Packers release Hawk, avoiding $10M salary

[manchild24]

Packers re-signed ILB AJ Hawk to a five-year contract.
Hawk, 27, is expected to receive in the vicinity of $30-35 million in max value, with over $10 million guaranteed. We can't say we're in the love with the deal, but by all accounts Hawk is a coaching staff favorite despite his on-field deficiencies. He's not a stout run defender as 3-4 inside linebackers are supposed to be. For his part, Hawk ranked 22nd in the NFL in tackles last season, and the only linebacker with more pass breakups than Hawk was Kansas City's Derrick Johnson. Hawk also notched three interceptions and a fumble recovery.

[Primetime]

*clap, clap, clap*

[Senser81]

*clap, clap, clap*

Don't you mean :applause: ??

[Primetime]

I've never used the smiley before and was too lazy to find it amongst the 5000 smileys we have on the site. It was just so much easier.

[Diivox]

This really bothered me at first but it makes sense now.

I have not been terribly impressed by Hawk's play since GB drafted him, but he does seem to have some real value at ILB.

upon further reflection this isnt about Hawk, its about Bishop and Barnett.

Bishop is a guy that more than earned his starting assignment. Bishop deserves the starting gig, the guy is a smart, natural ILB, and Clay Matthews next contract is going to be fucking massive... there is only so much you can spend at LB even if its the core of a 3-4 defense.

Hard for me, because Barnett is the man, I have been a huge fan since he was drafted, He's the only guy I have ever contemplated buying a jersey for, and I'm feeling the same pain in my stomach thinking about it as I did with Kampman. Kampman and Barnett were/are Packers, they were OUR guys. but football is a business.

TT wisely knew that he could pay Hawk less for his new contract than he will have to pay Barnett for his next contract, and he can get younger at the position. Hawk still led the team in tackles even though, as bucky so astutely observed, he tends to make the sacrificial play.

Barnett did not help himself with the team photo drama. Finley is one thing, they've been trying to build the offense around his injury prone ass for years now, but Barnett essentially lost his job to injury and then made a big deal about how the team was treating him. You can do that as a first string first ballot pro bowler. you dont get to do that as a backup.

As sad as this makes me, and I would take Barnett over Hawk any day of the week, I got to respect the wisdom from TT. the man just won a superbowl by dumping an aging veteran for a rising star. He gets the grace period to make his moves. he obviously knows what he is doing. Paying Hawk less than you'd pay Barnett, for production that is going to come anyway due to the outstanding players around him, while also getting younger, is just the type of move that got the team where it is, so despite my loyalties, it IS the smart move.

[Tengo Juego]

Details of Hawk's new deal.

A.J. Hawk’s new contract with the Packers is worth $33.75 million over five years and includes $10.95 million in first-year pay.

According to a source with access to NFLPA salary figures, the linebacker’s contract averages $6.75 million a season for the five years and will pay him $21.35 million over the first three years.

Hawk’s contract includes a signing bonus of $8 million, roster bonus of $1.8 million and 2011 base salary of $1.15 million, which means he’ll make $10.95 million in 2011. If the salary cap returns in the same form it’s been since 1994, that $8 million will be prorated over five seasons for cap calculations, so he’ll count $4.55 million against the 2011 cap.

In 2012, he’ll make $4.95 million, with $4.4 million of that in base salary, $300,000 in a roster bonus and $250,000 in a workout bonus.

In 2013, he’ll make $5.45 million ($4.9 million base salary, $300,000 roster bonus and $250,000 workout bonus).

In 2014, he’ll make $5.95 million ($4.9 million base, $800,000 roster bonus and $250,000 workout bonus).

And in 2015 he’ll make $6.45 million ($5.4 million base salary, $800,000 roster bonus and $250,000 workout bonus).

Green Bay Packers news | A.J. Hawk’s new contract with Green Bay Packers worth $33.75 million over five years | Green Bay Press-Gazette