Hyde reportedly to be an every-down player for Packers in 2014

Second year Safety Micah Hyde will be an every-down player for the Packers in 2014, NFL.com's Chris Wesseling reports. Last season, Hyde forced two fumbles for the defense, half of the team's total. 

Now while some could see this decision to be a little weird, I have nothing wrong with it. Hyde looked alright last year, so he might as well be given a chance. The team can put him at the position for most of the third preseason game (the one that starters actually play in), and if he's good they can keep him and if he's bad they can just put him at CB again.  

Finley failed Seahawks physical

According to the Packers Official Site, Free Agent Tight End Jermichael Finley (neck) failed the recent physical he took with the Seahawks. This news isn't surprising, as we all already know that Finley left the team without a deal and still hasn't been cleared by anyone to play, but still, it did happen and I guess it's kind of interesting to know about. 

Anyway, the article goes on to state that it's unknown whether or not the 'Hawks will bring #88 back for a re-check, so yea, I guess this whole thing isn't quite over yet. It's getting there, though.

Matthews (thumb) going to be fine

Packers LB Clay Matthews, who injured his thumb in last season's 38-31 Week 16 loss to the Steelers, is going to be fine, the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Mike Vandermause reports. The injury, which forced Matthews out of the team's last two games of the year (and 4 more weeks before that), was obviously a huge burden on team throughout the winter, so yea, this news is obviously pretty good for the Pack. It doesn't necessarily guarantee them that #52 will be ready when training camp comes around, but still, it's definitely better than another headline saying he's still somehow hurt. 

McCarthy: "I'd like to have Matt (Flynn) back"

In an article recently published by NBC Sports' Curtis Crabtree, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy was quoting say that he wants last year's backup QB, Matt Flynn, back.

“I'd like to have Matt back,” McCarthy said. “I thought Matt was a good addition to our football team. I have great respect and admiration for him, just being around him a lot on a positional basis. Yeah, I’m hoping financially it works out.”

So yea, it appears McCarthy has finally come to the logical conclusion here that, no matter how bad Flynn gets, the Packers have to sign him. I mean, it's him or Tolzein, isn't it?

Bears replace Peppers; sign Jared Allen to 4-year deal

According to ESPN and many other sources, the Bears, just a little over a week since they lost Julius Peppers to the Packers, signed their replacement DE yesterday, inking former Viking Jared Allen to a 4-year, $32 million deal. Earlier this offseason, Allen threatened the world with retirement if he didn't get the big contract he wanted, so yea, it appears his weird strategy worked. 

Anyway, while this news definitely is big I still don't it'll matter that much. I mean, if Jay Cutler struggles this season like he usually does it won't matter who's standing on the other side of the ball, so why is the media treating this like it somehow guarantees something?

2014 NFL Draft: Packers Receive Two Compensatory Picks

While the Packers have drafted a couple star players (WR Randall Cobb, RB Eddie Lacy) in recent years, along with a few other starters, only four members of the 2011 draft class remain (and one of those players is Derek Sherrod) and only four from 2012. So while the addition of compensatory draft picks is welcomed, there's no guarantee they'll use them wisely. Though one of those picks is pretty good:

#Packers receive two compensatory draft picks: 3rd and a 5th. Third is for Greg Jennings and 5th is for Erik Walden.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 24, 2014

Jennings is still a useful receiver and I'm on the fence whether I'd rather have him or a third round pick. Having received anything in return for Erik Walden is a steal. The picks are 98th and 176th overall.

It's pure guesswork who the Packers might target in those spots, and these selections cannot be traded, but here are the types of players who might be available.

C Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas. He's currently ranked as the 98th best player on CBSSports.com. If you're missing Evan Dietrich-Smith and you're not quite sure about J.C. Tretter as the center of the future, than he might be an appealing selection. Being tall helps at center, and at 6-5 and 312 pounds, Swanson certainly has the size to play in the NFL. He's athletic, but not very fast or very strong, which is why he isn't ranked higher. He has potential.

WR Bruce Ellington, WR, South Carolina. He's short (5-9) and a bit of a project, but he's fast and currently ranked as the 99th best player at CBSSports.com. Interestingly, he's compared to Randall Cobb. He actually could be a good fit for the Packers, who need another receiver after the free agent loss of James Jones, but only as a No. 4 or 5. He'd be a good fit as someone who could potentially contribute on special teams while he learns the offensive system.

