Cosa ci possono insegnare le ultime scarpe da corsa della Nike sul futuro dello sport

Le Vaporfly Elite mirano ad abbattere la soglia delle due ore nella maratona — ma fin dove potrà spingersi la tecnica a migliorare le prestazioni atletiche?

La Nike ha da poco annunciato le Vaporfly Elite, il nuovo prototipo di <a href="http://www.cerfim.it/">air max 2016</a> scarpa da corsa per maratoneti. Il modello non sarà messo in vendita o prodotto su larga scala perché progettato esclusivamente per Zersenay Tadese, world record nella mezza maratona, Lelisa Desisa, vincitore di due maratone di Boston e Eliud Kipchoge, medaglia d’oro alle Olimpiadi di Rio. Sebbene ancora lontane dalla vendita al grande pubblico, la tecnologia alla base della progettazione e le aspettative riposte sul miglioramento delle prestazioni degli atleti possono dirci molto sul futuro dell’agonismo.

Le Vaporfly Elite non hanno un bell’aspetto, almeno per tutti coloro che sono abituati alle scarpe più appariscenti della Nike. La loro forma sproporzionata e poco lineare salta subito all’occhio, ma la scelta estetica non è altro che il risultato di una calcolata somma di fattori mirata a un unico obiettivo: completare una maratona entro le due ore — poco importa se le scarpe non siano belle in senso classico.

Secondo Tony Bignell – vice presidente del reparto footwear innovation della Nike – le Vaporfly Elite sono la soluzione per abbattere il muro delle due ore, rimasto intatto dal lontano 1906 quando il canadese Billy Sherring scese per la prima volta <a href="http://www.mascarpone07.it/">http://www.mascarpone07.it/ sotto le tre ore. Le speranze di Bignell ruotano intorno a tre fattori: il peso, in grado di ridurre l’energia nel sollevare il piede dal suolo; l’ammortizzazione, per supportare le ossa e i muscoli; e la propulsione per aumentare la velocità del corridore. Negli anni la ricerca si è interrogata intorno a queste tre semplici variabili, capaci di modificare sensibilmente le prestazioni di un atleta.

I tre corridori testeranno questa primavera i nuovi modelli durante il Breaking2 project, una simulazione di una maratona presso l’autodromo di Monza. Gli organizzatori mettono l’accento sulle capacità della scienza di portare l’uomo ad una condizione che solo 50 anni fa sembrava impossibile. “È una di quelle grandi barriere del potenziale umano” afferma Bignell, “siamo arrivati ad un punto in cui sembra che ci siano le giuste scoperte scientifiche”, continua Matthew Nurse, responsabile di Nike Sports Research Lab.

Ma tutta questa concentrazione sulle innovazioni tecniche spinge a porci una domanda: è sempre l’uomo al centro dell’attività sportiva? O la scienza sta lentamente prendendo il posto della natura?

Sono passati 57 anni dalle Olimpiadi di Roma, la cui maratona fu affrontata e vinta interamente senza scarpe da Abebe Bikila. Il suo gesto, passato alla storia, era allora carico di un senso politico nei confronti dell’oppressione occidentale sull’Africa, ma dimostrò comunque il potere della forza di volontà nel superare i limiti fisici del corpo umano. La fine del flower power però lasciò il posto a figure come Bill Bowerman – fondatore della Nike – sinceramente amante della corsa, ma convinto che la scienza e lo studio delle nuove tecnologie applicate allo sport potessero aiutare l’uomo a spingersi oltre i propri limiti. “Dio determina quanto correrai veloce, io posso aiutare solo con la meccanica” amava ripetere.

A partire dagli anni Settanta, lo sport ha cercato di infondere sempre più spettacolo all’interno delle performance degli atleti. Spesso è l’atleta ha contribuire allo spettacolo agonistico, ma sempre di più ci si confronta anche con la realtà del doping all’interno degli eventi sportivi — come è accaduto alle ultime Olimpiadi con lo scandalo russo. I margini di miglioramento per l’essere umano si assottigliano, mentre le soluzioni per <a href="http://www.nuovenike.it/">http://www.nuovenike.it/ pompare le prestazioni aumentano esponenzialmente. Rifiutare o abbracciare questo inevitabile cambiamento?

