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Cheesehead
By RICK BRAUN
Packer Plus writer
Posted: Jan. 17, 2007
Green Bay - When the final game is played, the players go home and rest.
Ted Thompson hopes to make all the right calls for the Packers during the off-season in the free-agent market and the NFL Draft.
season closed on the final day of 2006, the 2007 season pretty much started the next day for Thompson and McCarthy.
And when they sit down and evaluate, they'll identify areas that definitely need improvement.
Simply put, the Packers did show improvement. But they're not good enough to yet compete with the elite.
Their 1-6 record against teams with winning records is evidence of that, and the one victory came in the finale against a Chicago team that had nothing to play for.
So as Thompson and McCarthy sit down, here are some of the areas they'll probably be satisfied with and some of the areas they'll know need to be addressed in either the draft of free agency:
Quarterback - Free agency doesn't start until March and the draft isn't until the end of April. By the time either rolls around, the Packers should know if quarterback Brett Favre is returning for another season. If Favre retires, it becomes Aaron Rodgers' ball game. But Thompson will definitely need to make sure there is a potential replacement on hand that is capable of starting should Rodgers either falter or get injured. The Packers have not had to worry about finding a starting quarterback for 15 seasons. They will soon.
Running back - Ahman Green will turn 30 in less than a month. His days are numbered and he clearly wasn't the explosive player of a couple of years ago. Nowhere is it more obvious than in the fact that Green scored just five rushing touchdowns and the Packers as a team had just nine.
Of the 12 teams to make the playoffs, only one - the Seattle Seahawks - had fewer rushing touchdowns (eight). And Seattle's problems spawned from having 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander out for six games with a broken foot.
Although the Packers had one more rushing touchdown than the Seahawks as a team, Alexander finished the season with seven, meaning every single playoff team had a player with more rushing touchdowns than Green's five.
Of the four teams still alive, the fewest rushing touchdowns are the 14 by the Chicago Bears, who got six each from Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.
The Bears' opponent in the NFC Championship Game will be the New Orleans Saints, who had 19 rushing touchdowns, including 10 from Deuce McAllister and six from Reggie Bush.
In the AFC, the New England Patriots had 20, including 13 by Corey Dillon and six from Laurence Maroney.
Even the Indianapolis Colts, famous for their air attack with Peyton Manning, ran the ball in 16 times, with seven from Joseph Addai, five from Dominic Rhodes and four by Manning.
A simple fact in the NFL is that to be a good team one must be able to run the ball in.
While feeling great about their 8-8 finish because they won their last four, the Packers could just as easily stew over the fact that they could have finished with the one more victory needed to make the playoffs simply by being able to run the ball in one more time. The Nov. 5 game at Buffalo still sticks out, as the Packers were 1 yard away from a tying touchdown when they threw a game-losing interception instead of punching the ball in.
With the 16th pick in the upcoming April draft, do not be surprised if the Packers go shopping for the best running back available. In the NFL, top running backs almost never change teams in free agency.
Tight end - Thompson probably goes into the draft thinking he doesn't have to add an offensive lineman based on the youth the Packers already possess there. But fanning out just a little, one can rest assured the Packers will most likely draft a tight end and maybe even seek one in free agency.
Unfortunately for Packer fans hoping to see a big signing there, the Kansas City Chiefs inked Tony Gonzalez to a five-year extension last week, taking him off the potential free-agent market.
Bubba Franks apparently has lost it, and what he had was never that great at stretching the field. Franks, a first-round pick at No. 14 overall in 2000, never reached the end zone in 2006 and has only gotten there once since 2004 after averaging 6.8 touchdowns a year from 2001-'04.
And for the fifth time in six seasons, David Martin could not make it through the year without missing at least two games with injury. While the Packers were getting almost nothing out of Franks, Martin was a complete non-factor over the final seven games, missing five of them and not catching a pass in the other two games in which he played.
If Favre is to return for a 17th season overall and a 16th with the Packers, it would be wise for Thompson to note that nearly all of Favre's best seasons featured strong play from the tight ends, including Jackie Harris, Ed West, Mark Chmura, Keith Jackson and Franks. As Favre's numbers fell the past two seasons, the Packers' tight end play was greatly responsible.
Thompson simply must address the position this off-season. And hoping Franks will return to his 2001-'04 form will be taking too big a risk.
Wide receiver - On the outside, the Packers might have some hope for the future and had a great season from Donald Driver. But there simply weren't enough weapons for Favre to throw to once rookie Greg Jennings went into a deep tailspin over the final 10 games. Jennings did not reach the end zone after Week 5.
Ruvell Martin is a nice No. 4 receiver and might even develop into a solid No. 3, but Thompson needs to bring in another big, young receiver not just for the immediate future but also for when Driver - who turns 32 in two weeks - starts to slow down with age.
Defensive end - On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers showed some genuine growth and development as the season went on. Still, that doesn't mean there aren't holes to fill.
