Barnett Contract Done

[BooHoo]

Understood.

And I like the turtle.

[RashanGary]

Thompson signed; Pickett, Woodson and Manuel so it's not like he ignores it. This was a really bad UFA class though.

I'm not ALL and ONLY about the draft but I do believe that it has to the the core and the biggest part of your team. I think Thompson wisely avoided a very inflated market this off season. I think many of our own guys are jsut as good as the overpaid ones that got away on the UFA market.

[RashanGary]

2006 INDIANAPOLIS

21 of the 22 starters were drafted by the Colts, or were signed as a rookie or street FA. One starter was acquired by trade. There were no FA starters on the Colts.

Reggie Wayne - draft
Tarik Glenn - draft
Ryan Lilja - rookie FA
Jeff Saturday - rookie FA
Jake Scott - draft
Ryan Diem - draft
Dallas Clark - draft
Marvin Harrison - draft
Peyton Manning - draft
Joseph Addai - draft
Ben Utecht - rookie FA

Robert Mathis - draft
Anthony McFarland - trade
Raheem Brock - street FA
Dwight Freeney - draft
Cato June - draft
Gary Brackett - rookie FA
Rob Morris - draft
Nick Harper - rookie FA
Jason David - draft
Antoine Bethea - draft
Bob Sanders - draft


2005 PITTSBURGH

19 of 22 starters were drafted by Pittsburgh or was a rookie FA. Two big name FAs. One other FA.

Antwaan Randle El - draft
Marvel Smith - draft
Alan Faneca - draft
Jeff Hartings - FA
Kendall Simmons - draft
Max Starks - draft
Heath Miller - draft
Hines Ward - draft
Ben Roethlisberger - draft
Willie Parker - draft
Dan Kreider - rookie FA

Aaron Smith - draft
Casey Hampton - draft
Kimo von Oelhoffen - FA
Clark Haggans - draft
James Farrior - FA
Larry Foote - draft
Joey Porter - draft
Ike Taylor - draft
Chris Hope - draft
Troy Polamalu - draft
Deshea Townsend - draft

2004 NEW ENGLAND

17 of their 22 starters were drafted by them or were signed as rookie or street FAs. One was traded for. Three were non-high profile FAs. Rodney Harrison was the only high profile FA on that team.

David Givens - draft
Matt Light - draft
Joe Andruzzi - no name FA
Dan Koppen - draft
Steve Neal - rookie FA
Brandon Gorin - street FA
Daniel Graham - draft
Deion Branch - draft
Tom Brady - draft
Corey Dillon - trade
Patrick Pass - rookie FA

Richard Seymour - draft
Vince Wilfork - draft
Ty Warren - draft
Willie McGinest - draft
Tedy Bruschi - draft
Roman Phifer - no name FA
Mike Vrabel - no name FA
Randall Gay - draft
Asante Samuel - draft
Rodney Harrison - FA
Eugene Wilson - draft

[RashanGary]

The Ravens took a big salary dive after the SB just liek the Packers did after almost getting there with Sherman.

I think there are better ways to do it like I listed above but I certainly see your point that some teams get short term fixes just long enough to get over the hump.

I don't think we are there at this point. IMO we're starting over but at the right time; teams can take a shot and win. Sherm did hsi best but his FA signings were junk.

[Packnut]

Point

I think some of you guys would be happier if Dan Snyder bought the Packers.

At least until September, when they started playing games.

Isn't there a happy medium, Scott?

couldn't we plug 2 or 3 of the 7 major holes we've got?

Why is that so unreasonable?

It's not that unreasonable if you can find the right guys at the right price. That is one way of doing it. Ted is doing it another way. I'm ok with that for now, and am willing to see how it works out.

If Ted wins a Super Bowl in Green Bay I will issue a formal repentance to the entire forum and I will defend his greatness just as strong as I continue to defend Mike Holmgren.

If he does not I'll remember him as the guy who frontloaded deals and sacrificed our near term shot at a Super Bowl while our Hall of Fame QB played his last years for a future that never turned out.