All’inizio del 2016 la Delaware North – concessionaria sportiva americana – ha rilasciato un documento di 50 pagine dal titolo The Future of Sports. Al suo interno vengono esposte le maggiori previsioni sul settore agonistico divise attraverso punti cardine come atleti, stadi, rappresentazione, pubblico, e il futuro ne risulta spacchettato in previsioni da 1-5, 5-10 e 10-25 anni.

Gerry Dulac: Writing is on the wall for RB DeAngelo Williams

Longtime Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac of the <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-deangelo-williams-jersey-c-2_66.html">Deangelo Williams Jersey</a> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette did not flat-out say that DeAngelo Williams won't be back in Pittsburgh for the 2017 season. But, based on the team's desire to draft a young running back in this year's draft, he believes that the writing is on the wall with regard to Williams' future with the club.

Dulac addressed the team's plans for the running back position on Friday during his weekly Q&A.

"I expect them to take (a running back) in the first two days," he wrote. "They were going to draft one last year in the fifth round but the guys they liked were already gone. So I think the desire to get one is heightened this year. That will also tell <a href="http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-lp-ladouceur-jersey-c-2_45.html">http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-lp-ladouceur-jersey-c-2_45.html you know what you need to know about (DeAngelo) Williams."

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a great season and will be even stronger in 2017! Stay in the loop and sign up for our FREE Steelers newsletter!

While everyone expects the Steelers to select a running back in the draft, that doesn't necessarily mean that Williams' time in Pittsburgh is over. Mike Tomlin, speaking to the media shortly after the AFC Championship Game, said that Williams' value on the open market will play a big role in whether or not he returns to the team next season. Tomlin added that the two sides had a favorable experience working together over the past two seasons.

"I have an indication (that Williams wants to return), but again, none of those decisions occur in a vacuum," Tomlin said. "Free agency is what it is. It's free for him, it's free for us. We'll assess it and see if the two sides can come <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-stacy-mcgee-jersey-c-2_43.html">http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-stacy-mcgee-jersey-c-2_43.html together and do business again. I know it was a pleasant experience, the two years that he's been a part of this."

After undergoing knee surgery late in the year, Williams returned to score two touchdowns in Pittsburgh's Week 17 victory over the Browns. In the playoffs, Williams relieved an injured Le'Veon Bell in the AFC Championship Game, gaining 85 all-purpose yards and scoring his first postseason touchdown.

The Steelers are 10-4 in games Williams has started since the 2015 season. He's amassed 1,750 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns while helping the Steelers go 21-11 over the past two regular seasons. He had a sensational season in 2015, amassing 1,274 all-purpose yards while tying for the NFL lead with 11 rushing touchdowns.

Williams embraced his role as Bell's "backup" throughout his time in Pittsburgh, saying on numerous occasions that his only goal is to retire as a Super Bowl champion.

"I honestly can't put it into words. It would be unbelievable to win a Super Bowl," Williams told 247Sports back in November. "To win No.7, and to <a href="http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-tony-dorsett-jersey-c-2_42.html">http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-tony-dorsett-jersey-c-2_42.html experience it with the kids, the wife, that would be unbelievable."

Labriola on Lake and Prime Time in 1989

Carnell Lake had a ringside seat for one of the Scouting Combine's legendary moments.

Ready or not, here it comes:
* It was 1989, and the NFL <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-carnell-lake-jersey-c-2_52.html">Carnell Lake Jersey</a> Scouting Combine was at hand. Carnell Lake, a linebacker from UCLA who was going to try to make a living as an NFL safety, was going to Indianapolis to make an impression. Deion Sanders, a cornerback from Florida State, Prime Time in the making, was going there to put on a show.

* “I knew I was going to try to make the transition from linebacker to safety,” said Lake, “and so what I really was trying to do was to shed myself of all linebacker thoughts.”

