2018 Free Agency - Prospects for GB

[Norm]

3 minutes ago, Zing said:

Don't get ahead of yourself now there. I would be willing to bet very few actually think you are right with the amount of negatively that follows your post. 

@packerrfan74 said it best - quality over quantity. Who compares the number of free agent signings from one year to the next to determine a successful off-season? Lay off the Madden. Quality and impact, baby! 

Wilkerson played for Pettine. Those years also happen to be some of his best of his career. Bring him to a winning organization with a defensive coordinator he's familiar with and I like our chances. We have a great rotation on the defensive line with Daniels, Clark, Wilkerson, and Lowry. We also have M.Adams waiting in the wings who we've yet to see what he can put together but no one should be writing him off just yet. 

We can argue Jordy vs. Graham as a lot have already been doing so. However, the guy got PAID by the Raiders, and good for him. Far too many fans wanted to see the team change and when change is made no matter the level of it - they complain. Graham should be a great red zone threat and hopefully someone who can attach the seam on a regular basis. Something we desperately need. The #1 WR slot was handed to D.Adams when he signed the new contract, and I think a lot of us knew some type of change was coming to the WR corp. 

Four words.

Lenzy Pipkins starting corner

 

 

I like who we signed and what we paid. But I can't get past that until it's not true anymore

[Arthur Penske]

1 minute ago, NormSizedMidget said:

Four words.

Lenzy Pipkins starting corner

 

 

I like who we signed and what we paid. But I can't get past that until it's not true anymore

One word.

 

Atlanta, Georgia  super bowl baby.

 

 

[Jaegybomb]

14 minutes ago, Zing said:

Far too many fans wanted to see the team change and when change is made no matter the level of it - they complain. 

Are they the same people? Kind of seems like the ones clamoring for change have gotten quieter and the ones cautioning not to overreact to a throwaway season are maybe rightfully critiquing some of the moves now.

[Leader]

11 minutes ago, Jaegybomb said:

Are they the same people? Kind of seems like the ones clamoring for change have gotten quieter and the ones cautioning not to overreact to a throwaway season are maybe rightfully critiquing some of the moves now.

At what point did 2018 become a throwaway season?

[Jaegybomb]

2017 under Hundley was the throwaway season.

[Leader]

2 minutes ago, Jaegybomb said:

2017 under Hundley was the throwaway season.

Ahhhhhhh got it now.....and thats correct....unfortunately.

[beekay414]

2 hours ago, NormSizedMidget said:

Four words.

Lenzy Pipkins starting corner

Is it bad that I'm actually not that concerned about Pip?

[HighCalebR]

3 minutes ago, bkobow05 said:

Is it bad that I'm actually not that concerned about Pip?

I would really like it if he were our #4. I'd say he's the best of the rest but he still shouldn't start, he got tagged on a good number of double moves for his limited action.

[beekay414]

Just now, HighCalebR said:

I would really like it if he were our #4. I'd say he's the best of the rest but he still shouldn't start, he got tagged on a good number of double moves for his limited action.

I get the concern but I also see the potential. For what it's worth, I still think we need to add a CB or two in the draft and/or free agency but I'm not all that concerned, long term, about Lenzy. He's got the measurables and ability. He's just gotta put it together. He could be Ted's parting gift. 

[Mr Anonymous]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/dougherty/2018/03/21/dougherty-same-old-same-old-packers-free-agency/446570002/

More evidence that its the same story in Green Bay as I have been saying. The Packers aren't being any more aggressive with free agents than they were under Ted Thomspon. This is in spite of Gute's much more frequent attempts. The problem - the same contract offers being drawn up by good ol' Russ Ball...

Quote

Thompson’s successor, Brian Gutekunst, is at least inquiring about a lot more players in free agency, but it’s looking like the Packers’ approach to negotiations hasn’t changed much.

Quote

 I talked with two agents this week who said the Packers’ recruiting pitch is still pushing for discounts because of Rodgers and the team’s rich history, only — unlike under Thompson — more agents are hearing it this year. All that’s done is create a lot more smoke without more fire, at least so far.

