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View Full Version : THE TURTLE TALKS; and says; SOMETHING ABOUT NOTHING



Bretsky
04-06-2006, 12:02 AM
GM says Packers not done
Thompson still hopes to improve team
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 4, 2006
On the Green Bay Packers' Web site a poll asks readers, "Which recent free agent signing will have the greatest impact in 2006?"

Ted Thompson's only non-Packers signing on offense has been Marc Boerigter, a former Kansas City backup receiver.

The three choices: wide receiver Marc Boerigter, kicker Billy Cundiff and linebacker Ben Taylor.

The Packers might want to keep Brett Favre away from their Web site.

That's hardly a Murderer's Row of free agents who are going to turn the Packers from a 4-12 team to a 12-4 one. Granted, it doesn't include their two biggest free-agent additions - defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and safety Marquand Manuel - but it does speak volumes about what the Packers have accomplished in free agency.

Especially on offense.

General manager Ted Thompson has said publicly that he doesn't do things "based on one player or three players or five players" and that his concern will always be the overall good of the Packers, so it's clear he isn't signing players just to please Favre. But he has re-signed a number of offensive players from a team that dropped to 18th overall in offense last year and some wonder whether he wouldn't have been better off replacing them with new faces.

"We'll have a different offense this year because of a different coaching staff, but I expect some of our guys who were banged up to be back playing and I think that will help certainly quite a bit," Thompson said. "Like I said before, we were 4-12 for a lot of reasons. Part of the reason was my fault, and some of it was our players didn't play to their capability.

"We're not trying to be cocky and say we're set. I think we're a little bit better than the (team) we were last year. That means we have to get better and we'll try to get better with the people we have and get better if we can find good players on the outside."

Thompson's only non-Packers signing on offense has been Boerigter, and given the picked-through crop of players still available in free agency the former Kansas City backup receiver will probably stand as the most significant addition of the spring market. Thompson insists that the Packers aren't through adding players and will compete for anyone who is cut or on the trading block, but it's clear his options are limited.

Thompson said the Packers did go to bat on several bigger-name free agents early in the signing period but found themselves shut out. Whether it was because deals were done before free agency started or the Packers weren’t willing to pay the going rate is unknown.

The Packers are known to have inquired about Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson and to have considered Dallas guard Larry Allen, Minnesota wide receiver Koren Robinson and Arizona guard Reggie Wells, but all signed with other teams.

Thompson wouldn't comment on many specifics, but it's not hard to figure out that he wasn't going to play the "poison pill" game with his old club in the pursuit of Hutchinson, wasn't going to get Allen to pick Green Bay over a team close to his California home and wouldn't be able to construct a restricted free agent deal for Wells that the Cardinals wouldn't match (they ended up matching Buffalo's offer sheet).

"The guys on offense, the higher-profile guys went pretty fast, and quite frankly we didn't think there were that many hot guys out there," Thompson said. "Some of those guys went off the board really fast and it just never worked out.

"If I felt like at any particular position where we needed help there was one guy who would really give us a boost and there were six who really won't help us and we lose out on the one, it doesn't make sense to go after those other six guys. That's the way I look at it."

Thompson said he didn't think "there were a ton of premier guys on the offensive side this year" and thought it was more important to re-sign players like running backs Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport, receiver Rod Gardner and tackle Kevin Barry. He said he had no problem taking shots from angry fans who want him to do more, but he said he refused to sign players who he thought couldn't help the Packers.

Thompson has heard threats from Favre that he will retire if more isn't done to improve the team and criticism from others who question why he hasn't done more after starting the free-agent period with roughly $30 million of salary cap room. The Packers currently have $19 million of room, second most in the National Football League behind San Diego's $19.46 million, but probably won't use much of it because the market is almost dry.

They are still in the running for Oakland free agent cornerback Charles Woodson, who visited Monday but hasn't received an offer from them yet. The Packers are competing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Woodson's services and have the ability to offer a better contract, but Woodson's familiarity with Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden could be the deal-breaker.