* Lake played in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, but he knew he needed to show NFL scouts more if he was going to entice them to use a draft pick on him. Bill Nunn is one of the greatest scouts of all time, and his philosophy on <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-tim-brown-jersey-c-2_26.html">http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-tim-brown-jersey-c-2_26.html defensive backs always has been that you watch to see if the guy has the requisite athletic skills and movement. If a guy has that, then Nunn believes he can be coached to play the position the way his team wants it done.
* “What I thought I would do in my preparation for the Combine was I didn’t worry about the bench press, because I knew I’d be strong enough for cornerback or safety,” said Lake. “I wanted to make sure I was ready for the 40 and the vertical jump and the other drills I would have to do. So once the Senior Bowl ended, I didn’t go into the weight room hardly at all. I just went onto the field and ran 40s and did defensive back drills.”

* Lake played on a UCLA defense that included Daryl Henley, a cornerback who ended up drafted in the second round by the Rams that same year, and for Lake there was no stint at a performance camp or paying a private trainer. He simply asked Henley to show him some defensive back drills he could practice on his own.

* “When I got to the Combine, they didn’t tell me what group I was going to be in,” said Lake. “Initially, they threw me in with the linebackers, and I knocked that out. I wasn’t worried about doing the 40, or the vertical, or the cone drills with the linebackers. I figured I’m probably going to be faster than those guys anyway. What I was concerned about was whether they would put me in the defensive backs drills. It turned out they put me in both. So on the day of the workouts, I had to stay. I did the linebacker drills with the linebackers, and then they told me to stay and I did the defensive backs drills with the DBs. I had to work out twice that day.”
* And so it was that Lake’s Combine experience included working in the same linebackers group with Derrick Thomas and then running the 40 with the defensive backs group that included Deion Sanders. Also at that time, players did the bench press and the 40 on the same day, at least those players who weren’t sufficiently big-time to avoid it.

* “I’m exhausted after I finished the linebacker drills, and Deion is over there warming up for the 40,” said Lake. “Deion said, ‘I’m just running the 40. I’m not doing any of that other stuff.’ And I thought to myself, man, I wish I had it like that. I was bench pressing and stretching and jumping. When the 40 times came out, I thought, I’ll bet I would’ve been a lot closer to Deion’s time if I didn’t have to do all of that other stuff.”
* The time Sanders posted in that 40-yard dash 28 years ago remains the stuff of Combine legend. As Lake remembered it, Sanders ran the 40 – one time – and after he crossed the tape at the finish he just kept sprinting. Down the field. Into the tunnel at the corner of <a href="http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-sean-lee-jersey-c-2_8.html">http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-sean-lee-jersey-c-2_8.html the end zone. Gone. Left the building. Never checked on his time. Didn’t care to run again to try to do better.

* Sanders' time was a hand-held 4.2. And the story goes that when he ran out of the tunnel, he continued to run out of the stadium, where one version of the legend has it he got into a waiting limousine that took him to the airport.

* That 4.2 seconds was the cherry on top for Sanders, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound cover cornerback/returner who was coming into the NFL after a college season where he had five interceptions and returned two of those for touchdowns, a 15.2-yard punt return average with one of those returned for a touchdown, and with a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine.

* Even with that, though, Sanders ended up being the fifth overall pick, by the Atlanta Falcons. Sounds ridiculous until you realize that Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, and Derrick Thomas were three of the four players picked before him.
* As for Lake, he ended up being a second-round pick of the Steelers – 34th overall – and the perfect safety complement for cornerback Rod Woodson. A lot is made, and rightfully so when talking about Lake’s playing career, about the 1995 and 1997 seasons when he moved from safety to cornerback in the middle of each season to stabilize the Steelers’ secondary and help the team win those AFC Central Division titles and go deep into the playoffs. But it’s also historically accurate to recognize Lake and Woodson as the two primary pieces of the defensive scheme that eliminated the run-and-shoot as a viable NFL offense.

