Can This be Ted Thompson?

Packer General Manager Ted Thompson has a well earned reputation for eschewing the temptations of free agency and trading for veteran players prefering to instead build his teams with draft choices.  This year, Thompson already broke form once by signing a quality veteran (Jeff Saturday formerly of the Indianapolis Colts) to replace departing Packer free agent center Scott Wells. 

While this suprises most who know Thompson, perhaps another surprise is being contemplated.  What follows is nothing but the most rank speculation.  More than that, to those who know Thompson, it would be very untypical of him.  Nevertheless . . .

The Packers released Chad Clifton yesterday.  This means the Pack gained $5.593 million in additional room on the salary cap. While ESPN reported the decision was a medical one, other sources are not so sure about that. It may be the Pack was not willing to devote a roster spot and that much cap space to a player whose age and injury history left him a player you could not be sure would be available to perform and (more importantly for this speculation) the team wanted the salary cap room for other purposes. 

Which raises the interesting question what the Pack plan to do with that cap space and  roster spot? That is where "out of the box" thinking comes in. One problem the Pack has heading into the draft Thursday is safety. No announcement has been made about Nick Collins future, but both Thompson and McCarthy have been pessimistic about him returning. Combine this with the long rumored possibility Charles Woodson might eventually transition to playing safety and what do you get? A possible April suprise from Thompson?

The Eagles have been shopping cornerback Asante Samuel for months. Despite the fact he is a significantly above average cornerback, they have not been able to trade him. The problem is Samuel is set to make $10 million dollars this year and no one is willing to trade for Samuel unless he is willing to sign a contract extension or renegotiation that lowers that one year salary cap number - particularly if they have to give up a juicy draft choice to get him. In fact, rumors are teams negotiating to obtain Samuel from the Eagles have offered only a 4th to 6th round draft choice for Samuel. Even though he is 31 years old, that is quite a bargain for an above average starting NFL cornerback. 

Part of the problem arranging a trade has been the degree to which Samuel is willing to renegotiate with the suitor. While Samuel does not have a no trade contract, he can (practically speaking) dictate which of the interested teams he is willing to go to by how much (or how little) he is willing to bend in contract renegotiations. So, now that the Pack has some decent cap space available, might they step in and offer the Eagles a 5th or 6th round pick for Samuel? Might not Samuel find the Packers an attractive place to land making him willing to be more flexible when it comes to renegotiating his contract? Joining a young team that finished the regular season 15-1 and lost a close game to the eventual Super Bowl champions ought to be attractive to him.

If Woodson is willing to move to safety, Nick Collins is adequately replaced. Signing Samuel, adequately replaces Woodson (whose coverage skills were - in my opinion - beginning to erode last year anyway). That frees up a position of need from those Thompson needs to focus on when the draft begins on Thursday. And, as Martha Stewart is known to say: "that is a good thing."