Mega-Merge: 2010 Free Agency Rumors and Reports Thread

Pondering Clifton in Washington
March, 5, 2010
MAR 5
9:22
AM ET
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By Kevin Seifert
Chad Clifton's scheduled visit to Washington promises an interesting dilemma for both the player and for Green Bay. I thought Andrew Brandt, the former Packers executive who now operates the National Football Post, put it well via Twitter:

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Jeff Hanisch/US Presswire
Don't expect the Packers to wage a bidding war over Chad Clifton.
"Chad Clifton to visit Redskins, whose LT just retired. Chad loves GB, but can't see GBP in bidding war with them."

Yes, it's hard to imagine general manager Ted Thompson bidding against Washington owner Daniel Snyder, if it comes to that. The Redskins have bid farewell to left tackle Chris Samuels, and new coach Mike Shanahan is going to get whatever he wants from Snyder. If it's a veteran left tackle with experience in a zone blocking scheme, then so be it. Snyder won't let money get in the way.

So then you wonder if Clifton, a quiet and introverted guy who has spent his entire career with the Packers, really wants to leave Green Bay and play in Washington's annual high-profile circus. We're not privy to his last-minute negotiations with the Packers, so I don't know how close or far the sides are from a numbers perspective. But if Clifton thinks he can shake more money loose by following through with a visit, he's probably misjudging Thompson's reputation for sticking to his core beliefs.

And in many cases over recent years, Thompson has insisted on replacing veterans with younger, recently drafted players. It has worked more often than it has failed, and I've felt for some time the Packers needed to initiate a succession plan at both tackle positions.

We've discussed this dynamic thoroughly in the past few weeks, and we can only assume the Packers would replace Clifton with second-year player T.J. Lang, a fourth-round pick in 2009. I'm on board with replacing Clifton sooner rather than later, given his recent health issues, but to me it would have to be accompanied by the return of right tackle Mark Tauscher. The Packers could minimize the pain of that succession plan by proceeding gradually.

It's possible the Packers could draft a starting-caliber left tackle next month, but that wouldn't change the worst-case dynamic: Having unproven players at both tackle positions is far from ideal for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense.

We're not at that point yet, but I do think we should take Clifton's visit to Washington seriously and begin considering the repercussions of his possible departure.


RT @ProFootballTalk Chad Clifton to visit Redskins ... If he signs there, Redskins no longer have to draft an OT in round one.
about 10 hours ago via web

Life is good.

Yeah perhaps but that's a lot of money to tie up at one spot. We could have just let Rabach go if he wasn't in our plans as a starter.

True about the money. But I was thinking that the situation might remain for just one, uncapped year, so as long as they don't sign for long-term guarantees, it is not that big of a deal. Put it this way: we could sign 3 or 4 Rabachs and Mawaes for the price of one Peppers. But you may be right because it still is a lot of money.

My hope is that we come home from the draft with Pouncey, anyway.

i dont think we're paying rabach 4.1MM a year to be a backup.

Absolutely. However, with those two, they may not go after Okung in the first round and, instead go after Bradford while picking a couple of linemen they can develop behind the veterans for a year (maybe two). I think I would still like Okung and then a 2nd round QB.

I'd like Okung, but I think if we're going to try to get our franchise QB in this draft, it's Bradford. I don't really see any of the other guys becoming successful QBs in the league, and I'm not entirely sure about Bradford.

i dont think we're paying rabach 4.1MM a year to be a backup.

Fine. Play him at guard. I'm not going to push the argument too far.

True about the money. But I was thinking that the situation might remain for just one, uncapped year, so as long as they don't sign for long-term guarantees, it is not that big of a deal. Put it this way: we could sign 3 or 4 Rabachs and Mawaes for the price of one Peppers. But you may be right because it still is a lot of money.

My hope is that we come home from the draft with Pouncey, anyway.

:thumb:

Phillip Daniels has re-signed

When is Armstrong coming back?

Apparently ES is pretty fond of themselves these days. I thought that whole "everyone uses us a source" was an inside joke.

Posted by some guy named TK:
Attention Members Of The Media
Will you guys please log the **** off of ES. Your continued lurking presence here has slowed down the board causing it to load really slow for some of our membership.

Go on, log off. Get off of here. Quit using us as "sources" and go do the job you're actually being paid for.

Especially you, Florio. You should be ashamed for basically stealing money from NBC for all the cut n pasting you've done here.

And I haven't forgotten abot you either, JLC. Yesterday on the NFLN you even read word for word something that was posted here.

Seriously. Log off. Go do your jobs or ask me who & where you can send your paychecks to.

When is Armstrong coming back?

He never left, he's on a lifetime deal