* When Kansas City defensive coordinator Bill Cowher was hired in 1992 to follow Chuck Noll, the Steelers defensive staff also included Dom Capers, Marvin Lewis, and Dick LeBeau. They came up with what was called at the time, the dime-defense. It included two defensive linemen plus two outside linebackers as a four-man front, a middle linebacker, and six defensive backs.

* Two of those six defensive backs – who ended up being Lake and Woodson – lined up on the two inside slot receivers in the run-and-shoot, where they either turned and ran with the receivers in coverage, or they came off the edge with a free <a href="http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-robert-newhouse-jersey-c-2_56.html">http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-robert-newhouse-jersey-c-2_56.html path to the quarterback. Those run-and-shoot slot receivers were lined up just outside of each of the offensive tackles. It worked so well because Lake and Woodson actually could do both things, because if all they could do was come off the edge and rush, a quick pass to the slot receiver in the vacated area would’ve resulted in a series of big gains and/or third down conversions.

* When legendary defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan came to refer to the run-and-shoot as the chuck-and-duck, he probably was thinking about what the Steelers’ dime-defense was doing to that offense, and to the quarterbacks who were operating within it.

Cowboys restructure contracts of All-Pro linemen Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick

Cowboys have restructured a pair of contracts to clear some salary-cap <a href="http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-tyron-smith-jersey-c-2_9.html">Tyron Smith Jersey</a> space, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

The Cowboys turned about $21 million of the $24 million due to left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick into signing bonuses to clear up $17.3 million and get the team under the proposed salary cap of $168 million, according to the report.

Sporting News contributor Jason Fitzgerald predicted last week that Smith and Frederick would be logical candidates for restructured deals.

The Cowboys are now in a position to carry quarterback Tony Romo’s large cap hit into the regular season if the team can't find a viable trade partner for the four-time Pro Bowler.

Before the new deals, Smith was set to have a $15.8 million cap hit <a href="http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-tyron-smith-jersey-c-2_9.html">http://www.authenticcowboyssale.com/shop-by-players-tyron-smith-jersey-c-2_9.html while Frederick was set to have a $14.8 million hit in 2017, according to Spotrac.

Oakland Raiders Linebacker Shilique Calhoun Recounts NFL Scouting Combine Experience

The NFL Scouting Combine begins Feb. 28 in Indianapolis, so Shilique Calhoun recounted his experience participating in <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-shilique-calhoun-jersey-c-2_19.html">Shilique Calhoun Womens Jersey</a> the event just a year ago.
Ironically, the questions he wasn’t asked were the ones that Shilique Calhoun remembered the most.
Just over a year ago, the current Oakland Raiders linebacker had just put the punctuation marks on his career at Michigan State, and was heading off to Indianapolis to participate in the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, and the gauntlet of drills he’d be put through both on and off the field.
The interview portion of the four-day event has become synonymous with off the wall questions prospects are asked (If you were a dog, what kind of dog would you be? How many things can you do with a brick?), but Calhoun said that the teams didn’t try to trip him up, and kept their questions to X’s and O’s for the most part.
“People were pretty straightforward with me,” recounted <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-tj-carrie-jersey-c-2_48.html">http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-tj-carrie-jersey-c-2_48.html Calhoun. “I didn’t get any weird questions; I actually was kind of prepping myself, and looking forward to seeing what they would ask me, but I didn’t get asked any weird questions. It was specifically about football, and how I feel about my productivity.”
Largely regarded as one of the most rigorous jobs interview in sports, the college prospects who are invited to take place in the rundown at Lucas Oil Stadium have late nights, and early mornings, really early mornings.
“What I remember about the combine is just those grueling, early mornings,” Calhoun said. “That was the biggest thing, is having to be up early, just making sure that you had to go do all the tests, as well as the interviews. The late night interviews where they get you in the room, and they kind of break down your film, both good and bad, it’s worse going through bad film, because they’re really in depth in it. They want to understand what you were thinking, what you did wrong, and why you did what you did you wrong.”
While Calhoun didn’t shy away from talking about the grueling nature of the four days in Indy, he made sure to note that while it was no doubt a business trip, he and his fellow NFL hopefuls also had some fun in the process.
“I also remember having good times,” Calhoun said. “Talking with the guys, being out there on the days where we did the 40-yard dash or when we did the bench [press] testing, and just the memory of kind of being as one, because even though we <a href="http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-troy-aikman-jersey-c-2_51.html">http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-troy-aikman-jersey-c-2_51.html came from different teams we kind of still rooted each other on, in the hopes that each of us still succeeded.”
Overall, Calhoun had found memories of his time in Indianapolis at the combine, calling it a “positive experience” where the inner competitor in him got to shine.
“I think being there with those guys, whether they were first round, second round, third round, it was great to see them compete on their own individual level, and it kind of gave me a sense of where I fell in the fold, and I believe I’m at the top of it all, but I do believe that it was good for me,” Calhoun explained. “I was able to get out and be a one-man show for a couple of days, and see where I stacked up against certain amounts of talent.”
Two months later, Calhoun was picked by the Raiders in the third round (No. 75 overall) of the 2016 Draft, and he appeared in 10 games as a rookie before eventually being placed on the Reserve/Injured list.
Now, with a season of NFL experience under his belt, Calhoun can look back on his time at the combine and offer some words of wisdom for the hundreds of NFL hopefuls getting ready for their turn at Lucas Oil Stadium.
So what would the former Michigan State Spartan say <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-darrius-heywardbey-jersey-c-2_42.html">http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-darrius-heywardbey-jersey-c-2_42.html to those players? First, get some sleep, and second, don’t go into the experience with any preconceived notions.
“Honestly, [my advice] would be, going to every meeting with wide eyes, and a sense of understanding of what they’re trying to get at,” Calhoun said. “Gain something from going to those meetings. Don’t go in there just thinking, ‘oh, they’re going to ask me questions, and I’m going to spit out answers,’ gain something. Ask them questions about how they see your game, how they perceive you as a football player and as a person, and overall what you can get better at coming around for next season.”

