Packers Wahle may be cap casualty...

[trickblue]

Packers | Salary Cap Troubles - from www.KFFL.com
Thu, 24 Feb 2005 09:45:58 -0800

Tom Silverstein, of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, reports the Green Bay Packers are more than $6 million over the league's salary-cap limit after tagging TE Bubba Franks with a transition designation, according to NFL Players Association salary data. That number will inflate to at least $11 million once the team makes qualifying offers to some or all of their restricted free agents. The impending release of veteran G Mike Wahle, whose contract calls for $11.3 million cap number next season, would allow the Packers to recoup $11 million in cap space, but leaves the team with little available cap room to be active in free agency.

[Seven]

Packers | Salary Cap Troubles - from www.KFFL.com (http://www.kffl.com/)

Thu, 24 Feb 2005 09:45:58 -0800

Tom Silverstein, of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, reports the Green Bay Packers are more than $6 million over the league's salary-cap limit after tagging TE Bubba Franks with a transition designation, according to NFL Players Association salary data. That number will inflate to at least $11 million once the team makes qualifying offers to some or all of their restricted free agents. The impending release of veteran G Mike Wahle, whose contract calls for $11.3 million cap number next season, would allow the Packers to recoup $11 million in cap space, but leaves the team with little available cap room to be active in free agency.

Hey Trickblue. How veteran is Wahle these days?

[trickblue]

He's a 7 year pro out of Navy...

Packers' Wahle gets little love outside Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- Left guard Mike Wahle is the key to the Green Bay Packers' signature running play dubbed "96 Power" and its multitude of variations. He is Brett Favre's personal protector on rollouts.

"A lot of our offense is predicated on his abilities as a pulling guard," coach Mike Sherman said. "So, to put him in the Pro Bowl category, I think it'd be idiotic not to."

Added offensive coordinator Tom Rossley: "We love Mike Wahle. He's a big part of what we do."

Wahle just doesn't get the love outside of Green Bay, that's all.

The Packers thought it was absurd last season when Wahle wasn't among the three guards named to the NFC squad and absolutely ridiculous when he wasn't even among the three alternates.
Advertisement:

"It's a hugely flawed system," injured center Mike Flanagan said. "And this is coming from a guy that went last year. I say take it out of the fans' and players' hands and let the upstairs vote. They're the only people who watch all the films of every game and can truly judge what a guy's capable of."

Votes by fans, coaches and players each count one-third in the balloting, which is announced next week.

"It didn't make any sense where he was an alternate the year before last and then last year he wasn't even an alternate," Flanagan said. "And last year he had as good a year as you could have had and this year he's having an even better year."

Tailback Ahman Green is on the cusp of his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and Favre has only been sacked nine times all season.

But Wahle isn't counting on making his first Pro Bowl.

"After the last couple of years I'm pretty skeptical on the whole thing," Wahle said.

Last year, teammate Marco Rivera, Larry Allen of Dallas and LeCharles Bentley of New Orleans were chosen as starters and Seattle's Steve Hutchinson replaced Bentley, who was out for the year with a knee injury when the results were announced.

"Let me put it this way: I was very, very surprised at the outcome," Wahle said.

Wahle, who has started 92 consecutive games, won't say he was motivated by the snub because he's not sure he wants to put his faith into such a flawed system.

"To not even get an alternate, after the way I played, you go, 'Well, if that's how it's going to be, I'm not going to put too much stock into it.' But once in my career, It would be nice to go."

Offensive line coach Larry Beightol said he thinks Wahle is hands-down qualified again this year.

"Quite frankly, I don't agree with how they go about selecting the players, but hey, they don't ask me," Beightol said. "How good is Mike Wahle? I think he's an All-Pro guard. I think he's a high quality football player. He's tough, he's smart, he's aggressive, he's playing with great confidence."

Like Rivera, however, Wahle might be winding down his career in Green Bay. Rivera will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and Wahle has a $6 million roster bonus due in March that will force the Packers into either renegotiating his contract or releasing him.

Neither one is looking at this as his last stand, however.

"I say he's going to be here and I'm going to be gone," Rivera said, "and he says that I'm going to stay here and he's going to be gone."

[dbair1967]

Wahle's a pretty good OL...according to some he has been better than his teammate (Rivera I think) even though Rivera has been in the last couple of probowls...

he was a tackle in college but I think he's been a guard for most of his NFL career...I'd sign him if the deal was cap friendly but he'll probably command a good sized contract on the open market...RT is much more of a concern to me than RG is

David

[The30YardSlant]

For a moderate amount of money I wouldnt mind signing him. Better than what we have.

[Fletch]

I'd go after 8 year veteran DAN NEIL of the Broncos. He was just released.

[Az Lurker]

personally I'd consider picking up Wahle to be about the best move we could make in FA. Solidify the line, give the Drews time to throw, and give Jones someone to run behind when he goes to the right. watching the revolving door we've had on the right side of the O-line last few years really bums me out

[ShiningStar]

id like that pick up...gives another person for jones to run behind and can buy some time...

[followthestar]

you just know in your heart that neil or wahle or someone will be brought in to solidify that right side. i think either would be good but the bottom line is we need to spend the bucks - you get what you pay for. OL is our #1 priority at this point, surpassing even DL or secondary. don't care who it is or whether its a G or T, but we need a pro bowl calibre presence on the right side to make this offense pop.

[Boy's fan in Giant land]

you just know in your heart that neil or wahle or someone will be brought in to solidify that right side. i think either would be good but the bottom line is we need to spend the bucks - you get what you pay for. OL is our #1 priority at this point, surpassing even DL or secondary. don't care who it is or whether its a G or T, but we need a pro bowl calibre presence on the right side to make this offense pop.

I would LOVE to add this guy to our team, but I don't agree the OL should be our 1st priority. If we don't seriously beef up the D-line & add at least one playmaking LB'er, we'll have to put up 27 points/game to be competitive.

[AdamJT13]

I'd go after 8 year veteran DAN NEIL of the Broncos. He was just released.
Wahle is 27 years old, has never missed a game and was a Pro bowl alternate last season. Neil is 31 and coming off an injury.

I'd much rather have Wahle, without question.

[trickblue]

Wahle is 27 years old, has never missed a game and was a Pro bowl alternate last season. Neil is 31 and coming off an injury.

I'd much rather have Wahle, without question.

and Navy grads seem to possess a little more smarts... ;)