Packers Suckered Into Three-Year Deal For Chad Clifton

In his five years as the Green Bay Packers' general manager, Ted Thompson hasn't spent recklessly. He's drawn the ire of some for his conservative ways with the checkbook, but he has made some really good decisions (letting guards Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera go instead of signing them to huge contracts) amid a few not-so-good calls (cutting safety Darren Sharper).

The Packers just aren't a player in free agency, so when word got out that veteran left tackle Chad Clifton was going to visit the Washington Redskins after free agency started Friday morning, people rightly figured that he was a goner.

Instead, it appears the visit was simply a leverage play by Clifton and agent Jimmy Sexton. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Clifton has agreed to a new three-year deal with the Packers.

More: Free Agency Tracker

There were reports overnight that Clifton was offered around $5 million per season to stay in Green Bay, but he was looking for closer to $7 million.

Thompson was right to draw a line. Clifton turns 34 in June. He led his team in offensive line penalties in 2009, despite missing four games. He was good in pass protection, but not nearly as good blocking for running back Ryan Grant.

Given his advancing age and concerns over his lower body (he's had knee and hamstring problems), it was wise of Thompson to avoid overpaying for Clifton. If he could get $7 million a year from someone, you tip your cap, thank him for a decade of solid play, congratulate him on his big contract, and move on.

Unfortunately, Thompson was suckered by Clifton's visit to Washington. Schefter says the new contract is worth $20 million over three years, with $7.5 million guaranteed.

As noted by Tom Silverstein, this visit had "leverage" written all over it. Thompson tried to get Clifton on the cheap, without using the franchise tag, and it failed because Clifton knew he could get more out of what could be his last NFL contract. Thompson wanted to avoid overpaying for Clifton, so he put the franchise tag on defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and tried to work on Clifton.

In the end, it didn't work out the way Thompson wanted. He overpaid for a solid tackle who is just as likely to break down as he is to be a 16-game starter. It doesn't change the fact that he still has to address the lack of tackle depth, whether it's via the draft, a signing, or a trade.

Perhaps he looked at his free agent options, saw a low number of impact tackles in the draft, and got scared of losing a good starter in Clifton.

Either way, you can no longer accuse Thompson of being overly cheap.