Kevin Zeitler ‘cream of the crop’; reportedly set to make $10+ million annually

Offensive guard is a position where big bucks typically have not been spent in the NFL.

But, that has been changing more and more as <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-david-decastro-jersey-c-2_27.html">David Decastro Youth Jersey</a> guys like Kelechi Osemele and David Decastro have signed contracts paying them more than $11 million annually in the last year. Even this week, Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif signed a massive contract extension, that will pay him like one of the league's top guards with a five-yard, $41.25 million deal.

Kevin Zeitler is about to be added to the list of guards making five figure annual salaries. He’s become one of the best right guards in the business, and he’s about to be paid like an elite offensive lineman, though it probably will not be in Cincinnati.

According to Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline, Zeitler will likely be signing a massive deal this offseason, and we should expect it to be with a new team.

This jives with what’s been reported on Zeitler and his impending payday for much of this offseason. That number is also close to what Spotrac is projecting for Zeitler.

The contract resource website has him projected to earn a deal paying him around $11.6 million annually, which is likely far above what the <a href="http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-troy-aikman-jersey-c-2_51.html">http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-troy-aikman-jersey-c-2_51.html Bengals are willing to pay the stud guard. Spotrac's exact projection for Zeitler is five years, $58,107,783 with an average annual salary of $11,621,557. That would make him the second highest paid guard and 64th highest paid NFL player. For comparison, Bengals left guard Clint Boling makes the 20th ranked annual guard salary and he has a five-year, $26 million contract. He's currently entering the third year of the deal in 2017.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Burke believes Zeitler is the cream of the crop in terms of free agent guards this year. He also thinks the Dolphins could be his best fit.

It also helps that there’s a connection between Miami and Cincinnati that could help make the Dolphins a viable landing spot. Former Bengals linebackers coach Matt Burke, who served in that role for the Bengals from 2014-15, is now Miami’s defensive coordinator after Vance Joseph, also a former Bengals assistant, became the head coach of the Broncos this offseason.

Denver could be another team to watch out for as they need help up and down their offensive line. Joseph obviously knows what Zeitler brings to the table after both were in Cincinnati from 2014-15, which is also the case with Burke in Miami.

