When season starts all salaries count so I like to use the cap number accounting for 53 guys not 51.

141,532,816 was top 53 before Crosby signing. Silverstein tweeted that Crosby’s 2016 cap hit is 2.4M, so the net cap hit is 1.950M [As a 450K guy no longer counts] making top 53=143,482,816. GB has 162,223,847 of cap to spend for a net of 18,741,031.

After subtracting 2M for draft class and 7M in bank for season Ted Thompson has about 9.7M to spend and the only place we’re a little light is OLB. We need one more Perry or Neal quality type for rotational and injury protection.
Ted Thompson has another DLman in his sites. Guion’s deal is nothing more than Ted Thompson paying 500K to delay activating Guion’s contract until May 3. If cut before May 3, the 2016 cap hit is 167K [and 333K in 2017] and then the books will be flush with 3.3M more $$$. This could signal TT’s hope to get a FA DT; could also be to sign Raji after testing market and/or getting a certain stud DLman in the draft. And if Ted doesn’t get some other DTs then Guion gets his deal.

If it’s a FA DT, there’s a bunch that should bring down each others’ cost. The guy I like is Jaye Howard. He can play NT or 2, 3, 5 technique DE and would be awesome in the 2-4-5 next to Daniels and is purported to want $8M. He played great against our interior OL. With Howard in the DL rotation our ILBs will not have to be as good. KC wants him back badly; but they have other DL options, they need to sign Poe next year and have a bunch of FAs to sign and not enough cash for Howard. Jaye is a family man, loves to be embraced by the fandom in a tradition rich environment. He’d love to come to a place like GB where he can win and raise his family w/ smaller town Midwest values. He is a Florida kid, so hopefully the arctic weather don’t scare him. Only problem is he’d have to agree to sign after June 1, so Ted don’t lose his 4th rounder he gettin’ for Hayward.

BTW, a perfect example of the hidden cost of Free Agency. Picked by Seattle in 4th round of 2012; he was blocked because Seattle signed Alan Branch for 2yrs 8M in 2012. Howard was cut before 2013 season; another big goof by the hyper-aggressive stupid Schneider.

I am all in favor of an upgrade over Raji. But since we know Uncle Teddy doesn't go after FAs, if we are going to dream let's dream big.

Put Broncos Danny Trevathan in the middle and move CM3 back outside. They no longer have to try and sign both Neal and Perry at "Packer's Discount Prices".

After that Jaye Howard
Derrick Shelby, Miami Dolphins defensive end
Charles Johnson, Carolina Panthers defensive end
Ladarius Green, San Diego Chargers tight end
Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts tight end
Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins running back


Long long long shot- Bank Aldon Smith, Oakland Raiders OLB for 2017.

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The one (two) positions that are strong in this years draft is DE and DT.

I really don't see Ted going after a FA when there is a very good possibility that he can get a couple of big guys in the draft that will be able to join the rotation almost immediatley.

I'm not familiar with what LBr's(inside or outside) that are available as FA's, but unless something really strange happens in the draft, I think Ted could upgrade the ILB position via FA.

Again he may be comfortable with the guys coming back and will ignore that position like he has so many times before. 😁

The one thing you can count on is that Ted WILL NOT jump into the FA frenzy the 1st week or maybe even the second week.

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We'll get at least 1 guy from FA. We always get somebody, he's just usually not someone everybody's talking about.

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I agree with what buckeye said re: free agency approach. DL is really top heavy in this draft. Including the usual "tweeter" DE/OLB types, here's probably 20-22 that will go in the first three rounds, about 15 of which would be instant upgrade over Raji, Neal, and/or Perry.

Even if he makes zero trades, Ted Thompson should get at least one of them. And if he finagles another top-100 pick, he could easily get two.

I really hope he doesn't sign any of Raji/Neal/Perry before the draft unless he is planning to trade them on draft day. None should get any more than Guion gets, IMO.

LBs on the other hand, especially inside LBs, are slim pickings in this year's draft. ILB (and OL, of course) is where I'd be working free agency hard.

I don't expect anything, though, unless there is some ILB/OL that lasts surprisingly late like Woodson, Pickett, and Peppers. As Buckeye said, Ted ain't playing in the first week and probably ain't playing in the second either.

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Money should be spent on Trevathon and shore that position up once and for. He is a 3 down ILB, which we haven't had in GB for a very long time. The rest of the front seven can be filled in with our own free agents on home town discounts because I doubt any of them get better offers anywhere else.

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I've always liked Perry. Put him on a pitch count to keep him healthy. It's worked with Starks and some other guys. Can't break the bank on him though, until he proves he can stay healthy and perform at the high level he exhibits on those rare occasions of healthiness.

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I'd like to see Perry back. Peppers isn't going to get any better and Perry was already the best edge setter vs the run we had even when he's hurt. When healthy he's good vs the run and can bring a pass rush. If some other team puts on the playoff tape of him abusing a top 5 LT this year and gives him big money then let him go but if his market isn't going crazy we should try and get him back. Heck we've been paying what 4m for Neal to not be nearly as good as Perry can be the last couple seasons.

CAP UPDATE: I forgot about GB signing ERFAs Banjo and Perillo, that’ll knock about 400K off cap leaving us only $9.3M to spend.

In 2006 the day FA signing could start was March 3 and Pickett was signed March 17. In 2014 it was March 11 and Peppers was sign on March 15. So if Ted Thompson fires, he could do it early; but if early it will ONLY be for a non-compensatory dude; unless in the highly unlikely event the guy is so special Ted Thompson don’t mind losing a 4th!

[Woodson wasn’t signed until April 27 in 2006, but we don’t know if Ted Thompson made his offer earlier and Wood was just waiting]

I don’t think there’s any doubt GB is going to [try to] draft a 3-4 DLman early; but this guy will probably need to be redshirted. Unless they have their sights set on a guy or 2 who shows great football acumen like R.Rodgers and Randell, who will likely exceed normal expectations for learning.

Right now we got Guion on “reserve contract,” and Daniels, Boyd, Pennell, Ringo, Campbell and McBryde. And maybe Dante Jones if he’s not an OLB. Good stuff has been said about Ringo; but I never heard of a practice squad salary bump indicating someone was trying pilfer him, so I’ll believe it when I see it and Boyd could come back like Barclay; half the man he was. With Pennell suspended for 4, this is an area of a little concern. And think this: what if Daniels gets hurt?

So if we drafted a DLman, there is still room for a good FA DLman worthy of bumping Guion’s contract.