Kampman will be a leader in Jacksonville, but his injury is a question. Andrew Brandt
Continuing with our free agency notes, here’s some insight on two longtime Packers, one of whom is now a Jacksonville Jaguar.
The fact that Chad Clifton returned to Green Bay, a place he and his wife adored and where they’re raising their two sons, is certainly no revelation. The surprising part was that Clifton decided to visit the Washington Redskins after talks stalled with the Packers, only to return and finish a deal in Green Bay. Clifton’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, has a good relationship with Redskins owner Dan Snyder, but he also has a good relationship with the Packers – or did during the time I was there – so it’s hard to believe there was a lack of transparency about what went on.
The real question from the experience is whether the deal Clifton signed with his preferred team, the Packers – three years, $19.5 million, with $7.5 million guaranteed – is better deal than the deal he had on the table when he took the trip to Washington. My sense is that it is, but not by a lot (the Redskins are clearly doing business differently this year; more on that in another post).
The situation with Chad and the Packers illustrates how, in most cases, the incumbent team clearly has the advantage in free agency. Clifton knows every nook and cranny in Lambeau Field and has been a comfortable presence around there for a decade, both on and off the field. It would have taken a dramatic situation for the Packers to him. It reminds me of last year when Kurt Warner took a visit to the 49ers with no intention of leaving Arizona.
Chad’s deal with the Packers is also a good example of a realistic contract for a 32-year-old tackle. His highest cash flow year is this year, with declining amounts in years two and three, giving him a realistic shot of earning the entire contract. Many of these big free-agent contracts feature blow-up years late in the deal, which may look good in the headlines but are simply funny money to pump the total value of a deal.
Speaking of the Packers and free agents, we outlined on Friday that the team would certainly lose a player who was one of its signature people for many years, Aaron Kampman. The other shoe has now dropped, with Aaron agreeing to terms with the Jaguars. As I’ve noted, the issue with Aaron is his return from his ACL, but he will instantly bring high character and solid leadership to that locker room in Jacksonville.
Kampman’s two-day stint into free agency was a bit unusual, with reports of him going and/or not going to places like Philadelphia and Seattle. The truth certainly lies somewhere in between, as Kampman’s agent, Neil Cornrich, can be a bit, shall we say, coy about the status of his clients. I’ve known Neil and long time and consider him one of the better agents around. As I’ve told him, though, he can be maddeningly evasive in naming a price for his player. He has mastered the negotiation skill of making the other side offer some kind of commitment to a number before he does.
For the second time in four years, however, Kampman’s compensation will be coming off a comparable from Kyle Vanden Bosch. In 2006, in negotiating Aaron’s deal, the most relevant data point was the then-recent deal between Vanden Bosch and the Titans – I went to bed every night hearing about that deal for a while. They ended up getting virtually the same deal that year – four years, $21M with $11M guaranteed.
In 2010, in negotiating Aaron’s deal, the most relevant data point for the Jaguars was the recent deal between Vanden Bosch and the Lions. Déjà vu all over again, as Kampman’s deal is being reported as four years, $26M with $11M guaranteed, again virtually the same deal as Vanden Bosch with the Lions. This is a far cry from the one-year deal offered by the Packers before the start of free agency.
Of course, the issue with Aaron will be how fast he comes back from his ACL injury. Beyond that, however, the Jaguars have acquired someone who will instantly upgrade the character level and leadership quotient of their locker room.
As noted here previously, the Kampman-Green Bay relationship had a good run, but it was time for a change. Jacksonville is the beneficiary of that.
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Clifton's knees are creaky. He only practices a bit each week during the season. But they really don't have a backup for him at all. If he goes down, Aaron Rodgers better assume he's going on IR.
Clifton clearly had the Packers over a barrel. Interesting that the Redskins didn't make a stronger push, as they have a shaky O line situation as well. The good news for them both is there seems to be a lot of depth at the tackle position in the draft.
If the Tebow-to-Jax thing pans out, Kamp would be an outstanding role model for him in how to live your values but not be obnoxious about it.
Meateater, Clifton had nobody over a barrel. If the 'skins had offered stupid guaranteed money, he would be gone. The only system that makes sense to Clifton at this time is Green Bay and he knows it.. It isn't a great deal for the Packers as Clifton is on again-off again at best. The positive is that he canperform in the system. The negative is his fitmess and propensity for offsides penalties at the worst times.
