Bretsky
03-11-2007, 04:29 PM
Still waiting. . . .
Replacement for Green yet to be found
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 10, 2007
The wheel is done spinning and the bets all have been paid, yet there are the Green Bay Packers, still on the sideline waiting for their number to be called.
Mike McCarthy insists that something will come of the four young backs currently on the roster.
Roughly one quarter of the National Football League will go into next season with someone else's primary runner in its backfield, the result of a frenzied first seven days of free agency in which one team's trash quickly turned into another team's treasure.
Yet despite losing six-time 1,000-yard rusher Ahman Green to the Houston Texans, the Packers were removed from the fray, standing pat with a backfield of Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, P.J. Pope and Arliss Beach. While Houston, Denver, Baltimore, the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, among others, have paid a pretty price for blemished runners, the Packers have barely lifted a finger to replace Green.
"I'm definitely OK with it," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, whose boss, general manager Ted Thompson, dictates what direction the team takes in free agency. "One thing is, I'm involved in all the conversations. I have an understanding why things are happening.
"The free-agent market is always going to be expensive. You have to be able to draw lines in this business and trust your vision, stay true to your vision."
For the most part, no one outside of the Packers is quite sure what Thompson's vision is.
It very well could be that he's obsessed with having $20 million or more of salary-cap space every year just in case. It could be he'll prove to be smarter than the others and wind up with a younger, more talented option than was available on the market.
Or it could be he just blew it by failing to meet Green's price.
McCarthy is the one who will have to pay the price if the latter is true, but he certainly didn't sound like someone concerned about next season. As much as he wanted Green back, he swears he's OK with the decision to let him go.
"The focus is not making emotional decisions," McCarthy said. "Those are easy traps to fall into. You overreact and you end up building up value on an individual or a value on a position based on emotion, not on facts. Once again, a player moved on in free agency; that's part of the business."
McCarthy insists that something will come of the four young backs currently on the roster, although he admitted Morency has to prove he can play 16 games and Herron has to be more than just a third-down back.
As for Pope, who was signed off Chicago's practice squad, and Beach, an undrafted free agent who spent last season on injured reserve, he said: "They've both been here. Beach had a terrific training camp, particularly after the second week. Pope is a guy we really liked on film and did a good job with the opponent's stuff. They're just young guys who need a chance."
Perhaps, but if the Packers go into the season with those four backs they'll be the laughingstock of the NFL. According to McCarthy, it's unlikely that will happen, because Thompson and his staff still have their eyes on some backs they think will become available as the off-season goes on.
"We have a board, and our personnel department ranks all the free agents," McCarthy said. "And also you have another board where you're looking at people that you may think may come free for whatever reasons, and as those individual cases pop, we talk about them."
It's possible Thompson has his eye on San Diego restricted free agent Michael Turner, but that would require making a trade, and anyone who knows Thompson knows he doesn't deal draft picks. Some who could find the unemployment line later are Miami's Ricky Williams, Baltimore's Mike Anderson, Oakland's Lamont Jordan and Carolina's DeShaun Foster.
The Packers didn't make a strong play for any of the backs who switched teams and have a mild interest in unsigned former Tennessee back Chris Brown. Other than that, their current free-agent options are limited.
"If there was (someone), we'd be talking about it," McCarthy said. "I just have to trust the pro personnel department. I think they do an outstanding job. Ted and I talk through these lists and talk through the possibilities. We had a meeting the day before when we went through almost every guy. You have to stay the course."
McCarthy truly believes in the players he has on his roster and wants to see how they develop with a full off-season conditioning program. He also knows that the running back position could be addressed in the draft, possibly with the first-round pick.
He's not overly concerned about the loss of tight end David Martin, who was his best player at the position until the injury bug hit him again. McCarthy really liked Martin, but when the Dolphins offered him $1.2 million to sign he understood why Thompson balked.
"He has an injury history," McCarthy said.
The four tight ends he has on the roster - Bubba Franks, Donald Lee, Tory Humphrey and Zac Alcorn - are good enough to go into the season with, he said. He thinks Lee and Humphrey can stretch the field like Martin did, and that Alcorn can be a threat in the passing game.
"Zac is a small-college guy who has exceptional hands catching the football," McCarthy said. "The guy has the best hands on our team."
Still, one can't see the Packers matching the Indianapolis Colts touchdown for touchdown with Morency at halfback, Alcorn at tight end and no additional help at wide receiver. This team needs some firepower fast.
"Right now I can see why I'm answering this line of questioning," McCarthy said. "But people just need an opportunity. I think some of those guys may already be here."
