Donald Driver Receives Two-Year Extension
by Brandon on Aug 7, 2010 2:21 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers News
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PrintIf GM Ted Thompson has structured the two-year contract extension the Green Bay Packers just gave to WR Donald Driver like he's done with other veterans in recent years, it's likely that it has few guaranteed dollars, but does raise his base salary to make sure he's paid like a starting receiver.
There are few (any?) 35 year old receivers who still play like Driver does, so it's hard to find similarities. But with big contracts recently handed out to Texans WR Andre Johnson and Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall, the ceiling for an NFL receiver's contract has certainly gone up.
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Confirmation
that Driver will retire at the end of the new contract.
"The Green Bay Packers never lost a football game. They just ran out of time." -Vince Lombardi
All I know is Stroh won’t like this! LOL.
I’m happy DD will retire as a Packer after the contract. He works hard every week. I’m not expecting too much out of him this year with Jennings and Finley on the field, but I know DD will get YAC when called upon. I trust him when the ball goes in his direction.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
LOL
Its not that I don’t like it… I just didn’t expect it. Nothing against Driver, great player, great Packer… I just figured that the Packers would want to move forward w/ getting Nelson and Jones more opportunities. The way I see it this makes re-signing Jones MUCH more difficult! Is he going to be satisfied to sit on the bench and watch? He’s already sharing the #3 WR w/ Nelson, and now it looks like that will continue. Unless the rotation changes and Driver is OK w/ giving up touches to Jones and Nelson, there stands a good chance that Jones and Nelson the year after won’t be too interested in staying in GB and playing 2nd fiddle to Driver… Not to mention Jennings and Finley, when they can sign elsewhere and be a legit #2 option on another team!
Hope Driver is willing to concede some touches to keep Jones and Nelson happy!!!
Its not about him "giving up touches"
He’ll concede touches to them when they get open and make catches. We have three WRs on the field all the time, if they are open they are going to get chances…if they aren’t getting open and aren’t catching the ball they won’t. I will say this, I think we need to go with one or the other at this point and let them be the primary #3 guy and either trade off the other or let him be the #4.
I think this is good cause now we can look for a tall, fast WR in next years draft to groom in to take his place. I think we can do better than both those guys. i am not sold on either of them…but we’ve had that discussion before. If Jones moves on, I am fine with that. I like Nelson as a slot guy. We need to find a real replacement for our #2 spot now.
Pleeeeease
You don’t think being #4 or 5 on the reciever list doen’t make a difference!!! Don’t be a fool!!! You know damn well that w/ the FOCUS of the offense being on Jennings, Finley and Driver before Jones and Nelson limits their opportunities!!! If you can’t see that theres no hope for you…
Why are you so anxious to get Jones and/or Nelson out of GB, after spending a 2nd and 3rd rd pick, after putting in the years to develop them, just to see them use those talents on another team?!! THat makes no sense and is not how winning teams do business!!! And don’t doubt for a second that Jones and Nelson aren’t capable #2 WR. Put them on the NYG and they are every bit as good as Steve Smith!
Apparently your not listening to the reports out of camp that Jones and Nelson are ready for more chances
They both have tremendous potential
I don’t think any of us are sure who is better between Jones and Nelson, but I think we believe that Nelson has the most potential given his size.
I would like to get another tall WR in next years draft, but it’s not a huge necessity. Perhaps Quarless develops like Finley. We then only need to run 2 WR sets with 2 TE’s. Finley and an improved Quarless on the field at the same time? That’s only considering Quarless does develop. Too early to determine at this point.
We will surely need a CB early in the draft next year. Who knows how much longer Al Harris will be around and Charles Woodson is catching up in age as well. Either that or an OLB. Perhaps one of the guys we have on the roster now does develop though. Next year is too far away though. I like what we have in Nelson and Jones. We could get better, but they are already good. The WR position is one we should always look to keep strong, but it may not be a need next year.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
IMO
I don’t think any of us are sure who is better between Jones and Nelson, but…
I don’t think it is so much of a question of who is better; I see the situation between Jones and Nelson this way.
In most cases, when the Packers go to a three WR formation, it is probably Nelson who will be the third man in, but, when it comes time to replace Driver, it is Jones who has been being groomed, since he was drafted, to take over that particular WR position and, if that happens, Nelson will still be the number three guy.
