JJ Watt

[Ghost_Lombardi]

I personally don’t wanna just limp into another year with Rodgers.

Push his money back, push in the chips. Should you choose to move on from him (don’t get why), takes your lumps one year and a little micro rebuild. Take 30M in dead cap for a year. Yolo


Go get JJ damn it. Anyone saying he isn’t good anymore is a damn fool. Only question is if he can stay healthy. Guy could be a DPOY candidate next to Z and Kenny and Gary and Jaire.

I'm with you. Go for it. You know they've planned to move on. Go for it now and take it. Rodgers decides to retire a Packer, settle down with the wife, and become the next permanent host of Jeopardy. Micro rebuild and Love will be ready to be our 3rd HOF QB in a row and then take it again!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

[Yoop]

Nice to have Watt, but won't be distraught if he doesn't sign and expecting he doesn't.

I foresee doom and gloom, and over the top proclamations if he doesn't sign.

well then your not to concerned either way, I can see not building your hopes up only to be let down if Watt should sign else where, but I think it's normal for fans to hope and actually care about the team going after a player really hard that would inspire every other player on the team to leave there heart on the field on every play, Watt is the same as Reggie White in that regard, so not getting a player like that is bound to be a let down for most of us fans, not a stoic guy like you though.

[Pckfn23]

I realize there is much more that goes into it than simply signing him or not.

I would like to have him, but not signing him is not going to make me hate my team or parts of it.

[BF004]

Nice to have Watt, but won't be distraught if he doesn't sign and expecting he doesn't.

I foresee doom and gloom, and over the top proclamations if he doesn't sign.

I rarely stick my neck out on a limb on a bold decision I want the FO to do. This is one of the rare times.

Just makes so much damn sense to me. I will be disappointed if JJ signs elsewhere for a modest salary.

LIS, I don't want to limp into the last few years with Rodgers, don't need to go New Orleans crazy, but try something. We will have zero expectations year 1 with Love anyways, I'm okay making a few cap moves that year, free up some space, eat some dead cap, then can build up around him his sophomore starting year.

[go pak go]

Nice to have Watt, but won't be distraught if he doesn't sign and expecting he doesn't.

I foresee doom and gloom, and over the top proclamations if he doesn't sign.

I rarely stick my neck out on a limb on a bold decision I want the FO to do. This is one of the rare times.

Just makes so much damn sense to me. I will be disappointed if JJ signs elsewhere for a modest salary.

LIS, I don't want to limp into the last few years with Rodgers, don't need to go New Orleans crazy, but try something. We will have zero expectations year 1 with Love anyways, I'm okay making a few cap moves that year, free up some space, eat some dead cap, then can build up around him his sophomore starting year.

1,000,000%

[Pckfn23]

Nice to have Watt, but won't be distraught if he doesn't sign and expecting he doesn't.

I foresee doom and gloom, and over the top proclamations if he doesn't sign.

I rarely stick my neck out on a limb on a bold decision I want the FO to do. This is one of the rare times.

Just makes so much damn sense to me. I will be disappointed if JJ signs elsewhere for a modest salary.

LIS, I don't want to limp into the last few years with Rodgers, don't need to go New Orleans crazy, but try something. We will have zero expectations year 1 with Love anyways, I'm okay making a few cap moves that year, free up some space, eat some dead cap, then can build up around him his sophomore starting year.

Right now until we hear the cap is flattened, it will be tough to sign him. He may sign somewhere else before that time. If we had the call space I think he would already be in the team. What's modest? How much is too much for Watt?

[NCF]

Gosh, just swapping Preston for JJ just seems like such a no brainer to me.

Lower cap hits in both 2021 and 2022 if you want, better player, better fit, able to play inside, fixes a DL need as well, dont have to ask Preston/JJ or whoever to drop into coverage.

Cut Preston. Save $8M this year.

Sign Watt. 3 years $42M - $10M Signing Bonus

Year 1 - $4M + $3.3M = $7.3M Cap
Year 2 - $12M + $3.3M = $15.3M Cap
Year 3 - $16M + $3.3M = $19.3 M Cap

I want Watt bad, but it is going to be really hard to make these numbers work. Very easy to make everything work in Year 1, but already a big issue next year and difficult to push more into Year 3. Not impossible, just really, really hard.

[Drj820]

I understand wanting to go all in. I think it is beyond time to be aggressive and really max out this roster for Rodgers last couple of years..and then deal with consequences later...but if we are going to have to pay 2021 Preston Smith money or 14+ million, I would rather go for someone who isnt aging with a history of missing time in critical moments.

There are better ways to spend $15 million dollars per.

[Pckfn23]

Gosh, just swapping Preston for JJ just seems like such a no brainer to me.

Lower cap hits in both 2021 and 2022 if you want, better player, better fit, able to play inside, fixes a DL need as well, dont have to ask Preston/JJ or whoever to drop into coverage.

Cut Preston. Save $8M this year.