If Woodson doesn't get a big-money offer, he might wait until after the draft to see if other teams become interested.

Regardless, Woodson’s addition wouldn’t do much for an offense that ranked 18th in the NFL last year and will be relying heavily on a host of injured starters whose futures aren’t a given. If Green, Davenport, Javon Walker and Terrence Murphy all return to form, the Packers have a chance to be very good on offense. But that’s a big if.
The most questionable decision Thompson might have made was not going after Robinson, whom he drafted in the first round in Seattle in 2001. Robinson was cut from the Seahawks a year ago after fighting a substance-abuse problem and made the Pro Bowl with the Vikings as a kick returner with a 26-yard average.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Robinson fit the Packers' need for a big receiver and a talented returner, but to get him they would have needed to construct a contract that the Vikings would not match. Robinson was a free agent but had a clause in his previous deal that allowed Minnesota to match any offer.

The Packers could have constructed an offer that would have cost the Vikings a lot had they matched it and either robbed their division rival of a valuable player or forced them to eat up a lot of salary cap space. Thompson wouldn't say specifically why he didn't try harder to sign Robinson, but either he had reservations about his recovery from alcohol abuse or didn't think he was worth overpaying in an attempt to pry him from the Vikings.

"If he was just a free agent we probably would have been in there pitching," Thompson said.

As it stands now, the Packers probably won’t have a chance to do much for their offense in free agency until after the draft, when teams start paring down their rosters. Thompson insists that the Packers aren’t done accumulating talent.
“Weââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢re not saying we’re sticking pat on offense,” Thompson said. “Weââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢re working every day to get better. Things change. All of a sudden a player becomes available, a trade happens during the draft. There’s some time left. We’re not set in stone.”

Date changed: The deadline for the roster bonus Favre is due has been moved back to April 15, an NFL source familiar with the deal confirmed. Favre doesn't have to make a decision by then, but the Packers are hoping he does.

The Packers and agent James "Bus" Cook changed the deadline from April 1 to April 15 on Friday, a day before the bonus was due.

oregonpackfan
04-06-2006, 02:41 AM
"The turtle talks and says something about nothing."

Gee, I brought this up thinking you were referring to our President instead of the Packers' GN.

Oregonpackfan

woodbuck27
04-06-2006, 09:27 AM
Ted Thompson. Isn't he a real beauty.

Dear G.

hurleyfan
04-06-2006, 09:42 AM
Certainly has been a strange year or so with TT :sad:

MJZiggy
04-06-2006, 10:07 AM
Ahhh, but never boring.

Partial
04-06-2006, 10:25 AM
Really though, what free agents would have made a difference to the offense? I suppose LeCharles, which he inquired about, and maybe a few other linemen.

The defense is where I can say I am dissapointed. If he lands Woodson it'd make up for it some, but the defense really isn't any better. You'd think they'd improve it some.

The offense will be alright if they can put together a line. The offense was just beat up last year. I think they'll be much better this year.

The defense is what I am worried about and TTs unwillingness to address this has me worried some, but I am still going to give him some time

BooHoo
04-06-2006, 12:13 PM
We need help on the Oline. We need help at LB. We could use help at CB. We could use help at Receiver.

woodbuck27
04-06-2006, 03:26 PM
We need help on the Oline. We need help at LB. We could use help at CB. We could use help at Receiver.


Sure ! But all that . . .

would have gotten you, also . . .

a QB named Favre.

BooHoo
04-08-2006, 12:04 PM
We need help on the Oline. We need help at LB. We could use help at CB. We could use help at Receiver.


Sure ! But all that . . .

would have gotten you, also . . .

a QB named Favre.


Do we still have a chance to sign Woodson? He could cover the CB needs. If we draft a QB in the first, then the LB/OL will have to wait until later rounds.

Fritz
04-08-2006, 12:52 PM
I'll just say this: I have a lot more faith in Ted's drafting abilities than I ever did in Shermy's.

