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Do you expect that Packers to seriously look at anyone in the supplemental draft? Maybe Paul Oliver?
ROB DEMOVSKY: The last time the Packers used a supplemental pick was in 1998, when they used a second-round selection to take offensive lineman Mike Wahle, so it would seem unlikely. However, cornerback still has to be considered a position of need. Thompson didn't address that position in the draft and although he signed free-agent Frank Walker this offseason, there's still no clear-cut nickel DB, who ideally would eventually replace either Al Harris or Charles Woodson in a few years.
From what I know of Oliver, he might be availabe for a third- or fourth-round pick.
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Do you expect Koren Robinson to return to the Packers and when will he be available?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Good question. There's certainly no guarantee of it. I know that Robinson has been working out in Green Bay independent of the team, so that tells me there's definitely interest on his part in returning. Remember, Robinson still has to be reinstated by the commissioner. He'll have to keep his nose clean to have any chance of that.
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From what I've read, it looks like D. Clowney will end up at the bottom of the pecking order. That is, if he makes the team. Has there been any talk of him being used as a return man. If he's as fast as everyone says, he would give our return teams a huge boost! I know he's not big, but as far as I've seen, he can really fly! It would be nice to start a few drives past the 17 yard line!!
ROB DEMOVSKY: I don't believe I saw Clowney taking any reps at punt returner during the mandatory minicamp a couple of weeks ago, and I don't think they did any kick return drills. He is quick but small.
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How different in your opinion is the off season program MM has implemented over past programs , in both work and attendance.
For me this work is where the teams OLine and Dline will improve the quickest and with it win more games.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Reporters have very limited access to the offseason program -- we only get to watch the mandatory minicamp and selected OTAs. Everyone was at the mandatory camp. I wouldn't expect Charles Woodson to attend the OTAs but that's standard from last year. So I can only tell you what the Packers tell us, and that's that participation the last two years under Mike McCarthy has been very good. However, I was never under the impression it was that bad under Sherman or previous coaches.
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There's been much attention in the off-season to the offensive side of the ball, but little has been said about the defensive secondary.
Is the team going into the campaign with Manuel starting at safety?
Does the team think he will improve, or is there a challenger?
Is Collins playing at a high enough level or is there a need to upgrade there?
If Woodson or Harris went down, is there a player who can start at corner and play at a high level?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Without question, safety should be their biggest area of concern. Manuel worked with the No. 1 defense during the most recent minicamp, but that only means that right now he'll still a starter. The most likely challenger is rookie Aaron Rouse and there was no way they were going to throw a rookie third-round pick in with the No. 1 defense right away.
I talked to one of their defensive coaches today and he said he thought Collins would be much better this year.
As for the cornerback spot, second-year man Will Blackmon appeared to be the No. 3 corner at the last camp.
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It seems that Morency and Jackson have similar size and styles, neither of which are suited for power. Any ideas for what the team will do in short-yardage situations? Ahman seemed a bit over-the-hill last year but I still had confidence in him on third-and-one.
ROB DEMOVSKY: You're right, there doesn't seem to be an obvious short-yardage/goal-line back. If P.J. Pope can make the team, he might be that guy. Even though he's short (about 5-9) he packs some power.
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Why does the press ask the same questions over and over of the coach and GM/ They always answer the same way; nothing negative is ever said and no real information has been garnered. Appears to me just a lot of watsed time, energy, ink and paper. I would assume by now that all of the GB fans are aware that every player is going to do his best and the coaches are just delighted with the progress of each and every player and the team as a whole. This has to go one for the entire season? Give me a break!
ROB DEMOVSKY: The difficult questions are usually reserved for private, one-on-one interviews so you wouldn't hear those if you're listening to news conferences. Why would I want to ask a good or difficult question so that every reporter would have access to the information I gain?
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Do you see anyone on the Packers roster who looks like they could be anything more than a decent starting tight end? I understand Bubba Franks' contact escalates next season, and given his drop off in production last season, we need to develop 2-3 tight ends to take his place. What do you think of Humphreys' potential to be the guy? McCarthy has said he is excited about his potential to be a reliable receiving threat. Any take on Harris making the squad, or more likely a practice squader?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Given the Packers relatively weak group of tight ends, I would think Harris would have a decent shot at making the roster. He's a big target at 6-5 and 256 pounds, but he's raw. Humphrey is awfully small to be a big-time guy at that position. He's only 6-2.
