Pack signs Saturday

Jeff Saturday agrees to deal with Packers


Posted by Michael David Smith on March 23, 2012, 12:35 PM EDT
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[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]’s free agent tour [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], and it will end there.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a deal between the Packers and Saturday has been completed.

The Broncos were expected to make a strong push for Saturday, who has been [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]’s center for almost all of Manning’s career, and who would represent an upgrade at center in Denver.

But the Packers need a center, too, and Saturday is a strong choice for them. The Packers rarely sign unrestricted free agents, preferring to build through the draft and focus in free agency on re-signing their own players, but after starting center [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] signed with the Rams, Green Bay makes sense as Saturday’s landing place.

Saturday is choosing the best chance at a ring over a reunion with Peyton Manning. The Broncos will move forward with J.D. Walton while the Titans may have to take a look at former Eagles center Jamaal Jackson. By way of Pro Football Focus' ratings, Saturday and the man he's replacing, Scott Wells, were both top-five NFL centers in 2011. The 37-year-old Saturday was easily the best interior lineman left on the market.

Solid free agent move by Thompson.

At this point, Scott Wells had no real upside IMO. He is an under-sized C that exceeded expectations and who had reached his full potential. Nowhere for him to go from where he is right now. I suspect that's why he didn't get a long-term deal offered to him by TT.

Saturday will be a very solid stop-gap for a season or two while a new player gets drafted and groomed for the long-term assignment.

And God knows our short-yardage running plays will get an immediate lift from this.

Well... how to interpret this uncharacteristic move by TT?

First of all, our skinflint albino wasn't going to sign anybody unless he felt he was getting a deal. So we must assume that, according to TT's calculations, Saturday's value was equal or greater than his price. And when you look at Saturday's track record, you see a premium O-lineman who also had a great responsibility in managing one of the most complex and productive offenses in the league over the last decade. Like Charles Woodson, he has football "smarts".

It also speaks to how important the position of center is in this pass-happy league. The center is the second-in-command to the QB and he coordinates all the blocking schemes and signals. Perhaps TT has assigned a greater value to an intelligent and productive center than many other GMs who are slower to pick up on the fact that the league is now more about passing the ball then ever.

I like the move. After watching our defense deteriorate last year, I didn't want to see the offense disrupted by the loss of a key player. I'm glad TT even upgraded the position.

Plus, it shows that TT might even be less inflexible than we thought. Hurrah... good move!

OK it's Saturday LOL LOL LOL.

'Bout time the guy realizes free agency is here. Sheeeeeeeeeeesh. Still have not seen anything resembling an aggressive attempt to put a league leading, 1996-esque defense on the field. This is disgusting so far. Don't believe the draft is the answer for turning the defense around. Nor does Hawk's haircut mean anything either. We have 4 players on defense and that's it. We need 7 more plus better nickel and dime guys too.

Our running back situation pretty much sucks too. Haven't had a running back in Green Bay since John Brockington. The combo of Bennett and Levens was enough due to lack of fumbling and great receiving skills. Ahman Green was good...........but not great like Brockington.

GO PACK GO

Why isn't the draft the solution for turning our defense around, Ringo? It's how TT built up every other aspect of a Super Bowl winning team.

I don't think our situation is that dire. We definitely have some holes to fill (I don't know about 7 starters, however), but I think if we get one more pass rusher and a fast athletic safety, everyone else on this D will start to look a lot better.

Plus, I'm hoping guys like Devon House will blossom in our draft-and-develop system.