News Bot
News Bot
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2009
- Messages
- 45,311
- Reaction score
- 37
Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Underwood is in trouble with the law again.
Source: JSOline.com
Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Underwood is in trouble with the law again.
It can be near the top of the list but IMO the #1 priority has to be talent. For example, if a GM overemphasized character he may not have pursued Charles Woodson. Woodson’s behavior since he arrived in Green Bay makes it easy to forget he was considered somewhat of a character risk before Thompson signed him. It was mostly injury worriies that left only two teams seriously interested in his services relatively late in the signing period for stud FAs. But he was considered a potential problem in the locker room too.One thing a team needs to look into. Any team and not just the Packers, etc. But they need to look for players that are quality and character guys. Not guys that will be a disturbance or a red flag off the field. Like it or not, it should be a #1 priority.
I agree Thompson and McCarthy emphasize character more than many other NFL teams and I think they pay attention to the atmosphere of the locker room more than most, too. But whenever I hear “Packer people” I think of Johnny Jolly. That’s the “Packer person” who can’t quite stay away from illegal drugs. Even with his career on the line. He’s the one Thompson, McCarthy and everyone else in the front office knew was doing drugs and hanging out with criminals in July of 2008. The one some in the Houston police department thought was dealing drugs. And in spite of this public display of bad character, Jolly started 32 regular season games after being arrested. And that happened because the bottom line has to be talent. A team needs more than talent, but talented players are a prerequisite to winning championships. That’s why Thompson took a flier on Jolly in the sixth round of the 2006 draft with pick #183 (after Tony Moll and right before Tyrone Culver). Because Jolly was big and athletic and worth the risk.I believe Thompson and company do the best they can acquiring “good” people, but like Ted says, “The good Lord only makes so many of those big, athletic guys”, and he’s absolutely right. So the Packers, just like nearly every other team in the league, will give a talented player more chances to reform than they give marginal players. I have trouble reconciling that with “Packer people” as it appears some fans understand the term.I know there aren't too many teams that strive to keep good people on their roster as much as we do, or in our case Packer people. But do you guys think fans of other teams respond the same way we do when hearing things like this about players on their teams?