Hunt tagged as transition player

PACKERS: Hunt tagged as transition player
0:20 AM 2/21/03
Jason Wilde Wisconsin State Journal

INDIANAPOLIS - The Green Bay Packers used their transition tag on unrestricted
free agent defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt Thursday. It is a move that increases the
chances of Hunt returning to Green Bay but likely signals the end of free-agent
defensive end Vonnie Holliday's five-year career with the team.

By naming Hunt as their transition player, the Packers have the right to match any
offer Hunt receives when the free-agent signing period begins a week from today.
In return, Hunt is guaranteed a one-year salary of $4.68 million next season, the average salary of the 10 highest-paid defensive tackles in the NFL.

Should the Packers decide not to match an offer and let Hunt go, they would receive no compensation. Had they designated Hunt as their franchise player, they would have been obligated to pay him a one-year salary of $5.94 million - the average of the five highest-paid players at his position - but would have been assured two first-round picks if they opted not to match an outside offer.

Hunt, a four-year veteran and a third-round draft pick from Kentucky State in 1999, started 14 regular-season games at eagle defensive tackle in 2002, leading Packers defensive linemen with 48 tackles, including a career-high 5 sacks. He also forced one fumble, recovered two others and knocked down four passes and an extra point.

Packers coach and general manager Mike Sherman met with vice president of player finance Andrew Brandt in the lobby of their downtown Indianapolis hotel shortly before the 3 p.m. deadline to discuss the team's options. Sherman said the Packers' hope is that they can get Hunt signed to a long-term deal before the free-agent period begins.

"Obviously we're going to continue to negotiate. This is protection to allow us to match any offer a team might make," Sherman said during a break in the NFL Scouting Combine. "But we'll continue our negotiations with Cletidus' agent in hopes of getting a deal."

Jimmy Sexton, Hunt's agent, did not return a message.

Asked if he thought another team might make a run at Hunt knowing the Packers have a tight salary-cap situation, Sherman said, "I think it would be difficult for a team to come to that conclusion based on how we've navigated the cap before."

The Packers will have to clear enough salary-cap space before March 1 in order to accommodate Hunt's guaranteed one-year salary if a long-term deal can't get done. That, coupled with the necessary tender offers that must be made to upcoming restricted free agents, means the team will have to do some maneuvering to comply with the $75 million cap.

The fact the Packers used the transition tag on Hunt and didn't use its franchise tag on Holliday means the team's first-round draft pick in 1998 will almost certainly end up elsewhere.

Designating Holliday, who turned down a seven-year deal in September which included a $5 million signing bonus and about $12 million over the first three years, as the franchise player would have meant a one-year guaranteed salary of $7.16 million. The defensive end transition tag value is $5.87 million.

"I never thought they were going to tag us," said Holliday's agent, Neil Schwartz, who is in town for the annual agents meeting today. "There's a big dollar differential between d-end and d-tackle - over a million dollars between the two numbers. Maybe (the Packers) decided it's more realistic to be able to sign Cletidus than it is to sign Vonnie, I don't know."

Asked if he expects Holliday to end up somewhere else, Schwartz replied, "We've never closed the door on the Green Bay Packers. Why would I close the door? We've always agreed to disagree in terms of contracts, but they've never mistreated Vonnie."

Sherman didn't rule out Holliday's return.

"Obviously the number amount that we were dealing with (regarding Holliday) was something we weren't going to be able to pay. So it wasn't in our best interest to (use a tag on him)," Sherman said. "But I'd never say that. We'll continue to negotiate. He says he wants to be a Packer, we'll see what type of deal he comes up with (on the market) and we'll see if we can match that deal."