Ahman Deserved Better

[HarveyWallbangers]

I know it's a business, but I tend to agree with this column.

Green deserved better than Packers displayed
Mike Vandermaus, Green Bay Press-Gazette

No one should feel sorry for Ahman Green after the veteran running back signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Houston Texans Sunday.

But Green deserved better from the Green Bay Packers.

Green served as a loyal soldier for seven years in Green Bay, yet the Packers weren’t willing to reward him for his efforts and let him walk.

Loyalty works both ways, and in this case, the Packers couldn’t come close to matching the Texans’ respect for Green’s talents.

Green will go down as one of the best running backs in team history, but in the end, that didn’t matter to the Packers.

Green rushed for more than 1,000 yards six times, a remarkable achievement considering just four Packers backs in the 26 years prior to Green’s arrival surpassed the century mark.

Green has been so good for so long that he amassed 8,162 career rushing yards, just 45 yards shy of Jim Taylor’s team record. He accumulated more yards from scrimmage (10,870) than any player in Packers history.

What’s not to like about Green? No one could question his superior work ethic. He wasn’t flashy and didn’t call attention to himself. Over-the-top touchdown celebrations weren’t part of his repertoire. He went about his job humbly and consistently.

While some players would have complained about living in the shadow of quarterback Brett Favre, Green didn’t seem to mind. He never threw a tantrum over not getting the ball enough.

As an added bonus, Green never complained about his contract and never threatened to hold out. Fans could surely appreciate that after enduring messy public squabbles involving the Packers and malcontents Mike McKenzie and Javon Walker.

In an era when pro athletes shamelessly prop themselves up and make contract demands in public, Green was a throwback.

So what did that team spirit do for Green? It earned him a hefty four-year, $23 million contract, but he was forced to shop the NFL’s unrestricted free-agent market to find it.

It doesn’t seem right that after all Green did for the Packers, the team wasn’t willing to give him his due.

The Packers will argue that the NFL is a business, and the Texans simply put a higher value on Green than they were willing to pay. It became apparent the Packers were leery of shelling out big bucks to a player who just turned 30, an age when many running backs hit the wall.

But Green proved he was no ordinary back. He overcame a potential career-ending ruptured quadriceps tendon injury in 2005 and gained 1,059 yards last season. He remained a valuable asset to the offense with his pass-catching ability. He didn’t look like a player in decline.

Even his reputation as a fumbler was more fiction than fact. Green had fewer career fumbles per touch than Taylor, who many regarded as sure-handed.

For some reason Green's skills were taken for granted, if not by the team than certainly by many fans. As free agency approached, the possibility of the Packers losing Green never generated an outcry.

Now that Green is gone, the Packers will find out how valuable he was. The prospect of leaving the backfield in the hands of some untested rookie draft pick, a mediocre free-agent pickup, or holdover Vernand Morency, is unsettling.

The Packers had the money and should have been willing to pay a premium to keep Green, who will be sorely missed.

[VegasPackFan]

Sorry, but he did have a fumbling problem. To say he didnt is to break from reality just to write a sympathetic piece.

[Scott Campbell]

Ahman played for the Packers. It doesn't get any better.

[The Shadow]

He can console himself with Shermy's largesse.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Its funny how everyone wanted 33 year old Al Harris to get a pay raise, but now people claim that Green is on the down side of his career and doesn't desvere it. So Al Harris is not on the downside of his career?

[Green Bud Packer]

even jim taylor was sent packing to the expansion n.o. saints. lombardi must have been a turd. :roll:

[packers11]

Its funny how everyone wanted 33 year old Al Harris to get a pay raise, but now people claim that Green is on the down side of his career and doesn't desvere it. So Al Harris is not on the downside of his career?

I wanted green back but its a lot different... Harris is a cb, they don't get banged up at all compared to a rb... RB's tend to get jacked up a lot, picking up blitz packages, and getting hit a ton while they try to run...

