Tarlam!
11-04-2007, 09:43 AM
Halfback at top of wish list
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071104/PKR07/711040675/1989
By Pete Dougherty
Maybe next year General Manager Ted Thompson will find a franchise back the caliber of Ahman Green when he was young and healthy.
Identifying such prospects rarely is easy, but that's what Thompson and his scouting staff have been working on this fall while the Green Bay Packers have played their way to a surprise role in the NFL with their 6-1 start.
Thompson, college scouting director John Dorsey and personnel analyst John Schneider, as well as the entire college scouting department, have been visiting college campuses each week all season looking at prospects in person and on videotape and doing background research for next year's draft. They'll continue to until the college regular season ends in the next two to three weeks.
Though 6-1, the Packers are far from a finished product and have many needs, both immediate and longer term. Unless new starter Ryan Grant takes off in the final half of this season like Dorsey Levens in the second half of 1996 or Green in the second half of 2000, finding a legitimate franchise halfback has to be among Thompson's priorities. Coach Mike McCarthy wants to run the ball, and to do it he needs a big-time back.
That doesn't mean Thompson will use his first-round pick in 2008 on a halfback, but it does mean he and his scouts are studying the position closely, both for the highly coveted prospects coming out of college and for any sleepers who might blossom in the NFL and in McCarthy's zone-blocking scheme.
It also means Thompson might turn to big-money free agency, where he's been extremely wary but not wholly opposed to acquire players. Thompson did, after all, sign two current key defenders to substantial free-agent contracts in 2006: cornerback Charles Woodson ($11.5 million in first-year pay) and defensive tackle Ryan Pickett ($6.5 million in first-year pay).
The question is whether the bidding will get too high for Thompson for the most intriguing halfback in an otherwise thin free-agent class: San Diego's Michael Turner. He's sure to draw serious scrutiny from the Packers after thriving as LaDanian Tomlinson's backup — Turner (5-foot-10, 237 pounds) is averaging 6.1 yards a carry this season and averaged 6.0 yards his previous three years. One NFL source said the Chargers haven't ruled out putting the franchise tag on Turner, though on the surface that would be highly unusual, considering the franchise tender for running backs this year is $6.99 million, and Tomlinson is in the fourth year of a $60 million deal. Perhaps the Chargers would do it intending to trade Turner.
The other probable free agents aren't attractive. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor and Cleveland's Jamal Lewis were top backs in their primes but will be 32 and 29, respectively, by the start of next season. Tennessee's Chris Brown was available last year also and didn't get an offer from the Packers. And Julius Jones has been surpassed by Marion Barber III as Dallas' top back and is averaging only 3.8 yards a carry.
Besides keeping an open mind on Grant, the Packers also haven't given up on second-round draft pick Brandon Jackson as a possible starter, but the early returns strongly suggest he's a third-down type back. He has excellent receiving skills and lacks size as an every-down runner. The Packers also liked rookie DeShawn Wynn's running skills, but after several injuries, including a season-ending pinched nerve in his neck, he has miles to go to prove he's durable and professional enough to be dependable. And Vernand Morency, who will be a restricted free agent next year, remains a major health question because of the patellar-tendon problems in his knee.
So, Thompson would be crazy not to put major resources into adding a possible franchise-type back in 2008. It might not work, but he has to try.
Following is a look at the other positions groups, and the priority the Packers probably will place on them in the draft and to a lesser extent free agency in the offseason:
Cornerback
The other position of highest priority is cornerback. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders' scheme demands cornerbacks who are strong enough mentally and physically to play bump-and-run coverage down after down, and the Packers in a year or two will need ready replacements in case Al Harris (33 in December) or Woodson (just turned 31), or both, decline to a nickel back or safety role.
Perhaps those players are on the roster. Harris, after all, spent his rookie season on Tampa Bay's practice squad and was a nickel cornerback the next five years with Philadelphia before becoming a starter with the Packers. Maybe second-year pro Devin Bush, currently the Packers' nickel back, will take his lumps this year and improve to a starting-caliber player over time. Second-year pro Will Blackmon also is an intriguing talent but has broken his foot twice in less than two years.
