Detroit, Minnesota, Chicago, and, yes, even Green Bay have been exceptionally active in the free agent marketplace. That market opened for business on March 9, but already most teams have consummated their major deals and formed the heart’s of their rosters leading up to the NFL draft, which starts April 27.
Below is an accounting of each NFC North team’s free agent activities. The list includes free agents who re-signed with their original teams, which are marked with an *. Transfers within the division are marked **.
↑ indicates a free agent signing for less than $2M
↑↑ indicates a contract for an annual salary of $2M or more
↑↑↑ indicates a contract for an annual salary of $4M or more
↑↑↑↑ indicates a contract for an annual salary of $7M or more
↑↑↑↑↑ indicates a contract for an annual salary of $10M or more
↓ indicates a free agent who signed with another team for less than $2M
↓↓ indicates a free agent who signed with another team for an annual salary of $2M or more
↓↓↓ indicates a free agent who signed with another team for an annual salary of $4M or more
↓↓↓↓ indicates a free agent who signed with another team for an annual salary of $7M or more
↓↓↓↓↓ indicates a free agent who signed with another team for an annual salary of $10M or more
Green Bay Packers
↑↑↑↑↑ LB Nick Perry
↑↑↑↑ TE Martellus Bennet
↑↑ CB Davon House
↑↑ TE Lance Kenricks
↑ LB Jayrone Elliott*
↑ G Don Barclay*
↓↓↓↓ G T.J. Lang**
↓↓↓ S Micah Hyde
↓↓↓ C J.C. Tretter
↓↓↓ RB Eddie Lacy
↓↓ LB Datone Jones**
↓↓ LB Julius Peppers
Chicago Bears
↑↑↑↑↑ QB Mike Glennon
↑↑↑ TE Dion Sims
↑↑↑ CB Marcus Cooper
↑↑↑ S Quinton Demps
↑↑↑ WR Marcus Wheaton
↑↑↑ WR Kendall Wright
↑ K Connor Barth*
↓↓↓↓ WR Alshon Jeffery
↓↓↓ QB Brian Hoyer
↓↓ DE Cornelius Washington**
↓↓ QB Matt Barkley
↓ TE Logan Paulsen
↓ G Ted Larson
Detroit Lions
↑↑↑↑ RT Ricky Wagner
↑↑↑↑ G T.J. Lang**
↑↑ DT Akeem Spence
↑↑ DE Cornelius Washington
↑↑ CB D.J. Hayden
↑ TE Darren Fells
↓↓↓↓↓ LT Riley Reiff**
↓↓↓↓ G Larry Warford
↓↓ DT Stefan Charles
↓ WR Andre Roberts
Minnesota Vikings
↑↑↑↑↑ LT Riley Reiff**
↑↑↑ RT Mike Remmers
↑↑ LB Datone Jones**
↑↑ P Jeff Locke
↑↑ CB Terence Newman*
↓↓↓↓↓ LT Matt Kalil
↓↓↓ TE Rhet Ellison
↓↓↓ CB Captain Munnerlyn
↓↓↓ WR Cordarrelle Patterson
↓↓ WR Charles Johnson
↓ LB Audie Cole
At this point in the free agent market, Chicago has a cumulative +8 up arrows, Detroit has +3, Minnesota has -3, and Green Bay has -7.
Nick Perry is missing from the Green Bay list at +5 arrows.
Perry was already on the team. Unless players were added or subtracted from the team, they shouldn’t even be up there, but that’s just my opinion.
Overpaying your own players is easy. Ted is no stranger regarding that.
BTW…anyone remember? Did Perry receive any other offers, or was Ted bidding against himself?
Sounds about right.
Here’s the deal….as interesting as all that isn’t. I just don’t give a shit what the other 3 teams do, i give a shit what the Packers do….Sorry,
I’m not sure why we got Kendricks. I also don’t see why signing Barclay is an up, he’s horrible. House hopefully might be 3 arrows, we’ll see.
One of the knocks on Ted was he won’t enter the free agent arena.
Thanks for entering free agency and being active Ted. That was a bold move completely out of your element. You broke down that wall like a BOSS.
Well, he entered it….he was “ACTIVE”. God bless you Ted. But Ted, forgot about the one and only reason a team gets into free agency. To improve the team. Isn’t that the one and only objective going into free agency?
Thanks for trying, now please retire before you do anymore damage to this team.
I think the Kendricks signing points to the offense using more two tight end sets. And also the Packers will likely be phasing Richard Rodgers out of the offense. I actually kind of like the Kendricks signing, could very well be a bargain. Now if only the secondary could be addressed…
I could fly with that, but when Cook was signed, we all thought the Packers would use him. I like R Rodgers hands, he’s good enough as a #2.
Instead of signing Kendricks, the money would have been better spent keeping Lang.
So we’ve finally become players in the FA market after a lengthy hiatus. My response is: Keep Going!
We have more holes than he’s filled. We are weaker on the O Line with the loss of Lang. I’d call the defensive secondary a push trading House for Hyde – but that’s not a position of strength on the team and it needs to be addressed by more than a tier 2 or 3 FA in House.
We have needs on the DLine. I think Jones was miscast as an OLB rather than a 4-3 DE, but whatever. We need more bodies there.
We need more bodies at LB as well. Clay and Perry can’t stay healthy. Who’s left – Elliot? I like our Middle LB’s in Martinez and Ryan, but they’re just okay. Maybe Martinez makes a jump. Maybe not. That’s the entire problem with draft and develop. What happens when they don’t develop? You wasted 3 or so years with a roster spot that is need of an upgrade.
The reason the Patriots are so impressive is that Belicheck fixes the problems on his team. Thompson just kind goes to a rummage sale and says an UDFA or some guy from the practice squad will be be “fine”