And, if it unfolds that way, then I can easily see Nelson moving on to a team where he can be a starter at some point down the road; maybe by the time his rookie contract expires.
-
The glass is more than half-full.
That's a good way to put it
And something that was brought up in the past. I see Nelson strictly as a slot WR. Jones does do well with YAC, so that’s where I give him props.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
give me a BREAK!!!!!!
You are missing the point…they are the fourth or fifth look because they haven’t taken advantage of their chances. If they were killing it in practice and games they would get more looks. How did Finley move from being the 6th or 7th look to being maybe #2? It wasn’t cause the coach told people to do it…he impressed, he performed and he’s gotten more catches and moved up the depth chart.
You can’t give me ANY proof that either of them would perform as well as steve smith, its purely 100% hope and wishful thinking. If they were performing to that level one of them would have NAILED DOWN the #3 spot all by themselves and they’d be getting plenty of looks to show us all that they were going to be next great thing.
Look at 2007, Jones was the uncontested #3, he ended up with 47ish catches as a rookie. That is a GREAT chance to show off what you’ve got. At that point we ALL thought he was going to be something special. Now he’s not good enough to hold off Jordy Nelson…I have a hard time believing its because they are both just SO amazing and we should casterate that evil Donald Driver for not giving his job to them.
If you can’t understand that opportunities are EARNED in practice and in gametime then there is no hope for you man…
Speaking of earning
WHat’s so wrong w/ 32 rec 450 yds and 5 (countem) 5 TD’s!!! And thats while SHARING the #3 WR role. He had almost as many TD’s as Driver in less than half the playing time!!! Something wrong w/ that? NO!!! THe Packers got excellent production out of Jones last year! I would say that EARNING more opportunities!
I did say IMO that JOnes or Nelso would be just as good as Steve Smith… Its called qualifying your response!!!
By all accounts Jones and Nelson are already pushing for more chances. Both are having tremendous training camps! Both need to get more chances, they’ve earned it, and need it to become as good as they can be! I have nothing against Driver, but I’m not the type to get attached to guys that much… I keep perspective!
Again the NFL is littered w/ players that were only role players until they were needed or asked to be starters! Maybe you should remember that too…
…and spencer havner had 4 TDs and I am not singing his praise either.
Look. I’ve said in some posts that I see the most upside in Jones, I LOVED the guy in his rookie year. The next year he wasn’t able to beat our a rookie (Nelson) for the 3rd WR spot (solely) and then he dealt with injuries. I was quite disappointed. He had an alright rebound year last year. But I am not just talking stats. I am talking watching games and being impressed. I saw a LOT of dropped balls from him last year, I think his rate was almost 10% in 2009. Thats getting close to Donald Lee type production (or lack thereof). I am also talking about practice (you talking about practice? Yes practice)…if he was killing it in practice they would get him on the field. PERIOD. They are not going to split time or keep him out of chances to make plays if they think he’s the difference maker we need out there. Its not about money, Donald lee was making $1.5 mill a year more than Finley yet Finley took his job from him by taking the opportunities he had and making the best of them. He impressed in practice and then when he had his chances he made the best of them.
I still think Jones will be a pretty good WR, but I think DD gives us our best chance to win NOW…that is what matters. Player are listed as role players until the earn their way up or find their way onto the field by injury. When he does this he’ll be there.
speaking of earning
Driver had the amazing total of 13 rec in his 3rd season, then when GIVEN the opportunity in 02 (after Freeman left) he went to 70 rec!!! So tell me… Exactly what had Driver done to EARN more opportunities? NOTHING… he was given more opportunities!!! He only became a starter and got more chances when Freeman left… Had his 13 rec in 01 earned him that chance??? Hell NO…
2001: Freeman, Schroeder, Bradford, Fergusson (rookie), Driver
2002: Our #1-3 Wrs all left, which left us with Driver (a no one), Ferguson (now a 2nd year guy who did nothing), Walker (a rookie), and newly acquired Terry Glenn.
YOu don’t think he EARNED that spot? You think they just handed it to him? He had the least investment (financially) of all the WRs on the roster. If they were in the business of just giving away the spots, it would have been Ferguson, Walker, and Glenn with Driver coming in to mix it up as a #4 guy. He fought and scratched his way in practice and earned that spot and now look where he is.