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Its funny how everyone wanted 33 year old Al Harris to get a pay raise, but now people claim that Green is on the down side of his career and doesn't desvere it. So Al Harris is not on the downside of his career?

I wanted green back but its a lot different... Harris is a cb, they don't get banged up at all compared to a rb... RB's tend to get jacked up a lot, picking up blitz packages, and getting hit a ton while they try to run...

Not really, when your 33 its doesnt what position you play your on the downside of your career.

[The Shadow]

I still want them to resign Paul Ott Caruth & Eric Torkelson.

[packers11]

Its funny how everyone wanted 33 year old Al Harris to get a pay raise, but now people claim that Green is on the down side of his career and doesn't desvere it. So Al Harris is not on the downside of his career?

I wanted green back but its a lot different... Harris is a cb, they don't get banged up at all compared to a rb... RB's tend to get jacked up a lot, picking up blitz packages, and getting hit a ton while they try to run...

Not really, when your 33 its doesnt what position you play your on the downside of your career.

really???

2003 Green Bay Packers 16 16 471 308 65.4 3361 7.14 66 32 21 19/137 42 7 90.4

^ Brett Favre @ 33...

[Pack_Attack88]

Oh, booooo-fricken whooooo!!

I dont feel sorry for him seeing we made him a multi-millionaire over the past 5-7 seasons or however long he was here, setting him up for life...

i like'd green as much as the next, but if you cant see that he was not worth over 5 million a year that he got from the Texans and he fumbled too much anyways, then you are blind!

unfortunetly, this stuff happens from time to time... Teams don't pay for what you did in the past... you get paid for what you will do!!

[digitaldean]

I, for one, am NOT glad to see him go.

Green, despite his fumbling issues, was still a potent weapon. Though he did have his brush with the law, he was a decent representative for the team.

However, Green was not a full-time player and did miss some time last season. It is now up to TT and the scouting dept. to get the best FA or draft pick available to become our #1. Morrency had flashes, but I don't think he can take the whole season's pounding as the #1 back.

No sense dwelling on what could've, should've, would've happened. The end result will be TT's doom or boost in his standing with the Packer Nation. Only time will tell.

Farewell, Ahman. Thank you for your many seasons of service to the Green and Gold!

[HarveyWallbangers]

Sorry, but he did have a fumbling problem. To say he didnt is to break from reality just to write a sympathetic piece.

His fumble rate is about average compared to the other top RBs of today. It is better than Jim Taylor's fumble rate.

[Packers4Ever]

[quote="HarveyWallbangers"]I know it's a business, but I tend to agree with this column.

Green deserved better than Packers displayed
Mike Vandermaus, Green Bay Press-Gazette

No one should feel sorry for Ahman Green after the veteran running back signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Houston Texans Sunday.

But Green deserved better from the Green Bay Packers.

Green served as a loyal soldier for seven years in Green Bay, yet the Packers weren’t willing to reward him for his efforts and let him walk.

Loyalty works both ways, and in this case, the Packers couldn’t come close to matching the Texans’ respect for Green’s talents.

Green will go down as one of the best running backs in team history, but in the end, that didn’t matter to the Packers.

Green rushed for more than 1,000 yards six times, a remarkable achievement considering just four Packers backs in the 26 years prior to Green’s arrival surpassed the century mark.

Green has been so good for so long that he amassed 8,162 career rushing yards, just 45 yards shy of Jim Taylor’s team record. He accumulated more yards from scrimmage (10,870) than any player in Packers history.

What’s not to like about Green? No one could question his superior work ethic. He wasn’t flashy and didn’t call attention to himself. Over-the-top touchdown celebrations weren’t part of his repertoire. He went about his job humbly and consistently.

While some players would have complained about living in the shadow of quarterback Brett Favre, Green didn’t seem to mind. He never threw a tantrum over not getting the ball enough.

As an added bonus, Green never complained about his contract and never threatened to hold out. Fans could surely appreciate that after enduring messy public squabbles involving the Packers and malcontents Mike McKenzie and Javon Walker.