Bretsky
04-08-2006, 01:00 PM
I'll just say this: I have a lot more faith in Ted's drafting abilities than I ever did in Shermy's.

Fritz,

I'm not sure I can say I do. After one year when he added numerous picks he'd added one guy who contributed last year. Now I know the jury is still out, but IMO

Rodgers was a pick we didn't need to make and has shown my little to be nice about it. Odell Thurman was that nasty MLB Green Bay has been looking for forever, and in reality there was another MLB who was better as well.

Collins was tremendous

Murphy is To Be Determined

Poppinga is a guy with a great motor, but not starter's talent

Hawthorn is a project

Whittaker was way over his head last year.

Montgomery showed promise, but is another to be determined

Campbell would have been cut if not for the serious injury.

Partial
04-08-2006, 02:17 PM
I am confident in him. His drafts in Seattle show he knows what he's doing. Though it could be the scouts, they did add one of the better players last year in the second round.

BooHoo
04-08-2006, 03:54 PM
I am confident in him. His drafts in Seattle show he knows what he's doing. Though it could be the scouts, they did add one of the better players last year in the second round.


Did TT have the final say on who was drafted in Seattle? Or did he play second fiddle?

Fritz
04-08-2006, 04:24 PM
I believe he had only to inform the owner and get confirmation, which he did. Anyways that is what I read a month ago, when there was an article on how TT drafted Alexander.

Bretsky, it is too early to say yet. Besides, were it not for Poppinga's injury and Murphy's injury, you'd have to add two more guys who would have contributed as rookies. Remember too back when people were getting p.o.'ed at Wahle for not developing, and Rivera was an afterthought. Personally, I think Coston's going to make big strides this year and become a starting guard.

I trust TT to turn this around, much more so than I trusted Sherman.

BooHoo
04-10-2006, 02:45 PM
I think we have to look over more than one draft to determine if someone is good at drafting or not. Not sure if I have greater confidence in TT yet or not. Let's see the year play out and see how many starters or long term players he gets.

swede
04-10-2006, 09:47 PM
Bretsky,

I'm still drinking the Polar Bear flavored Kool-Aid. I've not been surprised by anything except the signing of Pickett.

My gut tells me that Ted's got it under control.

Bretsky
04-10-2006, 10:13 PM
Bretsky,

I'm still drinking the Polar Bear flavored Kool-Aid. I've not been surprised by anything except the signing of Pickett.

My gut tells me that Ted's got it under control.


I'm confused by this. Pickett was really our only good signing. Manuel might help some............but you said you are drinking the Polar Bear kool aide and then mention his only good signing ? Unless you expected TT to do pretty much nothing in terms of helpful "additions" ?

BooHoo
04-11-2006, 11:51 AM
Bretsky,

I'm still drinking the Polar Bear flavored Kool-Aid. I've not been surprised by anything except the signing of Pickett.

My gut tells me that Ted's got it under control.


I'm confused by this. Pickett was really our only good signing. Manuel might help some............but you said you are drinking the Polar Bear kool aide and then mention his only good signing ? Unless you expected TT to do pretty much nothing in terms of helpful "additions" ?

I would agree with Bretsky that Pickett is our only "very good" signing. Manuel could be only a good signing but I believe has potential. The other signings don't appear to have a great impact, excluding perhaps, the punter from Canada.

At this point, I am closer to being a TT supporter. My main point for supporting him is the short length of time he has been in office and also the fact that I do not think he has made many really "bone-headed" moves. However, maybe a few moves/non-moves that I have questioned. Especially, the apparent lack of acitivity in this year's free agency. Was not looking for a boat load of signings but thought we should of had at least one playmaker besides Pickett. Hopes he signs Woodson.

Harlan Huckleby
04-11-2006, 02:17 PM
Thompson is doing a TOTAL rebuild. I don't mind too much. I'm glad he isn't bringing-in too many older free agents.

Too bad Favre had to go out this way, tho.