Who do YOU want Ted Thompson to sign to the Packers?

With around $26.5M in cap space to play with, I feel we MUST sign -at least one- sure, veteran defender to this team. Two would be better. For me, I'd love to see OLB Brian Orakpo (top 3-4 OLB talent who plays the left side) and FS Jairus Byrd both signed and in Packer uniforms for 2014. Both players are 27 years old and in the prime of their careers.

http://nfltraderumors.co/2014-nfl-free-agents-top-50-list/ 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1905926-2014-nfl-free-agents-best-playmakers-set-to-hit-the-market 

The one defender I feel we must re-sign is Sam Shields. He is playing at a top CB level, and has incredible knowledge in our system. Beyond that, I would welcome some new, veteran blood with some upside. We need that on this defense, on this Packers team. This should have been done last offseason, as well as the one before that! Now is the time. Enough with strict Draft & Develop philosophies. These last 3 seasons have proven that does not work.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/12613/jairus-byrd 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/12439/brian-orakpo 

It does no good to torment ourselves. Uncle Teddy won't sign the player needed off the FA list. The only guys on that list I want to sign are the 4 Packer players.

---

He MUST sign at least one good defender this year wpr. He must. If he doesn't, I don't see how we improve this defense.

Our D is overall WAY too young, and we are about to lose two veterans in Pickett and Raji, maybe 3 if he doesn't pop for Shields, which I cannot imagine happening. Ted owes it to this team to do all he can to make it better. He hasn't done that these past 3 years, and we've seen those results.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13377/greg-hardy 

I am on your side big guy. I still doesn't see him manning up and popping for a quality starting FA. He will wait and pick through the leftovers. Maybe the guy will work out like Pick and Woody and maybe he will be released before the season begins.

---

I'd shit bricks if we got anyone worth a damn.

---

Right?

When we signed Pickett, he led the NFL in tackles for DL. We need an impact signing on our defense. It is LOOOOOONG overdue.

The positions on D that we can count on are bold:

LDE (vacant: BJ Raji)
NT Josh Boyd (uproven)
RDE Mike Daniels (***proven)
LOLB (vacant: Mike Neal)
LILB (vacant: Hawk should be upgraded)
MLB (vacant: Brad Jones should be upgraded)
ROLB Clay Matthews (***proven)
LCB Tramon Williams (***proven)
RCB Sam Shields (***proven, must be re-signed)
SS Morgan Burnett (could be a vacant position with his poor play, but he has a chance to improve)
FS (vacant: MD Jennings needs to go, Sean Richardson unproven)

That leaves a LOT of questions at 8 positions out of 11 on our D. Ted should address at least one if not two of those in FA this offseason IMO.

For what it's worth, Bob McGinn thinks the Packers are going to be more active in free agency. He's the best Packers beat reporter, so I usually pay attention to what he has to say.

I would let Mike Neal walk if the Packers could sign Jason Worilds.

---

I agree - lets get a Great LOLB and a decent safety and call it a day ...

Our corners arnt too bad ... as long as we get shields signed also ... Id trade for orakpo and a good safety and shields signed over pickett and raji - we'd just need to shore up the Dline with something decent

Doesn't Uncle Ted usually take a ten day vacation at the start of free agency? Yeah, any top free agent you guys can pull from deep within your rectums, will be long gone after the man with no tan gets back from chilling. It's like you are all at your first rodeo. Oyveyy!!!!!!

---

I know there are some who are hoping Ted gets involved in FA early this year, if he does, just don't see OLB'r being the position he will address.

There are 5 OLBr's currently under contract, Mike Neal can play both DL and OLB, I see Ted trying to sign Neal before going after any UFA that come on the market, even if Neal leaves, I don't see OLB as a high priority.

There are 3 ILBr's under contract for 2014, with Francois(UFA) and Lattimore(RFA), I don't see Francois coming back, unless a team offers Lattimore a huge deal, I see Ted matching any offer and bringing him back.

Even if Lattimore is signed that still leaves an ILB position open(figure 5), so depending who's available, Ted could go after a FA ILBr or use a high pick in the draft.

2014 Cap Projections

PLAYER....POS....BASE SALARY.....SIGN.BONUS.OTHER BONUS.DEAD MONEY.CAP FIGURE

C.Matthews.OLB..1,000,000..........4,100,000........6,000,000....(16,400,000)..11,100,000
Nick Perry...OLB..1,071,750.............973,500............................(3,018,750)...2,045,250
N. Palmer....OLB....495,000...............24,724................................(74,172)......519,724
A.Mulumba..OLB....495,000.................1,666.................................(3,334).......496,666
V.Aiyewa.....OLB....495,000...........................................................................495,000

A.J. Hawk.....ILB...2,450,000..........1,600,000........1,050,000.....(3,200,000)....5,100,000
B.Jones........ILB...2,500,000..........1,000,000...........500,000.....(2,000,000)....4,000,000
S.Barrington.ILB......495,000...............12,250...............................(36,750).......507,250

UFA's 2014

DE /OLB Mike Neal
ILB Robert Francois

RFA 2014
ILB Jamari Lattimore

And here's a cap hit breakdown by player for 2014(Zero post from other thread)
http://www.spotrac.com/n...ay-packers/cap-hit/2014/ 

Would be great if every year Ted could just dump guys who we as fans deem replaceable, but the reality is with The Salary cap, GM's have to make decisions on which players to sign and stick with those decisions so the team doesn't end up in Cap Hell.

---