In an era when pro athletes shamelessly prop themselves up and make contract demands in public, Green was a throwback.

So what did that team spirit do for Green? It earned him a hefty four-year, $23 million contract, but he was forced to shop the NFL’s unrestricted free-agent market to find it.

It doesn’t seem right that after all Green did for the Packers, the team wasn’t willing to give him his due.

The Packers will argue that the NFL is a business, and the Texans simply put a higher value on Green than they were willing to pay. It became apparent the Packers were leery of shelling out big bucks to a player who just turned 30, an age when many running backs hit the wall.

But Green proved he was no ordinary back. He overcame a potential career-ending ruptured quadriceps tendon injury in 2005 and gained 1,059 yards last season. He remained a valuable asset to the offense with his pass-catching ability. He didn’t look like a player in decline.

Even his reputation as a fumbler was more fiction than fact. Green had fewer career fumbles per touch than Taylor, who many regarded as sure-handed.

For some reason Green's skills were taken for granted, if not by the team than certainly by many fans. As free agency approached, the possibility of the Packers losing Green never generated an outcry.

Now that Green is gone, the Packers will find out how valuable he was. The prospect of leaving the backfield in the hands of some untested rookie draft pick, a mediocre free-agent pickup, or holdover Vernand Morency, is unsettling.

The Packers had the money and should have been willing to pay a premium to keep Green, who will be sorely missed.[/quote
-------------------------------------------------------

An honest review of Ahman Green. I think maybe
many of us are guilty of having taken Ahman for granted
because of his lengthy time with us.
Let's hope he can be replaced with quality and
experience.

[b bulldog]

Big loss but also a big gamble by what the Texans invested in him. $6MIL PER YEAR, he got a great deal, good luck!

[BF4MVP]

Best of luck, Ahman! Thanks for everything! We'll be seein ya again a few years down the road..at your Packer Hall of Fame induction ceremony..

[MadtownPacker]

Just heard all this about an hour ago. Damn, this is a major bummer. I aint losing faith in TT but man, this is Ahman. He should have stayed. If I was a chica I might be crying about now. :(

[imscott72]

Its funny how everyone wanted 33 year old Al Harris to get a pay raise, but now people claim that Green is on the down side of his career and doesn't desvere it. So Al Harris is not on the downside of his career?

I wanted green back but its a lot different... Harris is a cb, they don't get banged up at all compared to a rb... RB's tend to get jacked up a lot, picking up blitz packages, and getting hit a ton while they try to run...

Not really, when your 33 its doesnt what position you play your on the downside of your career.

Wrong. QB's can play into their 40's. RB's no chance in hell. Way too much pounding. Corner's last long than RB's as well.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'll miss him running over defenders on one drive. Then, the next drive outrunning everybody and taking it to the house. Then, he non-chalantly hands the ball to the ref. Then, after the game him giving all the credit to his OL. Not many RBs seem as ego-free as Batman. (I know he had ego, but he seemed to be much more team-oriented than most of the prima donnas at RB.)

[MadtownPacker]

Im gonna miss knowing 3rd & 1 is a sure thing.

[pbmax]

I'm going to miss him, but this loyalty thing is getting out of hand. The single dumbest thing a team can do is pay for what a player has done in the past. You've got to pay for the future.

As for players, I have no complaint that they are looking to maximize the few years they have to make big dollars.

We'll miss him, but this is hardly an existential crisis.

[SD GB fan]

im gonna miss him too. i agree with the gist of the article but the reality is that this is the NFL. one could eqaully argue that green walked out of green bay for an extra million bucks.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Actually, it sounds like he walked away because of an extra $6-8M bucks. That's a big difference. Green Bay was said to offer $3.5-4M/year. He got $5.5-5.75M/year. I don't think the buck can be passed to Ahman. He really did sound like he wanted to stay in Green Bay, but who the heck is going to turn down several million dollars?