That means Thompson is an excellent candidate to spend a high draft pick on a cornerback next April. There's no guarantee that player will become a good player, so the Packers probably continually will add cornerbacks in an attempt to unearth a couple of keepers.
Linebacker
Linebacker is not nearly as high a priority as running back or cornerback, but it's important nevertheless because of depth. Specifically, as things stand, Sanders would have a major problem if middle linebacker Nick Barnett or weak-side linebacker A.J. Hawk sustained an injury of note. They're two of the team's most talented players, and Sanders doesn't take them off the field — both even play on the most obvious of passing downs in a nickel set, rather than the one-linebacker dime set most teams use.
With Abdul Hodge's career in flux because of surgery on both knees for patellar tendinitis, Thompson could use a quality fallback so that losing Barnett or Hawk for much of a season wouldn't be too devastating a blow.
Defensive line
The Packers' deepest position group, the defensive line, probably will remain that way. At defensive tackle, Corey Williams is having a good season and will get some major offers to sign with other teams in free agency this offseason, but the drafting of Justin Harrell in the first round this year protects Thompson there. Second-year pro Johnny Jolly can't play end like Williams but has been the better player and is a good candidate for a contract extension in the next year or two. Also, undrafted rookie Daniel Muir is a solid prospect even if he hasn't played yet this year.
Just two years ago, it appeared end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's career with the Packers was about finished because of his rising salaries and declining play. But in the NFL's current economic climate, after Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney signed a contract this year that included a $30 million signing bonus, Gbaja-Biamila's salary of $6.15 million next might be palatable for a capable pass-rush specialist who's no longer an every-down player. Thompson has the cap room, and Gbaja-Biamila could be worth holding onto at that price even as he turns 31.
With Cullen Jenkins (27 in January) and Aaron Kampman (28 in November), the Packers have starting ends in their primes. Thompson mainly will be looking for developmental prospects, most importantly hunting for a pass-rush prospect to replace Gbaja-Biamila down the road.
Tight end
Tight end is a high priority, though whether Thompson would use a first- or second-round pick here is another question. Donald Lee is having a decent season (25 receptions), but Bubba Franks' knee problems have become chronic and will be more limiting as he gets older. In a league where more teams than ever have a major threat at tight end, the Packers don't. The most obvious free-agent target would be Indianapolis' Dallas Clark, but there's a good chance the Colts will find a way to keep him before he hits the open market, so look for Thompson to draft a tight end in April, though whether it's early or late is anyone's guess.
Offensive line
Thompson probably will draft an offensive lineman every year, and maybe he'll use a high pick if a prospect he especially likes is there. The biggest question is whether the Packers' successor to left tackle Chad Clifton is on the roster. Both Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre are possibilities — they were left tackles in college — with Colledge looking like the better prospect of the two. Thompson might have a shot at a left tackle that intrigues him in the first three rounds next year, but it's not as high a priority as other positions.
At guard, Colledge, Jason Spitz and Junius Coston all are young players the Packers like even though the offensive line has run-blocked poorly this season. Barbre, a fourth-round pick this year, remains an option next year as well if some or all don't make adequate strides.
The Packers are set at center with starter Scott Wells and Spitz.
Receiver
Much will depend on how Koren Robinson plays coming back from a year's suspension. If he shows anything close to the talent that made him the No. 9 pick overall in 2001, the Packers should be more than set with Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones in the top three spots, and Robinson and Ruvell Martin at Nos. 4 and 5.
Quarterback
Thompson and McCarthy will want a developmental prospect regardless of whether Brett Favre comes back. If Favre retires, Thompson also will need a veteran backup for Aaron Rodgers. Among the possible free agents are Chicago's Rex Grossman and Oakland's Josh McCown.
