SUN., FEB 4, 2007 - 1:21 AM
Packers: Thompson's plan still in place
JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
[email protected]
GREEN BAY - OK, so Brett Favre is coming back.
Now what?
That's the question facing Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who can spend today working on an answer since he can't bring himself to watch Super Bowl XLI. (He says if his team isn't playing in it, he's not interested.)
But if you're expecting Thompson to junk his slow-but-steady rebuilding process and go hog-wild in free agency to make one last Super Bowl push on Favre's behalf, you're going to be disappointed.
"I don't think so," Thompson said of the latter approach. "I think baseball teams can do that sometimes. Football teams can't do that. I think you just try to get better, and the easiest way is for your existing players to improve, for your coaches to coach a little better, your scouts to scout a little better.
"Maybe you add a few players here and there, but you just try to get better, and we'd do that no matter who the quarterback was."
Publicly, the question of Favre's return was the No. 1 offseason issue facing the Packers. But privately, Thompson and his scouting staff were going about its business-as-usual offseason routine, just like last year, breaking down film and discussing players in daily pre-draft and pre-free agency meetings. In fact, Thompson was in one such meeting when Favre called him Friday.
While Thompson said Favre didn't give him a specific reason why he was returning, Thompson took it as a good sign he is happy with the direction the team is headed, having improved from 4-12 in 2005 to 8-8 last season.
Nonetheless, one league source said Favre wants to see the team upgrade its offensive personnel, perhaps by trading for disgruntled Oakland receiver Randy Moss. Favre has always liked Moss, who was once represented by Favre's agent, Bus Cook, but it's unclear what the Raiders would want in return.
Thompson said he didn't make Favre any personnel-related promises when they talked Friday - "He didn't ask for any, either," Thompson said - but in a conversation late last week, coach Mike McCarthy reportedly told Favre that improving the offensive skill positions is a priority this offseason.
McCarthy was at his offseason home in Austin, Texas, and unavailable for comment, the team said. But as chairman and CEO Bob Harlan pointed out, the Packers barely missed the playoffs in the watered-down NFC and could be only a few players away from contention.
"A solid draft, pick up a free agent or two ... we weren't that far away this year," Harlan said, referring to the team's four-game winning streak to end the season. "If the NFC stays the way it is, we've got a great shot next year."
It does help the Packers that Favre came to a decision earlier than in recent years - he waited until April 25 to come back last year and until March 10 in 2005 - although with more than $25 million in salary-cap space, the Packers wouldn't have been too put out had he procrastinated again.
The only position where the Packers would have been affected was quarterback, where they would have needed to add a veteran backup such as Philadelphia's Jeff Garcia or Kansas City's Damon Huard as insurance behind - and possibly competition for - 2005 first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers.
Now, the Packers can focus on figuring out whether to re-sign free-agent halfback Ahman Green, what to do at tight end and how to augment a receiver corps that behind Donald Driver has Greg Jennings, who faded late in his rookie season, Robert Ferguson, who is coming off a serious foot injury, and Koren Robinson, who is serving a one-year substance abuse suspension.
"I think we all have to take another step - grow up and eliminate the mistakes that led us to all the negative things that happened in the beginning and the middle of the season," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "If we can build on how we finished, I think we're in good shape."
Asked whether he thinks Favre's return makes his team a playoff contender, Thompson said, "I certainly hope so. I think everybody goes into the new (season) with aspirations of being in the playoffs and hopefully be able to play in the (Super Bowl). But there are 31 other teams that will be thinking the same way. But we feel like we're getting better as a team, and certainly I think it's good to be having Brett coming back."
Packers: Thompson's plan still in place
JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
[email protected]
GREEN BAY - OK, so Brett Favre is coming back.
Now what?
That's the question facing Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who can spend today working on an answer since he can't bring himself to watch Super Bowl XLI. (He says if his team isn't playing in it, he's not interested.)
But if you're expecting Thompson to junk his slow-but-steady rebuilding process and go hog-wild in free agency to make one last Super Bowl push on Favre's behalf, you're going to be disappointed.
"I don't think so," Thompson said of the latter approach. "I think baseball teams can do that sometimes. Football teams can't do that. I think you just try to get better, and the easiest way is for your existing players to improve, for your coaches to coach a little better, your scouts to scout a little better.
"Maybe you add a few players here and there, but you just try to get better, and we'd do that no matter who the quarterback was."
Publicly, the question of Favre's return was the No. 1 offseason issue facing the Packers. But privately, Thompson and his scouting staff were going about its business-as-usual offseason routine, just like last year, breaking down film and discussing players in daily pre-draft and pre-free agency meetings. In fact, Thompson was in one such meeting when Favre called him Friday.
While Thompson said Favre didn't give him a specific reason why he was returning, Thompson took it as a good sign he is happy with the direction the team is headed, having improved from 4-12 in 2005 to 8-8 last season.
Nonetheless, one league source said Favre wants to see the team upgrade its offensive personnel, perhaps by trading for disgruntled Oakland receiver Randy Moss. Favre has always liked Moss, who was once represented by Favre's agent, Bus Cook, but it's unclear what the Raiders would want in return.
Thompson said he didn't make Favre any personnel-related promises when they talked Friday - "He didn't ask for any, either," Thompson said - but in a conversation late last week, coach Mike McCarthy reportedly told Favre that improving the offensive skill positions is a priority this offseason.
McCarthy was at his offseason home in Austin, Texas, and unavailable for comment, the team said. But as chairman and CEO Bob Harlan pointed out, the Packers barely missed the playoffs in the watered-down NFC and could be only a few players away from contention.
"A solid draft, pick up a free agent or two ... we weren't that far away this year," Harlan said, referring to the team's four-game winning streak to end the season. "If the NFC stays the way it is, we've got a great shot next year."
It does help the Packers that Favre came to a decision earlier than in recent years - he waited until April 25 to come back last year and until March 10 in 2005 - although with more than $25 million in salary-cap space, the Packers wouldn't have been too put out had he procrastinated again.
The only position where the Packers would have been affected was quarterback, where they would have needed to add a veteran backup such as Philadelphia's Jeff Garcia or Kansas City's Damon Huard as insurance behind - and possibly competition for - 2005 first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers.
Now, the Packers can focus on figuring out whether to re-sign free-agent halfback Ahman Green, what to do at tight end and how to augment a receiver corps that behind Donald Driver has Greg Jennings, who faded late in his rookie season, Robert Ferguson, who is coming off a serious foot injury, and Koren Robinson, who is serving a one-year substance abuse suspension.
"I think we all have to take another step - grow up and eliminate the mistakes that led us to all the negative things that happened in the beginning and the middle of the season," right tackle Mark Tauscher said. "If we can build on how we finished, I think we're in good shape."
Asked whether he thinks Favre's return makes his team a playoff contender, Thompson said, "I certainly hope so. I think everybody goes into the new (season) with aspirations of being in the playoffs and hopefully be able to play in the (Super Bowl). But there are 31 other teams that will be thinking the same way. But we feel like we're getting better as a team, and certainly I think it's good to be having Brett coming back."
I then suppose there's no snowballs chance in hell you're watching any games while Ted is the GM, right?