Sign Watt. 3 years $42M - $10M Signing Bonus

Year 1 - $4M + $3.3M = $7.3M Cap
Year 2 - $12M + $3.3M = $15.3M Cap
Year 3 - $16M + $3.3M = $19.3 M Cap

I want Watt bad, but it is going to be really hard to make these numbers work. Very easy to make everything work in Year 1, but already a big issue next year and difficult to push more into Year 3. Not impossible, just really, really hard.

Exactly why I won't get upset if we don't sign him. First, as you said, we have to cut Preston Smith now instead of designating him a June 1 cut. Second, I wouldn't even call $14 million a year a modest salary. That would put him at top 20 for all defensive lineman. I think he would be worth that, but it isn't really something the Packers can afford. Like you said, that's really tough.

I think money like that could be better spent elsewhere. A guard and/or a corner for example.

[paco]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can cut a guy now and designate him a June 1st cut, right? Maybe not now, but I know teams have done that sort of thing before.

Watt's in no hurry to sign. If that is needed for the right deal and they have a handshake agreement in place, he'd wait.

[BF004]

Well sure if he is going for 15-16 million, I'm okay passing on that.

I've been doing 3 for 36 in my mocks, feel like that can work.

I wouldn't be opposed to a 4 year deal either, HOF guys like Watt seem to age well, I think he's got a lot of gas left in the tank.

[Pckfn23]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can cut a guy now and designate him a June 1st cut, right? Maybe not now, but I know teams have done that sort of thing before.

Watt's in no hurry to sign. If that is needed for the right deal and they have a handshake agreement in place, he'd wait.

None of the cap savings hits until June 1st. That's the issue. We have to wait until the new league year begins to cut Preston Smith to designate him as a June 1st cut.

[paco]

Well sure if he is going for 15-16 million, I'm okay passing on that.

I've been doing 3 for 36 in my mocks, feel like that can work.

I wouldn't be opposed to a 4 year deal either, HOF guys like Watt seem to age well, I think he's got a lot of gas left in the tank.

agreed. And having Gary, Z, and Clark alongside will only lengthen his career. He doesn't have to be on the field as many snaps and wont' be double teamed as much as he's used to. Will take less abuse on a game by game basis.

[Ghost_Lombardi]

4 at 55, back loaded to years 3 and 4, all guaranteed.

I think that gets a deal done. He's going to get 12-18 per year, I think.

[NCF]

I actually don't hate this if you feel really good about 2 more years of Rodgers. And $15M is still going to be tough on next year's cap.

[paco]

No one knows JJ's exact motivations. He hasn't really come out and said himself what he values most. Super Bowl, playing with family, money, etc. It's all important, but I think he also knows, this is his last contract of note. I don't think he wants a BS 4-5 year contract. He'd rather have a straightforward 2-3 year deal saying he makes this much money. No dummy auto-void years. I don't think he cares about being the highest paid anything. Just a fair deal for a guy with his history and current value.

That's probably around $15M/year. League will try to get that down, he'll try to get it up a bit. But will he take a discount to play for the Steelers? Yes, I think so, but not something crazy. Same for the Packers. We might save $1M over a team that doesn't have as good of a shot to win.

He's looking for the best all around deal to satisfy everything. Just my thoughts on the guy. Now watch him take a $20M/year deal over 7 years and play for the Jets or Lions or some crap and be back at it next year.

[Ghost_Lombardi]

Apparently the highest offer is 16 mill or so. Who knows about dummy years at the end inflating the average.

I suspect that is CLE or some &%$@ team. Which is why it isn't signed. It is leaked to create pressure. Or inflated by dummy years. Or both.

[Pugger]

Gosh, just swapping Preston for JJ just seems like such a no brainer to me.

Lower cap hits in both 2021 and 2022 if you want, better player, better fit, able to play inside, fixes a DL need as well, dont have to ask Preston/JJ or whoever to drop into coverage.

Cut Preston. Save $8M this year.

Sign Watt. 3 years $42M - $10M Signing Bonus

Year 1 - $4M + $3.3M = $7.3M Cap
Year 2 - $12M + $3.3M = $15.3M Cap
Year 3 - $16M + $3.3M = $19.3 M Cap

I want Watt bad, but it is going to be really hard to make these numbers work. Very easy to make everything work in Year 1, but already a big issue next year and difficult to push more into Year 3. Not impossible, just really, really hard.

I don't want us to pay JJ that kind of coin. JJ is a nice player but he isn't what he once was. I have a feeling this is agent talk. If anybody offered JJ $15-16M he would have signed it by now.

[Foosball]

I think the Packers are going to sign Watt and he will immediately become the best player on the Packers Defense, which includes some good players.

Cutting Kirksey so early was a telltale sign. Gutey will find a way to get it done.

[YoHoChecko]

I know we're all individuals and not a single groupbrain, and I know that a variety of different opinions ar ebeing shared here...


...but I am getting the vibe that there is a feeling that GB needs to sign JJ, no matter the cost; but the cost better not be $16M/year+; and that if anyone offers him that, they're dumb; but if we don't offer them out and therefore miss out on him, then we're passive and destined to fail.

Seems to be the sort of jockeying that results in being pretty upset no matter what happens.