2012 Free Agency: Another Veteran Purge Could Be Coming for Green Bay Packers

We found out very early on in Ted Thompson's reign as Green Bay Packers general manager that a sentimental side simply doesn't exist in his way of running a football team.

Among his first moves as GM in 2005 were the releasing of guard Mike Wahle and safety Darren Sharper and declining to re-sign guard Marco Rivera. All three players were stalwarts for Packers teams that had won NFC North titles from 2002-04, but each were shown the door both because of age and Thompson's need to manage the Packers' out of control salary cap. 

Thompson again showed that unrelenting side after winning last year's Super Bowl, as he cut linebackers Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga and Brandon Chillar, 11-year veteran Mark Tauscher and also let free agents Daryn Colledge and Cullen Jenkins walk in free agency.

Each player at one time played a major role for the franchise, but you never got the sense that any of the moves were difficult for Thompson.  

So, when we look at the Packers' roster in 2012 and attempt to pick out players who may end up being similar cap casualties, there's no better place to start than the veterans.

Donald Driver wants to continue playing, but his $5 million salary for 2012 needs to be trimmed down considerably or he could be playing else where next season. Driver is the Packers' all-time leading receiver in yards and should be a shoo-in for the Packers Hall of Fame. That said, I have no reservations in saying that Thompson would cut Driver without thinking twice about it if Driver's salary didn't fit into Thompson's salary cap plans for next year and years after. 

Left tackle Chad Clifton, who was a huge factor in the Packers winning the Super Bowl last season, suffered through an injury-plagued year and likely won't be back. Marshall Newhouse showed that the Packers offense can function with him in the lineup, and Thompson would save almost $6 million in showing Clifton the door.

See ya later, Chad. 

What about free agents Ryan Grant and Howard Green, two veterans that have played important snaps the past two seasons?

Thanks for your contributions guys, but good luck elsewhere.

Thompson's style certainly seems like a cruel way to go about your business. But in the brutal world of the NFL, there's simply no room for sentimentals. Hold on to a veteran guy a year too long, and maybe you don't have the cap available to re-sign one of your up-and-coming younger players.    

That's something Thompson is looking at right now. 

Scott Wells, a veteran that Thompson will attempt to bring back, is a free agent. So is Jermichael Finley and Jarrett Bush. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and linebacker Clay Matthews are likely to be up for extensions in coming seasons.

Money for the salary cap doesn't grow on trees. It takes a smart planner and even better manager to keep it under wraps. It also needs a leader that is willing to make decisions that go against the sentimental thinking of others about some players.

Thompson doesn't always make the moves that fans want to see, and I'm sure cutting both Driver and Clifton would raise eyebrows across Green Bay. But it's Thompson's way—a way that has been seen over and over during his time and Green Bay—and it has paid off more times than not.

So, with that in mind, expect another veteran purge sometime this offseason, with Driver, Clifton and Grant among the names you may not season in green and gold in 2012.