Thompson » Packer Update

POSTCARD FROM TRAINING CAMP

Posted by Michael Rodney at 10:27 am 4 Responses »

Aug 082011

Starks is battling Grant for the starting halfback job

The one thing I’ve learned from watching Matt Flynn the past four summers is that he will always play better than he practices. Aaron Rodgers‘ backup is off to another relatively slow start, but there’s no reason to be concerned. He’ll find a way to move the offense as soon as the opposition is wearing different colored uniforms. I didn’t see what the coaches saw in Graham Harrell last summer and I still don’t see it. His arm is weak and his accuracy is average at best. The lockout is the only argument I can make for keeping him around. At least he knows the system.

I used to think James Starks looked like a poor man’s Eric Dickerson, but now I’m tempted to remove the words poor and man. That’s how terrific he’s looked in training camp. The playoff sensation is running with great power and decisiveness. While Ryan Grant appears fully recovered from the ankle injury that ended his 2010 season, he simply doesn’t possess Starks’ physical ability. The former 1,200 yard rusher may be the nominal starter when the Saints come to Lambeau, but I can’t imagine him getting the bulk of the carries. Rookie Alex Green hasn’t done much through the first week of practices.

Jermichael Finley is an absolute freak. His height, athletic ability and soft hands make him almost impossible to defend. He’s almost toying with the poor souls who are assigned to cover him. Barring injury or stupidity, there’s no way I can imagine general manager Ted Thompson letting this guy get away. Prior to Finley’s return to the practice field, the most impressive tight end was seventh-round pick Ryan Taylor. He isn’t as savvy a route runner as fellow rookie D.J. Williams or as strong a blocker as Tom Crabtree, but he’s a more complete player. He has a good chance of making the team.

The coaches are giving the young receivers plenty of snaps, and a few of them have taken advantage of the heavy workload. Second-round pick Randall Cobb has looked terrific. His incredible quickness makes him stand out from the crowd. I realize the Packers have the best quartet of veteran receivers in the league, but coach Mike McCarthy will find ways to get Cobb on the field. Count on it. If the team wasn’t so deep at this position, either Chastin West or Shaky Smithson would have a legitimate chance to stick. West isn’t flashy, but he runs good routes and catches almost everything. Smithson is a quick as a hiccup return specialist with enough raw skills to eventually develop into a useful NFL receiver.

Bryan Bulaga looks like the player ready to take the biggest leap from season one to season two. He’s so much more confident than he was a year ago. And why not? He now has 16 starts under his belt, and more importantly, the coaches are no longer asking him to learn multiple positions. First-round pick Derek Sherrod has struggled at left guard after spending his entire college career at tackle. Veteran T.J. Lang has been more impressive, but it’s early. If Sherrod doesn’t start, he might find himself backing up Bulaga. That’s because Marshall Newhouse will be hard to supplant as Chad Clifton‘s understudy. The quick-footed youngster been one of the most improved players in camp. I was surprised when Nick McDonald made the team last summer. I didn’t see anything to get excited about – and I still don’t. Right now, journeyman Evan Dietrich-Smith is the second-best center on the roster.

Anyone waiting for C.J. Wilson to flash big-time pass rushing skills had better get a chair. It’s going to be a very long wait. He’s not athletic enough to beat quality offensive linemen on a consistent basis. On the other hand, Jarius Wynn just might be. The undersized three-year veteran is enjoying his finest camp. He looks quicker than before and he seems to have added to his repertoire of moves. If he continues to improve, there will be a place for him on the final roster. Mike Neal has only practiced sparingly, but it doesn’t take long to see his potential. Assuming he can stay healthy, he’ll be a more than adequate replacement for Cullen Jenkins. Ryan Pickett and Howard Green look more like sumo wrestlers than defensive linemen, but extra pounds won’t be an issue as long as they can shut down the run.