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How good has Donald Lee looked? Also, I saw James Jones on film and he looks like a really good athlete? How has he looked in practice. By the way how has Marquand Manuel looked? Unlike most Packer fans, I have not given up on Marquand Manuel. I remember how good he played the year the Seahawks made the playoffs. He was playing hurt last year and he seemed to improve as the season went on so I would not be surprsed at all if he has a good season. He was a good not great player in Seattle but the Packers knew that when they signed him. If the Packers are to have the elite defense they want, then they better hope Manuel has a good season.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Mickey, Lee got a lot of work with the No. 1 offense, but I can't honestly saw he looked a whole lot different. He had a poor season in 2006 but his '05 production makes you think he might have some potential. You might be right about Manuel and his injury. He missed most of the offseason stuff last year after signing here and was pretty limited in training camp and the preseason. I still wouldn't be surprised if they tried to replace Manuel with a guy like Rouse or maybe even Marviel Underwood if he's back to 100 percent from his knee injury.
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Given the recent developments with John Jones, do you think that fans have reason to be concerned with the leadership of the organization? Jones was a hand picked successor and there are doubts about his ability to manage the situation. Whatever people think about Thompson, he clearly has some deficiencies as a communicator - most leaders don't go out and say "We don't care what our fans think (about the draft and our free agent moves)." McCarthy is the best leader but he is still very young for his post and would certainly be affected by turmoil above. So, is there reason for fans to worry?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I think Jones and the football people are separate issues. There's reason to be concerned about the business side given all the time the Packers invested in Jones and how they groomed him to be the next head of the franchise.
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So what's really behind John Jones' leave of absence that has been characterized as "management issues"? Jones says he needs to recharge his batteries. Packer leadership say its not ethics issues or health related. Is the issue that he's a work-a-holic that doesn't delegate responsibilities well that got him in trouble? Why is Mike Reinfeldt's name mentioned as a possible successor given that he just took a new job in TN?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I tried to lay it out as clearly as I could in my story that ran in Sunday's paper. Basically, it sounds like Harlan realized that Jones wasn't the right guy for the job so he basically pulled the plug on him. What exactly the "management issues" were might never be known, however based on talking to several sources it's clear Jones wasn't the best leader. People who worked for him were unhappy, and they made that clear to Harlan. Jones said he needed to "recharge his batteries" but that was the Packers' way of allowing him to save face. He'll be on leave until they get a settlement package worked out, and there's no way Jones ever will work for the Packers again. Reinfeldt is a logical candidate because at one point while he was here he was the heir apparent to Harlan. Maybe he wouldn't leave his new job with the Titans, where's head of the football side, but this would be a chance to run an entire team -- not just the football operations.
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What's with this constant Bob Harlan "lovefest" with the Wisconsin sports media? I think he's been given way too much credit for the Packer resurgence as I think "luck" was a much bigger factor than Bob Harlan. He's made a couple critical bone-head decisions.....Mike Sherman as GM that ruined Bret Favre's chance to return to the Super Bowl and now.....John Jones, a man he has spent 8 years with and in the eleventh hour he decides JJ is not the man. Apparently TT is an easier target. Your thoughts?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I think those mistakes by Harlan have been well document. We all have written in some way or another that it was a mistake to make Sherman the GM, but at least Harlan eventually recognized it. Same thing with Jones. Better to realize it was a mistake now than to never realize it at all. People make bad hires all the time. It happens at businesses of all kind, whether it be newspapers, banks or sports teams. The best leaders realize their mistakes and try to rectify them.
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Rob, do you think Robert Fergerson will be the odd man out in the receiving corps?
ROB DEMOVSKY: If both draft picks (James Jones and David Clowney) make the team, that's a real possibility. That would leave probably only one or two spots for WR after Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. They think highly of Carlyle Holiday, so he's got a good shot. They invested all of last year in Ruvell Martin, too. Then there's Koren Robinson, who could be back a month or two into the season. So yeah, it might be tough for Ferguson to make it.
