Cornerback Sam Shields hasn’t signed the second-round restricted free agent tender the Packers offered him this offseason and has stayed away from the team this offseason as a result.
The deadline has passed for Shields to sign with another team, but he’d like to land a long-term deal to stay in Green Bay. Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that talks about such a deal are underway.
According to the report, Shields’ agent Drew Rosenhaus is in Green Bay in hopes of hammering out a deal in time for Shields to participate in this week’s minicamp with the rest of the Packers. The minicamp, which begins on Tuesday, is mandatory for players under contract but Shields can’t be penalized since he hasn’t signed his tender for $2.023 million.
If Shields doesn’t agree to a long-term deal or sign his tender by June 17, the Packers could cut their offer to $540,000 for the 2013 season. Shields could then wait until Week 10 to sign the tender and become an unrestricted free agent after the season, but there’s been no indication that things are going to play out that way in Green Bay.
Shields has nine interceptions in 39 games for the Packers over his first three seasons.