Erik Walden has taken the early lead in the battle to start opposite Clay Matthews. The former street free agent is playing more like a high draft choice. He looks bigger, stronger and more explosive than he did last season. Frank Zombo and Brad Jones have been OK, but neither has flashed nearly as often as Walden. Sixth-round pick Ricky Elmore was a productive pass rusher in college, but he hasn’t gotten many sniffs of the quarterback yet. In fact, undrafted free agent Jamari Lattimore has probably been more impressive. He needs to get stronger, but he runs well and seems to pack a punch. Depth at inside linebacker is still a concern, but it isn’t quite as big a concern thanks to Robert Francois. The third-year player is much-improved now that he’s taking all of his snaps at one position. He isn’t a big hitter. but he’s smart and fairly athletic. Not surprisingly, sixth-round pick D.J. Smith is still thinking too much.

Davon House and Brandon Underwood were both enjoying solid camps before suffering injuries. The former was making a strong push to be the No. 4 corner and the latter was showing real promise at safety. Veteran Jarrett Bush is covering like a blanket so far, but I’m not getting carried away. He typically plays better in practice than he does in games. Sam Shields was the talk of camp at this time a year ago, but he’s been pretty unspectacular so far. He doesn’t seem to be playing with the same sense of urgency. I’m not worried, but it’s something to keep an eye on. There probably won’t be room for Josh Gordy, but he can play corner in this league. Morgan Burnett has been up-and-down in his return from knee surgery, but his potential is obvious. He has superior range. Brandion Ross and Anthony Levine are talented small-school players who don’t seem to be intimidated by the bright lights.

Mason Crosby is off to another slow start, but he’ll be OK. Tim Masthay, on the other hand, looks terrific. It’s amazing how much better he’s gotten since last summer. Cobb has a chance to be the team’s best returner since Allen Rossum. Under-appreciated long snapper Brett Goode is almost automatic.

-Special thanks to contributor Mike Tahan, who has been covering training camp for Packer Update. Mike wrote this post – all I had to do was edit his shaky spelling and atrocious grammar!

How do you like us now?

Posted by Michael Rodney at 12:00 am 8 Responses »

Jan 252011

Perceptions have changed quite a bit in 29 months

Perceptions about Ted, Mike and Aaron have changed quite a bit in the past 29 months

It seems like only yesterday when Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy were being portrayed as Dumb and Dumber and Aaron Rodgers was being heckled by dozens of “fans” at practice. Needless to say, things have really changed since the tumultuous summer of ’08. Nowadays, Thompson and McCarthy are being favorably compared to Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren and Rodgers has even the most ardent Brett Favre supporters finally ready to get on board. That’s what tends to happen when the team you built, coached and quarterbacked earns a trip to the Super Bowl. And even though Thompson, McCarthy and Rodgers have every right to scream, “I told you so” from the top of their respective lungs, don’t expect to hear those words any time soon. All three are too classy to do something like that. We, on the other hand, are not.

Thompson might be the least media-friendly GM in the league, but so what? Vinny Cerrato hosted his own radio show while working for the Skins. Want him running your team? John Elway tweets more than Paris Hilton. Want him hiring your next coach? All Thompson has done since being hired in January 2005 is work his ass off to make this a championship-caliber team. Mission accomplished. McCarthy, who was a virtual unknown when he replaced Mike Sherman in 2006, has already taken Green Bay to a pair of NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl. You won’t need more than one hand to count up the number of active head coaches who have accomplished so much in their first five seasons. And Rodgers is now being called an élite quarterback by almost everybody in the national media. The funny thing is, Packer fans have known this for well over a year. The only people who still questioned the former Cal star were those who didn’t watch him play on a weekly basis.

How good have Thompson, McCarthy and Rodgers been since coming to Green Bay? The fact that it’s pretty difficult to come up with many legitimate criticisms should answer that question. And while nobody’s perfect – especially in a league as demanding as the NFL – the Packers’ three most important people are among the very best at what they do. Think about it for a minute. Who’d you take over Thompson? Indianapolis’ Bill Polian and Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome. Over McCarthy? New England’s Bill Belichick and maybe Philadelphia’s Andy Reid. Over Rodgers? New England’s Tom Brady and Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning. Fact is, these three guys are in pretty heady company these days. And that’s not too shabby for a couple of grown men who were being ridiculed for their handling of Favre and a twentysomething who was being heckled by fans of all ages not too long ago.