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Rob I was wondering about this rumor Is is true that John Jones and Ted Thompson didn't get along?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I can't speak to that because I don't know. However, I do know that there are plenty of people in that organization that didn't get along or didn't respect Jones.
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Rob....I'm really interested in your thoughts about the John Jones situation. Wow! What a bombshell. A week before his retirement Bob Harlan goes to the executive committee and says his hand-picked and groomed (since 1999) successor isn't capable of the job. The executive committee did the only thing they could in asking Harlan to stay on. It sounds like there is one guy who could come in quickly and do the job...Mike Reinfeldt...after all he was Harlan's first choice to take over after he retired. Do you know how long Reinfelt was groomed by Harlan? I know he left Green Bay with Mike Holmgren in 1998, and I understand that he was hired this February to be the Tennessee Titans executive vice president and general manager. Do you know if the Packers board can talk to Reinfelt without the Titan's permission? If the Packers could put the right deal together....Reinfeldt should be motivated. He could be the top guy in Green Bay and not have an owner looking over his shoulder. He is in a very tough situation if the Packers do talk to him....he's only been in Tennesse since February. If he jumped ship to come to GB, he would be judged as disloyal by the owners and NFL brass and it could have a long term negative effect on his career. On the other hand....he could pull a Harlan and run the team for 15 years and retire at 70. Can you give me some perspective on this theory?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Harlan has long said that when he hired Reinfeldt in 1989, he considered him to be the heir apparent. If Reinfeldt was still in Seattle with the Seahawks, he'd likely be one of the top candidates. He still might be, but it definitely would be more difficult to convince him to leave the Titans because he has total controll of their football operations.
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Rob, Can you give us an idea of what type of coverage we will be getting for the OTA's? In terms of: - Player Interviews - Photos -Audio/Video
- Blogs - Camp Reports. Also, so far who has been your favorite rookie to talk to and why? Let me know if there is something us as fans can not see from their interviews.
ROB DEMOVSKY: We're going to try to give you as much of that as possible, however the Packers have cut back on media access. Only four of the 12 OTA sessions are open to reporters and the public. Last year, they all were open. Also, the NFL has put restrictions on video and audio, limiting web sites to using just 45 seconds of audio and video.
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Rob, Besides the obvious training camp battles Manual vs Underwood, Bubba vd Lee, Rayner vs Crosby and Jackson vs Morency what do you think will be the most interesting or unexpected battles. Do you think Moll will have a shot at unseating Tauscher? Could Barbre beat out Colledge? Could Jones beat out Jennings?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Personally, I always like to watch the kicking battles because that's all about results. I find it interesting to see how kickers react to the scrutiny of having every kick charted and having to explain every miss. I can't imagine any scenario -- other than injury -- in which Tauscher loses his job. I don't think Barbre or Jones wins starting jobs either, unless there are injuries.
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Rob, There was not much news about Aaron Rouse from mini camp. Normally, you can get a good idea of a players athleticism and speed for the position and I know that is a big concern for Rouse. After watching him in practice does it look like he has the speed and agility for the position? I consider him a taller version of Manual who has no lateral quickness (Remember the first Lions game). Let me know what you saw.
ROB DEMOVSKY: He sure looked athletic and impressive physically to me. But safety is one of those spots that you can't really tell until the bullets are live.
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Rob, I remember someone saying last year the Will Blackmon reminded them of a young Craig Newsome last year in mini camp. Did he look the part this year? Out of our reserve CB's who looked the best?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Newsome had a couple of pretty good seasons, and Blackmon has a long way to go to reach that. I haven't heard anyone who's opinion I value make that comparison. Blackmon definitely got the most work other than the two starters during the last camp and he's going to get a shot at the all-important nickel job.
