To use an analogy nobody’s ever used before, the free agent signing process in the NFL, much like the league’s draft, is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.

It’s hard to tell if that former first round defensive lineman is going to be a Ryan Pickett or a Joe Johnson, or if that veteran defensive back will be a Charles Woodson or a Marquand Manuel. It’s extremely difficult for the GM of a team to find players from others teams that will perform well in his team’s system, so it’s pretty much hit or miss.

The best strategy for a GM (besides building through the draft and blah, blah, blah), is to recognize the guys on your team that have already proven themselves as great players who fit well in your system.

Let me think of an example from the Packers... someone who fits well with the team in the locker room and makes a big impact on the field... and it would help if they were still young and improving... ah ha! I’ve got one. How about Corey Williams?

He’s the type of player that, well, does all the things I just used all those ellipsis to list. Conveniently enough, he also happens to be the biggest possible departure from the Packers via free agency this year. With any luck–and money–his departure from Green Bay will be delayed a few years.

Even with the current logjam on the defensive line, it makes a lot of sense to keep a guy like Williams around. That defensive line was one of the Packers’ strongest points at the beginning of the year, even when the Packers didn’t really know that they were good yet.

Then, when pieces of the interior d-line rotation started landing on injured reserve, the Packers’ pass rush went with them. Just because a position has depth doesn’t make it acceptable to get rid of a starter and plug the next player in, because more often than not, you’re going to need that depth.

Let’s travel back to roster cut-down day before the start of the season, when the Packers made some controversial moves and kept about 18 players that could all play defensive tackle, including little-known Daniel Muir from Kent St.

Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson defended their decisions by saying something along the lines of “we’re not going to let good players go, regardless.” If that was the reasoning for keeping Daniel Muir, how could they possibly justify letting Corey Williams go?

Of course, it isn’t as simple as just keeping every good player on the team. Williams is an exceptional pass rusher for an interior lineman, but he’s one of many players with special skill sets in the mix.

Pickett clogs both his arteries and opponent’s rushing lanes with his run-stopping frame, and all of the sudden Johnny Jolly looks like he could turn into one of the best defensive lineman in the league. Then there’s Justin Harrell, who Thompson felt strongly enough about to draft in the first round last year, torn ligaments and all.

I’m sure there’s even a Conrad Bolston fan club out there somewhere. With all these great players, can the Packers really afford to keep another one?

Um, yes.

This team was 13-3 last season, and I don’t really know how they did in the playoffs but I’m sure their finish was not the cause of several self-inflicted wounds by people across the state of Wisconsin on Jan. 20. So it’s not like the Packers need to do too much work in the off-season, apart from maybe touching up the offensive line and adding some pieces in the secondary and at linebacker.

These minor touch ups will cost a few million, which subtracted by the Packers estimated $25 million in cap space for next season will leave, let’s see, carry the one–a lot of freaking money left over.

Even if the Packers aren’t in the mood for talking long-term contracts with Williams just yet, they have the option of slapping a franchise tag on him for the year. This would cost a little over $6 million - a little pricey, but certainly affordable for Green Bay.

Keeping the current Packer players in Packer uniforms should be the top priority this off-season. Thompson should once again avoid free agency, because, after all, it really is like a box of chocolates, which he should give to Corey Williams as a bribe to take less money and come back to the Pack.

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