No way that Thompson sees him as the answer. You answered your own question when you mentioned the draft. Clifton is an insurance policy
Andrew, Why exactly wasn't an attempt made last year to trade Kampman, knowing he most likely was not a long term fit for the 3-4 and his pending free agency? Would this have occurred if he wasn't injured in week 9? I just remember thinking in training camp last year that surely he would be traded at some point and was puzzled when it never occurred (prior to the injury).
Pbrmeasap -
From everything I read in the Green Bay Press Gazette and other places, the Packers seemed interested in testing him for the whole year at OLB and seeing how he did. If he didn't get injured I think they may have gone the tag n trade route. with the injury all bets were off. it's too bad we didn't get anything for him (althought some kind of compensatory pick will be coming).
Pbrmeasap -
From everything I read in the Green Bay Press Gazette and other places, the Packers seemed interested in testing him for the whole year at OLB and seeing how he did. If he didn't get injured I think they may have gone the tag n trade route. with the injury all bets were off. it's too bad we didn't get anything for him (althought some kind of compensatory pick will be coming).
Trade deadline is week 6; Kampman was injured in week 9. So no, he couldn't have been traded regardless of his health.
Seph --
PB4Life was saying that we would have tagged + traded him this offseason, not during last regular season.
The Clifton deal is another example of Tighwad Ted's incompentence. Clifton is in, if not pass, the twilight of his career. He has been injury prone that last couple of years. Tightwad being the GM, should have seen this coming and either drafted the eventual replacement already or get a replacement via free agency(yeah right). Yes, I know that without signing Clifton, the Pack have virtually no one behind Clifton. Again, this goes back to Tightwad's lack of drafting for the future and protecting the franchise in Rodgers.
As far as the Kampman thing goes, again another prime example of Tightwad's lack of grey matter. A pass rusher, whether it be a defensive end or outside linebacker, the most important position on any defense. Get to the quarterback. The Packers had one of the top pass rushers in the game right now and basically let him walk away for absolutely nothing. I ask this question, why didn't Tightwad tag Kampman and trade him for picks, a player, or a combo of both?
FIRE TED THOMPSON!
You're right, Rogue420, Fire Ted Thompson
But, let's do it for the right reasons. Let's face it, he's just been too competent.
Yeah, fire TT because he's put together a top 5 offense, not to mention that he managed to draft a franchise qb to replace a previous franchise qb, established a top 5 defense and, dare I say it, put the Pack into the position of being a SB contender for the at least the next few years.
By all means, get rid of this guy: he's simply too good at what he does. I'm sick of all this competence.
And while we're at it, let's get rid of MM, too.
Rogue420: Fire Ted Thompson? For signing Clifton and letting Kampmann go?
Or do you want him fired for letting some diva QB go?
Hope the Vikes enjoy the drama.
Clifton was an excellent signing with a contract structured to the Pack's advantage. Cliffy played well once he returned last year and was a big part of the Pack's late season push. Sacks and QB hite were way down once Cliffy settled in. And if Rogue420 can't see that, it's no wonder he wants TT fired.
Losing Kampy stings, but it's a square peg-round hole situation. The Pack isn't scrapping the 3-4 for one player. Jags fan, you've just signed one heck of a player and person. Enjoy!
you're right gbsparks ted has been competent, the problem is competent does't win super bowls. as a packer fan since the lombardi days i judge all coaches and g m' s by lombardi standards i. e. 5 championships in 7 years. ted has no championships in 5 years, has not developed one pro bowl offensive lineman, has not developed any depth behind harris and woodson, ans the team has very little depth behind its starters. last year the pack played the second easiest schedule in the league, and will play a much tougher schedule this year. i waited 29 years between the last lombardi super bowl and the 96 championship, i'm too old towait another 29 years for another.
Love the calls to fire him for signing Clifton.
Also, lets not claim he has not been drafting for replacements.
How many picks have been spent on tackles and corners in the past 3 years?
Quite a few. We can say Ted has not done well with those picks...but acting as if he has been ignoring drafting for the future there is just a complete and total lie.