Pete Dougherty covers the Packers for the Press-Gazette. E-mail him at pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071104/PKR07/711040675/1989
By Pete Dougherty
Maybe next year General Manager Ted Thompson will find a franchise back the caliber of Ahman Green when he was young and healthy.
Identifying such prospects rarely is easy, but that's what Thompson and his scouting staff have been working on this fall while the Green Bay Packers have played their way to a surprise role in the NFL with their 6-1 start.
Thompson, college scouting director John Dorsey and personnel analyst John Schneider, as well as the entire college scouting department, have been visiting college campuses each week all season looking at prospects in person and on videotape and doing background research for next year's draft. They'll continue to until the college regular season ends in the next two to three weeks.
Though 6-1, the Packers are far from a finished product and have many needs, both immediate and longer term. Unless new starter Ryan Grant takes off in the final half of this season like Dorsey Levens in the second half of 1996 or Green in the second half of 2000, finding a legitimate franchise halfback has to be among Thompson's priorities. Coach Mike McCarthy wants to run the ball, and to do it he needs a big-time back.
That doesn't mean Thompson will use his first-round pick in 2008 on a halfback, but it does mean he and his scouts are studying the position closely, both for the highly coveted prospects coming out of college and for any sleepers who might blossom in the NFL and in McCarthy's zone-blocking scheme.
It also means Thompson might turn to big-money free agency, where he's been extremely wary but not wholly opposed to acquire players. Thompson did, after all, sign two current key defenders to substantial free-agent contracts in 2006: cornerback Charles Woodson ($11.5 million in first-year pay) and defensive tackle Ryan Pickett ($6.5 million in first-year pay).
The question is whether the bidding will get too high for Thompson for the most intriguing halfback in an otherwise thin free-agent class: San Diego's Michael Turner. He's sure to draw serious scrutiny from the Packers after thriving as LaDanian Tomlinson's backup — Turner (5-foot-10, 237 pounds) is averaging 6.1 yards a carry this season and averaged 6.0 yards his previous three years. One NFL source said the Chargers haven't ruled out putting the franchise tag on Turner, though on the surface that would be highly unusual, considering the franchise tender for running backs this year is $6.99 million, and Tomlinson is in the fourth year of a $60 million deal. Perhaps the Chargers would do it intending to trade Turner.
The other probable free agents aren't attractive. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor and Cleveland's Jamal Lewis were top backs in their primes but will be 32 and 29, respectively, by the start of next season. Tennessee's Chris Brown was available last year also and didn't get an offer from the Packers. And Julius Jones has been surpassed by Marion Barber III as Dallas' top back and is averaging only 3.8 yards a carry.
Besides keeping an open mind on Grant, the Packers also haven't given up on second-round draft pick Brandon Jackson as a possible starter, but the early returns strongly suggest he's a third-down type back. He has excellent receiving skills and lacks size as an every-down runner. The Packers also liked rookie DeShawn Wynn's running skills, but after several injuries, including a season-ending pinched nerve in his neck, he has miles to go to prove he's durable and professional enough to be dependable. And Vernand Morency, who will be a restricted free agent next year, remains a major health question because of the patellar-tendon problems in his knee.
So, Thompson would be crazy not to put major resources into adding a possible franchise-type back in 2008. It might not work, but he has to try.
Following is a look at the other positions groups, and the priority the Packers probably will place on them in the draft and to a lesser extent free agency in the offseason:
Cornerback
The other position of highest priority is cornerback. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders' scheme demands cornerbacks who are strong enough mentally and physically to play bump-and-run coverage down after down, and the Packers in a year or two will need ready replacements in case Al Harris (33 in December) or Woodson (just turned 31), or both, decline to a nickel back or safety role.
Perhaps those players are on the roster. Harris, after all, spent his rookie season on Tampa Bay's practice squad and was a nickel cornerback the next five years with Philadelphia before becoming a starter with the Packers. Maybe second-year pro Devin Bush, currently the Packers' nickel back, will take his lumps this year and improve to a starting-caliber player over time. Second-year pro Will Blackmon also is an intriguing talent but has broken his foot twice in less than two years.
