Green Bay Packers: Winning the NFC North once again – this time with free agency
Randall Cobb. Raymond T. Rivard photograph
Green Bay Packers: Winning from within
Players e-signed: Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga, Scott Tolzien
New players in: Josh Francis
Players on their way out: A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Brandon Bostick, Kevin Dorsey, Davon House,
Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson didn’t waste much time in getting his guys.
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Three days before the official start of free agency, wide receiver Randall Cobb was re-signed to a four-year, $40 million ($17 million guaranteed) deal that will keep him together with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and fellow wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams for the foreseeable future.
The move in signing Cobb, who in fact turned down several other much more lucrative offers, sent a message to the rest of the league – that the Packers’ goal all along was to keep the band together and to keep that offense rolling and scoring points.
In addition, the Packers also re-signed right tackle Bryan Bulaga to a long-term contract that may keep him in Green Bay for the remainder of his career. His re-signing keeps together an offensive line that Mike McCarthy has called the best unit he’s had in the nine seasons he’s been in Packers News.
The Packers also brought backup quarterback Scott Tolzien back to the team on a one-year, $1 million deal that has signaled the end to Matt Flynn‘s days in Green Bay and raised the former Wisconsin Badger to the backup role. It also may be a sign that Green Bay goes out and finds another QB in the draft.
Green Bay Packers tackle Bryan Bulaga. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
In clearing the way for the re-signing of the players they needed, the Packers also said goodbye to inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, tight end Brandon Bostick, wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, and cornerback Davon House.
The Packers are also biding their time in other possible re-signings of these players who many would like to see back in green and gold: cornerback Jarrett Bush; defensive linemen Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji; fullback John Kuhn, linebacker Jamari Lattimore and cornerback Tramon Williams.
It’s Williams, Raji and Kuhn who are probably the highest targets at this point.
If the Packers can continue to re-sign their own they will once again probably win the NFC North free agency contest, regardless of what the other teams may do from here on out.