Very well stated. I hope you and I are wrong and we both end up kissing Teddy's behind. I still believe the right way would have been to load up and give Brett 1 more chance. I'd rather have a shot now in this watered down league and win a SB than hope we become competitive in another 2 years. While Teddy is building through the draft in hopes of getting better, there are a few teams who are ahead of us like the Saints and those teams will also be getting better every year.

[retailguy]

That is why I said 10 years because the 11th was the one and only exception to the rule.

One more and I'm done....


2001 New England Patriots

Joe Andruzzi - Free Agent
Terrell Buckley - Free Agent
Matt Chatham - Free Agent
Je'Rod Cherry - Free Agent
Fred Coleman - Free Agent
Mike Compton - Free Agent
Bryan Cox - Free Agent
Marc Edwards - Free Agent
Jimmy Faris - free Agent
Bobby Hamilton - Free agent
Damon Huard - Free agent
Larry Izzo - Free agent
Charles Johnson - Free agent
Stephan Neal - Free Agent
Riddick Parker - Free Agent
David Patten - Free Agent
Lonnie Paxton - Free Agent
Roman Pfifer - free Agent
Anthony Pleasant - Free Agent
Grey Reugamer - Free Agent
Terrance Shaw - Free Agent
Antowain Smith - Free aGent
Otis Smith - Free Agent
Chris Sullivan - Free Agent
Adam Vinitairi - Free Agent
Mike Vrabel - Free Agent
Ken Walter - Free agent
Grant Williams - Free Agent

Again, as expected a fair amount of backups but some good starters as well.

I'm done now...

Peace.

[gbgary]

glad to see nick signed long term, he is one of the important players on this team.

as far as free agency goes, and the lack of spending, i'm with bretsky. one or two important players signed would have changed my mind on thompson. i know he doesn't want to over pay what he thinks fair market value is but there is one thing that i've alway said about Green Bay and the Packers...because of where and what Green Bay is, a small, non-glamorous, and like it or not i'm gonna say predominately white city, the Packers are going to HAVE to over pay to get the special player to come there...like Reggie. if ron wolf had just matched someone else's offer or just barely covered it Reggie wouldn't have signed and the third superbowl win probably wouldn't have happened. money is the ONLY thing the Packers have to lure players to Green Bay with. tradition, history, and the wonderful fans isn't enough. they have to pick a player, or players, to fill a need or to become a cornerstone on this team and then not take no for an answer.

[Partial]

Re: Barnett

I've learned that if I want to win the Big Bowl soon, I need to expect disappointment out of Ted Thompson. He's planning for the future; not next year. To me it seems like the perfet model to keep us average until he changes his philosophy.

Isn't that really what happened in Seattle? They were a solid team in a weak division, never getting over the hump... until... Thompson got the gig in Green Bay. They plugged a couple of holes with some free agents and got to the Super Bowl....

Mediocre? Guess that's better than the 70's and 80's.

Hope it's better than that.

What free agents did that Seahawks team add?

[Partial]

That is why I said 10 years because the 11th was the one and only exception to the rule.

How about the 2006 Chicago Bears? While they didn't win, at least they got there...

Hunter Hillenmeyer - Waiver Wire Pick up - Green Bay
Adewale Ogunleye - Trade with Miami for Marty Booker
Ricky Manning Jr - Free Agent
Brad Maynard - Free Agent
Robbie Gould - Free Agent
Rashied Davis - Free Agent
Mushin Muhammed - Free Agent
John Tait - Free Agent
John St. Clair - Free Agent
Ruben Brown - Free Agent
Roberto Garza - Free Agent
Fred Miller - Free Agent
Desmond Clark - Free Agent
John Gilmore - Free Agent
Jason Mckie - Free Agent
JD Runnells - Undrafted Free Agent
Brian Griese - Free Agent
Thomas Jones - Free Agent.

The majority of these guys are/were starters, including the ENTIRE offensive line except the center...

Hunter Hillenmeyer - Waiver Wire Pick up - Green Bay
Type of player found on every team in the league. Adequate at best.



Adewale Ogunleye - Trade with Miami for Marty Booker
Not a FA.


Ricky Manning Jr - Free Agent
Nickelback who is an underrated player. Good move.


Brad Maynard - Free Agent
He's a punter. I don't think this had any effect on them getting to the super bowl. Type of move every team makes.