What would GB have done if Clifton had signed with the Redskins? There really aren't any dependable LTs out there in FA. That's why Clifton was able to hold the Pack up for a way overmarket contract. Seems to me in that situation, they should have given him what was necessary to sign him. They ended up doing that anyway.
GBsparks, come on dude. You actually think Tightwad has been doing a good job? Two winning seasons out of five? Excellent record there. You must have thought Sherman was the MAN then. Lets get this straight, Tightwad got LUCKY that Rodgers fell to him, just like how Raji did in the last draft. The offensive is good, but what do you have behind the starters on the offensive line? Absolutely NOTHING! Can't wait to see Lang and Barbre holding down the fort again. Hold on, maybe Colledge will FINALLY become the LT of the future. A top 5 defense against some of the worst offensive teams in the NFL. Let's see, Detroit twice, the Rams, Cleveland, Tampa, SF, and Seattle. That is almost half their schedule from last season. Real tough to put up numbers against those powerhouses. Also, did we forget the 50 pointer in the playoffs, when it matters the most that the Pack loss? If you are satisfied with just making the playoffs and not doing anything beyond that, then you should by all means become an Eagles fan. I didn't read your rebuttal to my Kampman arguement.
Hardhead, Fnck #4! He dont' play for the Pack, so I don't give a damn about him. Remember, it's not a question of if, but when Clifton gets hurt. This should have been something that was a priority for Tightwad to address. Or do you really think Lang and Barbre are future? If that's the case, I hope the Pack has a decent back-up for Rodgers, because he will get murdered on the field like he did in the 1st half of last season. It's not about Kampman not being a good fit for the 3-4, it's a matter of getting some value for a top flight rush end.
Sho, my call to fire Tighwad is for the crap he has not done to put a winner on the field. He drafts for the future, but how many of his picks are EVEN good? Tightwad's best picks in his career with the Pack have been Rodgers, Jennings, and Collins. Where are the rest of the impact players being drafted? It's like Packerfan66 has pointed out, the o-linemen that TT has drafted are average to below. Aside from T. Williams, name one other decent db that Tightwad has drafted? Tightwad has waste many picks on tackles and corners let alone other spots.
For the most part, my point is Kampman got to walk away for nothing. He was one of the top de in the league and ol' Tightwad didn't do what any competent GM would do, try to get some value for him. I can't believe the cult followers don't see that at all.
I am with Packerfan66, I want a championship, not a good team that makes the playoffs only. Clifton was a signing that was needed because Tightwad FAILED to find a LT of the future to replace Clifton. Or do you guys not see that? Oh and please inform me on why it was okay to let Kampman walk away for absolutely nothing, instead of tagging him and trading him for draft picks, a player, or a combo of both. Can't wait to hear back from the Thompson cult. Laters.
Clearly Rogue is a Favre loyalist, as evidenced by the fact that he has chosen to omit anything good TT has ever done for the Packers in his argument and has instead focused on Chad Clifton's resigning as the worst thing that has ever happened to his mom's basement...I mean the Packers.
"Also, did we forget the 50 pointer in the playoffs, when it matters the most that the Pack loss? If you are satisfied with just making the playoffs and not doing anything beyond that, then you should by all means become an Eagles fan. I didn't read your rebuttal to my Kampman arguement."
Ernie Hemmingway, you are not, sir.
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"Aside from T. Williams, name one other decent db that Tightwad has drafted?"
Nick Collins. He also signed Atari Bigby as an undrafted free agent.
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Listen, my friend:
Being a GM in the NFL is difficult, as you have 31 other GMs competing with you constantly.
Add to that the fact that the NFL draft, besides all of the research and analysis, is the world's largest crapshoot, with a time-tested 50% success rate.
How good of a professional football player would you be if you were a high draft pick and were handed millions of dollars in guaranteed money?
Judging from your name, you would undoubtedly be a candidate for random drug testing, and would out of the league in less than 5 years.
Bob, I can tell reading comprehension is not one of your strong points. I wrote, " Fnck #4. He don't play for the Pack, so I don't give a damn about him ". You must have thought I was talking about Lou Gehrig. I did give Tightwad credit for drafting Rodgers, Jennings, and Collins. Get your eyes checked dude.
