Saturday Reportedly Gets $7.75 Million Contract from Packers
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Jeff Saturday's two-year contract with the Packers is worth $7.75 million.
The contract details of newly signed Packers center Jeff Saturday have been reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
According to Schefter:
Jeff Saturday's two-year deal in Green Bay is worth $7.75 million, including $4 million this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 24, 2012
Saturday was signed as an unrestricted free agent on Friday by the Packers, their first unrestricted free agent signing since Duke Preston in 2009 and perhaps a signing that will have the biggest impact since they inked cornerback Charles Woodson and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett back in 2006.
Saturday will replace the departed Scott Wells, a 2011 Pro Bowl selection that signed a four-year $24 million in guaranteed money with the St. Louis Rams as an unrestricted free agent, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Compared to the contract signed by Wells, the Packers spent much less on Saturday than they would have needed to keep Wells. The other side of the coin is that the Packers still need to find a long-term solution at center.
The Packers were a little more than $5 million under the salary cap at the start of the new league year in mid-March, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The signing of Saturday leaves the Packers little flexibility to make any more signings in free agency, particularly one that might take a couple million dollars, such as linebacker Manny Lawson who they've reportedly showed interest in.
The Packers could clear some salary cap space by either cutting or restructuring the contracts of players like cornerback Charles Woodson, tackle Chad Clifton and wide receiver Donald Driver. In the case of Woodson, it would be a restructuring of his contract.
If the Packers don't need salary cap space immediately, they may wait to make decisions on Clifton and Driver whose big bonuses worked into their contracts aren't due until late summer.
Comments (26)
March 24, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Sign Tollesfon and concentrate on olb and cb in draft for starters
March 24, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Jason Wilde: But the Packers reportedly made a much more lucrative offer than Denver did...
I'm guessing TT paid a $1M to $1.5M premium or guaranteed more money to get his man, which is okay w/ me.
Anyone up to date on the new CBA? I think Saturday being a 10 yr vet won't cost us when the NFL figures out compensation. And neither will Muir since he was a street FA.
March 24, 2012 at 12:49 pm
That is correct - as a 10+ yr vet he will not count against our comp picks next year. Also, Muir will not either since he was cut in the middle of last season
March 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Thanks Mike.
So as of now we should be in line for two 4th round comp picks next year for losing Flynn and Wells.
Fox Sports reported Anthony Hargrove visited the Packers.
March 24, 2012 at 12:56 pm
He'll count. It's just that he only counts for the Colts as a maximum of a 5th rounder. I'm not sure how the formula works as far as cancelling out our picks, given those limitations.
Brian Carriveau
March 24, 2012 at 01:00 pm
I want to know that as well, Bubba, but the NFL doesn't make their compensatory draft pick formula public.
March 24, 2012 at 02:53 pm
Brian, the NFL doesn't release the formula but enough info is out there for some prognosicators to get pretty close. One is...
http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2012/1/6/2686334/2012-compensatory-draft-...
Brian Carriveau
March 24, 2012 at 02:57 pm
Oh, I'm well aware of the formula enough to make an educated guess myself. I was referring to the age factor in the formula. We know how age affects teams losing restricted free agents. The Steelers could only receive as a high as a fifth round draft choice for losing a 10-plus year veteran a few years ago in Alan Faneca. But I don't know how it affects the team gaining a 10-plus year veteran. Will the signing of Saturday generally cancel out the loss of Wells, so does it only factor in a fraction of what it would a younger free agent? If there's information out there on that aspect of it, I'm not aware of it.
March 24, 2012 at 03:16 pm
Not that I would bet my life's savings on it but Mike's posting above makes him the 3rd person who's said it doesn't affect the team receiving the 10 yr vet only the one losing the player.
I also read the more players a team loses usually the more value they may get. The Packers losing 7 FA's may up the ante to instead of us getting two 4ths and two 7ths we may get two 4ths and two 6ths.
Brian Carriveau
March 24, 2012 at 03:18 pm
That's exactly what we predicted in Pro Football Draft Preview.
March 24, 2012 at 05:44 pm
I haven't got to that page yet.
March 24, 2012 at 09:13 pm
Packers will not risk keeping Collins, even if his neck is fine. This will clear another $4 million.
March 24, 2012 at 10:19 pm
One could argue that they would have cut him already if this was the case.
March 24, 2012 at 11:47 pm
No way this will happen. He was at the very worst a top 5 safety in the NFL before his injury. Just look at how long we kept people like Harrell and Jolly on our team even after not playing so long? This guy, unlike those two, has proven to be one of the best at his position. If he can come back from his injury, he WILL be a Packer next time he plays in the NFL.