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Hi Rob, My question is twofold:
1) Based on what you know of the Harlan-Jones events and knowing you can't elaborate, I ask you if the Packers, in your opinion,
a) Clearly made the right call
b) May have overreacted, but acted in a sensible manner
c) Overreacted
2) Do you think the reserved public personnas of Thompson and to some degree McCarthy ended up hurting Jones as a "behind the scenes" president could work if you had a strong PR type as GM? I doubt these were the main issues, but perhaps Harlan couldn't see anyone filling the role he played with the general public as the face of the organization.
ROB DEMOVSKY: I would answer A. He made the right call, based on what I know. However, I don't think it had anything to do with the perceived personnas of Thompson and/or McCarthy.
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Thanks for taking my question. I found it curious that the Jones situation would be discussed at a press conference hastily called for 4:30 on Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend. What say you?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I thought the same thing. Could it have been an attempt on the Packers' part to bury the news? Sure. However, maybe it was just that the decision had been made and the Packers wanted to put the information out on their own terms. Had they waited until after the holiday weekend, perhaps the news would have leaked out and then they would have had to do damage control.
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Hi Rob, Do you think that Jones' dismissal was a result of Harlan's concerns about his relationship with Thompson? Maybe that Jones had options in his mind to relieve Thompson of his GM role after this season? I have some serious doubts about the direction of the team's management right now. I had placed some hope in Jones to turn things around.
Thanks
ROB DEMOVSKY: I asked that question specifically to a number of people and I was told that wasn't the case.
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Why is everyone so hung up about TT not getting every offensive weapon possible? Championships are built on defense, not offense. How else could Trent Dilfer have won a Super Bowl? How many years was the high powered Colts offense stopped by a defense (until this last year). The Bears are close with Grossman. TT realizes DEFENSE wins championships and has showed a committment the last 2 drafts.
ROB DEMOVSKY: The Bears are close, but they didn't win. I thought the goal was to win the Super Bowl. Not just get there.
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I have always had doubts about John Jones's ability to lead the Green Bay Packers. Bob Harlan has been such a resounding success as Green Bay's chief executive that John Jones just seemed vastly inferior by comparison. I am not privy to the "management concerns" voiced by members of the Packers front office, but it must have been something bad to force Harlan and the executive committee to put a halt to this ascendancy plan at the last minute. I have a suspicion that Bob Harlan and the executive committee pulled the plug on JJ's ascendancy because Harlan heard that Jones planned on sacking Ted Thompson as GM once he came to power and that he was going to be much more involved in the football operations side of things than Harlan ever was. I further suspect that Harlan was upset about this because Jones had been telling Harlan what he wanted to hear in order to curry Harlan's favor. I think that Harlan caught Jones in a lie, which raised a multitude of concerns about how he was going to lead (and if he was capable of leading) the Packers following Harlan's retirment as Chairman and CEO. I firmly believe that Mike Reinfeldt is the best person to lead the Packers. After all, Reinfeldt was instrumental in bringing Ron Wolf to Green Bay in 1991 and was Harlan's 2nd in command and heir-apparent until he followed Mike Holmgren out to Seattle in 1998.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Here's the part of your question that I think is correct. "I further suspect that Harlan was upset about this because Jones had been telling Harlan what he wanted to hear in order to curry Harlan's favor. I think that Harlan caught Jones in a lie, which raised a multitude of concerns about how he was going to lead (and if he was capable of leading) the Packers following Harlan's retirment as Chairman and CEO." But I dont think it was because he was going to fire Thompson.
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I'm concerned with the depth on the o-line. If Chad Clifton goes down, the entire line is sent into immediate flux. Whats the deal with Allan Barbre? If he's a left guard now, the Packers don't really have any left tackle prospects except for an undrafted rookie last year (Bourke). If they eventually plan to move Barbre to left tackle, why don't they start grooming him at that position right away?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I wondered why Barbre didn't work at LT. Perhaps it's because they think Bourke can be better there. He sure had a good camp last summer before he got hurt.
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Mr. Demovsky, How is Kory Hall doing making the transition from linebacker to fullback?
ROB DEMOVSKY: It's way too soon to tell but from watching him at the last minicamp, it didn't look like he was struggling. He appeared to catch the ball pretty well. There's no way to know if he can block, but I will say this: the offense in general struggled with blitz pickups.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Do you expect that Packers to seriously look at anyone in the supplemental draft? Maybe Paul Oliver?