Yeah the draft is a crap shoot. No one says it's easy. But I thought your lord Thompson was an excellent evaluator of talent? I guess that is why he drafted guys like Harrell, Nelson, P. Lee, Brohm, and Colledge. All them guys are studs at their positions. All of them guys are 1st or 2nd round picks that haven't done crap.
Where did I say that being a GM was an easy job? I know it's difficult with enormous pressure. To be one of the top GM in the game, one must draft well(Jennings in the 2nd round) and get very lucky in the draft( Rodgers FALLING to the Pack ). Also, be a player in free agency. Two things that Tightwad has FAILED to do well on a consistant basis. Yes, Woody was a great pick up and Pickett was a good pick up. Bigby, now that is a laugher. The guy might be good if he could ever stay some what healthy.
What o-linemen drafted by Tightwad would be a starter on any other team? NONE is the answer. Tightwad should have seen that Clifton was pass him prime. Clifton is serviceable at best at this time of his career. You would think a competent GM would make it a priority to protect his franchise player. That Tightwad has not done, and the evidence is in the amount of sacks that the o-line gave up last season.
Yeah dude, lets play pretend. I will pretend I am a football player. Dude are you like 9 years old? What kind of arguement are you even trying to make with such asinine statements like that.
It's not about me, it's about your boy Tightwad making more bad decisions for the Pack. Signing a dinosaur in Clifton, instead of finding a stud to replace him Also, letting one of the top pass rushers in the league get away and not get ANYTHING OF VALUE for him. Give me your rebuttals to those two points before you start to critize me for my other opinions. You like the rest have no rational thoughts on those two points, that is why all you guys will do is attack my other opinions.
Holla back kids.
We really need to fire TT and hire that GM...oh, what's his name now.... You know, the one that only drafts pro bowl players, never makes a mistake, and wins the Superbowl every year. Yeah, that one! What's his name again?
Oh, and I couldn't resist answering Rogue's question.
1st, every team loses players to free agency without compensation. That's a fact of football.
2nd, for TT to trade Aaron, another team has to be willing to make the trade. What team was it that was willing to trade for an unrestricted free-agent without any guarantee he would re-sign?
3rd the fans blasted TT for not letting Favre go without any compensation. Now the fans bitch because he let AK go. Make up your minds.
4th, maybe TT felt that AK's leadership was worth having around last year. He is a great player, has high character and was a good leader. He just didn't fit the 3-4. But at least TT gave him the chance.
5th, You say that TT failed to draft a stud tackle. Which stud exactly did he fail to draft? Who is this phantom stud you are referring to?
6th, how do you know TJ Lang won't be that stud? One year does not a career make, especially at a tough position like tackle.
7th, why not keep a proven, high-character, leader like Clifton at a reasonable contract? We should have signed him as a back up regardless of if we had your phantom stud.
Let's see an intelligent response to that, rather than just blast TT for his mistakes. I don't have a problem with either of these moves.
Oh, and I couldn't resist answering Rogue's question.
1st, every team loses players to free agency without compensation. That's a fact of football.
2nd, for TT to trade Aaron, another team has to be willing to make the trade. What team was it that was willing to trade for an unrestricted free-agent without any guarantee he would re-sign?
3rd the fans blasted TT for not letting Favre go without any compensation. Now the fans bitch because he let AK go. Make up your minds.
4th, maybe TT felt that AK's leadership was worth having around last year. He is a great player, has high character and was a good leader. He just didn't fit the 3-4. But at least TT gave him the chance.
5th, You say that TT failed to draft a stud tackle. Which stud exactly did he fail to draft? Who is this phantom stud you are referring to?
6th, how do you know TJ Lang won't be that stud? One year does not a career make, especially at a tough position like tackle.
7th, why not keep a proven, high-character, leader like Clifton at a reasonable contract? We should have signed him as a back up regardless of if we had your phantom stud.
Let's see an intelligent response to that, rather than just blast TT for his mistakes. I don't have a problem with either of these moves.
By the way you skipped all around the facts bout white people being handled the same as blacks in the aboved mentioned statement by MICHAEL WILLIAMS. You answered two of them i guess, but please feel free to explain the rest, i'm listening.
Mar 08, 2010
08:32 AM
Clifton is worth his weight in Gold Cheese if he keeps the Golden passer of the Packers healthy and cozy in the pass pocket.