While the Packers are reportedly willing to throw a lot of money at one of their top performers last year to get him to stay away from the field, another of 2007’s key players is wishing they’d loosen the purse strings enough to get him on the field.

Four days after Alan Herman, agent to Ryan Grant, called the Packers’ offer of a six-year deal with a $1.75 million signing bonus “insulting,” there has been no substantial talks aimed at bringing the two sides closer together.

“I’ve had a few conversations since then – one very unproductive conversation and one that we would talk again,” Herman said. “We’ll see how that goes. Hopefully, there’s a change in their position. If there is, we’ll have an opportunity to make a deal. If there’s not, then we won’t. Things can change, but we’re not anywhere near a deal.”

That’s tough talk, and it’s understandable why the Packers offer would be insulting compared to the contracts of Grant’s peers, but his side needs to recognize they have zero leverage. Grant’s status as an exclusive rights free agent means he plays for the Packers or nobody, and Brandon Jackson’s training camp performance is only giving the team less reason to cave into Grant’s demands, while making it more likely that Grant’s decision-making leaves him in the cold.

That being said, it wouldn’t be the first time this week the team relinquished ground in a dispute…