Robbie Gould - Free Agent
He's a kicker. Marginal move. Type of move everyone makes. He happened to turn it on and have a good year.


Rashied Davis - Free Agent
4th wideout that every team has. Had no effect in getting to big game.


Mushin Muhammed - Free Agent
Good move.



John Tait - Free Agent
Good move.


John St. Clair - Free Agent
Who is this?

Ruben Brown - Free Agent
Good move. Moreso the line gelling together than good players, though.


Roberto Garza - Free Agent
??

Fred Miller - Free Agent
??


Desmond Clark - Free Agent
Adequate tight end at best. Type of player every team has. TE is a big need for the Bears.


John Gilmore - Free Agent
???


Jason Mckie - Free Agent
??


JD Runnells - Undrafted Free Agent
????



Brian Griese - Free Agent
Back-up QB. He's adeuqate at best. Didn't help them get to the big game.



Thomas Jones - Free Agent.
Good move.




RG, there are far more marginal moves than anything. That OL is a benefactor of playing together for a long time, not a sign of bringing in great talent. The line is average. Packers is better.

They made a couple moves to fill holes, but the vast majority of those people are just guys.

Jones is the only one who really had any effect in getting them to the super bowl. Maybe Muhammed, too.



My point is this: Unless you have a superstar(which the packers don't), you can bring in all the above-average or average players in the world and you'll never get to the super bowl. The Bears have the best defender in the game. The Colts have the best QB. The Ravens had the best defense the year they won and the best defender in the game. The Chargers have the best player in the game. The Patriots have a super-ultra-hall-of-fame-star at QB. Randy McMichael would have been nice, but does he really win us any more games or even make a difference? Probably not. Same with Nate Clements and Adalius Thomas. You need a true superstar to make a difference.

[Partial]

Trades don't count as UFA pick ups and I count 3 or 4 starters from the UFA market there.

Hillenmeyer was a waiver pickup like you said so that isnt' quite like paying on the UFA market

Regardless, 3 or 4 is more than the usual team. Nice example but most of those guys were backup depth or didn't fit the criteria.

I believe there are eight starters in that group if I'm not mistaken.

New England also had several key, but not expensive free agents when they had their run.

Denver and New England are doing the anti TT this year with free agency and trades; it will be interesting to see if either succeeds.

B

New England will succeed because they had very few holes. Now they are solid and deep. Also, they didn't overpay.

[Bretsky]

The Packers OL was better than the Bears last year ?

[Bretsky]

Trades don't count as UFA pick ups and I count 3 or 4 starters from the UFA market there.

Hillenmeyer was a waiver pickup like you said so that isnt' quite like paying on the UFA market

Regardless, 3 or 4 is more than the usual team. Nice example but most of those guys were backup depth or didn't fit the criteria.

I believe there are eight starters in that group if I'm not mistaken.

New England also had several key, but not expensive free agents when they had their run.

Denver and New England are doing the anti TT this year with free agency and trades; it will be interesting to see if either succeeds.

B

New England will succeed because they had very few holes. Now they are solid and deep. Also, they didn't overpay.

New England paid the market value this year that many use as an excuse for TT not having to sign the key players. If they didn't overpay than there are a lot of teams in free agency that didn't overpay this year.

[ND72]

FACT is...Ted Thompson is building through the draft, because Mike Sherman really depleated the team of OUR own talent/depth. Until we get to the level the Bears are at, when we can add certain players that we can just plug in, and not expect to start, we have to build ourselves back up, give ourselves some talent, then add some free agents where needed if we want. All of you can bitch and moan about it, or even bitch that we signed Barnett to an extention. But 2 things are for sure....Ted Thompson is doing it right, and Nick Barnett is a better MLB than Abdul Hodge.

[HarveyWallbangers]

RG,

2001 NE is a bad example, I think. Not one of those guys, even Vrabel, were high profile FAs. Vrabel was a backup for 4 years in Pittsburgh. Obviously, your lists include street or rookie FAs because it includes guys like Adam Vinatieri--who was with NE his whole career, but wasn't drafted.

[Partial]

The Packers OL was better than the Bears last year ?

This year they will be. We started 3 rookies..