Now you tell me what's more likely, Gute thinks that by sheer volume of offers made, we'll get more players to sign the same lowball offers Russ Ball drew up under TT, and that's Gute's idea of being more aggressive? - OR- It's just as I've been saying and Gute would like to be more active in free agency with legitimate top of market offers but is forced to defer to Russ Ball and his ridiculously conservative ways.

Either way its the same result as the prior regime. Either Gute shares Ted's tip toe approach to adding free agents or Russ Ball has the same control over the fate of free agents pursued that he had under Thompson.

At the very least, you guys should be coming to the realization that the Packers expectation that players should take less to come here because of Aaron Rodgers is absurd. This is free agency in a sport where careers end in a blink. These guys need to get every penny they can on the open market. And so far the offers have been just like the ones Russ Ball has been writing for years.

Just keep on believing that I'm full of it though.

[OneTwoSixFive]

4 hours ago, Mr Anonymous said:

Now you tell me what's more likely, Gute thinks that by sheer volume of offers made, we'll get more players to sign the same lowball offers Russ Ball drew up under TT, and that's Gute's idea of being more aggressive? - OR- It's just as I've been saying and Gute would like to be more active in free agency with legitimate top of market offers but is forced to defer to Russ Ball and his ridiculously conservative ways.

Why do you think this is down to Russ Ball ? 

It could easily be Gute setting a top limit and Ball negotiating up to that capped amount (which will fail to secure a player if it is too low). It seems to me you just have a downer on Ball. At the very least you would expect Gute and Ball to have conversations about how much an offer should be, and agree to a maximum price. 

[MacReady]

9 hours ago, packerrfan74 said:

We can look at quantity or we can look at quality...

Jimmy Graham > Martellus Bennett or Lance Kendricks

Wilkerson > RJF

At this time last year, there would be a debate about Bennett/Graham as to which was better.  Bennett would be in the overwhelming lead as a blocker.  Let's not act like we landed WIlkerson from 5 years ago.  We landed the Wilkerson that led a mutiny against a Jets coaching staff last year and was among the all-lazy team in the NFL. 

We also added House instead of lost Randall and probably House. 

You can argue all you want, but AS OF RIGHT NOW, this offseason is worse than our last offseason.

We'll see how it turns out. 

8 hours ago, ArthurPensky said:

Actually you’re pretty wrong because Wilkerson and Graham are 2 of the 4 biggest free agents name signings in Green Bay over the past 2 decades. So, that would make it an active year relatively speaking.

 

No they aren't, and shame on you for suggesting they are.  Graham, at this point, is no different than Bennett, who we signed just last year.  Bennett was coming off a 55 catch, 7 TD season as a backup and 140 catches with 9 touchdowns over the previous two seasons to that.  Bennett was just as big a free agent signing.  The only reason he won't be remembered as such is because he quit on the Packers.  That leaves you with Wilkerson.  Wilkerson was not a bigger signing than Pickett, Woodson, Peppers... Everybody acting like Wilkerson is some huge free agent signing is way off and it's just sad.  A one year, 8 million dollar deal cannot under any circumstances be considered a big free agent signing.  He was released.  He had a horrible year last year.  He clearly wasn't in all that high of demand because any of the other teams that brought him in for a visit could have outbid us.  I obviously have no way to prove this, but I doubt Pettine was the deciding factor, and I'm pretty sure we were willing to give him the best one year deal. 

And using the Fuller situation is way off, too.  Not even Gute thought there was a good chance at signing Fuller, and if he did think there was a good chance, we've got a bigger problem than not signing a lot of free agents.

The one negative to Bennett's signing last year was his age over Cook's.  Graham is older than Bennett. The only difference between Bennett and Graham is playing style and a few million.  That's it.  Graham is not some massive departure.  Wilkerson is a risk we're all happy with, but it's a one year deal.  It's no different than Evans, than House... It's not even that different of a signing than Jeff Saturday.  We're just projecting the difference onto him because we anticipate he is going to have a hell of a year on a prove it deal. 