First off, they'll need to make a decision on Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and his $5 million base salary next season. That means there's the potential need for at least another depth player at end. On the inside, the Packers are strong and relatively young.
Linebacker - Green Bay is strong and young here, too. Middle linebacker Nick Barnett is the elder statesman in terms of seniority and will only be 26 when next season starts. A.J. Hawk just turned 23 two weeks ago. Although he just completed his second season, Brady Poppinga is the old man of the crew at 27, because he served a two-year mission while at Brigham Young.
Still, the Packers could get by with only a depth upgrade should they not retain one of their three backups - Tracy White, Abdul Hodge and Ben Taylor.
White was a special teams maven and will only be 26 by next season. Taylor, who turns 29 this year, seems the most likely to not be around in 2007.
Cornerback - In the secondary, Thompson is walking a thin line. At cornerback, Al Harris and Charles Woodson will be coming off excellent seasons. Yet Woodson is 30 and Harris is 32. They should be fine again in 2007, but it's time to get potential replacements into the fold. Jarrett Bush and Patrick Dendy do not appear to be front-line caliber, and 2006 fourth-round pick Will Blackmon never really got a chance to show his stuff because of injuries.
History says the Packers will use a draft pick on a cornerback. GMs are always looking for cornerbacks.
Since 1994 there have only been three drafts in which the Packers did not pick a cornerback. In 2000 they didn't after drafting three in 1999. In 1997 they didn't take a cornerback, but they had used high picks in the previous two drafts, taking Craig Newsome in the first round in 1995 and Tyrone Williams in the third round in 1996.
In 2002 the Packers only had six picks and did not take a cornerback.
Safety - Finally, Thompson is likely to look at upgrading the safety position. Nick Collins played great football the final two weeks of this past season, but free-agent acquisition Marquand Manuel was a disappointment. It's possible the Packers might not have to shop at that position if they believe Marviel Underwood can unseat Manuel after missing all of 2006 with a torn anterior cruciate.
With young leg men in punter Jon Ryan and kicker Dave Rayner, it's not likely the Packers will bring in anything other than street free agents.
So adding up the bill, here's what the Packers' off-season shopping list is likely to include:
On offense, a future starting running back, a starting tight end, at least a backup caliber quarterback and at least a No. 3 caliber wide receiver. On defense, a backup linebacker, some depth at end, a potential starting cornerback for the future and a potential starting safety.
If Thompson can effectively fill those needs, 2007 could see the Packers return to the playoffs. And, of course, Favre's return would also play a big part in that.
Packer Plus writer
Posted: Jan. 17, 2007
Green Bay - When the final game is played, the players go home and rest.
Ted Thompson hopes to make all the right calls for the Packers during the off-season in the free-agent market and the NFL Draft.
season closed on the final day of 2006, the 2007 season pretty much started the next day for Thompson and McCarthy.
And when they sit down and evaluate, they'll identify areas that definitely need improvement.
Simply put, the Packers did show improvement. But they're not good enough to yet compete with the elite.
Their 1-6 record against teams with winning records is evidence of that, and the one victory came in the finale against a Chicago team that had nothing to play for.
So as Thompson and McCarthy sit down, here are some of the areas they'll probably be satisfied with and some of the areas they'll know need to be addressed in either the draft of free agency:
Quarterback - Free agency doesn't start until March and the draft isn't until the end of April. By the time either rolls around, the Packers should know if quarterback Brett Favre is returning for another season. If Favre retires, it becomes Aaron Rodgers' ball game. But Thompson will definitely need to make sure there is a potential replacement on hand that is capable of starting should Rodgers either falter or get injured. The Packers have not had to worry about finding a starting quarterback for 15 seasons. They will soon.
Running back - Ahman Green will turn 30 in less than a month. His days are numbered and he clearly wasn't the explosive player of a couple of years ago. Nowhere is it more obvious than in the fact that Green scored just five rushing touchdowns and the Packers as a team had just nine.
Of the 12 teams to make the playoffs, only one - the Seattle Seahawks - had fewer rushing touchdowns (eight). And Seattle's problems spawned from having 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander out for six games with a broken foot.
Although the Packers had one more rushing touchdown than the Seahawks as a team, Alexander finished the season with seven, meaning every single playoff team had a player with more rushing touchdowns than Green's five.
Of the four teams still alive, the fewest rushing touchdowns are the 14 by the Chicago Bears, who got six each from Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.
The Bears' opponent in the NFC Championship Game will be the New Orleans Saints, who had 19 rushing touchdowns, including 10 from Deuce McAllister and six from Reggie Bush.
In the AFC, the New England Patriots had 20, including 13 by Corey Dillon and six from Laurence Maroney.
Even the Indianapolis Colts, famous for their air attack with Peyton Manning, ran the ball in 16 times, with seven from Joseph Addai, five from Dominic Rhodes and four by Manning.
A simple fact in the NFL is that to be a good team one must be able to run the ball in.