Ted’s still sticking to the plan

Posted by Michael Rodney at 5:10 pm 9 Responses »

Oct 062010

Thompson passed on Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch

It’s too soon to criticize Ted Thompson for not acquiring Marshawn Lynch. Maybe the Packers always prudent general manager will trade for another back before the Oct. 19 deadline. Or maybe John Kuhn, Brandon Jackson and Dmitri Nance will prove capable of adequately replacing Ryan Grant. Or maybe rookie James Starks will come off the physically unable to perform list in a few weeks and provide a second half spark. Or maybe Green Bay can make a run to the Super Bowl without any semblance of a ground game. Sure that’s a lot of maybes, but the point is, it’s only fair to let things play out before Lynching Thompson.

It’ll be fascinating to watch how things unfold for Green Bay and Minnesota over the next few months. Thompson, despite a slew of injuries and an obvious lack of talent at right outside linebacker, has chosen to stand pat. He’ll apparently live or die with his players. Vikings’ GM Rick Spielman is taking the opposite approach. In desperate need of a wide receiver, he dealt a third-round pick to New England for Randy Moss. Ironically, that same pick would probably have been enough to pry Lynch away from the Bills.

For better or worse, Thompson believes in drafting and then developing talent. How well that strategy has paid off is a matter of opinion. On one hand, the Packers are blessed with one of the league’s youngest and most talented rosters. They’ve also gone to the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. On the other hand, a lack of quality depth at tackle nearly crippled the team a year ago and similar problems at running back and in the secondary threaten to do the same this season. They’ve also won just a single playoff game since Thompson took over in 2005.

So while it’s too soon to criticize Thompson, he’ll be fair game three or four months from now. There’s no excuse for another one and done in January. One playoff win in six years simply wouldn’t be good enough. Thompson deserves a lot of credit for formulating a blueprint and then sticking to it, but sometimes it’s OK, even necessary, to deviate from the plan. We’ll soon find out if not adding a few free agents in an uncapped year and not acquiring Lynch were two of the times when veering off course just a little might’ve been the best route to take.

SHHH…HERE’S WHAT WE’RE HEARING

Posted by Michael Rodney at 7:10 am 1 Response »

Feb 192010

Remember all the people who criticized GM Ted Thompson for signing Aaron Rodgers to a six-year, $65 million extension after only seven career starts? Well, according to one agent, the Pro Bowl quarterback would command at least $30 million more if negotiations were held today….. Of Green Bay’s eight restricted free agents, fullback John Kuhn is the most likely to be wearing a different uniform next season. The former Shippensburg star could look to sign with a team that will offer him a better chance to play (i.e., less competition). The Packers already have Korey Hall and promising second-year man Quinn Johnson at the position….. Defensive lineman B.J. Raji will be asked to drop a few pounds between now and the start of training camp. That’s because the coaches believe that last year’s top draft pick will be more effective as a nickel pass rusher at a lighter weight. He played at 335 as a rookie….. We have no idea what Thompson thinks of Antonio Cromartie, but we’ve been told that his counterpart in San Diego, A.J. Smith, would have little interest in trading the former Pro Bowl corner for Ryan Grant. While the Chargers are definitely in the market for a back, Smith wants that player to be closer to 25 than 30. Grant turns 28 in December.

SHOULD BE WIN OR ELSE FOR TED AND MIKE

Posted by Packer Update at 12:20 am 4 Responses »

Nov 092009

Men under fire

The Packers are a disappointing 4-4, but with eight games left in the season, it’s probably too soon to be talking about whether GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy will – or should – be back in 2010. After all, this team could theoretically win 6 of its last 8 and make any such question moot. But let’s assume that Green Bay goes 4-4 in the second half and finishes 8-8. What would happen then? “I don’t see changes being made under that scenario,” opined a longtime NFL observer. “In fact, barring a total collapse, I think it’s very likely that they’ll both be back.” We agree. Team president Mark Murphy seems to have a lot of faith in his GM, and the GM in turn seems to have a lot of faith in his coach. Plus, it would cost over $20 million to clean house. So the real question probably isn’t whether Thompson and McCarthy will return, but should they?

