GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It's not just a question of whether the Green Bay Packers will re-sign their own free agents such as receiver Randall Cobb and tackle Bryan Bulaga or make pitches for other free agents, it's a matter of when.
On Saturday, teams can begin negotiations with free agents from other clubs and then can sign them on Tuesday.
The Packers have yet to strike any deals, which has a large portion of the fan base nervous as reports swirl (and contradict) about whether the Packers will re-sign players like Cobb and Bulaga.
However, that's not unusual, if you remember how things played out last year.
Last offseason, teams were allowed to begin negotiations with other teams' free agents on March 8, but could not sign them until March 11. With that in mind, here's the timeline of how things happened last offseason:
Coming
March 8: Cornerback Sam Shields re-signs with the Packers a few hours after the negotiating window with other teams opened. It was a four-year, $39 million contract.
March 12: Outside linebacker Mike Neal re-signs with the Packers. It was a two-year, $8 million contract.
March 13: Tight end Andrew Quarless re-signs with the Packers. It was a two-year, $3 million contract.
March 14: Defensive tackle B.J. Raji re-signs with the Packers. It was a one-year, $4 million contract.
March 15: Free-agent outside linebacker Julius Peppers, who had been released less than a week earlier by the Chicago Bears, signs with the Packers. It was a three-year, $26 million contract.
March 17: Free-agent defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who had been released by the Minnesota Vikings two weeks earlier, signs with the Packers. It was a one-year, $985,000 contract.
March 18: Running back James Starks re-signs with the Packers. It was a two-year, $3.165 million contract.
April 3: Fullback John Kuhn re-signs with the Packers. It was a one-year, $1.03 million contract.
April 15: Quarterback Matt Flynn re-signs with the Packers. It was a one-year, $1.068 million contract.
April 22: Linebacker Jamari Lattimore re-signs with the Packers. It was a one-year, $1.431 million restricted free agent tender.
Going
March 12: Safety M.D. Jennings, who was not offered a restricted free agent tender, signs a one-year minimum contract with the Chicago Bears. On the same day, the Packers hosted free-agent tight end Owen Daniels on a visit. Daniels would go on to sign with Baltimore Ravens.
March 14: Center Evan Dietrich-Smith signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a four-year, $14.26 million contract.
March 17: Receiver James Jones signs with the Oakland Raiders. It was a three-year, $10 million contract.
March 21: Tackle Marshall Newhouse signs with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a one-year, $805,000 contract.
March 28: Defensive end C.J. Wilson signs with the Oakland Raiders. It was a one-year, $795,000 contract.
