2014 Discussion - Pack talking to Leonhard - Page 58

[LUKE23]

I know we're still in the playoff hunt, but thought we'd get the discussion rolling for next season.

Free Agents:

BJ Raji
Ryan Pickett
Sam Shields
James Jones
Evan Dietrich-Smith
Jermichael Finley
Robert Francois
M.D. Jennings (RFA)
Johnny Jolly
John Kuhn
Jamari Lattimore
Mike Neal
Marshall Newhouse
Andrew Quarless
James Starks
C.J. Wilson

Key Cap Decisions:

Tramon Williams
Brad Jones?

Lots of free agents that were in our rotation this year. To me, Sam Shields is the clear #1 priority signing of the offseason. I would let Tramon Williams go, assuming we needed to to make other signings. If we could keep him and still do everything else we wanted to (unlikely), I'd be fine keeping him around. But I'm OK with Shields/Hayward/House as our top 3 corners next year.

The defensive line has Raji, Pickett, Wilson, Jolly all as free agents, in addition to Neal at OLB. If Raji has legitimately turned down $8M, he can go somewhere else and play. I'd see what Boyd has and I wouldn't be surprised to see us go with a NT type in the first round. 2014 1st, Boyd, Jones, Daniels, Worthy, Jolly, I'd be OK with that line next year. I'd like to bring Neal back at OLB.

Finley is also a tough one. Assuming he gets medically cleared, which is far from certain, I'd be open to bringing him back on a team friendly deal. With Quarless also a free agent, we will need to do something at TE.

I'd like to bring James Jones back as well. I think we will probably take a WR in the first couple rounds this year as well.

A huge offseason awaits.

[MickeyDavis]

http://overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team= ... &Year=2014

[MickeyDavis]

I forgot about Shields. If it's between him and Williams I'd go with Shields. Williams counts $9.5 against the cap and we save $7.5 million by cutting him.

[Newz]

This is going to be a critical offseason. I highlighted the guys I would want to bring back and the conditions that I would want them back under.

Free Agents:

BJ Raji - I would take him back for around $6 million a year. No way I give him $8 million. So odds are I want him to be elsewhere next year.
Ryan Pickett - I would gladly take him back, but only if it is on a team friendly deal.
Sam Shields - Essential guy to bring back. Easily the best player in our free agent class.
James Jones - I would bring him back, but only if it is on an absolute steal of a deal like we have him on right now. With Boykin emerging and Nelson/Cobb becoming free agents after next year, he isn't a priority.
Evan Dietrich-Smith - I assume he'll be cheap and I would bring him back. No reason to create a hole on the O-Line for no reason.
Jermichael Finley - Only if he is 100% healthy and only if he takes a major paycut.
Robert Francois - Nope.
M.D. Jennings (RFA) - I would give up on him.
Johnny Jolly - Assuming he is cheap, which I am guessing he will be, I'd love him back.
John Kuhn - Not needed.
Jamari Lattimore - I would bring him back if we cut Brad Jones and he is cheap. Doubt Jones gets cut though.
Mike Neal - It would scare me to let him go if he was cheap. After seeing what Erik Walden got last year, I assume he is probably going to get paid. We could really regret letting him go as he is a freakish talent. But I wouldn't overpay to gamble on him developing.
Marshall Newhouse - Not good.
Andrew Quarless - I also assume Quarless will be cheap. Wouldn't mind seeing him back on a team friendly deal.
James Starks - Not essential with Lacy, Harris and Franklin.
C.J. Wilson - Shouldn't be needed.

Key Cap Decisions:

Tramon Williams - Would ask him to take a pay cut and would cut him if needed to keep Shields.
Brad Jones? - Hasn't looked nearly as good as last year. Not sure how much we save by cutting him. Would cut him if it is beneficial to keeping better players listed above.

Shields is the only one I'm really worried about. Jones is the only other guy on the list that isn't a role player at this point, but he is at our position of biggest strength. Finley is also an impact player at times, but with that injury who knows.

[MickeyDavis]

If Quarless has a strong final 2 games he could get some interest around the league. I'd imagine he'd be looking at options if Finley comes back (I don't think Finley comes back though).

[Flames24Rulz]

I've been very impressed with Quarless the last few weeks. Even in games when he wasn't getting the ball (Detroit definitely comes to mind), he's done a great job at getting open. I hope he's brought back next year.

Besides that, Shields is an absolute necessity to bring back.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Pay Shields.

Let JJ hit the open market and sign him when no one throws big money at him (just like last time).

Everyone else could stay or leave for all I care. Cut Tramon no matter what, he is just making way too much money and we can't afford those types of deals now that we are throwing big money at Rodgers and Clay.

ETA: Bring back Flynn, period.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I'm a little scared to think about the kinds of offers Shields is going to get on the open market. We probably made a pretty big mistake not extending him before this season.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

I'm a little scared to think about the kinds of offers Shields is going to get on the open market. We probably made a pretty big mistake not extending him before this season.

Don't worry, this is our trump card.

[Turk Nowitzki]

I'm a little scared to think about the kinds of offers Shields is going to get on the open market. We probably made a pretty big mistake not extending him before this season.

Don't worry, this is our trump card.

I forgot about that

[humanrefutation]

There is only one guy in that class I think we must bring back, and that's Shields. Outside of him, I'd like to bring back Raji, Pickett, Jones, Jolly, Neal, Lattimore, Finley/Quarless, and Starks. I'm fine walking away from any of those guys if they ask for too much, though.

