STICKING TO THE PLAN

[Guiness]

Capers is a doctor of defense, all right. Darren Perry is a great secondary coach. He knows every trick in the book and can coach DB's with the best of 'em. I caught his act in Cincy with Lewis' staff, he's strong. Kevin Greene was one of the best elephant LB's ever and will add spirit at the minimum. The D should get back on track with these new coaches. We won't be as predictable and obvious, at least.

I love that you mention K. Greene's. I'm very curious to see his impact as a coach. Guy was a great player I loved to watch. I always thought his 'I'm wacko routine' was just that, a routine, but it was fun.

'People generally get out of the way of crazies' - quote from a helicopter pilot of some 80's TV show - maybe Miami Vice?

[Fritz]

So if the entire front seven of the new 3-4 defense runs around in circles and drools before the snap, maybe the offensive line will just step aside!

[SnakeLH2006]

I'd be a lot more fired up if the plan was always right. But the "plan" got us lost in the Woods last year. That doesn't bother Lori Nickel, but it worries me some.

One part of the plan that makes me nervous the whole "kids, kids, kids, grow from within" deal.

Look at the DB's. Williams is holding us up for money and Jarrett Bush will get a million a year from us or Tenn. They have the time in and are going to get the best deal. Williams will get a couple mil a year or so, if we sign him. Bush will get a mil a year. We have to lay out good money to retain both players. Meanwhile, NE just signed Leigh Bodden for $750,000, the beloved veterans minimum for a player of his time and grade.

Leigh Bodden is a comparable player to Williams. He is a much better corner than Bush, doesn't play safety and isn't a ST guy. We could have had a reasonable solution to this problem by signing Bodden and Bush. Let Williams walk and we have two back-up CB's for under two million per year. We won't because Thompson's vision of the plan is to retain his own at all costs. (This ain't no Anti-TT rap here, now).

Sometimes, a vet FA is a better alternative than the "plan". We should get talent from all the streams available. I think it's OK that we don't get "stupid money" vet FA's. But we should get more value FA's. As you can guess, I've always like Leigh Bodden. He's a good young troop. A vet player who got screwed by being with dumb organizations. It isn't his fault that he played for Savage's Browns and Millen's Lions.

NE is the team that uses the value vet FA market the best. They grow their own, but sign vet FA's and make smart trades. I'd like to see us keep our overall approach, but be clever in all areas. Our reluctance to make a deal or sign a value vet is hurting us.

KY - there are about a 1/2 dozen people in this forum that I really value their advice/opinion and you're one of those guys. This gets my nomination for post of the year. Sincerely.

You nailed it. I tried to express these thoughts over the whole Canty situation, but failed miserably, in fact, Patler thought I'd lost my mind.

You said it for me. This is how I've felt for the last two seasons. Even last year, coming off 13-3, I felt there were a few specific areas we could improve and that drafting was not the solution.

True to form, you can't always land the player you want, but if you need 5, can't you land ONE?

Ted is leaving one tool in the toolbox and it bugs me. Even if he doesn't like to use it, you still pull it out, show it to the cameras and talk a good game. If you don't, that tool becomes WORTHLESS, or at least devalued.

Snake agrees wholeheartedly, as I think TT's pattern is this in FA: If he can't get a fill-in, bottom tier guy for cheap he won't do it and will draft the guy he wants...no prob. with that.

But, it looks like FA keeps drying up more and more each year to the point there will be no more bargain Woodson guys for TT to sign to deece deals anymore. That's understandable yet part of that is on him. For not showing a willingness to sign anyone (some argue he does try behind the scenes, yet there's no proof in the pudding) potential FA's see that, thus guys like Burnett, etc. not even coming into GB for a visit cuz they know damn well they will be lowballed, so why waste the time?

TT does well in the draft and esp. in FA rookies, yet he can't fill the holes in FA cuz no one wants to come to GB and waste their prospective time knowing it won't amount to much as of late. He, TT, is leaving a major tool at his disposal at bay in FA, as his reputation as a cheapie now precedes him. TT must now re-up all his "own" guys, and draft like a wizard else we won't have much to show for in the future. That's his fault though. I still like TT, but the FA farce is becoming a dune to our franchise as of late.