Who knows who they'll find at 176th overall, but I easily found two quality prospects at No. 98 who could help the Packers in the future so imagine what GM Ted Thompson will do with it.

Peppers to have "multiple roles" in 2014 defense

Recently-signed Defensive End Julius Peppers will have "multiple roles" in the Packers 2014 defense, ESPN Wisconsin's Jason Wilde reports. Apparently, Peppers will practice with the team's LineBackers this season, yet will play more positions than just that. 

So yea, it's starting to look like the ex-Bear won't be the same kinda player this year as he's been in the past. I guess that'll be a little strange at first, but as he long as he contributes his fair share (he'll probably have to do more than just that) I could care less where exactly he's standing on the defensive line.

Kuhn Update: Packers still talking to the FB

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tyler Dunne, the Packers are still "in talks" with Free Agent FB John Kuhn. In 7 seasons with the team, Kuhn has rushed for 488 yards and 12 TDs, which, will not great, is definitely good enough to deserve a job in my opinion. 

Anyway, Dunne's article goes on to state that Kuhn is also talking to other teams, meaning that if the Packers want this guy they gotta go get him now. That's kinda unfortunate, but if you wait for weeks to make a move on a guy then it really isn't that surprising.

Should the Packers consider signing Mark Sanchez?

I know this idea sounds stupid (it probably is), but considering that Matt Flynn has yet to be re-signed and it's unlikely that the Packers will just go with that Scott Tolzein guy as their backup this season, it could actually happen. I mean, recently-released Jet Mark Sanchez, whether you like him or not, is probably the best QB currently available, as he's got two conference championship game appearances under his belt, so yea, why shouldn't the Packers at least give him a look? Sure, he's inconsistent, but remember, the chances are strong that they'll probably never have to use him. 

Finley "at least two months away" from signing with a team

Free Agent TE Jermichael Finley is "at least two months away" from being able to sign with an NFL team, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn reports. Apparently, Finley is still pretty far from being medically cleared to play, meaning that for the time being nobody is going to acquire him. 

So yea, I guess that whole Finley-to-the-Seahawks thing has pretty much fallen apart. That doesn't guarantee that #88 will return to Green Bay, but I guess it's still good news. In my opinion, this guy still has a lot of years left in him, so if he has to miss one or half-of-one to get healthy then I guess he might as well.

Marshall Newhouse Has Signed With The Bengals

Marshall Newhouse looked like a promising young tackle in 2010-2011, but he didn't progress in 2012 and he completely fell apart in 2013. I'm not surprised the Packers made no attempt to re-sign him:

Bengals signed OT Marshall Newhouse, an unrestricted free agent who played 47 games with 31 starts for Green Bay over the last four seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2014

He is a young player with a lot of experience as a starter, but he got benched for a reason. It wouldn't have taken too much for him to have moved ahead of either David Bakhtiari or Don Barclay last season (both players had a negative grade in 2013 according to Pro Football Focus). With the likely return of both Derek Sherrod and Bryan Bulaga next season, the Packers didn't need Newhouse to provide depth either.

Meanwhile the Bengals just lost their backup tackle to the Buccaneers. The 2014 draft class at tackle isn't deep, so he might be useful to them next season. If he survives training camp.

Details of James Starks' contract released

The details of Packers RB James Starks' 2-year contract have been released, and really, there's a lot more money involved in this deal than I expected. Apparently, Starks will make $750k this year and $1.175 million next year in base salary, while also collecting another $725k as a signing bonus. 

So yea, it looks like #44 is getting pretty rich off this contract that just makes him a backup. Don't know if I really like giving up all that money so that he can sit on the bench for 95% of the game, but since it keeps him around for depth and costs just $1.37 million against the salary cap I guess it's worth it.

Former Packers CB Woodson signs another one-year deal with Oakland

According to NFL.com's Lance Cartelli, Free Agent CB Charles Woodson, who played with the Packers from 2006-2012, has signed another one year deal with the Raiders. Woodson played the first 8 years of his career with Oakland, before returning to them last season. 

Earlier this offseason, Woodson was quoted saying that he was giving "serious consideration" to retirement, although now it's pretty obvious that that's not actually the case. Whether or not that's a good thing for the Raiders is still unknown, although really, it doesn't matter to us. The Packers are in the NFC, so I guess this news doesn't actually effect them.

