A topic that's been brought up many times is that of the decisions the Green Bay Packers have to make about extending the contracts of players currently on their roster before the end of the season such that the money doesn't have to be prorated over future salary caps.

There's nearly 10 players headed into free agency this upcoming offseason, so there's plenty of players to choose from when deciding who to extend before the end of the year and who can wait.

The player the Packers need the most also happens to be the same player who will most likely command the most money on the open market, safety Nick Collins.

Of course, the future of the collective bargaining agreement will play a huge role in Collins' future as well. If the CBA is extended, Collins will become an unrestricted free agent. If the two sides can't come to an agreement, the safety will become an unrestricted free agent severely limiting who or who he can't sign with.

Collins has had a a good season with the Packers, but not exactly what some would characterize as great. He's been reliable. He's made the occassional interception, has been a solid tackler and has rarely gotten beat in coverage. But he also hasn't been the big time playmaker that he was a year ago when he returned three interceptions for touchdowns.

For his effort, Collins was awarded a Pro Bowl nomination a year ago and deservedly so. The problem with the Pro Bowl, however, is once you're voted in, those players tend to get voted in year after year on name recognition whether or not they deserve it.

There's nearly half a season left in 2009, and Collins may well have a huge second half with several turnovers generated. It's hard to see into the future and predict what kind of season he'll have. But based upon his performance so far, I wouldn't exactly call it Pro Bowl material.

Regardless, there's a fairly decent chance that Collins will be elected to the Pro Bowl once again based upon historical precedent. And if Collins goes to the Pro Bowl once again, he'll come to the bargaining table with even more ammunition.

The Packers are in a tough situation. Beyond Collins and Atari Bigby, there isn't a single safety on the roster that can be trusted. And it would be extremely risky to count on a rookie to fill such a role next season.

They nearly have to re-sign Collins whether or not the CBA is extended. If the CBA is extended, which is probably the most likely scenario, and Collins makes the Pro Bowl, he'll be asking to be one of the top paid safeties in the entire NFL even if he may not be, thanks in part to the ridiculous Pro Bowl precedent. And Cullen Jenkins thought he was handcuffed a few weeks ago? How about the Packers organization?