[SD GB fan]

Actually, it sounds like he walked away because of an extra $6-8M bucks. That's a big difference. Green Bay was said to offer $3.5-4M/year. He got $5.5-5.75M/year. I don't think the buck can be passed to Ahman. He really did sound like he wanted to stay in Green Bay, but who the heck is going to turn down several million dollars?

sorry for being vague, but i meant an extra million per year. also, i admit i didnt know the details of the deals. what i said before, i just meant that the loyalty claimed in the article can be disputed, which is why GMs dont pay players based on the past but on the future. but i hope he does well in texas, despite the odds.

[CaliforniaCheez]

He'll be at a Fan Fest before the contract is complete because it will be terminated by the Texans.

He got a nice retirement check and will have a happy life. He never wronged the Packers and fans will always think of him as a Packer.

[Patler]

Interesting! Vandermause' column has been re-title to:

"Packers are going to miss Green".

Much better, and more accurate, in my opinion. The article still includes the "Green deserved better" line in it, but the title has changed.

[MJZiggy]

That is interesting. I wonder how much grief they caught for that headline and from whom?

[digitaldean]

That is interesting. I wonder how much grief they caught for that headline and from whom?

It's like a lot of reporting these days. It's more editorializing than reporting.

[Fritz]

I'm not sure how anyone could perceive that Green got screwed. He got himself a nice contract, and his former team had offered him a solid contract - it's not like TT just said Green sucked and had no use for him. He said he wanted Green back, but the price ended up being too high.

Green's a happy guy - he got lots of money, the big contract he desired. It wasn't from GB, but it's TT's prerogative to decide how much to offer. So how did Green deserve better?

[motife]

They lowballed Ahman with $2.75 million in 2006 and he gained over 1000 yards.

I don't think it would have killed the Packers, considering the bargain they got the previous year, to give him $8 million in guaranteed money in 2007.

On the other hand, he's not the "baby bull" that Favre called him anymore. I didn't have the super confident feeling about Ahman I used to have, anyway.

He better get his anti-sweat stuff and asthma medicine ready in Houston though, at least the first few games.

[Kiwon]

It's a business. Green got the payday he wanted - just with another team. I don't blame him, the Texans or the Packers.

Green was an outstanding player for the Packers and will be remembered for his contributions. I wish that he would have remained a Packer as long as Farve is around but it didn't happen.

The Packers don't have a recent history of good backs and I hope that finding the perfect back for the ZBS will become TT's highest priority. Farve needs a running game to set up the pass for the O to click. It was hard last year with a spotty running game. I hate to think what it might be like with little or no running game at all.

Congrats, Ahmad. You're getting some well deserved cash.

[Patler]

They lowballed Ahman with $2.75 million in 2006 and he gained over 1000 yards.



LOWBALLED him in 2006??? Are you kidding me?

The Packers gave him a contract that GUARANTEED him $2 million if he made it through training camp, and based on performance took it up somewhere near or over $4 million. This to a runningback coming back from an injury that has ended the careers of linemen. I think GB gave him an extremely fair, perhaps even generous contract in the situation.

[FritzDontBlitz]

They lowballed Ahman with $2.75 million in 2006 and he gained over 1000 yards.



LOWBALLED him in 2006??? Are you kidding me?

The Packers gave him a contract that GUARANTEED him $2 million if he made it through training camp, and based on performance took it up somewhere near or over $4 million. This to a runningback coming back from an injury that has ended the careers of linemen. I think GB gave him an extremely fair, perhaps even generous contract in the situation.

yes, they lowballed him.

[woodbuck27]

Actually, it sounds like he walked away because of an extra $6-8M bucks. That's a big difference. Green Bay was said to offer $3.5-4M/year. He got $5.5-5.75M/year. I don't think the buck can be passed to Ahman. He really did sound like he wanted to stay in Green Bay, but who the heck is going to turn down several million dollars?

Green Bay was said to offer $3.5-4M/year

Maybe so but for how many seasons? That is what we need to know.

If TT authorized that kind of offer for say two or three seasons? No wonder he's signed with Houston.