While feeling great about their 8-8 finish because they won their last four, the Packers could just as easily stew over the fact that they could have finished with the one more victory needed to make the playoffs simply by being able to run the ball in one more time. The Nov. 5 game at Buffalo still sticks out, as the Packers were 1 yard away from a tying touchdown when they threw a game-losing interception instead of punching the ball in.
With the 16th pick in the upcoming April draft, do not be surprised if the Packers go shopping for the best running back available. In the NFL, top running backs almost never change teams in free agency.
Tight end - Thompson probably goes into the draft thinking he doesn't have to add an offensive lineman based on the youth the Packers already possess there. But fanning out just a little, one can rest assured the Packers will most likely draft a tight end and maybe even seek one in free agency.
Unfortunately for Packer fans hoping to see a big signing there, the Kansas City Chiefs inked Tony Gonzalez to a five-year extension last week, taking him off the potential free-agent market.
Bubba Franks apparently has lost it, and what he had was never that great at stretching the field. Franks, a first-round pick at No. 14 overall in 2000, never reached the end zone in 2006 and has only gotten there once since 2004 after averaging 6.8 touchdowns a year from 2001-'04.
And for the fifth time in six seasons, David Martin could not make it through the year without missing at least two games with injury. While the Packers were getting almost nothing out of Franks, Martin was a complete non-factor over the final seven games, missing five of them and not catching a pass in the other two games in which he played.
If Favre is to return for a 17th season overall and a 16th with the Packers, it would be wise for Thompson to note that nearly all of Favre's best seasons featured strong play from the tight ends, including Jackie Harris, Ed West, Mark Chmura, Keith Jackson and Franks. As Favre's numbers fell the past two seasons, the Packers' tight end play was greatly responsible.
Thompson simply must address the position this off-season. And hoping Franks will return to his 2001-'04 form will be taking too big a risk.
Wide receiver - On the outside, the Packers might have some hope for the future and had a great season from Donald Driver. But there simply weren't enough weapons for Favre to throw to once rookie Greg Jennings went into a deep tailspin over the final 10 games. Jennings did not reach the end zone after Week 5.
Ruvell Martin is a nice No. 4 receiver and might even develop into a solid No. 3, but Thompson needs to bring in another big, young receiver not just for the immediate future but also for when Driver - who turns 32 in two weeks - starts to slow down with age.
Defensive end - On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers showed some genuine growth and development as the season went on. Still, that doesn't mean there aren't holes to fill.
First off, they'll need to make a decision on Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and his $5 million base salary next season. That means there's the potential need for at least another depth player at end. On the inside, the Packers are strong and relatively young.
Linebacker - Green Bay is strong and young here, too. Middle linebacker Nick Barnett is the elder statesman in terms of seniority and will only be 26 when next season starts. A.J. Hawk just turned 23 two weeks ago. Although he just completed his second season, Brady Poppinga is the old man of the crew at 27, because he served a two-year mission while at Brigham Young.
Still, the Packers could get by with only a depth upgrade should they not retain one of their three backups - Tracy White, Abdul Hodge and Ben Taylor.
White was a special teams maven and will only be 26 by next season. Taylor, who turns 29 this year, seems the most likely to not be around in 2007.
Cornerback - In the secondary, Thompson is walking a thin line. At cornerback, Al Harris and Charles Woodson will be coming off excellent seasons. Yet Woodson is 30 and Harris is 32. They should be fine again in 2007, but it's time to get potential replacements into the fold. Jarrett Bush and Patrick Dendy do not appear to be front-line caliber, and 2006 fourth-round pick Will Blackmon never really got a chance to show his stuff because of injuries.
History says the Packers will use a draft pick on a cornerback. GMs are always looking for cornerbacks.
Since 1994 there have only been three drafts in which the Packers did not pick a cornerback. In 2000 they didn't after drafting three in 1999. In 1997 they didn't take a cornerback, but they had used high picks in the previous two drafts, taking Craig Newsome in the first round in 1995 and Tyrone Williams in the third round in 1996.
In 2002 the Packers only had six picks and did not take a cornerback.
Safety - Finally, Thompson is likely to look at upgrading the safety position. Nick Collins played great football the final two weeks of this past season, but free-agent acquisition Marquand Manuel was a disappointment. It's possible the Packers might not have to shop at that position if they believe Marviel Underwood can unseat Manuel after missing all of 2006 with a torn anterior cruciate.
With young leg men in punter Jon Ryan and kicker Dave Rayner, it's not likely the Packers will bring in anything other than street free agents.
So adding up the bill, here's what the Packers' off-season shopping list is likely to include:
On offense, a future starting running back, a starting tight end, at least a backup caliber quarterback and at least a No. 3 caliber wide receiver. On defense, a backup linebacker, some depth at end, a potential starting cornerback for the future and a potential starting safety.
If Thompson can effectively fill those needs, 2007 could see the Packers return to the playoffs. And, of course, Favre's return would also play a big part in that.