That means Thompson is an excellent candidate to spend a high draft pick on a cornerback next April. There's no guarantee that player will become a good player, so the Packers probably continually will add cornerbacks in an attempt to unearth a couple of keepers.
Linebacker
Linebacker is not nearly as high a priority as running back or cornerback, but it's important nevertheless because of depth. Specifically, as things stand, Sanders would have a major problem if middle linebacker Nick Barnett or weak-side linebacker A.J. Hawk sustained an injury of note. They're two of the team's most talented players, and Sanders doesn't take them off the field — both even play on the most obvious of passing downs in a nickel set, rather than the one-linebacker dime set most teams use.
With Abdul Hodge's career in flux because of surgery on both knees for patellar tendinitis, Thompson could use a quality fallback so that losing Barnett or Hawk for much of a season wouldn't be too devastating a blow.
Defensive line
The Packers' deepest position group, the defensive line, probably will remain that way. At defensive tackle, Corey Williams is having a good season and will get some major offers to sign with other teams in free agency this offseason, but the drafting of Justin Harrell in the first round this year protects Thompson there. Second-year pro Johnny Jolly can't play end like Williams but has been the better player and is a good candidate for a contract extension in the next year or two. Also, undrafted rookie Daniel Muir is a solid prospect even if he hasn't played yet this year.
Just two years ago, it appeared end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila's career with the Packers was about finished because of his rising salaries and declining play. But in the NFL's current economic climate, after Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney signed a contract this year that included a $30 million signing bonus, Gbaja-Biamila's salary of $6.15 million next might be palatable for a capable pass-rush specialist who's no longer an every-down player. Thompson has the cap room, and Gbaja-Biamila could be worth holding onto at that price even as he turns 31.
With Cullen Jenkins (27 in January) and Aaron Kampman (28 in November), the Packers have starting ends in their primes. Thompson mainly will be looking for developmental prospects, most importantly hunting for a pass-rush prospect to replace Gbaja-Biamila down the road.
Tight end
Tight end is a high priority, though whether Thompson would use a first- or second-round pick here is another question. Donald Lee is having a decent season (25 receptions), but Bubba Franks' knee problems have become chronic and will be more limiting as he gets older. In a league where more teams than ever have a major threat at tight end, the Packers don't. The most obvious free-agent target would be Indianapolis' Dallas Clark, but there's a good chance the Colts will find a way to keep him before he hits the open market, so look for Thompson to draft a tight end in April, though whether it's early or late is anyone's guess.
Offensive line
Thompson probably will draft an offensive lineman every year, and maybe he'll use a high pick if a prospect he especially likes is there. The biggest question is whether the Packers' successor to left tackle Chad Clifton is on the roster. Both Daryn Colledge and Allen Barbre are possibilities — they were left tackles in college — with Colledge looking like the better prospect of the two. Thompson might have a shot at a left tackle that intrigues him in the first three rounds next year, but it's not as high a priority as other positions.
At guard, Colledge, Jason Spitz and Junius Coston all are young players the Packers like even though the offensive line has run-blocked poorly this season. Barbre, a fourth-round pick this year, remains an option next year as well if some or all don't make adequate strides.
The Packers are set at center with starter Scott Wells and Spitz.
Receiver
Much will depend on how Koren Robinson plays coming back from a year's suspension. If he shows anything close to the talent that made him the No. 9 pick overall in 2001, the Packers should be more than set with Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones in the top three spots, and Robinson and Ruvell Martin at Nos. 4 and 5.
Quarterback
Thompson and McCarthy will want a developmental prospect regardless of whether Brett Favre comes back. If Favre retires, Thompson also will need a veteran backup for Aaron Rodgers. Among the possible free agents are Chicago's Rex Grossman and Oakland's Josh McCown.
Pete Dougherty covers the Packers for the Press-Gazette. E-mail him at pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com