Bottom line is that Ahman got a super offer that in all reality didn't exist in Green Bay.

Now we need a real NFL quality running back for 2007, and the options are there but when will Ted Thompson act in the best interests for the Packers 2007 season?

[Pack_Attack88]

wow, so he got 1000 yds again.. averaging 62.5yds a game is nothing to call home about anymore!!

TT was right in letting him go for almost 6 million a year!!

[Patler]

They lowballed Ahman with $2.75 million in 2006 and he gained over 1000 yards.



LOWBALLED him in 2006??? Are you kidding me?

The Packers gave him a contract that GUARANTEED him $2 million if he made it through training camp, and based on performance took it up somewhere near or over $4 million. This to a runningback coming back from an injury that has ended the careers of linemen. I think GB gave him an extremely fair, perhaps even generous contract in the situation.

yes, they lowballed him.

Please explain how much he should have been offered in 2006 so as not to have been "lowballed" coming from a career threatening injury?

[Packnut]

Sadly, some don't get it and never will. This is'nt about whether or not Thompson should have matched Houston's offer. It's about how time and time again, Thompson has NO BACK-UP PLAN.

Not one of us can predict how Green will do in his next 2 seasons, so to say with certain clarity that his deal is good or bad for Houston is point-less.

Once again though, the common theme here by a few is once a player leaves Green Bay for money, it's time to rip him and say he is'nt talented anymore. Now it's time to find fault with him. Funny thing is it's always the same members doing it. They did it with Walker and now are doing it with Green. I guess once a player takes off the green and gold, he automatically loses all his talent. This is pure BULLSHIT and shows a definite lack of class by those doing it.

I happen to agree with Thompson's choice not to Pay Green. However, once again as it happened before, Teddy does not have any plan B when plan A blows up. THAT is why he's not the "god" of GM's like some here claim. He loses Wahle and Rivera and his back-up plan? Sign 2 clowns to replace them who had NO TALENT. Lose Walker and his back-up plan? Draft a rookie who is gonna take time to develope. Lose your #1 RB and then wait until AFTER the fact to scramble looking for a replacement.

Very poor planning. No successful CEO of ANY business would run a company like this. Things seldom go as you plan and that is why you always have contingency plans in place...........

[Scott Campbell]

I must have missed the thread where somebody proclaimed Ted the "God of GM's".

[Zool]

Are you trying to say that sensationalism is being portrayed here Scott. If so you're in for the worst time of your life. You'll read these lines and your eyes will fall out of your head because the GM of a football team doesn't agree with posters here.

We're all gonna die!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Scott Campbell]

Are you trying to say that sensationalism is being portrayed here Scott.


I think it's bed wetting syndrome. You'd think the Packers were playing this Sunday by all the panic over not having the roster finalized.

Last week Ted was brilliant for his work with Cullen Jenkins. This week his IQ dropped 70 points for how he handled Green. Geez - people sure blow with the wind.

[Zool]

Yeah I head ya. I'm a big fan, but I cant let it get me so riled up. I just like to read the actual facts and such.

[Patler]

However, once again as it happened before, Teddy does not have any plan B when plan A blows up.

What makes you think he has no plan to replace Green? Because he didn't act on it BEFORE he lost Green? It hasn't even been 24 hours that Green has been gone, and you have decided TT has no plan to replace him. That, in a word, is absurd.

As for the guards, he had a plan, it just didn't work out. Plus, he had very little time to prepare for that. TT started in GB in mid January, which gave him all of six weeks in his new job before the Wahle, Rivera and Sharper issues came to a head and were over with. Heck, he didn't even know his own roster all that well at the time, likely not having even met many of them personally and having seen some only on tape.

Some said he had no plan for a kicker to replace Longwell. Actually, he seemed to have several plans including a run at Vinateri, then Cundiff, then Rayner.

TT seems way too methodical to have "no plan" in mind. Maybe the plan won't work, maybe it will. We haven't even seen it yet.