ROB DEMOVSKY: The last time the Packers used a supplemental pick was in 1998, when they used a second-round selection to take offensive lineman Mike Wahle, so it would seem unlikely. However, cornerback still has to be considered a position of need. Thompson didn't address that position in the draft and although he signed free-agent Frank Walker this offseason, there's still no clear-cut nickel DB, who ideally would eventually replace either Al Harris or Charles Woodson in a few years.
From what I know of Oliver, he might be availabe for a third- or fourth-round pick.
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Do you expect Koren Robinson to return to the Packers and when will he be available?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Good question. There's certainly no guarantee of it. I know that Robinson has been working out in Green Bay independent of the team, so that tells me there's definitely interest on his part in returning. Remember, Robinson still has to be reinstated by the commissioner. He'll have to keep his nose clean to have any chance of that.
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From what I've read, it looks like D. Clowney will end up at the bottom of the pecking order. That is, if he makes the team. Has there been any talk of him being used as a return man. If he's as fast as everyone says, he would give our return teams a huge boost! I know he's not big, but as far as I've seen, he can really fly! It would be nice to start a few drives past the 17 yard line!!
ROB DEMOVSKY: I don't believe I saw Clowney taking any reps at punt returner during the mandatory minicamp a couple of weeks ago, and I don't think they did any kick return drills. He is quick but small.
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How different in your opinion is the off season program MM has implemented over past programs , in both work and attendance.
For me this work is where the teams OLine and Dline will improve the quickest and with it win more games.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Reporters have very limited access to the offseason program -- we only get to watch the mandatory minicamp and selected OTAs. Everyone was at the mandatory camp. I wouldn't expect Charles Woodson to attend the OTAs but that's standard from last year. So I can only tell you what the Packers tell us, and that's that participation the last two years under Mike McCarthy has been very good. However, I was never under the impression it was that bad under Sherman or previous coaches.
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There's been much attention in the off-season to the offensive side of the ball, but little has been said about the defensive secondary.
Is the team going into the campaign with Manuel starting at safety?
Does the team think he will improve, or is there a challenger?
Is Collins playing at a high enough level or is there a need to upgrade there?
If Woodson or Harris went down, is there a player who can start at corner and play at a high level?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Without question, safety should be their biggest area of concern. Manuel worked with the No. 1 defense during the most recent minicamp, but that only means that right now he'll still a starter. The most likely challenger is rookie Aaron Rouse and there was no way they were going to throw a rookie third-round pick in with the No. 1 defense right away.
I talked to one of their defensive coaches today and he said he thought Collins would be much better this year.
As for the cornerback spot, second-year man Will Blackmon appeared to be the No. 3 corner at the last camp.
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It seems that Morency and Jackson have similar size and styles, neither of which are suited for power. Any ideas for what the team will do in short-yardage situations? Ahman seemed a bit over-the-hill last year but I still had confidence in him on third-and-one.
ROB DEMOVSKY: You're right, there doesn't seem to be an obvious short-yardage/goal-line back. If P.J. Pope can make the team, he might be that guy. Even though he's short (about 5-9) he packs some power.
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Why does the press ask the same questions over and over of the coach and GM/ They always answer the same way; nothing negative is ever said and no real information has been garnered. Appears to me just a lot of watsed time, energy, ink and paper. I would assume by now that all of the GB fans are aware that every player is going to do his best and the coaches are just delighted with the progress of each and every player and the team as a whole. This has to go one for the entire season? Give me a break!
ROB DEMOVSKY: The difficult questions are usually reserved for private, one-on-one interviews so you wouldn't hear those if you're listening to news conferences. Why would I want to ask a good or difficult question so that every reporter would have access to the information I gain?
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Do you see anyone on the Packers roster who looks like they could be anything more than a decent starting tight end? I understand Bubba Franks' contact escalates next season, and given his drop off in production last season, we need to develop 2-3 tight ends to take his place. What do you think of Humphreys' potential to be the guy? McCarthy has said he is excited about his potential to be a reliable receiving threat. Any take on Harris making the squad, or more likely a practice squader?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Given the Packers relatively weak group of tight ends, I would think Harris would have a decent shot at making the roster. He's a big target at 6-5 and 256 pounds, but he's raw. Humphrey is awfully small to be a big-time guy at that position. He's only 6-2.
