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There was quite a bit wrong with the Green Bay Packers' defense last season, but a lot of them are products of the fact that they didn't have much of a pass rush. Teams were able to zero in on Clay Matthews because he was the only real pass-rushing threat. Either some players need to get a whole lot better or someone new needs to be brought in.
Last week, Brandon told you about one option. At that time, Kamerion Wimbley had not yet been released by the Oakland Raiders, but his release was a foregone conclusion. He has since been released, and according to Paul Imig at FOX Sports Wisconsin, the Packers are one of the teams that rang up his people.
Brandon concluded in his post that Wimbley is going to cost too much for the Packers to be a major player, and I agree with him. However, Imig does make a good point about the Packers' current cap situation that's worth considering.
Currently, the Packers are about $6 million under the salary cap for 2012 but could go as far as $17 million under if they cut two veterans, wide receiver Donald Driver and tackle Chad Clifton.
Ted Thompson doesn't like making big splashes in free agency, but he's not opposed to it if the situation demands it. He made a splash for Charles Woodson when he felt the Packers were an elite cover corner away from being a Super Bowl team, and that turned out to be an excellent decision.
I don't think Wimbley is worth the $8-9m that he's going to get from someone, but it's worth considering that his value is not the same to everyone. If your team is in need of some serious rebuilding, Wimbley is a waste of your money. If you're in the situation that the Packers are in, where they are potentially a great pass rushing 3-4 OLB away from being Super Bowl favorites, it might be worth overpaying a bit.
Wimbley is not a superstar and the Packers don't have a ton of money, but when you're one player away from being the favorites, how much do you have to pay to truly overpay?