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So Sam Shields wants to play hardball. Although the Green Bay Packers were supposedly trying hard to re-sign Shields, who will be a free agent on March 11, the team’s No. 1 cornerback plans on testing the market.
That was a shot across the Packers’ bow. For the time being, they have little leverage. And unless the free agent market is soft for cornerbacks, they’re not getting any back.
It’s possible Shields isn’t worth what he’s asking for. He’s considered the fourth or fifth-best cornerback on the market by most, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, the beholder is desperate.
This is exactly the reason we said the Packers blew it by not signing Shields to a long-term deal prior to or during the 2013 season. They could have paid him a lot less last summer than he’s currently asking for.
Now, there’s a very real chance the Packers are going to lose Shields.
The good news is there are plenty of options available to replace him.
Would we like to see Shields stay? Yes, of course.
Are the Packers dead without him? Not even close.
There are several very solid cornerbacks available in free agency. We shouldn’t forget that corner is one of the deepest positions on the team either.