Happy Friday, Packers fans. This weekend surely will not have the kind of free agency excitement that last week did (what with the team signing Julius Peppers), so we can probably go back to our normal business. One person who is going back to business in a new place is wide receiver James Jones, who is now an Oakland Raider. Jones is mentioned in several of today's links, primarily in the context of being compared to other players.
We also have an article that talks a little bit about the income tax that players are assessed when playing road games, a topic which has been discussed a bit in the comments recently. Note that this particular discussion will be loaded with sarcasm, however, and consider the author when you read it.
Enjoy your Friday, and enjoy your weekend, Packers fans!
Q&A - Mark Murphy pleased with Packers' work, fans' support | JSOnline
Murphy addresses the Packers' stadium renovations, the difficulty in selling out the playoff game in January, and his relationship with GM Ted Thompson.
The truth about 'jock tax' and TV blackouts | Packers.com
Today, Vic talks in the third person a lot and complains about the tax states impose on players (and apparently team employees like himself) when the team is on the road.
Notebook: Nelson, Cobb likely factors in Jones' departure | Packersnews
This seems like an obvious contributing factor, as Nelson and Cobb's play as well as their impending contract extensions combined to push Jones out the door.
Did Green Bay Packers let Evan Dietrich-Smith, James Jones go? - ESPN
Here are the full breakdowns of the contracts signed by the Packers' former center and wide receiver.
Green Bay Packers have accomplished some offseason goals in free agency, still have work to do | FOX Sports Wisconsin
Here's Paul Imig's recap of the Packers' offseason so far, which covers just about everything that has happened.
2014 NFL free agency: Grading the second wave signings - SBNation.com
First, there's an ode to James Jones in the form of a Jeffersons theme song rewrite. The article also suggests that the Packers significantly overpaid for Julius Peppers, implying that the cost to get out of his contract after 2014 is prohibitively high.
NFL pro day results: Kony Ealy, Michael Sam impress at Missouri - SBNation.com
There look like there are literally hundreds of people in the Missouri weight room watching Michael Sam bench-press 225 pounds. That's a little creepy.
The best first tweets in NFL history - SBNation.com
On Richie Incognito: "Little did we know 'tweeting himself' would take on a whole new meaning soon enough."