The Green Bay Packers have a decision to make on outside linebacker Nick Perry, but it appears to be a no-brainer.
By Sunday, the Packers will have to decide whether to pick up Perry’s fifth-year option. If they don’t, Perry will become a free agent after the season. If they do, they’re paying Perry $7.75 million in 2016.
Obviously, Perry’s production up to this point do not warrant that sort of investment by the Packers. As such, they’re not expected to pick up the option.
Perry has a grand total of 68 tackles and nine sacks since being a first-round pick in 2012. He’s also missed 16 games because of injury over that span.
Despite what appears to be a no-confidence vote, this could actually work out great for both parties. Providing he can stay healthy (and depending on the draft), Perry is in line for the most playing time of his career in 2015, with Clay Matthews now playing inside linebacker. There will be no better opportunity for him to make an impact and earn a decent payday.
The Packers, meanwhile, stand to benefit from providing that incentive. Unless your name is B.J. Raji, you play balls out in a contract year. That usually translates into guys playing the best football of their career.
If that scenario comes to fruition, the Packers will end up paying Perry and he will have earned that payday. If it doesn’t, then he’s just another first-round draft bust. That’s something Ted Thompson is growing more and more familiar with as the years go on.
this is another bit of evidence, and gives one more reason for TT to pick the BAP in the first round, then go for position needs in the subsequent rounds.
conclusion: the odds are [almost] all of the HOF potential picks in the annual class will be mostly gone by the time the packers get to their 2nd round pick.
trivia: does anybody know which draft class[es] yielded not a single HOFer?
Well no player after the 1997 Draft has been inducted yet and I believe there are 2, 1958 and 1986.
Edit: I should be shot for saying ’58 don’t know why I thought that…’86 has Haley being inducted this year
Thompson and Wolf both spent a lot of first round picks on both offensive and defensive lineman and not BPA and it hurt the team.
If Perry turns out to be a first round bust it’ll be TT’s first one ever! Just kidding.
Perry may not be worth the option cost, however I do not believe moving Matthews to ILBer would have worked so well without Perry holding the edge.
Considering Lamarr Houston signed with the Bears last year for 5 years – $35 million- after averaging 4 sacks a year and having 6 sacks in 2013, it wouldn’t be that difficult for Perry to earn himself a paycheck close to that option year. A solid season where he starts at least 14 games and has 6+ sacks would probably do it.
That would be good for the Packers and good for Perry.
I wouldn’t call Perry a bust. He might not have a lot of sacks, but he makes plays, including forced fumbles. The knock on him is that he’s lazy, so maybe this will light a fire under him.