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How good has Donald Lee looked? Also, I saw James Jones on film and he looks like a really good athlete? How has he looked in practice. By the way how has Marquand Manuel looked? Unlike most Packer fans, I have not given up on Marquand Manuel. I remember how good he played the year the Seahawks made the playoffs. He was playing hurt last year and he seemed to improve as the season went on so I would not be surprsed at all if he has a good season. He was a good not great player in Seattle but the Packers knew that when they signed him. If the Packers are to have the elite defense they want, then they better hope Manuel has a good season.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Mickey, Lee got a lot of work with the No. 1 offense, but I can't honestly saw he looked a whole lot different. He had a poor season in 2006 but his '05 production makes you think he might have some potential. You might be right about Manuel and his injury. He missed most of the offseason stuff last year after signing here and was pretty limited in training camp and the preseason. I still wouldn't be surprised if they tried to replace Manuel with a guy like Rouse or maybe even Marviel Underwood if he's back to 100 percent from his knee injury.
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Given the recent developments with John Jones, do you think that fans have reason to be concerned with the leadership of the organization? Jones was a hand picked successor and there are doubts about his ability to manage the situation. Whatever people think about Thompson, he clearly has some deficiencies as a communicator - most leaders don't go out and say "We don't care what our fans think (about the draft and our free agent moves)." McCarthy is the best leader but he is still very young for his post and would certainly be affected by turmoil above. So, is there reason for fans to worry?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I think Jones and the football people are separate issues. There's reason to be concerned about the business side given all the time the Packers invested in Jones and how they groomed him to be the next head of the franchise.
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So what's really behind John Jones' leave of absence that has been characterized as "management issues"? Jones says he needs to recharge his batteries. Packer leadership say its not ethics issues or health related. Is the issue that he's a work-a-holic that doesn't delegate responsibilities well that got him in trouble? Why is Mike Reinfeldt's name mentioned as a possible successor given that he just took a new job in TN?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I tried to lay it out as clearly as I could in my story that ran in Sunday's paper. Basically, it sounds like Harlan realized that Jones wasn't the right guy for the job so he basically pulled the plug on him. What exactly the "management issues" were might never be known, however based on talking to several sources it's clear Jones wasn't the best leader. People who worked for him were unhappy, and they made that clear to Harlan. Jones said he needed to "recharge his batteries" but that was the Packers' way of allowing him to save face. He'll be on leave until they get a settlement package worked out, and there's no way Jones ever will work for the Packers again. Reinfeldt is a logical candidate because at one point while he was here he was the heir apparent to Harlan. Maybe he wouldn't leave his new job with the Titans, where's head of the football side, but this would be a chance to run an entire team -- not just the football operations.
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What's with this constant Bob Harlan "lovefest" with the Wisconsin sports media? I think he's been given way too much credit for the Packer resurgence as I think "luck" was a much bigger factor than Bob Harlan. He's made a couple critical bone-head decisions.....Mike Sherman as GM that ruined Bret Favre's chance to return to the Super Bowl and now.....John Jones, a man he has spent 8 years with and in the eleventh hour he decides JJ is not the man. Apparently TT is an easier target. Your thoughts?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I think those mistakes by Harlan have been well document. We all have written in some way or another that it was a mistake to make Sherman the GM, but at least Harlan eventually recognized it. Same thing with Jones. Better to realize it was a mistake now than to never realize it at all. People make bad hires all the time. It happens at businesses of all kind, whether it be newspapers, banks or sports teams. The best leaders realize their mistakes and try to rectify them.
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Rob, do you think Robert Fergerson will be the odd man out in the receiving corps?
ROB DEMOVSKY: If both draft picks (James Jones and David Clowney) make the team, that's a real possibility. That would leave probably only one or two spots for WR after Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. They think highly of Carlyle Holiday, so he's got a good shot. They invested all of last year in Ruvell Martin, too. Then there's Koren Robinson, who could be back a month or two into the season. So yeah, it might be tough for Ferguson to make it.