The feeling here is that neither Thompson nor McCarthy deserve to be back unless the Packers finish with a winning record. Another non-winning season would be the franchise’s fourth in five years under Thompson’s reign and its third in four seasons with McCarthy on the sidelines. That’s not good enough. It’s not even close to being good enough. “A team should be heading in the right direction after the fifth year,” said the source. “And even if you discount 2007 as an aberration, it’s still hard to argue that the arrow is pointing up. Green Bay will probably finish with a better record than a year ago, but are they a better team? Right now, I’d say the answer is no.”

Assuming the Packers don’t turn things around, is there any argument – aside from finances – to be made for keeping the status quo? “I guess you could point to Cincinnati,” said the source. “[President/GM] Mike Brown stuck with [coach] Marvin Lewis and now the Bengals are marching toward the postseason. Sometimes continuity pays off, but in most cases, it only prolongs the inevitable.” So what can Thompson and McCarthy do to fend off the inevitable? “Thompson can be more aggressive in free agency and McCarthy can hire proven coaches for the offensive line and special teams,” added the source. “As poorly as Green Bay has looked at times this season, there’s unquestionably some good young talent on that roster. And we all know that fortunes can change in a hurry in the NFL.” True, but fans don’t want to hear a trite remark after losing to Tampa Bay. They want change. Now if only that guy with the cheese on his head in section 423 had about $20 million.

EDITORIAL: THOMPSON IS SATAN

Posted by Packer Update at 2:10 pm Comments Off

May 072009

Ted Thompson must be the devil. How else can you explain his treatment of Brett Favre last summer? Why else would he keep the future Hall of Famer from returning to the Packers? Sure Favre retired, but so what? He’s BRETT FAVRE! He’s earned the right to do whatever he wants. And what about Aaron Rodgers, you ask? Who cares about Aaron Rodgers. Who cares that he worked his ass off for months while Favre rode his lawn mower in Kiln. So what! He’s BRETT FAVRE! Geez, the man has won three playoff games in the last 10 years. How many quarterbacks – past or present – can say they’ve done that?

Now we hear that Favre is seriously considering coming out of retirement again – this time to join the Vikings. Good for him! Packers fans won’t mind seeing the old gunslinger wearing the purple and gold. You say that Minnesota is one of Green Bay’s oldest rivals? So what! He’s BRETT FAVRE. Just having him in the league for one more season is a gift. Who cares what uniform he wears?

Want even more positives about Favre returning to the NFL? Well, maybe now John Madden will change his mind and return to the broadcast booth. Face it, another season of Favre is good any way you look at it. What about his age, you ask? What about it? Did you watch him with the Jets last season? In the biggest of games, he was making the exact same decisions and throws at age 39 that he was making seven or eight years earlier. It was amazing. Don’t believe it? Just ask Thomas Jones, his former teammate in New York.

Yes, there are many reasons to be excited about a possible Favre-Vikings relationship, but one stands out above all the rest. Finally, Wisconsin’s favorite son will get a chance to be coached by a real quarterback guru again. Brad Childress may not have the reputation of a Mike Holmgren, but he’s the real deal. Look at the impressive list of quarterbacks he’s had a hand in developing over the years. Donovan McNabb is the most well-known, but there are plenty of others. Just look it up. And think of how much better Rich Gannon, Jake Delhomme, Marc Bulger and Matt Hasselbeck would’ve been had they had Childress, and not Mike McCarthy, working by their side.

Sure it might be tough at first to watch Favre run jog walk out of the visiting tunnel at Lambeau in early November, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it in a hurry. And while you cheer No. 4, don’t forget to turn in Thompson’s direction and deliver a hearty chorus of boos. Just remember, that’s the man who had the gall to look out for the good of the Green Bay Packers at the expense of one player. That’s the man who couldn’t get the Packers past the Giants in the NFC Championship game – even though his team had the ball to start OT and only needed a few first downs to get to the Super Bowl. And that’s the man who didn’t have the cojones to go on national TV (OK, Fox News) and air all of his dirty, disgusting laundry.

Yes, Ted Thompson is indeed the devil. Don’t want to believe it? Just look at the hatred for the man. He has inspired his very own web site, firetedthompson.com, and his unfair treatment of Favre prompted a rally outside of Lambeau Field last summer. Think about it. A web site AND a rally. There’s no way dozens of people can be wrong.