Packers Free Agent center Scott Wells is gone. His management company has announced that Wells signed a contract today with the St. Louis Rams. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wells signed a four year deal at six million per year with 13 million guaranteed. The Packers are believed to have offered Wells 4.5 million per year.
Houston’s free agent center Chris Myers, rumored to be on the Packer’s radar (I didn’t particularly believe it), is also now off the market. Myers re-upped with the Texans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter is reporting that Myers contract with Houston is for 4 years at $25million, $14mil fully guaranteed.
Wells and Myers signed very similar contracts, which in the Packers’ opinion (and mine), is way too high for a center over 30 years old.
When reports came out about the Packers talking to Myers, I never really believed it was serious. Tthe Packers have shown they will resign their own free agents first (especially if getting a hometown discount). Going after Myers, similar in age and salary as Wells, made no sense. Most likely it was strictly a leverage play on Wells.
So where do the Packers look now? There are some other free agent centers on the market, but I find it unlikely they will give anyone a long term deal. Perhaps the logical thing to do would be to offer a 1-2 year deal to someone like 35 yr old Todd McClure, who had been the staring center for the Falcons for the last 12 years. That would allow then to then draft and develop a center from the upcoming NFL Draft.
Personally, I’m not holding my breath on the Packers signing a center. I think they will draft someone at the position and give the job to Evan Dietrich Smith at least for this season. Next man up!
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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Center was prob the least important positon when it comes to this pass-heavy team. That being said I truly think Packers are prepared for this not only with Deitrich-Smith but also with a young guy that made it all year from South Florida – Sampson Genus…
Cant wait for the Draft!! Go Pack Go!
way too much money to have at that position with all the other needs and upcoming contracts to renew in the next year or two.
Protection adjustements are essential for this team. Wells made the right call 99% of the time.
More on Rodgers’ shoulders…
They are getting over-paid. With that said another need to fill with limited draft picks and a lot of holes.
Not true on limited draft picks. With the Schlauderoff trade and conditional picks for last year’s free agency losses, they will have at least 12, maybe 13.
Al, I thought 12 was the maximum amount of picks a team could have in one year, anything more gets pushed to next year! Either way, TT could hopefully use some to move ^^^^^^ UP! And Yes, I know comp picks can’t be traded.
If that’s the case, I was not aware of that.
That’s on Madden.
I’ve always liked Wells. But now his future with a very poor team will likely not result in any sort of playoff run. He knows this, but the money is his thing. Good luck Scott, and may you never expirence another playoff game win.
I can see you have zero tolerence for players leaving for money?
TJ Lang said this on twitter tonight:
“Those who stay will be Champions”
fantastic…
With Lang’s contract up at the end of this upcoming season, let’s hope he remembers those words!
Speaking of Lang, I see that it has been reported that he may be a candidate to start at C now with Wells’ departure. Is he a viable option, or is this some reporter’s straw-grasping exercise?
This could be the most important draft in a few years? If Konz drops to 28 and there isnt a stud defensive player i think they will draft him. If not they will probally take one in rounds 2-4 and battle it out in camp with EDS and Genus. 12 or 13 draft picks is a huge number, will be hard to fit most of them on the 53 or there could be a few players from last year without jobs?
The math is pretty easy, Roster – lost (or unwanted) FA’s + draft picks – cuts = roster! It ain’t rocket science!
Two Oline spots to fix. As I have said many times, EDS is not now or ever will be a starting Center. At best a backup in a pinch. The Oline now has two gapping holes to fill/fix. Maybe Newhouse will play better after a full pre-season to learn pass blocking. Speed rushers made him lose his jock. It was his ineptitude that actually cause Sherrod’s injury while he was play RT for Bulaga.
MM and Capers better be burning the midnight oil fixing things. Let’s hope there is something coming their way. I guess that’s why they get the big bucks while I worry.
Wells got his SB ring, now he just wanted to be paid as much as possible, then retire in a few years. He knows he’s on a crappy team. I was hoping that TT would draft all defense in the first 4 rounds. Now we have another.hole to fill at center. I just don’t see this all being fixed with the draft . TT needs to make a trade or clear some cap room to sign a free agent ……..Arod can’t be happy that wells left.
A $6 million gap was a little too much for Wells to stomach (4 years with a 1.5mil/yr diff.). That’s assuming Wells plays out the contract as is. Another gap to fill. Just hope we don’t do it in the first or second round. We need D help there.
Off topic, but I just found out that our UPS guy at work is Willard Harrell’s nephew. Small world…
Another player who was given a second chance but ends up laughing at his peers all the way to the bank.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I kind of hope that Wells fails in Saint Louis.