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Rob I was wondering about this rumor Is is true that John Jones and Ted Thompson didn't get along?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I can't speak to that because I don't know. However, I do know that there are plenty of people in that organization that didn't get along or didn't respect Jones.
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Rob....I'm really interested in your thoughts about the John Jones situation. Wow! What a bombshell. A week before his retirement Bob Harlan goes to the executive committee and says his hand-picked and groomed (since 1999) successor isn't capable of the job. The executive committee did the only thing they could in asking Harlan to stay on. It sounds like there is one guy who could come in quickly and do the job...Mike Reinfeldt...after all he was Harlan's first choice to take over after he retired. Do you know how long Reinfelt was groomed by Harlan? I know he left Green Bay with Mike Holmgren in 1998, and I understand that he was hired this February to be the Tennessee Titans executive vice president and general manager. Do you know if the Packers board can talk to Reinfelt without the Titan's permission? If the Packers could put the right deal together....Reinfeldt should be motivated. He could be the top guy in Green Bay and not have an owner looking over his shoulder. He is in a very tough situation if the Packers do talk to him....he's only been in Tennesse since February. If he jumped ship to come to GB, he would be judged as disloyal by the owners and NFL brass and it could have a long term negative effect on his career. On the other hand....he could pull a Harlan and run the team for 15 years and retire at 70. Can you give me some perspective on this theory?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Harlan has long said that when he hired Reinfeldt in 1989, he considered him to be the heir apparent. If Reinfeldt was still in Seattle with the Seahawks, he'd likely be one of the top candidates. He still might be, but it definitely would be more difficult to convince him to leave the Titans because he has total controll of their football operations.
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Rob, Can you give us an idea of what type of coverage we will be getting for the OTA's? In terms of: - Player Interviews - Photos -Audio/Video
- Blogs - Camp Reports. Also, so far who has been your favorite rookie to talk to and why? Let me know if there is something us as fans can not see from their interviews.
ROB DEMOVSKY: We're going to try to give you as much of that as possible, however the Packers have cut back on media access. Only four of the 12 OTA sessions are open to reporters and the public. Last year, they all were open. Also, the NFL has put restrictions on video and audio, limiting web sites to using just 45 seconds of audio and video.
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Rob, Besides the obvious training camp battles Manual vs Underwood, Bubba vd Lee, Rayner vs Crosby and Jackson vs Morency what do you think will be the most interesting or unexpected battles. Do you think Moll will have a shot at unseating Tauscher? Could Barbre beat out Colledge? Could Jones beat out Jennings?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Personally, I always like to watch the kicking battles because that's all about results. I find it interesting to see how kickers react to the scrutiny of having every kick charted and having to explain every miss. I can't imagine any scenario -- other than injury -- in which Tauscher loses his job. I don't think Barbre or Jones wins starting jobs either, unless there are injuries.
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Rob, There was not much news about Aaron Rouse from mini camp. Normally, you can get a good idea of a players athleticism and speed for the position and I know that is a big concern for Rouse. After watching him in practice does it look like he has the speed and agility for the position? I consider him a taller version of Manual who has no lateral quickness (Remember the first Lions game). Let me know what you saw.
ROB DEMOVSKY: He sure looked athletic and impressive physically to me. But safety is one of those spots that you can't really tell until the bullets are live.
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Rob, I remember someone saying last year the Will Blackmon reminded them of a young Craig Newsome last year in mini camp. Did he look the part this year? Out of our reserve CB's who looked the best?
ROB DEMOVSKY: Newsome had a couple of pretty good seasons, and Blackmon has a long way to go to reach that. I haven't heard anyone who's opinion I value make that comparison. Blackmon definitely got the most work other than the two starters during the last camp and he's going to get a shot at the all-important nickel job.
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Hi Rob, My question is twofold:
1) Based on what you know of the Harlan-Jones events and knowing you can't elaborate, I ask you if the Packers, in your opinion,
a) Clearly made the right call
b) May have overreacted, but acted in a sensible manner
c) Overreacted
2) Do you think the reserved public personnas of Thompson and to some degree McCarthy ended up hurting Jones as a "behind the scenes" president could work if you had a strong PR type as GM? I doubt these were the main issues, but perhaps Harlan couldn't see anyone filling the role he played with the general public as the face of the organization.
