HarveyWallbangers
05-01-2006, 08:59 AM
By TODD ROSIAK and LORI NICKEL, Packer Plus Online
Welcome aboard: Although Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he had yet to see the requisite paperwork that would necessitate the Packers' official acknowledgement that Charles Woodson has indeed signed with the club, he did make his first public comments on the former Heisman Trophy winner.
"I think he's a professional football player," Thompson said of Woodson, who agreed to a seven-year, $52 million deal Wednesday. "He's very athletic, he has wonderful lower-body flexibility which enables him to stay in his pedal longer than most. He knows how to play the game."
Even though Woodson was projected as a possible safety, Thompson indicated that his primary role in Green Bay would be as a cornerback.
"He has played some safety but we anticipate him being primarily a corner," he said. "They've worked him in the slot. But he's a good football player and he thinks he's a good player, which is a good thing in my opinion."
Thompson also indicated that McCarthy would have the final say in whether Woodson will see any action on offense or special teams.
"He'd like to be involved, as you guys probably have heard, on the offensive side, maybe doing a little returning," Thompson said. "He was that way at Michigan and that will be between him and Coach McCarthy what his role is going to be. But I know we're looking forward to him being in our defensive backfield."
The trend continues: After taking wide receiver-return specialist Cory Rodgers with the Packers' first fourth-round pick Sunday morning, Thompson flipped the second - No. 109 overall, which was obtained Saturday from St. Louis - to Philadelphia. In doing so, he moved back six spots in the fourth round and also picked up a sixth-round pick (No. 185),which he used to select Fresno State safety Tyrone Culver.
It was the 12th time Thompson has traded back during the draft without ever trading up.
"Again, it was just a case of mathematical equation," Thompson said. "We had two pretty high picks, relatively high picks in the fourth round and the night before, on Saturday night, all 32 teams say, 'Boy, I wish we could get this.' So it's one guy they really want, that they're willing to trade. And we had a number of guys that we felt pretty positive about."
Welcome to the draft room: McCarthy was able to watch first-hand the organized chaos that is draft weekend, and came away impressed with what he witnessed.
"I think the most impressive aspect that I take away from this is when we went through the trade at 36 and 37," he said. "I thought Ted Thompson and John Dorsey and John Schneider and Reggie McKenzie and others did such a great job, because we made three trades in a matter of 3 minutes, with probably another four or five opportunities on the table. I didn't know any better. I thought that was how they always did it.
"I was pretty impressed. It was faster than any 2-minute drill I've ever been involved in."
Standing pat on kickers: The Green Bay Packers had 12 picks in the 2006 draft and didn't use any on a kicker or a punter.
Ryan Longwell is now a Minnesota Viking and B.J. Sander had a rough season in 2005, yet Thompson was content with kickers Billy Cundiff, Rhys Lloyd and Dave Rayner and punters Sander, Ryan Flinn and Jon Ryan.
"Our special teams coaches and our staff are comfortable with the fellas that we have," Thompson said. "That doesn't mean that's the way it's going to wind up, but we felt like the people that we have were as good or better than anybody that we could have maybe used a pick on or signed as a college free agent."
Special teams coordinator Mike Stock said there were players who intrigued him but not enough to question Thompson's decision to not go after them.
"We have a group of guys, two of whom are very accurate at this time from the kicking we've been charting over the last two weeks," Stock said. "And we will continue to chart and evaluate these guys as we try to find the right guy."
Welcome aboard: Although Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he had yet to see the requisite paperwork that would necessitate the Packers' official acknowledgement that Charles Woodson has indeed signed with the club, he did make his first public comments on the former Heisman Trophy winner.
"I think he's a professional football player," Thompson said of Woodson, who agreed to a seven-year, $52 million deal Wednesday. "He's very athletic, he has wonderful lower-body flexibility which enables him to stay in his pedal longer than most. He knows how to play the game."
Even though Woodson was projected as a possible safety, Thompson indicated that his primary role in Green Bay would be as a cornerback.
"He has played some safety but we anticipate him being primarily a corner," he said. "They've worked him in the slot. But he's a good football player and he thinks he's a good player, which is a good thing in my opinion."
Thompson also indicated that McCarthy would have the final say in whether Woodson will see any action on offense or special teams.
"He'd like to be involved, as you guys probably have heard, on the offensive side, maybe doing a little returning," Thompson said. "He was that way at Michigan and that will be between him and Coach McCarthy what his role is going to be. But I know we're looking forward to him being in our defensive backfield."
The trend continues: After taking wide receiver-return specialist Cory Rodgers with the Packers' first fourth-round pick Sunday morning, Thompson flipped the second - No. 109 overall, which was obtained Saturday from St. Louis - to Philadelphia. In doing so, he moved back six spots in the fourth round and also picked up a sixth-round pick (No. 185),which he used to select Fresno State safety Tyrone Culver.
It was the 12th time Thompson has traded back during the draft without ever trading up.
"Again, it was just a case of mathematical equation," Thompson said. "We had two pretty high picks, relatively high picks in the fourth round and the night before, on Saturday night, all 32 teams say, 'Boy, I wish we could get this.' So it's one guy they really want, that they're willing to trade. And we had a number of guys that we felt pretty positive about."
Welcome to the draft room: McCarthy was able to watch first-hand the organized chaos that is draft weekend, and came away impressed with what he witnessed.
"I think the most impressive aspect that I take away from this is when we went through the trade at 36 and 37," he said. "I thought Ted Thompson and John Dorsey and John Schneider and Reggie McKenzie and others did such a great job, because we made three trades in a matter of 3 minutes, with probably another four or five opportunities on the table. I didn't know any better. I thought that was how they always did it.
"I was pretty impressed. It was faster than any 2-minute drill I've ever been involved in."
Standing pat on kickers: The Green Bay Packers had 12 picks in the 2006 draft and didn't use any on a kicker or a punter.
Ryan Longwell is now a Minnesota Viking and B.J. Sander had a rough season in 2005, yet Thompson was content with kickers Billy Cundiff, Rhys Lloyd and Dave Rayner and punters Sander, Ryan Flinn and Jon Ryan.
"Our special teams coaches and our staff are comfortable with the fellas that we have," Thompson said. "That doesn't mean that's the way it's going to wind up, but we felt like the people that we have were as good or better than anybody that we could have maybe used a pick on or signed as a college free agent."
Special teams coordinator Mike Stock said there were players who intrigued him but not enough to question Thompson's decision to not go after them.
"We have a group of guys, two of whom are very accurate at this time from the kicking we've been charting over the last two weeks," Stock said. "And we will continue to chart and evaluate these guys as we try to find the right guy."