Former Bears WR Hester wants $4 million a year

Free Agent WR Devin Hester, who was released by the Bears earlier this offseason, is apparently asking for a contract paying around $4 million a year, NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk reports. In his career, Hester has returned 18 punts/kickoffs for touchdowns, the most in NFL History. 

So yea, if that report is accurate, then I guess the Packers might as well go get this guy. He may cost them a lot of money, but who cares? With him on the team Cobb wouldn't have to act as a return man, which is something that would really help him stay healthy. 

Reaction: Packers re-sign James Starks

As you all know by now, the Packers re-signed RB James Starks on Monday to a two-year deal, which really surprised me. I mean, I knew they were remaining in contact with him, but with the all of the other teams showing interest (most notably the Steelers) I just assumed that #44 would get more money elsewhere. Well, apparently that wasn't the case. Probably a negative thing for him, but an overall positive for the Packers. Now when/if Lacy gets hurt, they'll have a solid backup there to fill in, which is something that we really can't undermine the importance of.

James Jones To The Raiders; James Starks Back With The Pack

I thought the Packers had a chance of re-signing WR James Jones because other teams might have some (legitimate) concerns that he'd struggle without QB Aaron Rodgers. But it turned out that one team (the Raiders) had some money still burning in a hole in their pocket:

Raiders gave former Packers WR James Jones a three-year, $11.3M deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2014

That's a slight increase over his previous contract. It was rumored earlier this month that Jones might like to return to the West Coast and I floated the Raiders as a possible target. He doesn't fill a major need but having another wide receiver won't hurt them either. With the emergence of WR Jarrett Boykin, and the need to save some salary cap room for future extensions with WR Randall Cobb and WR Jordy Nelson, it left Jones as the odd man out. He's been a solid player for them, I was hoping they would re-sign him, but I can understand why they let him leave.

However, I did not see this latest re-signing coming:

Packers now expected to bring back RB James Starks on a two-year deal, per source; deal considered imminent.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2014

I've got nothing against bringing him back, he's a powerful runner when healthy, but he joins a crowded collection of back-ups behind RB Eddie Lacy. With the starting job settled and a collection of other solid reserves in hand, I expected Starks to find a new home in 2014.

The money shouldn't be an issue, but I doubt they'll keep four running backs on the roster. I wouldn't expect them to give up on RB Johnathan Franklin and they loved RB DuJuan Harris. Of course, both of them finished the season on I.R. and Harris didn't even make it to the start of the season. Starks will provide depth in case of injury, but if all four backs are healthy at the start of next season, one of them not named Lacy will probably be released.

Jets showing interest in WR James Jones

According to the New York Daily News, the Jets are expressing "real interest" in Packers WR James Jones. In 7 seasons with Green Bay, Jones has been pretty good, catching 310 passes for a total of 4,305 yards, making him an attractive replacement for the recently-released Santonio Holmes. 

Now while I personally don't want Jones back with the Cheeseheads, I guess this news is pretty good for him. I mean, he's obviously not a great receiver, but he's still good enough to deserve a job somewhere notable (yea, the Jets are terrible, but still, people care about them), isn't he? 

Packers Signed Former Viking DT Letroy Guion

All the big name signings are over and it's just bargain shopping from now until the draft. The Packers are kicking the tires on former Vikings DT Letroy Guion:

Guion's deal is for 1 year, could be worth up to $1 million. Base of $730K. SB of $100K plus weekly roster bonuses, per a source. #Packers
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 17, 2014

At that price, there's no guarantee he even makes the opening week roster. The Vikings had been using him at nose tackle since 2010, and he hasn't been very good in that role. However, with B.J. Raji expected to play NT, the Packers probably have a different role in mind for Guion and Pro Football Focus noted that he was useful as a sub in 2010.

He's still young (he'll turn 27 this summer), he only missed five games over the past four seasons, and he fits with their rumored interest in finding smaller, athletic defensive lineman (he weighs just over 300 lbs.). He has the potential to be a useful role player next season, and his contract won't be a problem if they decide to go with someone else.

Peppers: "I still have a lot left in the tank"

Shortly after news broke that he had signed with the team on Saturday, Packers DE Julius Peppers responded to the criticism he was already getting for supposedly being too old to contribute. 

“I have a lot left in the tank," Peppers told Packers.com. "I have a lot left to give, a lot left to offer. I want to show people I can still play the game at a high level."