It helps that both teams are also projected to <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-willie-brown-jersey-c-2_33.html">http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-willie-brown-jersey-c-2_33.html have $40-plus million in cap space this offseason. That makes them very dangerous teams who could be poised to lure Zeitler away from Cincinnati.

Super Bowl Remains Packers GM Ted Thompson’s Focus; Will He Go ‘All In’?

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Green Bay Packers got to the NFC Championship Game, thanks to a dominating finish to the season.
However, with a trip to the Super Bowl on <a href="http://www.authenticnflraidersshop.com/shop-by-players-al-davis-jersey-c-2_45.html">Al Davis Authentic Jersey</a> the line, it was the Packers who were dominated by the Atlanta Falcons.
So are the Packers close to getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2010? Or is there a significant gulf to overcome?
“We start out every year the same, and this is kind of the start of it, getting ready for the draft, getting ready for free agency, the whole thing,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said when asked that question – one he termed “nasty” at the Scouting Combine on Wednesday.
“We’re getting ready for one thing and it’s to try to get to the Super Bowl <a href="http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-tony-dorsett-jersey-c-2_42.html">http://www.authenticcowboysstore.com/shop-by-players-tony-dorsett-jersey-c-2_42.html and win the Super Bowl. We don’t try for anything else,” he continued. “Every year that’s exactly what we’re going to do every time is try to win the Super Bowl. And we understand it’s hard to do. We understand that there’s twists and turns on the road. It’s unbelievable how difficult that is, but we try to do it every single year. We’ve come up short a few times but we’ve also done some battling, and it’s not an easy thing to walk away from. It wasn’t easy for any of us, and certainly our players, to walk away from Atlanta because it’s too much heartache, too much pain that’s gone into trying to do something. And this is something special that people are trying to do.”
There are significant hurdles to be overcome if Thompson, coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers are to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in their careers. The running, jumping and interviewing of the draft prospects at the Scouting Combine will be at the forefront of all of that. So, too, will be the conversations with the agents of free agents. The Packers have a significant group of free agents for Thompson to consider, including outside linebacker Nick Perry, guard T.J. Lang, defensive back Micah Hyde and tight end Jared Cook.
“That’s our intention and it’s our intention every year. I stand on this podium every year and say the same thing,” Thompson said of retaining those players. “Our best intentions would be to sign as many of our own players as we can and <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-cody-wallace-jersey-c-2_30.html">http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-cody-wallace-jersey-c-2_30.html keep it together.”
Free agency starts on March 9 – though other teams can start negotiating with the Packers’ free agents beginning on March 7 – so the clock is ticking for Thompson to keep his prioritized players off the market.
“It’s an artificial deadline,” Thompson said. “Not that free agency’s not going to start at a certain time, it’s just once you get to this particular point, there’s very little risk of the player getting injured, so there’s not a push on the side of the player to hurry up to get a deal done. But, at the same time, sometimes they’d prefer to stay and deals get done earlier than we think. It’s worked both ways, as you guys know. Over the years, we’ve signed several right at the start of free agency and my guess is that’s what’s going to happen this year.”
Thompson has the Packers armed with about $40 million of salary cap space, based on a reported 2017 salary cap of $167 million. That ranks 13th in the league, according to OverTheCap.com, meaning the Packers have the war chest to go shopping – as does most of the league, with a total of 18 teams having at least $32 million of cap space.
Will Thompson break from his long-standing track record and participate in unrestricted free agency? Will he do something approximating “all in,” as Rodgers suggested was necessary after the season? With Thompson’s career winding down – and Rodgers on the back nine of his career – will Thompson change his approach?
Thompson, as expected, wouldn’t divulge his offseason strategy.
“It doesn’t matter how old we are, we’re going to try to <a href="http://www.authenticsteelersshop.com/shop-by-players-joe-gilliam-jersey-c-2_71.html">Joe Gilliam Authentic Jersey</a> do the exact same thing every year,” Thompson said. “We’re going to try to get to the Super Bowl and win it. And that’s what we’re going to try to do again this year.”