Half a Decade of Mediocrity: The Mike Sherman Years

[MichiganPackerFan]

Someone mentioned Will Whitticker in another thread and it made me review the rosters for those years.

Putrid personnel decisions like that really wasted the first half of the decade and that part of Favre's tenure in GB. Looking back, the management stuck to average players with expended upside. (I have to give Wist credit for his comments on the team at that time.) Who knows what could have happened with talent upgraded from the underwhelming likes of:
Bill Schroeder
Marques Anderson
Mark Roman
Ahmad Carroll
Matt Bowen
Antonio Chatman
Tyrone Williams
Na’il Diggs
Antuan Edwards
Robert Ferguson
Tony Fisher
Cleditus Hunt
Joe Johnson
Bhawaoh Jue
Nick Luchey
Torrance Marshall
Hannibal Navies
Hardy Nickerson
Kenny Peterson
Ben Steele
Joey Thomas

[Harlan Huckleby]

Re: Half a Decade of Mediocrity: The Mike Sherman Years

Marques Anderson & Matt Bowen weren't so bad
Na’il Diggs was a good player

[mraynrand]

Sherman was constantly trying to upgrade talent. For example, in 2001, the Packers started Freeman and Schroeder at wide out. They were sorely inadequate. Next year, Driver and Glenn were starting and Sherman drafted Walker. Reynolds was a bust; he brought in Joe Johnson. Johnson was a bust, he drafted Kampman. The Linebackers were inadequate; Sherman drafted Barnett. The secondary was inadequate, so he traded #2 pick for Harris. The secondary was in shambles following 2003 - Sherman drafted Carrol and Joey Thomas (and Slowit then attempted a ludicrous scheme) . Those picks, the scheme, plus his mismanagement of the McKenzie situation - among other things (moving up and using two draft picks on a punter) led to his demise. But he was constantly trying to upgrade and I think he was always trying to play for 'this year' at the expense of the future. That and he fell in love with certain players and wasted picks to get them.

There were several reasons the Packers didn't get past 'mediocrity' during Sherman (although as a GM he had a .667 record - hardly mediocrity). Looming huge was the Reynolds bust (Wolf's pick), the slew of injuries in 2002 that destroyed an 8-1 team, and bad personnel and game decisions, most obvious/frequent during and following 2003. I don't count 2005 at all, because Thompson was brought in and he blew everything up to build the team his way. Sherman should have been fired from both jobs at once.

[Scott Campbell]

Sherman was constantly trying to upgrade talent.

Agreed. But then again, what GM and coaching staff aren't trying to constantly upgrade talent. (Outside of this guy)

[mraynrand]

Sherman was constantly trying to upgrade talent.

Agreed. But then again, what GM and coaching staff aren't trying to constantly upgrade talent. (Outside of this guy)

Funny. Yes, but my point was that Sherman did have some success upgrading certain positions, specifically some of the personnel on Mich's list.

[Scott Campbell]

There were several reasons the Packers didn't get past 'mediocrity' during Sherman (although as a GM he had a .667 record - hardly mediocrity).

My biggest gripe with Sherman (outside of his use of the challenge flag) was how political he got towards the end of his tenure. Stories abound about not being able to disagree with him. I think that more than anything else has prevented him from getting another NFL shot, which his record would indicate he deserves.

With the right GM, I think Sherman could have been more successful as a head coach.

[mraynrand]

There were several reasons the Packers didn't get past 'mediocrity' during Sherman (although as a GM he had a .667 record - hardly mediocrity).

My biggest gripe with Sherman (outside of his use of the challenge flag) was how political he got towards the end of his tenure. Stories abound about not being able to disagree with him. I think that more than anything else has prevented him from getting another NFL shot, which his record would indicate he deserves.

With the right GM, I think Sherman could have been more successful as a head coach.

I think you're right. Most of the reports said he was becoming increasingly closed off from other viewpoints.

Oh, BTW, you forgot!

[rbaloha1]

Sherman's ego was ridiculous. Consistently overestimated roster talent and always felt he was a few players away from a super bowl.

Emphasized athletic ability over being an actual football player. Too much gambling with the draft which produced more busts than solid f-ball players.

[retailguy]

Sherman's ego was ridiculous. Consistently overestimated roster talent and always felt he was a few players away from a super bowl.

Emphasized athletic ability over being an actual football player. Too much gambling with the draft which produced more busts than solid f-ball players.

I think you could say in 2001 he was just a few players from the super bowl. don't forget the 8-1 start.

After that, he got more and more desperate.

[Freak Out]

Sherman traded for Green which hid a few warts over the years....but when he drafted Clubber "mini" Lange in the first round and traded up for a punter he shot himself in the balls.

[Patler]

Sherman made big mistakes in two drafts by:

- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Kenny Peterson
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in James Lee
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Hunter Hillenmeyer, then waiving him
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Donnell Washington
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in B.J Sander


When you invest two draft picks in each player, you can't afford to be wrong too often. Sherman screwed up all five of these situations with four bad picks and one bad roster decision. He wasted 10 draft picks on these and decimated the Packers roster depth.

[rbaloha1]

Sherman made big mistakes in two drafts by:

- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Kenny Peterson
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in James Lee
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Hunter Hillenmeyer, then waiving him
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Donnell Washington
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in B.J Sander


When you invest two draft picks in each player, you can't afford to be wrong too often. Sherman screwed up all five of these situations with four bad picks and one bad roster decision. He wasted 10 draft picks on these and decimated the Packers roster depth.

Yes -- the antithesis of Ron Wolf. It was like he was trying to disprove the Wolf draft philosophy. Recall Wolf was a consultant and stated Sherman never called him.

[CaptainKickass]

A wiser man than I once told me this:

"We learn from the past that people seldom learn from the past".

Sherman, while a great coach, couldn't hack the GM portion of things. I agree he could team with the right GM and get another shot at success.

I am well beyond stewing on Sherman's tenure and choose to quote an immature movie - Wayne's World

"Live in the now"

[MichiganPackerFan]

I recall a lot of frustrating contract extensions for average players with no upside resulting from panic when nothing better was easily found. He also tried to "upgrade" by signing average players to above average salaries, not only preventing the team from growing, but putting us right up against the cap. The safety position is a perfect example of a revolving door of mediocrity.

[mraynrand]

Sherman made big mistakes in two drafts by:

- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Kenny Peterson
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in James Lee
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Hunter Hillenmeyer, then waiving him
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in Donnell Washington
- trading up for, and investing two draft picks in B.J Sander


When you invest two draft picks in each player, you can't afford to be wrong too often. Sherman screwed up all five of these situations with four bad picks and one bad roster decision. He wasted 10 draft picks on these and decimated the Packers roster depth.

Except that all of these were picked in the 3rd round or below, using late round draft picks to move up (so errors, but perhaps not 'big' errors). I agree with the Thompson philosophy of seldom giving up or packaging multiple picks to move up, because the rate of failure of any single pick is too high. Sherman needed all his picks to work out, or the depth of the team would be destroyed. He also spent an extra #2 on Walker, a #2 on Harris and two #4s on Glenn. That's just being way too loose with draft picks.