Now in my opinion, only time will tell how good/bad this guy will be these next three seasons, but still, I think him making the defense at least slightly better is a guarantee. I mean, he's been great for years, and, had Kuhn not blocked him on that last play, would've been the guy who saved Chicago's season, so yea, he certainly looks like a guy who can perform under pressure.

Finley has apparently left Seattle without a deal

Free Agent TE Jermichael Finley, who reportedly agreed to sign with the Seahawks pending medical approval earlier this week, has left Seattle without a deal, NBCSports.com's Mike Florio reports. Whether or not this proves that the contract fell apart is still unknown, although if you're like me and want #88 back it's definitely better news than him just signing. 

So yea, like I just said, it's tough to know what this means, so I guess we'll just have to wait a little longer. I mean, it's not like this announcement is gonna take the entire offseason to be made or anything.

The Packers Signed Julius Peppers And I'm Stunned

I had high hopes a few weeks ago that the Packers might make a splash in free agency, but after the first couple days it looked like they might be focused on re-signing their own and doing some bargain shopping over the next couple weeks. Instead GM Ted Thompson made one of his biggest free agent signings in years:

Filed to ESPN: Agent Carl Carey adds Julius Peppers' 3-year deal to Green Bay is "for $30M max, $7.5M guaranteed & $8.5M in tot 1st yr sal."
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 15, 2014

He wasn't the same pass rusher in 2013, and he wasn't worth the base salary the Bears were scheduled to pay him in 2014. Though it probably didn't help him last season that the Bears had virtually no one to provide a pass rush last season. The Bears released him instead of kicking his contract obligations into a future year, and they're taking an $8.4 million salary cap hit in 2014 for his release. But they did sign M.D. Jennings!

Peppers is getting older (34 this season) but he's been very durable. It doesn't look like he's missed a game since 2007 and health has value. His pass rusher ranking in 2012 was much better according to Pro Football Focus, back when he got help from DT Henry Melton, and it'll surely help both him and LB Clay Matthews to be lining up opposite from each other next season.

I expect he'll be starting at defensive end in their 3-4 set and I can't imagine him lining up at outside linebacker. He'll probably rotate with last year's first round pick DE Datone Jones, alongside NT B.J. Raji and DE Mike Daniels with 2012 second round pick DE Jerel Worthy also in the mix. On obvious passing downs, they might move Peppers inside along with Daniels, while Matthews and LB Nick Perry rush from the ends. And DE/LB Mike Neal will be lining up somewhere as a wild card.

The Packers really needed a pass rusher for the defensive line, and though he might be on the decline, they got one in Julius Peppers. He's also their biggest free agent signing (from another team) since CB Charles Woodson in 2006. They didn't overpay for him either (he got a lot less guaranteed money than DE/LB Demarcus Ware, and only $250k more than the Bucs paid to Evan Dietrich-Smith). This might not look nearly as good in a couple years, but right now I'm excited thinking about how he'll help the Packers next season.

Packers Lose Dietrich-Smith; JC Tretter Expected To Start At Center

I was in favor of re-signing C Evan Dietrich-Smith, but that was a contract the Packers wisely passed up. At four years and $7.25 million guaranteed, this will be a contract that leads to some dead salary cap money in a couple years. While he was very good in 2013, he's not worth that kind of money. He's also one year removed from receiving little interest in the free agent market, and he was previously released by the Packers back in 2010.

Second year player JC Tretter is expected to be the starting center, which was the position I expected him to play when they drafted him last year, and he should be fine alongside two veterans; Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, who are two of the reasons Dietrich-Smith played so well last season in the first place.

Back in 2011, when Scott Wells played alongside Sitton and Lang, Wells was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the No. 4 overall center. He's had some injury problems over the past couple years, but in 2012 he was ranked near the bottom of the league (even below former Packer Jeff Saturday) and in 2013 he was ranked No. 23 (below average). He's clearly missed played in front of QB Aaron Rodgers and alongside Sitton and Lang (both ranked among the Top 15 guards in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus). They'll help make this a smooth transition for Tretter, and I expect he'll be ranked higher next season than Dietrich-Smith will be in Tampa.

Packers Center Dietrich-Smith signs 4-year deal with Buccaneers

According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, Packers Center Evan Dietrich-Smith, who has played each of his first 4 NFL seasons with the team, has signed a 4-year deal worth a total of $14.25 million ($3.6 million a year) with the other bay team: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Thanksgiving Day 2011, Dietrich-Smith was the victim of the infamous Ndamukong Suh stopping incident, which resulted in Suh being suspended for two games and the rivalry between the two teams officially getting re-born. 

