room guy.

I am hoping Barnett and Bishop are our starting ILB's next year (barring landing someone unexpectedly in the draft). If Hawk gets negotiated down to the point where we can justify keeping him at backup money, fine, but I've seen enough from Bishop to want him over Hawk and Barnett is already under contract.

If we can bring back Jolly and get Neal healthy along with Pickett and Raji, it might not be that important to bring him back.

In terms of just overall numbers maybe not, but in terms of scheme, he really is an important cog. He's our best pass rushing DL easy. I think Neal could maybe bring that, but we don't know.

[Newz]

I'm not sure if it is going to be possible for us to resign all of Jenkins, Williams and Bishop for the money they are going to be worth (or demand at least).

I hope we keep all of them, just not sure if it is going to be possible.

[LUKE23]

I'm not sure if it is going to be possible for us to resign all of Jenkins, Williams and Bishop for the money they are going to be worth (or demand at least).

I hope we keep all of them, just not sure if it is going to be possible.

I think our cap situation is looking pretty good, so I think it's definitely doable, especially considering Hawk is due $10M and I don't expect him to be back, and if he is he will be at far less.

Outside of those guys, the only FA's on offense are:

Jones
Jackson
Spitz
Colledge

So really no big money there. I think Jenkins and Williams will probably get a good amount of cash, but Bishop and the offensive guys not as much.

[Rockmaninoff]

Yeah, I'm not sure if it's cut-and-dry between Barnett and Hawk. Barnett is 29, due $6 million next season, and has lost 2 of 3 seasons to injury.

We all know that Hawk is due $10 million next season, but he has looked damn good next to Bishop. It seems the problem was Barnett and Hawk together. Neither one is dynamic; they kind of duplicate each others strength and weakness.

The other option is neither. I think it is absolutely essential to resign Williams, Jenkins, and Bishop. That money has got to come from somewhere.

[Newz]

Well I am expecting us to bring back one of Spitz or Colledge, Jones and Jackson.

I agree if we can just completely wipe Hawk's ten million away that it will be a lot easier to keep everyone.

[eagle13]

Williams and Bishop are must signs - so is Jenkins IMO.
Jenkins is a great locker room guy & best pass rushing DL. There will be competiton to sign him for sure! It will interesting to see if TT competes for him.
So far i think Jenkins is happy enuf in our 3-4 to not be an automatic signing w/ 4-3 team like Kampman was.

I like Hawk >> Barnett but I want Jenkins >>>> Hawk or Barnett.

Is there any rule against signing a player and then trading him in same season in NFL? IF not then resign both College & Spitz at start of FA period then trade one for 4th during draft.

I agree 1st needs to be OLB. 2nd =RB.

[MickeyDavis]

Peter King this morning:

Performance of the day, team: The Green Bay defense

I liked what the Patriots did, liked the moxie of the beat-up Saints, oohed/aahed at the Raiders. But the Packers held down the league's second-rated rushing game (LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene struggled for 76 yards) and forced Mark Sanchez to try to win the game. He couldn't. Sanchez was a 42-percent passer and threw two interceptions, dealing with pressure all day.

"We wanted to put the ball into Sanchez's hands,'' said Clay Matthews, who had five tackles and a late, demoralizing sack of the Jets up-and-down quarterback. "We knew if we held down their running game, we had a good chance to be successful on defense.''

Packers 9, Jets 0. At the Meadowlands. "I'm sure if you asked people which of us would have had a shutout today, everyone would have said the Jets," Matthews added. "That's a really good team. But we'd lost three games, all by a field goal, and we haven't played our best football.'' In beating the Vikings and Jets in succession, Green Bay might have started playing its best.

[MickeyDavis]

King has Clay as #4 on his MVP watch. It's as if he's never seen him play before yesterday.

4. Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay. Just watching the Packers shut out the Jets, and seeing Matthews playing with such ferocity for four quarters, I thought he deserved a spot on this list -- as much for leadership and top defensive play as anything else.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I think we bring back Bishop and Tramon Williams for sure, but I'm not sure they'll pay Cullen Jenkins what he's going to want given his age, especially with Jolly and Neal coming back, plus who knows how much CJ Wilson might improve from year one to year two.

[trwi7]

I think we bring back Bishop and Tramon Williams for sure, but I'm not sure they'll pay Cullen Jenkins what he's going to want given his age, especially with Jolly and Neal coming back, plus who knows how much CJ Wilson might improve from year one to year two.

I'd rather bring Jenkins back. Depth on the D-Line as we've seen this year is not a bad thing. Plus, Cullen can play both the 3-4 and 4-3 so it's not like we would be limited to the teams we could trade him to if we decide that Wilson or whoever can fill his spot.

[Wade-A-Holic]

I think we bring back Bishop and Tramon Williams for sure, but I'm not sure they'll pay Cullen Jenkins what he's going to want given his age, especially with Jolly and Neal coming back, plus who knows how much CJ Wilson might improve from year one to year two.

I'd rather bring Jenkins back. Depth on the D-Line as we've seen this year is not a bad thing. Plus, Cullen can play both the 3-4 and 4-3 so it's not like we would be limited to the teams we could trade him to if we decide that Wilson or whoever can fill his spot.

True. I guess for me it depends on the contract length.

[MickeyDavis]

With the uncapped year I'm not sure how this works but in years past there was a deadline that if you signed a guy before it you could count most of the bonus money on the current years cap. What I'd like to do is be able to sign Williams, Jenkins and Bishop to an extension now and have their up front money be on this years cap and not next years (when there will be a real cap again).

I probably didn't explain that well but I know a lot of free agents that were signed in this offseason had it front loaded big time so most of the money went into the uncapped year. If we can still do that with extensions I say get it done now. Give them their money right now and have small, cap friendly numbers going forward.

[chuckleslove]

I know what you are talking about MD, I don't know the deadline but if you sign a player to an extension mid season you can count their signing bonus against the current year's cap rather than next years. The Packers have taken advantage of this quite a few times under TT.

The Packers have also negotiated in some incentives into contracts that allows them favorable cap situations in future years. i.e. something along the lines of I think it was Kampman, who had a clause that he got a $1 million bonus if he blocked 3 punts or something, the Packers would take the $1 million hit towards the cap the year he signed it but then when he doesn't meet that goal the Packers get an additional $1 million the following year. Manipulating the salary cap since Kampman isn't going to meet that goal but TT has been pretty good about taking advantage of these loopholes and situations in the past, I hope he can get some contracts extended this year and count them towards this years non existent cap.

[MickeyDavis]

Although there is no agreement in place there will definitely be a cap and from what I hear there will definitely be franchise tags again too. The main issue is what percentage they will use to set the cap, along with a rookie scale. Love to see our guys locked up now with front loaded contracts (which is always risky of course, some guys go in the tank when they get their money and of course some guys get injured).