Know
You don’t know he earned that spot… He was the only guy left after 01 who knew the plays… Ferguson never showed anything! Walker didn’t start to show until 03 and Glenn was a FA and not a very good one. So really what competition did Driver have? A never was in Ferguson, a not ready Walker and a one year stop gap FA WR!! Yeah he REALLY earned that starting job!!! Fact is he was given it by default!!!
I do know he earned it, I remember watching him...
He was a nobody just like the rest of them. He had accomplished nothing and was buried on the depth chart. You are taking his current success and assuming the coaches knew he had it, they had no reason to give him a job. He’s undersized (HUGELY), doesn’t have pedigree behind him, comes from a rough background, came from ALCORN STATE (where he had 88 career receptions…he was totally drafted on athletic ability as a track star), was a 7th rounder…what in the world would make you think he was given ANYTHING? Again if ANYONE on the roster was going to be given anything it would have been 2nd rounder Ferguson and 1st rounder Walker…Driver did nothing to make them give him anything. I don’t see why you would think he was given a job…I can’t even get my head around that line of thinking…
By the way, just ran into this:
http://www.reservationforsix.com/2010/07/robert-ferguson-persuading-javon-walker.html
haha my how the mighty have fallen.
Earned
So he earned it over a NEVER was in Ferguson, a not yet ready rookie and a one year stop gap FA WR… Yeah he REALLY earned that job!!! He had camp to beat out 3 guys that never amounted to much of anything in the NFL! I don’t care about draft status… Once training camp starts draft status is out the window! It is then about who the best is, production… Like I said he beat out 3 guys that were virtual stiffs!! At least at that point in their careers! Saying Driver had competition w/ those 3 guys is akin to having competition w/ Larry, Moe and Curly… 3 stooges!
What the hell does the UFL and Fergie have to do with anything?
BUT HE WAS A NOTHING TOO!!!!!!! Driver was a 7th rounder. He had accomplished nothing. He beat out a bunch of guys who were all about the same in accomplishments and ability at the time.
They were all given equal chances to get the starting job. PERIOD.
The story was just funny cause it was all the guys we were just talking about and he’s trying to reunite them. Thought it was pretty funny.
Except
That he had far more knowledge of the Packers system than any of the others… Not to mention that he had #4 in his corner propping him! Favre had been calling for Driver to get more opportunities even the year before!! Either way Driver has certainly come a long way! But I don’t think he had that much competition that year…
Just to clarify though...
I’d like to see Jones get the shot to be on the field the most this year…I still hold out hope based on what I saw in 2007 so I’d like to see him get 40-50 catches this year. I don’t care of Nelson gets pissed, honestly I haven’t been too impressed iwth him so far. Some of that is lack of opportunity, some of it is just his skill level I guess. Its his third year though so maybe this is the year he shows it off…I’ll be watching in the preseason.
Love Nelson and Jones
I think either Nelson or Jones will do extremely well. People are disappointed in their production but remember 1) thet split time and 2) they are the usually the 3rd sometimes 4th read.
All I know is that more often last year watching the games I was disappointed in what I saw more often that being brought to my feet by what I saw either of them doing. I still like Jones more than Nelson, I think he has more big play ability so he’s more exciting. Nelson is a reliable slot kind of receiver with pretty good hands but I don’t think I see him being anything more.
I was surprised
I thought they’d let him play out his remaining contract and let him fly. I believe this extension is a reflection of the brass’s attitude towards DD — his pride, his dedication, his commitment on the field and in the GB community have been rewarded.
The only reciever
Still playing well at his age is Derek Mason though congrats to DD and hopefully he remains healthy and relatively productive.
How old will DD be when this extension runs out?
He has said, and reiterated, that it is his goal to play until he is at least 40!
I still think that he could finish his career somewhere else (although he would probably wind up signing a one-day contract to retire as a Packer, IMO).
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The glass is more than half-full.
I believe he'll be playing through the 2012 Season
So, not exactly for sure, but would that make him retire at 38 or 39 years old? That of course if he plays all 3 seasons? I don’t remember his age, I thought he was 35 or 36 years old this year.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
What I thought.
So, if he really is determined to play ‘til he’s 40 (as he seems to be), what are the odds that, in 2012, his production is enough to justify another extension, so that he does it with the Pack?
Would he be willing to take a pay cut AND a reduced roll?
What I’m sayin’ is, it could still end up taking a one day contract for him to retire as a Packer.
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The glass is more than half-full.
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