Replacement for Green yet to be found
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 10, 2007
The wheel is done spinning and the bets all have been paid, yet there are the Green Bay Packers, still on the sideline waiting for their number to be called.
Mike McCarthy insists that something will come of the four young backs currently on the roster.
Roughly one quarter of the National Football League will go into next season with someone else's primary runner in its backfield, the result of a frenzied first seven days of free agency in which one team's trash quickly turned into another team's treasure.
Yet despite losing six-time 1,000-yard rusher Ahman Green to the Houston Texans, the Packers were removed from the fray, standing pat with a backfield of Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, P.J. Pope and Arliss Beach. While Houston, Denver, Baltimore, the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, among others, have paid a pretty price for blemished runners, the Packers have barely lifted a finger to replace Green.
"I'm definitely OK with it," said Packers coach Mike McCarthy, whose boss, general manager Ted Thompson, dictates what direction the team takes in free agency. "One thing is, I'm involved in all the conversations. I have an understanding why things are happening.
"The free-agent market is always going to be expensive. You have to be able to draw lines in this business and trust your vision, stay true to your vision."
For the most part, no one outside of the Packers is quite sure what Thompson's vision is.
It very well could be that he's obsessed with having $20 million or more of salary-cap space every year just in case. It could be he'll prove to be smarter than the others and wind up with a younger, more talented option than was available on the market.
Or it could be he just blew it by failing to meet Green's price.
McCarthy is the one who will have to pay the price if the latter is true, but he certainly didn't sound like someone concerned about next season. As much as he wanted Green back, he swears he's OK with the decision to let him go.
"The focus is not making emotional decisions," McCarthy said. "Those are easy traps to fall into. You overreact and you end up building up value on an individual or a value on a position based on emotion, not on facts. Once again, a player moved on in free agency; that's part of the business."
McCarthy insists that something will come of the four young backs currently on the roster, although he admitted Morency has to prove he can play 16 games and Herron has to be more than just a third-down back.
As for Pope, who was signed off Chicago's practice squad, and Beach, an undrafted free agent who spent last season on injured reserve, he said: "They've both been here. Beach had a terrific training camp, particularly after the second week. Pope is a guy we really liked on film and did a good job with the opponent's stuff. They're just young guys who need a chance."
Perhaps, but if the Packers go into the season with those four backs they'll be the laughingstock of the NFL. According to McCarthy, it's unlikely that will happen, because Thompson and his staff still have their eyes on some backs they think will become available as the off-season goes on.
"We have a board, and our personnel department ranks all the free agents," McCarthy said. "And also you have another board where you're looking at people that you may think may come free for whatever reasons, and as those individual cases pop, we talk about them."
It's possible Thompson has his eye on San Diego restricted free agent Michael Turner, but that would require making a trade, and anyone who knows Thompson knows he doesn't deal draft picks. Some who could find the unemployment line later are Miami's Ricky Williams, Baltimore's Mike Anderson, Oakland's Lamont Jordan and Carolina's DeShaun Foster.
The Packers didn't make a strong play for any of the backs who switched teams and have a mild interest in unsigned former Tennessee back Chris Brown. Other than that, their current free-agent options are limited.
"If there was (someone), we'd be talking about it," McCarthy said. "I just have to trust the pro personnel department. I think they do an outstanding job. Ted and I talk through these lists and talk through the possibilities. We had a meeting the day before when we went through almost every guy. You have to stay the course."
McCarthy truly believes in the players he has on his roster and wants to see how they develop with a full off-season conditioning program. He also knows that the running back position could be addressed in the draft, possibly with the first-round pick.
He's not overly concerned about the loss of tight end David Martin, who was his best player at the position until the injury bug hit him again. McCarthy really liked Martin, but when the Dolphins offered him $1.2 million to sign he understood why Thompson balked.
"He has an injury history," McCarthy said.
The four tight ends he has on the roster - Bubba Franks, Donald Lee, Tory Humphrey and Zac Alcorn - are good enough to go into the season with, he said. He thinks Lee and Humphrey can stretch the field like Martin did, and that Alcorn can be a threat in the passing game.
"Zac is a small-college guy who has exceptional hands catching the football," McCarthy said. "The guy has the best hands on our team."
Still, one can't see the Packers matching the Indianapolis Colts touchdown for touchdown with Morency at halfback, Alcorn at tight end and no additional help at wide receiver. This team needs some firepower fast.
"Right now I can see why I'm answering this line of questioning," McCarthy said. "But people just need an opportunity. I think some of those guys may already be here."