I just HATE players that just care about the money!!!
Come on Chad, you wouldn’t take an additional $5 mil or so? His working career is only going to be 10 years or so. Of course he’s worried about the money.
Look, my point is that it’s like they’re UNHAPPY getting paid 4.5 million dollars, and they think they DESERVE more. They’re athletes, not productive workers!
Haven’t you ever heard of entitlement? I see it all around the NFL, and I’m just so sick and tired of it.
A rookie contract alone could literally set you for life. To say that he should be WORRIED about his finances is just laughable to me.
I share in your resentment on this subject Chad… thus my statement below. I guess he’s bitter to the organization over losing the starting job a few years ago and then having to regain it… Maybe he felt betrayed or something. Then he started to not care about the organization or fan base anymore and made this decision solely based on money. The real losers are the Rams in this case… they’re in the process of rebuilding their roster and they just tied up 6mil/yr on an aging peaked out center. That’s going to hurt when it comes to making use of the picks that they got for their 2nd overall this year. They could have spent they’re money much more wisely. Stupid move on their part.
their money not they’re money… I know O.o
It’s decisions like this that are going to keep the packers competitive for years to come. as much as it sucks to have another hole to fill it would have been a big mistake to pay him 6mil a year… Not having a center is a problem but it’s not a crippling or unfixable problem… it’s a small set back. Centers a plenty in FA and a couple options in the draft. I know this isn’t a popular choice but picking konz in the first round is starting to make a lot more sense the more I think about it… especially if there’s not a sure fire all star ROLB available.
Don’t be too mad at Wells guys. He needs to make sure that he can buy a 5mil dollar mansion instead of being stuck with a 3mil dollar mansion… I mean that’s worth more than being loyal. Screw the fan base and organization that gave you the opportunity to build a pro bowl caliber career. Have fun with an inglorious finish to your career…
Good Luck to Scott Wells. He gave much to the organization and deserves to get the big money. I hope he enjoys his retirement job.
For the Pack, TT needs to fix the line long term. There are two or three very good centers but only one that will step right in. Get Konz even if it means trading a good player to move up.
I’d suggest a trade with Cleveland or Cinci for Hawk and our 1st to nail the deal in the draft. Ther are also many teams that will trade for a good receiver.
TT has many options and picks to get er done.
The guard at Wisconsin will be available in 2nd round. He happens to play left guard, right guard and center. Maybe TT has his eye on him.
Not near the end of 2nd
It’s a young O line that is coming into it’s own, which could handle a young center because the rest know the offense well and we have two good guards protecting him. I would be very happy with Brewster in round 2; he has good size and I was very impressed with his combo blocks. I’m still very concerned with our pass rush and am not sold on any OLbs in the draft giving us the help we so need NOW. However,luckily for us the Raiders did us a favor by releasing Wimbley. He’s a great fit because he’s 28,good size,experience as a 3-4 olb and has proven ability to get to & disrupt the passer.
It’s not like any team has ever said, “If we just had a pro-bowl type center, we coulda won it all.” Nope. The panic button doesn’t exist on TT’s desk.
If our QB was average,I’d say we have a problem but,the last I checked,Rodgers isn’t average and we’ll be fine with EDS and draft a guy in the 3rd or 4th.
Besides,the laces on the football don’t need to be untied to have an effect.
All I know is you can bet that while EDS may plug the hole at C in the short term, whoever the Packers find to be the solution for the long term is going to be more in the 310-320 pound range.
The Packers clearly value a larger man at center.. It’s the sole reason they were trying to replace Wells in the first place.
Chris K’s Sampson Genus comment could be something the Packers play around with in camp, he came to the Packers large and strong, and has had a year to grow even more on his frame.
Yeah I was thinking that-Genus is short 6 foot ish but square listed at about 315 while EDS is barely 300 IIRC. He looked assignment sure to my uneducated eyes in pre season though that was of course against scrubs-he surely will get a chance to compete in camp unless we get a FA or use a high draft pick both of which are possible but maybe unlikely..
at my yearly training camp pilgrimage last year, Genus was doing one of two things during 1 on 1 and 7 on 7 drills.
He was either stonewalling the opponent or making mental errors and being hollered at.
The feel I got from it was the coaches were riding him because he’s talented and they see the potential.
Of course, I didn’t see him take snaps at C, he was typically playing at G when I was observing.
I didn’t think he looked great; but he looked promising. I haven’t really thought of him until Chris K brought him up. He may be the guy that makes the Packers feel like letting wells walk wasn’t a difficult decision. We’ll see.