So yea, while having a bunch of nice things to say about a Center is pretty difficult, I guess this guy'll be missed. I mean, he was loyal and solid, wasn't he?

2014 Free Agency: Packers Re-Sign Quarless and Raji

GM Ted Thompson never signs anybody who played for another team, but he has continued with his strong track record of re-signing his own players.

Most recently, B.J. Raji agreed to the deal that he said he's not interested in:

Raji deal expected to be worth around $4 million. Could be ncentives. It means TT has spent $16M in cap space on retaining five of his own.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 14, 2014

and TE Andrew Quarless:

Quite a bargain price, no? RT @TomPelissero Andrew Quarless signed a 2-year, $3M deal with #Packers. $350K bonus. Bases of $800K, $1.3M.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) March 13, 2014

Depending how the next few days go for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, no player probably made a bigger blunder than Raji, who turned down $20 million guaranteed before eventually signing for $4 million. He was awful last season, but there's just no downside at one-year and $4 million for the Packers.

I'm not a big fan of Quarless, he was very disappointing last season but I was probably hoping for too much from him. However, this contract is even more modest than it looks, with the larger base salary coming in 2015. At just over $1 million in 2014, he's getting paid like a backup, though he could be a solid starter if his run blocking returns to pre-2011 form. He looks like a steal considering the contract the Lions just handed out to an inferior TE; Brandon Pettigrew. I'd still love to see them sign TE Owen Daniels as their main pass receiving tight end. Then Quarless would be a solid No. 2 based on his 2013 production and 2014 price tag.

Finley reportedly about to sign with Seahawks

Free Agent TE Jermichael Finley, who has played each of his first six NFL seasons in Green Bay, will be signed by the Seahawks if he is medically cleared for contact, NFL.com's Dan Hanzus reports. Apparently, the two sides met earlier this week, expressing mutual interest. 

So yea people, it looks like Thompson completely blew this one. I mean Finley, in my opinion, has about a 99% chance of being good this season, yet the Packers front office just assumed that his neck injury was never going to heal. And now, well, that doesn't appear to be the case. So yea Thompson, it looks you just let one of the best Tight Ends in the league go to major conference rival. I hope you're happy.

2014 Free Agency: Packers Re-Sign Mike Neal

I wasn't in favor of having the Green Bay Packers re-sign DE/LB Mike Neal because I thought he might get a big offer from another team since he's young and recorded 9.5 sacks over the last two seasons. Some other team might get stars in their eyes and think he can be even better in their system with more playing time. He really isn't an outside linebacker and I'd rather they try and find a real outside linebacker in free agency.

But Neal didn't find much of a market in free agency. Maybe other teams didn't know what to think of him either, and he re-signed with the Packers at a modest price with $2.5 million guaranteed.

Mike Neal Reportedly Gets $8 Million Over Two Years http://t.co/ik1oo8cTIJ #packers
— Cheesehead TV (@cheeseheadtv) March 13, 2014

Neal's best role is probably as a backup who can line-up anywhere when DC Dom Capers wants to bring an extra pass rusher. That seems to be what the Packers have in mind, based on what Jason Wilde wrote. He shouldn't start on the defensive line because that seemed to aggravate his knees, and he shouldn't start at outside linebacker because he was terrible at holding the edge against the run. I don't want to see him dropping back into pass coverage on a regular basis either. But as a situational pass rusher who they can line up at various positions, he's worth $8 million.

While GM Ted Thompson hasn't been known for paying $4 million annually for a backup player, they have so much salary cap room in 2014 (and it'll be hard for a two-year deal to cause future salary cap problems) that this contract is a good one.

Reaction: "Fail Mary" Safety Jennings signs with Bears

According to The Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer, Free Agent Safety M.D. Jennings, who has played each of his first three NFL years with the Packers (making headlines during 2012's "Fail Mary" game against the Seahawks), has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears. Last season, Jennings collected a solid 74 tackles for Green Bay, yet did not manage to intercept a single pass. 

So yea, while those 74 tackles are alright, I don't think this guy leaving will really end up mattering that much. I mean let's be honest, he was never a superstar, so why would it?