March 25, 2012 at 12:57 am
Couldn't disagree more. If Collins is cleared, he'll be a Packer. But I still think they'll draft a safety mid to late.
March 25, 2012 at 01:33 am
Bullshit.
March 25, 2012 at 07:18 am
bullshit?? your thoughts, fitz, on this?
March 25, 2012 at 08:28 am
According to several Packers sources, the team has some reservations about Collins returning and the risk of playing safety following a neck injury like his. Whereas Manning plays a position that is somewhat protected by the league’s quarterback-friendly safety rules, Collins’ job is to initiate contact and thus is more dangerous.
In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, coach Mike McCarthy said the possibility of Collins reinjuring his neck "scares the hell out of me personally. (General manager) Ted (Thompson) asked me, 'If that was your son, would you want him to play again?' … Everybody wants Nick Collins back. But to me, it's a very sensitive, personal situation. If they can convince me, hey, I'll be the first to (welcome) him back and let's go get it. Everything looks great for Nick. He's real optimistic about it.”
If Collins decides to retire, or the Packers decide they are uncomfortable with the idea of him playing again, his retirement or release would create $4 million in salary-cap space. The Packers have a tad under $7 million in cap room at this point. Collins signed a front-loaded three-year, $22.8 million contract in March 2010 that paid him $14 million in the first year of the deal.
http://espnwisconsin.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=7117
March 25, 2012 at 08:30 am
Thompson will not risk the P.R. nightmare.
March 25, 2012 at 11:49 am
With regard to Collins...
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov10/clinical2.asp
"Nearly 3 out of 4 (72 percent) of NFL players who were treated surgically for CDH returned to play and continued to play in an average of 29.3 games over a 2.8-year period after surgery."
HOWEVER...
"Outcomes for the defensive backs were significantly poorer compared to other positions. Among defensive backs who sustained CDH and were treated surgically, just half (6 of 12) returned to play. They participated in 17 games over a 1.85-year period."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/741729_4
"NFL defensive backs play a unique position on the field where success is dependent on the ability to react instinctively to the unpredictable movements of an opposing receiver. Furthermore, these players must also rely on unhindered cervical range-of-motion to prevent a completed pass by the opposing quarterback. Although a CDH may not significantly affect the performance of offensive players who can predetermine their movements on the field, outcomes for a position that hinges on the ability to react and respond to play on the field within milliseconds may be different. Defensive backs are arguably the most athletic players on the field, and are routinely required to tackle players weighing up to 30 to 70 lb heavier than them. NFL defensive backs who have recently sustained cervical disc injuries have expressed increased tentativeness and a change in style of play after this injury. This study demonstrates that a CDH may significantly affect their ability to successfully return to play."
March 26, 2012 at 12:42 pm
If he does play, I'll be torn between cheering him on to hammer someone, and cringing every time he does, praying he's OK. Glad I'm not TT or MM for this one.
March 26, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Sorry, I got caught up thinking about Collins, and forgot I wanted to say nice job on the signing of Jeff Saturday. Go Pack!!
March 26, 2012 at 03:20 pm
Signing Hargrove means Collins is done.
March 26, 2012 at 04:18 pm
Huh? How does a 'tweener LB/DE dictate anything about a S?
Does it make more Safeties available in FA?
In the draft?
-And ESPN is terrible when it comes to math. Collins got a big signing bonus, but it was *a signing bonus* (what kept them out of trouble with the NFL, unlike Dallas) -Cutting him now would cost the team nearly $3.5M in cap space. Cutting him after June 1 would cost the team $50K.
-Even *IF* -Collins didn't get a signing bonus, and instead, got a big chunk of change up front (the signing bonus gets paid up front, too, remember... It is just spread out over the length of the contract) in some other form, then cutting him *still* wouldn't clear $4M. It would clear $3.45M, but then another player would slide into the roster, making at least $390K.
-So how exactly does -$3.8 M (before June 1, if there is a signing bonus, and calculating the new player) or -$450K (after June 1, with SB, and new player) or $3.06M ... equal $4M?
March 29, 2012 at 04:52 pm
When the Packers announce the cap space saved when Collins retires (which actually is because the Pack said "no way you are playing for us") be sure to let us know how much.
http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2012/3/20/2888222/nick-collins-injury-...
March 29, 2012 at 04:59 pm
Can someone explain how Collins' contract cap hit is only 50K? I don't know where this info comes from? Seriously, I do want to understand. Maybe I am way off...I am willing to learn.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/nick-collins/