This offseason is not a major departure to free agency activity in Green Bay, and anyone saying otherwise knows that's the truth deep down. 

[Brit Pack]

2 hours ago, HorizontoZenith said:

At this time last year, there would be a debate about Bennett/Graham as to which was better.  Bennett would be in the overwhelming lead as a blocker.  Let's not act like we landed WIlkerson from 5 years ago.  We landed the Wilkerson that led a mutiny against a Jets coaching staff last year and was among the all-lazy team in the NFL. 

We also added House instead of lost Randall and probably House. 

You can argue all you want, but AS OF RIGHT NOW, this offseason is worse than our last offseason.

We'll see how it turns out. 

No they aren't, and shame on you for suggesting they are.  Graham, at this point, is no different than Bennett, who we signed just last year.  Bennett was coming off a 55 catch, 7 TD season as a backup and 140 catches with 9 touchdowns over the previous two seasons to that.  Bennett was just as big a free agent signing.  The only reason he won't be remembered as such is because he quit on the Packers.  That leaves you with Wilkerson.  Wilkerson was not a bigger signing than Pickett, Woodson, Peppers... Everybody acting like Wilkerson is some huge free agent signing is way off and it's just sad.  A one year, 8 million dollar deal cannot under any circumstances be considered a big free agent signing.  He was released.  He had a horrible year last year.  He clearly wasn't in all that high of demand because any of the other teams that brought him in for a visit could have outbid us.  I obviously have no way to prove this, but I doubt Pettine was the deciding factor, and I'm pretty sure we were willing to give him the best one year deal. 

And using the Fuller situation is way off, too.  Not even Gute thought there was a good chance at signing Fuller, and if he did think there was a good chance, we've got a bigger problem than not signing a lot of free agents.

The one negative to Bennett's signing last year was his age over Cook's.  Graham is older than Bennett. The only difference between Bennett and Graham is playing style and a few million.  That's it.  Graham is not some massive departure.  Wilkerson is a risk we're all happy with, but it's a one year deal.  It's no different than Evans, than House... It's not even that different of a signing than Jeff Saturday.  We're just projecting the difference onto him because we anticipate he is going to have a hell of a year on a prove it deal. 

This offseason is not a major departure to free agency activity in Green Bay, and anyone saying otherwise knows that's the truth deep down. 

6

The departure is that we were active on day 1 of free agency which I can never recall. If we didn't sign Mo and Graham when we did they wouldn't have been hanging around a week later.

In addition our name was thrown around for some of the bigger prized free agent CBs like Trumane Johnson, which at first I thought was a joke but if we were willing to commit some serious cash to Fuller I'm sure we were in the conversation for those guys too. They just choose different locations to play their ball in.

What I feel with Gute is he is not willing to fill the roster with average free agent talent, especially in a year with so many draft picks. It looks to me he is after game changers through free agency and if he can't get those he'll just draft and develop as per his mentor. 

[MacReady]

^And how do you know that the only difference isn't that we're vocal about the players we're interested in instead of quiet about it?

We heard not a single peep about Bennett.  We heard not a single peep about Peppers.  

[eyecatcher]

Not sure you can argue which FA year was better just by activity.  

2017 the Packers let TJ Lang, Micah Hyde, JC Tretter, Jared Cook, and Eddy Lacy walk.  They picked up Bennett, House early in FA.  RJF in the second wave, and Brooks late.  Not sure if I'm missing anyone.  

This year they released Jordy and signed two top FAs in Graham and Wilk.  They also traded Randall and improved mid round draft position and back-up QB.  They let Morgan Burnett walk.  

Until we see how the players work out this year I'd say the grade is incomplete.  At the midterm they get a B+  which is about where you'd have to have graded them last year at this point.  By the end of the season last years FA has to be graded no higher than a D where only House was any good.