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It is no secret that the Green Bay Packers hate overpaying for players in free agency. That goes for re-signing their own players as well as signing anyone from other organizations. However, that stubbornness can alternately serve the team well -- in the case of Martellus Bennett's contract -- or cost them some free agents departing, as several have done over the past several years.
The latest of these departures, guard T.J. Lang, left for Detroit over the weekend and had some strong words for the way the Packers have done business recently. The media is chiming in with greater frequency as well; while the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn has been a vocal critic of Green Bay's approach to adding players in recent years, Tom Silverstein has joined the chorus this week. "Spoon" wrote a fiery critique that addresses some different items than Lang's comments did, but
All of this criticism probably falls on deaf ears in the team offices at Lambeau Field, as the team likely continues doing their due diligence on a handful of free agents before shifting their focus back over to the draft.
Check out all of that and more in today's curds.
Free agency showing Packers' true colors | Packersnews.com
This review of the last week for the Packers -- courtesy of Tom Silverstein -- is equal parts scathing and praising of Ted Thompson's mentality. The one thing that appears to be consistent across the board is that the front office almost always refuses to budge when it sets a value on a player.
Eddie Lacy, other free-agent running backs playing waiting game - ESPN
Lacy, among others, continues to take visits and wait for a better deal. In fact, none of the running backs who were significant starters over the past few years have signed contracts yet, but once the first domino falls, expect the rest to topple quickly.
T.J. Lang: Late Detroit Lions offer topped Seattle Seahawks | Detroit Free Press
"Do you want to play with the best quarterback in the NFL-type thing, you’re going to have to take a little less money, and I think it just kind of wore some guys out the last couple years and watching guys leave ... It’s just a business and the older you get, the more you play, the more you understand it." In this case, however, the Packers' approach to Lang wasn't just a little less money than he was being offered elsewhere...it was a lot less because of the bidding war that started up between two desperate teams.
Packers Give Back Celebrity Bowling Event set for June 7 | Packers.com
Fans and businesses in the Green Bay area will have an opportunity to hang out with a member of the Packers organization and support a great scholarship fund at the same time.
Raiders add speed on offense, signing Cordarrelle Patterson - SBNation.com
Well, that's one less special teams weapon that the Packers will have to face on a regular basis.
DeMarcus Ware, 8th all-time in sacks, announces retirement | ESPN.com
Congratulations to Ware an an excellent career, which will undoubtedly result in his induction into the Hall of Fame.
PFF scouting report: Haason Reddick, LB, Temple | PFF
Reddick might have been an edge rusher in college - primarily from the left side - but he still looks like he projects to being an off-ball linebacker in the NFL. However, an astute defensive coordinator will put him to use plenty on blitzes, and he should be able to shift back outside on occasion.