2014 NFL Free Agency: Packers Sitting By The Sidelines (Which Is A Good Thing)

There were some huge contracts handed out to offensive lineman and safeties on the first day of free agency, which is the Dumbest Day of the NFL Year, so it's probably a good idea that the Packers stayed away. They did their part earlier by overpaying for CB Sam Shields. They need to make some moves in free agency, but hopefully it'll be after the prices have gone down. There are still a lot of good free agents available and here's the ever updating list to prove it.

Anyway, onto what the Packers actually did:

And the Chicago Bears announce they've signed #Packers safety M.D. Jennings to a one-year contract.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) March 12, 2014

I was a little surprised the Packers didn't tender a contract to Jennings because they usually make an offer to all of their restricted free agents. It's a clear sign they didn't even think he was worth a million bucks and proof positive that he had zero chance of starting next season. In some way his signing by Bears makes a lot of sense because Jennings sometimes played the wrong coverage (which sometimes led to his benching) and the Bears' defensive backs all played the wrong coverage on the game losing touchdown pass to WR Randall Cobb, so the Bears seem to have a fondness for defensive backs who aren't sure what play was called (sarcasm). The Packers need a solution at safety and Jennings wasn't it.

However, I was surprised that they did tender a contract to LB Jamari Lattimore. It's a low one, but probably good enough to keep him in Green Bay. I doubt another team would negotiate a contract with him knowing the Packers would match it. I'm glad to see him return, but I didn't think the Packers would want to pay him $1.431 million to be a backup. He's now clearly in the mix for a starting job in 2014.

TE Jermichael Finley and C Evan Dietrich-Smith are making visits to Seattle and Tampa, respectively, but nothing appears eminent. The Bears might be interested in DE/LB Mike Neal. Meanwhile the Jets might be interested in WR James Jones. I do like TE Owen Daniels, who's expected to visit with the Packers, but I doubt he'd come cheap.

Hester, Bears parting ways

After 7 successful seasons, the Bears and star WR Devin Hester are parting ways, ESPN.com and multiple other sources report. In those 7 seasons, Hester was, needless to say, pretty good, racking up 217 receptions (2,807 yards) while appearing in a nice 3 Pro Bowls.

Now while he is a rival, we all have to acknowledge that Hester is pretty good. So yea, I think the Packers should make a run at him. I mean, if not too many teams are interested, then why not? His career's not over yet, and not to mention, it'd break all the annoying Bears fans' hearts, wouldn't it?

7 teams have apparently contacted Andrew Quarless

7 NFL Teams, whose names have not yet been released, have apparently contacted Packers TE Andrew Quarless, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. If the Packers don't get a deal done with Quarless by 3:00 pm CT this afternoon, he'll become an unrestricted free agent, so yea, this news is kinda important. 

Now really, I could care less whether or not the Packers get Quarless back, but still, I must say I'm surprised that #81's getting as much attention as he is. I mean, in his career he's never exactly been a super star, so just what exactly is making all these teams want him so much?

Packers showing interest in Ravens DE Arthur Jones

The Packers, along with the Titans, Redskins, Giants, and Vikings, are currently rumored to be showing interest in Ravens Defensive End Arthur Jones, NFLTradeRumors.com reports. Last season, Jones was easily one of the best Defense Lineman in the league, racking up an impressive 53 tackles (5 tackles for a loss) and 4 sacks in just 14 games. 

Now if Green Bay can get this guy, I don't see why they shouldn't. He'd help out the defense while costing them a bunch of money, but they still got a lot left. It's like they're anywhere near being broke or anything.

Kuhn to become a free agent; will still negotiate with Packers

According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, Packers FB John Kuhn will hit the market as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Despite that, Kuhn and the Packers are apparently still going to negotiate with each other, meaning that no, he isn't definitely gone. 

So yea, it's tough to judge what this news means. Are the Packers letting him hit the market due to a lack of interest, or are they just struggling to get a deal done with him at this time? For the sake of the team's future at the position, let's hope the latter is correct here, because if Kuhn doesn't return this fall Green Bay will be stuck with that rookie Ina Liaina guy. 

Packers Gone Wild: Shields For Four Years and $39 Million

What do CB Darrelle Revis and CB Sam Shields have in common? They're soon to be the two highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL. That doesn't make any sense.