As for the rest:

EDS: I am not impressed with him, and I don't think he's very good. I'd prefer for us to land a center in the draft - you can usually find a pretty solid one in the middle rounds. But, I'm not going to nit-pick if we bring him back.
Francois: I think he's excellent on special teams and has developed nicely on defense, but he isn't a must-sign.
MDJ: Possibly the worst starting safety this team has had in years, though Charlie Peprah was pretty terrible, too.
Kuhn: I think he's excellent in pass protection, but I don't think he should be a priority. Knowing this team, though, he'll be back.
Marshall Newhouse - With Bulaga, Sherrod, Bakhtiari, and Barclay, he's expendable.
C.J. Wilson - He may end up back with this team if we lose Raji and Pickett.

Others:

Tramon Williams: Playing the best ball we've seen since 2010, but I think having Shields opposite of him has helped him in that regard. I'd be fine bringing him back if he took a pay cut.
Matt Flynn: I'd like him back, but I think he's going to look for a better paying job elsewhere. Tolzien, with a full offseason, could be a decent backup.

I'd like us to extend Nelson and Cobb, and look at extending Boykin as well (RFA 2015).

Our offseason priority, in terms of bringing in new talent, has to be in the middle of the defense. Safety and Inside LB have to be the top priorities for TT.

[raysbookclub]

I know we're still in the playoff hunt, but thought we'd get the discussion rolling for next season.

Free Agents

Key Cap Decisions

This week, I think we re-sign: Shields, EDS, Lattimore, Kuhn, Jolly, Quarless, Francois, and either Raji or Pickett. Pickett if we can't work out a contract with Raji.

I think we cut Brad Jones but hold onto Williams. I'd think differently about Williams if House had shown more this year, but House may not even make the roster next year.

I guess we'll see what happens with Flynn, like if another team gives him a shot in free agency. If he ends up coming back, we probably will carry 3 QBs (12, 10, and Tolzien) and not draft one.

[crkone]

I'd dump Raji unless he came at an awesome discount. He has been the biggest disappointment so far. He is routinely getting taken out one on one and that's affecting our ILBs. They are trying to fight through blocks and plug gaps that Raji is paid to do. On that note, we need new ILBs. Lattimore looks like he can be a starter, but it really doesn't matter unless the DL does their job. You can lock up Burnett at one safety spot, now we just need a fast S who can play over the top. Datone looks to be coming on a bit and Daniels is playing great, but the interior of the defense really needs some work. I'd say pay Shields, but he is going to get a lot of money. Probably could only sign him and a bunch of vet minimums and rookie contracts.

On offense, need to let Jones go and have Boykin fill the hole. Cobb, Nelson, Boykin, White, Harper or Rookie. Kuhn can go unless vet min along with Newhouse. Quarless should be back cheap and I'm guessing Finley is done in GB. Starks can go just because I think he can get a bit more than I'd like to pay him.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Bring back Flynn, period.

This.

I hope he comes back, I don't see any team giving him a chance to start again and he's more valuable to us than to almost any other team.

[MickeyDavis]

McGinn on the offseason

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 00451.html

[Newz]

http://overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Packers&Year=2014

I don't think the Bills have resigned him... the only free agent name I have seen that really excited me at all is Jarius Byrd. I assume he is going to be out of our price range.

My assumption is there likely won't be an ILB hanging around that is much more than what we have. Low end starters who are good on special teams.

Defensive line is an interesting position as Thompson struck gold with Pickett before. Adding a guy or two (I have no idea who they would be) for quality depth would seem wise if we let all of our guys go. But my feeling is that we resign two of Raji, Pickett and Jolly... then we ask more out of Boyd, roll with Daniels/Jones and take another big body in the draft.

[Kerb Hohl]

6 division games
Car, Atl, @NO, @TB
NYJ, NE, @MIA, @Buf

Last 2 (I'm not sure which of these are at home):
If win NFC North: Sea/Philly probably
2nd: SF/Dal
3rd: Arz/NYG

[Jollay]

My assumption is there likely won't be an ILB hanging around that is much more than what we have. Low end starters who are good on special teams.

Last year I asked that we take a look at Darryl Smith, the Jags' all-time leading tackler, as well as Phillip Wheeler.
: viewtopic.php?f=161&t=1228308&p=35075155#p35075155 (page 41)

I get that if the Dolphins sign Wheeler to 5/26, TT would be outbid, but Smith signed for one-year, up to only 2.1 million with the Ravens.

Smith has been great at ILB for the Ravens, leading the defense and acting like the smart presence in the middle this D solely needs. Ask Bill Belichick.
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/art ... dc9d5878c1

Smith is a free agent again at ILB, and there are others. It isn't like we have to roll the dice with a ton of money for some of these guys, although I would have loved Wheeler at OLB opposite Clay at 5/26 as well.

Use the draft class to draft eventual replacements for those we don't sign. But we clearly need a FA or two as well, most likely a veteran leader at FS or LB. He doesn't have to be a star; a smart veteran player alone could be a huge factor toward stabilizing this defense.

[trwi7]

6 division games
Car, Atl, @NO, @TB
NYJ, NE, @MIA, @Buf

Last 2 (I'm not sure which of these are at home):
If win NFC North: Sea/Philly probably
2nd: SF/Dal
3rd: Arz/NYG

West is road, East is home.

[Jollay]

Jon Beason is a free agent this year too; he was a big factor in turning the Giants' defense around.

He's only 28, but I wouldn't go too high for him, though. Definitely wouldn't want to roll the dice with too long a contract or too much money with him. Still, would have loved if TT had acquired him this year like the Giants did for a late round pick like the Giants did for one year at five million.

Options are out there. London Fletcher two years ago on a one-year would have been great.