Posted: March 4, 2011 6:40 p.m. CT
By BILL HUBER with FOX's ADAM CAPLAN
PackerReport.com
The Green Bay Packers and safety Charlie Peprah have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth more than $2.3 million, a source told FOXSports.com.
The Packers announced the deal on Friday evening but did not disclose terms.
Peprah, who returned to Green Bay after failing to make the team in 2009, earned $630,000 in base salary last season. His one-year deal was set to expire at the end of the new league year.
Peprah took over at strong safety last season for injured rookie Morgan Burnett and played well during his 13 starts (11 regular season, two playoffs). A starter for the first time, he set career highs in every category (64 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defensed) while providing a steadying influence they lacked with the rookie Burnett, who was lost to a torn ACL in Week 4 against Detroit.
With Peprah re-signing, it's unlikely the team will bring back veteran safety Atari Bigby. Bigby, who lost his chance to challenge for the starting job after needing ankle surgery at the start of training camp, was not given a contract tender.
Peprah, 28, was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 draft by the New York Giants.
Restricted free agent "news"
In past years, restricted free agents would be big news but not this year.
Under the old collective bargaining agreement, players with three years of experience would be restricted free agents. After the owners opted out of the CBA last year, restricted free agency moved to players with three, four and five years of experience.
The Packers have no players with expired contracts and three years of experience. On Thursday, in what really are phony-baloney transactions, the Packers gave second-round tenders to guard Daryn Colledge and kicker Mason Crosby and the original-round tender to John Kuhn. If the Packers were to lose Colledge and Crosby, they'd get a second-round pick in return. In the undrafted Kuhn's case, they'd give themselves the option to match any teams' offer.
Of course, it's almost inconceivable that the Players Association is going to sign off on restricted free agency applying to players with four and five years of experience like Colledge, Crosby and Kuhn. So, in the end, those restricted tenders mean nothing and those three will join Atari Bigby, Korey Hall, Brandon Jackson, Cullen Jenkins, James Jones, Anthony Smith, Jason Spitz and Matt Wilhelm as unrestricted free agents.
For what it's worth, the tender amounts are worth $1.96 million for Colledge (five years of experience), $1.91 for Crosby (four years) and $1.325 for Kuhn.
Bill Huber is publisher of PackerReport.com and Packer Report Magazine. PackerReport.com is the only all-Packers Web site that publishes stories and features 365 days a year. The 64-page, full-color magazine was founded by Ray Nitschke in 1973 and is published 10 times a year. Click here for subscription information.
Posted: March 4, 2011 5:55 p.m. CT
The Green Bay Packers have re-signed safety Charlie Peprah. Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations, announced the signing Friday.
Peprah played in 14 games for Green Bay in 2010, starting a career-high 11 contests at strong safety. He recorded career highs in tackles (64), interceptions (two) and passes defensed (seven). Peprah registered 26 tackles (23 solo) in the postseason, good for second on the team, and led the Packers with 10 tackles in Super Bowl XLV vs. Pittsburgh.
Peprah entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft choice with the N.Y. Giants in 2006. He was claimed off waivers by Green Bay in September 2006, and went on to appear in 37 games for the Packers over the next three seasons. Peprah played in two contests with Atlanta in 2009 before re-signing with Green Bay as a free agent in April 2010.
