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As the Green Bay Packers continue to inch closer to the start of free agency, we at Acme Packing Company continue to see news and analysis about how the team will approach the spring. We continue to expect Ted Thompson to re-sign some of his own players and avoid most of the rest of free agency, but we will finally find out more three weeks from today, when the silly season kicks off.
In today's Cheese Curds, we find a list of several players who are in line for big raises, a handful of whom are players who were in Green Bay a year ago. A few of these names make sense - Micah Hyde, for example, is in line to get a big bump up from his rookie contract. However, T.J. Lang is finishing off a deal that paid him an average of $5.2 million per year, so by comparison, his raise will be unlikely to be significant - at least in terms of relative change.
Meanwhile, we learn that a few years back, the Packers had a great shot at a player who has been a critical part of a couple of recent Super Bowl wins. Instead of landing this player in undrafted free agency, however, his team swooped in to trade for a late draft pick to choose him instead, and he now has a pair of rings (instead of the one that he might have had in Green Bay).
Breakthrough players helped guide offense through adversity | Packers.com
Both Ty Montgomery and Davante Adams dealt with ankle injuries in 2015, and both bounced back with big performances in 2016.
Shields, Starks made marks | Packersnews.com
Props to the headline writer for his fun rhyme. With these two departed, the Packers now have just five players under contract for 2017 who were members of the 2010 Super Bowl squad: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Crosby, Jordy Nelson, Clay Matthews, and Bryan Bulaga.
Julian Edelman a Green Bay Packer? It almost happened in 2009 - ESPN
If the Patriots had not acquired the 232nd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Edelman would have signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Packers instead.
25 Players Who Could Get Even Richer in NFL Free Agency | The MMQB with Peter King
This isn't necessarily the list of players who will get paid the most, at least not in order, but there are a handful of Packers on this list: Cook, Lang, and Hyde. Other players coming off rookie contracts might be worth mentioning too, including Eddie Lacy.
20 plays every NFL coach should steal - ESPN
The Packers don't have any plays on this list, so perhaps Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers should take a look at it.
2017 Mock Draft | CHI, NYJ, HOU take QB | PFF
Steve Palazzolo projects a new name to the Packers at 29: inside linebacker Zach Cunningham.