If the Packers hadn't re-signed Shields, then they would have had a big roster spot to fill. They could have replaced him with CB Davon House, or maybe CB Casey Hayward could have take over for Shields and CB Micah Hyde could have played in the slot. But Hyde might be needed at safety, Hayward still has to prove he's healthy, and House was inconsistent last season. Re-signing Shields, or replacing him with a similar player, was a priority. Having said that...

For the first time that I can remember, GM Ted Thompson overpaid for his man. Thompson is usually good at re-signing guys at market value with less guaranteed money than similar players, but not this time. Comparable cornerbacks like Tim Jennings and Sean Smith were signed for four-years and $22 million. Brent Grimes, who's a better player though a few years older, recently re-signed for four-years and $32 million. The salary cap is going way up in 2014. Maybe it's going to be a crazy free agent market. Maybe the Packers are getting ahead of the curve and the numbers that are going to be offered to cornerbacks like Vontae Davis, DRC, and Alterraun Verner are going to be even higher. But that's a lot of maybes, and maybe prices will skyrocket only because the Packers overpaid for Shields in the first place.

This contract looks bad. It's like something Jerry Jones would do; overpay to re-sign his own player because he's gotten too attached and he believes that his player is only going to get better. I'd be really surprised if Shields lives up to this contract.

Packers sign Shields to 4-year, $39 million deal http://t.co/xfJnkTIEed pic.twitter.com/CiK5tpnWpS
— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) March 9, 2014

Raji apparently not interested in the Packers recent offer

Soon-to-be Free Agent DE B.J. Raji is apparently not interested in the Packers recent offer for 1 year and $4 million, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein and Bob McGinn report. As recently as yesterday, multiple sources, including Bleacher Report, ESPN, and NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk, were reporting that the two sides were very close to a new deal, although now I think it's obvious that that wasn't actually the case.

So yea, I guess the Packers might end up dodging the bullet here. No guarantees of course, but still, they might. I mean, isn't that something to celebrate?

Reaction: Packers, Raji close to reaching a new deal

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers and DE B.J. Raji, whose time in Green Bay has been assumed by many to be over, are close to reaching a new deal. The deal wouldn't be that big, as it would reportedly only be for 1 year and $4 million, but still, it's happening. I don't know why, but it is.

Anyway, if this whole thing does it get done Raji would end up making $500,000 less this season than he did last year, which, considering how bad he was, doesn't make much sense. I mean come on, he's not worth that much money. In my opinion, he doesn't deserve more than $1 million due to his lack of production.

ESPN Reports Packers To Re-Sign B.J. Raji

As Rod Demovsky notes in his ESPN article, B.J. Raji's agent has certainly been working for weeks to determine his client's worth. If he does sign a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers, then the news must have been discouraging.

Examining why B.J. Raji would do a 1-year deal with the #Packers. A move back to NT might be part of it. http://t.co/8UASz2QlR8
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 6, 2014

I've really been down on Raji for the past few months, and I couldn't even come up with a good reason to re-sign him. I was ready to let him walk. Having said that, if Raji is willing to accept a reported one-year deal for $4 million, there is absolutely no harm in giving it to him.

A one-year deal would only take up part of their massive 2014 salary cap space, and it comes with no risk of dead money in the future, if he's released, even with a $4 million price tag (which probably won't be fully guaranteed anyway).

He won't make the defense better on his own, but when the defensive unit as a whole played better during the 2012 season, Raji's play improved. A return to nose tackle would indicate that the Packers have officially given up on him as a pass rusher, he hasn't been getting after the QB since September 2011, but they do need someone other than just Josh Boyd to man the position next season.

I'm not expecting Raji to turn his career around at this point, but at this price, it's worth it to keep him around in 2014 to see if he can do it.

Packers to go after TE Garret Graham if he becomes a Free Agent

The Packers are planning on pursuing Texans TE Garret Graham if he hits free agency, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reports. Last season, Graham had a career year for 2-14 Houston, a terrible team with terrible quarterbacks, catching a solid 49 passes for 545 yards. 

Now while those numbers overall are pretty good, I'm still not sure that this guy, or any TE about to hit the market, is worth signing. I mean, Jermichael Finley could still play in 2014, so shouldn't the Pack at least try to find out his statues for this fall before they just completely replace him? 

James Jones eyeing Packers, Colts, Chargers as possible 2014 destinations

In an article recently published by NFL.com, soon-to-be free agent WR James Jones let the world know what teams he'd like to go to this fall. 

