Packers Must Know Something Top Secret About Free Agency

Crazy, huh, Daryn?

The Green Bay Packers made some strange moves on Wednesday, when they tendered free agent guard [intlink id=”94″ type=”category”]Daryn Colledge[/intlink], kicker [intlink id=”152″ type=”category”]Mason Crosby[/intlink] and fullback [intlink id=”251″ type=”category”]John Kuhn[/intlink].

Colledge and Crosby received second-round tenders and Kuhn received the lowest tender.

Here’s why none of this makes sense.

First, once the current collective bargaining agreement expires, these offers mean nothing. While it’s likely the league and players’ union will continue operating under the current agreement for a week or so, it will be scrapped when either the owners go ahead with their planned lockout or a new agreement is signed.

That brings us to the new agreement. Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, which the owners opted out of after the 2009 season, players needed three seasons of service to qualify for unrestricted free agency. That increased to six years, when the owners opted out.

It’s almost a certainty that number will again be less than six years when the new CBA is signed. Of the three players tendered, only Crosby has less than five years of service, with four. So, if the new CBA requires anything less than five years of service before a player can become an unrestricted free agent, all three will be unrestricted anyway. If the number is five years, Crosby is the only one who will be a restricted free agent, while Colledge and Kuhn will go unrestricted.

Finally, team’s that give players the lowest tender, like the Packers did with Kuhn, only get compensation equal to the round in which the player was drafted if he signs with another team. Well, John Kuhn went undrafted, so the Packers wouldn’t get anything if he signed elsewhere.

So what the hell are the Packers doing?

Perhaps they’re making symbolic gestures by saying, “hey guys, we want you back!”

Or perhaps this is their way of negotiating and the tenders are telling each player what the Packers think they’re worth.

Maybe [intlink id=”20″ type=”category”]Ted Thompson[/intlink] didn’t have time to call up anyone’s agent and actually express the intention to re-sign their player or start negotiations.

I guess it’s better than being cornerback Josh Bell.

The Packers didn’t tender him at all and with only three NFL seasons under his belt, the team could have actually made him a restricted free agent.

It’s unclear what the Packers did with receiver [intlink id=”204″ type=”category”]James Jones[/intlink], running back [intlink id=”77″ type=”category”]Brandon Jackson[/intlink], center [intlink id=”91″ type=”category”]Jason Spitz[/intlink], safety [intlink id=”525″ type=”category”]Charlie Peprah[/intlink], fullback Korey Hall and safety [intlink id=”375″ type=”category”]Anthony Smith[/intlink]. Each of them has fewer than six seasons of service.