Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Packers turn their attention to Valdes-Scantling
The same day the Green Bay Packers traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, they made a call hoping to make free agent Marquez Valdes-Scantling an offer before he signed with another team.
A source for one of the teams interested in Valdes-Scantling said he was told the Packers called the receiver’s agent, Harold Lewis, as soon as they finalized the deal to trade Adams and asked him to wait before he signed somewhere else.
He said he got the feeling ValdesScantling was going to return to the Packers.
Valdes-Scantling was close to choosing between offers he had received on the free-agent market, but his desire to return and be a top target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers is strong, a source said.
Up to this point, Lewis had been seeking a one-year deal worth between $7 million and $10 million for Valdes-Scantling. The Packers could not have afforded that before they traded Adams because they were so tight against the salary cap.
However, the Packers gained $20 million in salary cap room as soon as the Adams deal was submitted to the NFL, which would allow them not only to resign Valdes-Scantling but also keep cornerback Rasul Douglas, who was an unrestricted free agent before the Packers announced that he re-signed with the club on Monday. Douglas had been a priority all through free agency, but the Packers didn’t have the cap room to do a deal until now.
Getting Valdes-Scantling back would give Rodgers a third receiver who knows him and the offense well. The Packers retained restricted free agent Allen Lazard and hung onto receiver Randall Cobb, who accepted a $5.8 million pay cut to return.
The Packers made the Adams deal official Friday.
“It’s never easy moving on from a player and person the caliber of Davante Adams,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement. “We have so much respect for all that Davante gave on and off the field during his eight seasons in Green Bay as he was integral to all that we’ve accomplished. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the storied history of the Packers and we look forward to him being enshrined into the Packers Hall of Fame one day. We wish nothing but the best for Davante, his wife Devanne and the rest of their family moving forward.”
Valdes-Scantling was a starter alongside Adams last year, but injuries limited him to 11 games. He caught 26 passes for 430 yards (16.5 average) and three touchdowns. Even though Valdes-Scantling’s numbers were modest, the Packers missed his blazing speed in the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
He had been on a roll late in the season, catching four passes for 123 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Minnesota in Week 11, four for 50 against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 and five for 98 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Baltimore in Week 15.
However, he missed Week 16 aafter being placed on the COVID-19 list and then injured his back in the season finale against Detroit after playing 15 snaps.
He tried to practice the week of the 49ers game but dropped out because of the back injury and did not play.
In four seasons, Valdes-Scantling has 123 catches for 2,153 yards (17.5-yard average) and 13 touchdowns. He had seven drops in 2020 but just one last season.
Fans buy 198,000 Packers shares
The Packers have a lot of new owners who do not live in Wisconsin.
The Packers’ sixth stock sale, which ended Feb. 25, raised $65.8 million through the sale of about 198,000 shares at $300 each plus a $35 handling fee. The Packers picked up 176,160 shareholders, bringing total ownership to more than 537,000.
While Wisconsin residents bought the most shares of fans in any state, they made up only 17% of overall purchases, compared with 50% during the 2011-12 sale. Other top-selling states were California at 8%, Texas and Illinois at 5% each, Florida at 4% and New York at 3%. Fans in Canada, the only other country that authorized the sale, bought 3,500 shares.
California, Illinois and Texas residents were among the top buyers in 201112 also.
This sale was authorized by regulators in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada.
“We are proud to welcome a new generation of shareholders from across the country and Canada,” said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. “Their support is a critical component of our ability to continue enhancing the fan experience and investing in Lambeau Field.”
The team said the proceeds would be used for construction projects at Lambeau Field, including new video boards and concourse upgrades. The NFL requires money raised by a stock sale to be used only for stadium projects that are beneficial to fans.
The money cannot be used for operating expenses or to expand player facilities. The Packers are the only team to which the rule applies because they are the only publicly owned team.
“Maintaining our stadium as a toptier facility that serves as a year-round destination contributes to the sustained success of both the franchise and our community,” Murphy said.
The team authorized the sale of 300,000 shares beginning Nov. 16.
Previous stock sales were in 1923, 1935, 1950, 1997 and 2011. The first three sales bailed the team out of dire financial straits. The 1997 sale helped pay for the 2003 renovation of Lambeau Field and the 2011 sale contributed to more renovations, as will this sale.
Assistants get promotions
A day after the NFL’s new year began, Packers coach Matt LaFleur announced a flurry of changes to his coaching staff.
LaFleur promoted defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to defensive line/running game coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard to safeties coach.
He also hired Ramsen Golpashin as offensive quality control coach, Quinshon Odom as a coaching assistant (minority fellowship) and Michael Spurlock
as a special teams quality control coach.
Montgomery, entering his eighth season on the Packers staff, originally was hired by former head coach Mike McCarthy as a defensive front assistant. He has been the Packers defensive line coach the past four seasons. It is his first time with a coordinator title attached to his job duties.
Downard was hired by LaFleur in 2019 as assistant defensive backs coach. His promotion gives the Packers a coach specifically focused on safeties. Jerry Gray, who was hired as defensive backs/passing game coordinator before the 2020 season, will retain his role leading the coverage schemes.
Golpashin was hired from UCLA, where he was the defensive line analyst and offensive graduate assistant.
Odom previously worked for the Packers player personnel department in 2018. He was an offensive line graduate assistant last season at the University of Texas.
Spurlock was a senior analyst at Ole Miss the past two seasons.
Giannis gives his jersey to Favre’s grandson
Two Wisconsin sports legends met March 16 after the Milwaukee Bucks’ 135-126 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Brett Favre meet Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After Favre and his grandson, Parker, took in the Bucks game at Golden 1 Center, they paid a visit to the team’s locker room.
In a moment captured on the Bucks’ Twitter account, Favre congratulated the team and then revealed it was the first time he attended an NBA game.
“It was fun watching you,” the Hall of Fame quarterback told the Bucks players assembled in the locker room. “First time I ever saw a pro game in person, believe it or not. I enjoyed it. Giannis, man you’re good.”
Antetokounmpo scored 36 points on 12 of 23 shooting and 12 of 16 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds. Antetokounmpo then showed Favre his goodness beyond the court.
After Parker high-fived Wesley Matthews, he approached Antetokounmpo, who sported two bags of ice on each knee. The two shared a handshake and then Antetokounmpo asked him if he wanted his jersey.
“It’s kind of sweaty, but this is yours,” the two-time NBA MVP said. He signed it and told him not to share it with his “granddad, OK.”
Favre’s grandson was thrilled to say the least.
“I’m going to hang this on my wall,” he said as he left with a huge smile on his face.