"I've thought about places that I would like to go play, whether it's in Indy or there's coming back home, San Diego or somewhere," Jones said. "Teams have popped up in my head. I can't say I haven't thought about it, but in a perfect world I'd love to go back (to Green Bay)."

Well, unfortunetally for him that last sentence is unlikely to come true. So yea, I guess now he's heading to either the Colts or the Chargers. I mean, if he truly wants to play for them, then I can't imagine why they wouldn't at least give him a look.

The Packers Did Not Use The Franchise Tag on Any Free Agent

This isn't a surprise to me, the Packers don't have a free agent worthy of it, but GM Ted Thompson didn't use either the franchise or transition tag on any of his players.

Shields, Raji closer to free agency after #Packers decline to use tags. http://t.co/NtfXDORd2e
— Packers News (@PGPackersNews) March 3, 2014

The reason only four teams used the franchise tag is that the 2014 numbers are crazy. In Shields case, he'd be in line for almost $12 million in 2014, when the reality is that he's worth about $6 million per season. CB Brent Grimes was a lot better than Shields last season, he was ranked by Pro Football Focus as the league's 2nd best CB last season while Shields was ranked 52nd, and Grimes received $8 million per season. Even he wasn't getting the franchise tag.

I don't think any team is going to go crazy for a cornerback because there are a lot of good free agents to choose from (Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Alterraun Verner, to name a few). Shields was ranked much higher by Pro Football Focus in 2012, but that season he also played on fewer snaps (606 in 2012, 900 in 2013) . He might be a player who does better in a rotation, which means he's not a shutdown corner, and he might not even be an every down player. These aren't reasons not to re-sign him, but there reasons why he's not going to get a huge free agent contract.

Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel has NFL sources while I have none, but if Silverstein's hearing that B.J. Raji might be offered a free agent contract worth $9 million a year, then those sources are nuts. Did they watch him last season? He was almost the last rated 3-4 DE according to Pro Football Focus in 2013, and while he was much better in 2012, they rated him as the worst defensive tackle in 2011. There's simply no way he should be taking up 15% of their cap space with a $9 million annual contract. I'm not sure I want him back at any price.

So deciding not to use the franchise tag on either player was a good business decision, and GM Ted Thompson is known for making good business decisions. Declining the franchise tag was just part of the process before they hopefully re-sign Shields.

Thompson "would like" to have Sam Shields back

For the second time in a week, a major man in the Packers Organization has come out saying that he wants a soon-to-be free agent back. 

“Sam (Shields) is one of the fellas we’d like to have back,” Packers GM Ted Thompson recently said in an article on Packers.com.

You may remember Head Coach Mike McCarthy saying something similar to that about B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett last week, so yea, I'm not sure I can trust what Thompson's saying here. I mean, he might actually wanna keep Shields, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't just say this kinda stuff about everybody.

Packers may consider moving Perry to DE

The Packers may consider moving soon-to-be third year Outside Linebacker Nick Perry back to the position he starred in in college, Defensive End, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. Last season, Perry was okay, collecting 28 tackles and 4 sacks, but still, I guess this move would work. I mean, if he was really good at DE when he was at USC, then I don't see why the Packers can't at least experiment with putting him there. 

Either way, whether or not this move ends up happening won't really affect the defense that much, so yea, let's just not worry about it. When preseason comes around, we'll take another look, but for now, let's just focus on the more important draft stuff.

Shields wants to test the FA market

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Packers CB Sam Shields wants to test the free agent market this offseason. In 2013, Shields was solid for the Pack, intercepting 4 passes while collecting a career high 61 tackles in just 14 games. 

Recently, it has been reported by multiple sources that Shields and Green Bay were negotiating a new deal, although I think it's obvious now that those talks didn't go too well. I mean, Shields leaving the team obviously isn't guaranteed, but you'd think that he'd be saying something else here had he actually been given an offer that he liked. 

Packers, Kuhn have "mutual interest"

The Packers and now Free Agent FB John Kuhn are (somewhat surprisingly) showing "mutual interest" in each other, Kuhn's agent, Kevin Gold, recently told NFLTradeRumors.com. Last season, Kuhn made a pretty high base salary of $1.8 million, so if a deal between the two does get done it's extremely likely that it'll be for a lot less cash. 

And if #30 will take a deal for less pay, then I gotta say, I'm all for re-signing him. I mean, nobody currently available is better than him, so just who the hell else would the Packers start this season?