ROB DEMOVSKY: I would answer A. He made the right call, based on what I know. However, I don't think it had anything to do with the perceived personnas of Thompson and/or McCarthy.
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Thanks for taking my question. I found it curious that the Jones situation would be discussed at a press conference hastily called for 4:30 on Saturday afternoon of a holiday weekend. What say you?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I thought the same thing. Could it have been an attempt on the Packers' part to bury the news? Sure. However, maybe it was just that the decision had been made and the Packers wanted to put the information out on their own terms. Had they waited until after the holiday weekend, perhaps the news would have leaked out and then they would have had to do damage control.
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Hi Rob, Do you think that Jones' dismissal was a result of Harlan's concerns about his relationship with Thompson? Maybe that Jones had options in his mind to relieve Thompson of his GM role after this season? I have some serious doubts about the direction of the team's management right now. I had placed some hope in Jones to turn things around.
Thanks
ROB DEMOVSKY: I asked that question specifically to a number of people and I was told that wasn't the case.
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Why is everyone so hung up about TT not getting every offensive weapon possible? Championships are built on defense, not offense. How else could Trent Dilfer have won a Super Bowl? How many years was the high powered Colts offense stopped by a defense (until this last year). The Bears are close with Grossman. TT realizes DEFENSE wins championships and has showed a committment the last 2 drafts.
ROB DEMOVSKY: The Bears are close, but they didn't win. I thought the goal was to win the Super Bowl. Not just get there.
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I have always had doubts about John Jones's ability to lead the Green Bay Packers. Bob Harlan has been such a resounding success as Green Bay's chief executive that John Jones just seemed vastly inferior by comparison. I am not privy to the "management concerns" voiced by members of the Packers front office, but it must have been something bad to force Harlan and the executive committee to put a halt to this ascendancy plan at the last minute. I have a suspicion that Bob Harlan and the executive committee pulled the plug on JJ's ascendancy because Harlan heard that Jones planned on sacking Ted Thompson as GM once he came to power and that he was going to be much more involved in the football operations side of things than Harlan ever was. I further suspect that Harlan was upset about this because Jones had been telling Harlan what he wanted to hear in order to curry Harlan's favor. I think that Harlan caught Jones in a lie, which raised a multitude of concerns about how he was going to lead (and if he was capable of leading) the Packers following Harlan's retirment as Chairman and CEO. I firmly believe that Mike Reinfeldt is the best person to lead the Packers. After all, Reinfeldt was instrumental in bringing Ron Wolf to Green Bay in 1991 and was Harlan's 2nd in command and heir-apparent until he followed Mike Holmgren out to Seattle in 1998.
ROB DEMOVSKY: Here's the part of your question that I think is correct. "I further suspect that Harlan was upset about this because Jones had been telling Harlan what he wanted to hear in order to curry Harlan's favor. I think that Harlan caught Jones in a lie, which raised a multitude of concerns about how he was going to lead (and if he was capable of leading) the Packers following Harlan's retirment as Chairman and CEO." But I dont think it was because he was going to fire Thompson.
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I'm concerned with the depth on the o-line. If Chad Clifton goes down, the entire line is sent into immediate flux. Whats the deal with Allan Barbre? If he's a left guard now, the Packers don't really have any left tackle prospects except for an undrafted rookie last year (Bourke). If they eventually plan to move Barbre to left tackle, why don't they start grooming him at that position right away?
ROB DEMOVSKY: I wondered why Barbre didn't work at LT. Perhaps it's because they think Bourke can be better there. He sure had a good camp last summer before he got hurt.
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Mr. Demovsky, How is Kory Hall doing making the transition from linebacker to fullback?
ROB DEMOVSKY: It's way too soon to tell but from watching him at the last minicamp, it didn't look like he was struggling. He appeared to catch the ball pretty well. There's no way to know if he can block, but I will say this: the offense in general struggled with blitz pickups.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
