Ted Thompson changing approach?

[PackerBlues]

Merlin. Go back and check the average on how long it takes guys to become productive on the OL. Likely this year if Clifton is healthy we will have the best OL we have had since wahle left.

Remember this. Both spitz and College have done MUCH more to date than Wahle did at this point in his career.

Really?

[Patler]

Merlin. Go back and check the average on how long it takes guys to become productive on the OL. Likely this year if Clifton is healthy we will have the best OL we have had since wahle left.

Remember this. Both spitz and College have done MUCH more to date than Wahle did at this point in his career.

Really?

Absolutely.
Going into his 4th season, Wahle was very much a question mark, who some though might be a wasted supplementary draft pick.

1998 - As a rookie Wahle sat the bench, played in only one game.
1999 - He started quite a few, but was often bailed out by Reggie McKenzie. McKenzie fought some injuries, which allowed Wahle to play more.
2000 - was supposed to be his breakout season. He started the year at left tackle, and was awful. After 6 games he was sent to the bench, having been replaced by Clifton, and was heard from no more the rest of the season.
2001 - His fourth year, some thought his chance in GB might be about done, but Verba left and Wahle was given another opportunity at LG. He was nothing more than OK that year, and was clearly considered the weak link in the O-line.

NFL.com credits Wahle with 19 starts in his 1st three seasons, and at that point he looked like a player who might be a miss as a draft pick. I felt no better about Wahle after three season than I do now about Tony Moll, who has 18 starts after three seasons. Like Moll, Wahle looked OK at times, but very overmatched at other times.

Colledge and Spitz each have over 40 starts to date, and more importantly are two of the players the Packers appear ready to build their line with. Wahle was not at that level at the same stage of his career. Both Colledge and Spitz have handled position changes within a season, and show much more versatility than Wahle did.

[mraynrand]

When you trade away picks, you place more pressure on the guy you selected working out. Shermy spent a 2 to move up to get Walker, a 2 to get Al Harris, and two 4s to get Terry Glenn - pretty mixed results. You have to believe that Thompson is expecting Matthews to play for 2 or 3 decades like the old man and his uncle. But the odds are the odds for a reason. You get a quality starter in the mid/late first round about 30-40% of the time and in rounds 2-3 it's about 10% or so lower (I can't remember the exact %), so it's risky to give up picks to move up. You have to be right.