THOMPSON TO BROWNS- NO DEAL !!---JS

[Bretsky]

Notes: Thompson: No deal
General manger rejects Browns' trade offer for first-round pick
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 30, 2007

Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers turned down a trade offer from the Cleveland Browns on Saturday that would have brought them another first-round draft choice in 2008.

The Cleveland Browns wanted QB Brady Quinn so much, they offered the Packers a 2008 first-round pick.


Green Bay was among about 10 teams that Browns general manager Phil Savage called in a concerted bid to trade up for a first-round pick and select quarterback Brady Quinn of Notre Dame.

Eventually, the Browns located a trade partner in the Dallas Cowboys and got Quinn. In order to move up from the second round (No. 36) to the first round (No. 22), the Browns gave up their first-round pick next year.

Savage said the Browns, who had used the third selection on Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, began contacting teams when Buffalo was on the clock at No. 12. Asked if he was close to a deal before Dallas, Savage replied, "Maybe Green Bay."

Having noticed the Packers linked with running back Marshawn Lynch in most mock drafts, Savage guessed that general manager Ted Thompson might be willing to deal the No. 16 selection.

"There were a couple people in our room who were kind of for it," Thompson said. "I didn't dismiss it out of hand but I was never keen to it. We wanted the pick.

"I believe in building and that sort of thing. But I think you have to try to help your team. Quite frankly, I'd rather help us now rather than help us a year from now."

On Saturday, Thompson said he couldn't conceive of a situation in which he would trade a first-round pick in next year's draft.


Camp schedule
The Packers announced that the first practice of training camp would be Saturday, July 28, with all players due to report the previous day. The exhibition season starts Aug. 11.

Because of rules limiting player participation to rookies only, the Packers are referring to their first minicamp as rookie orientation camp. About 20 to 25 players will take part in some drills on Friday, Saturday and Sunday inside the Hutson Center.

The mandatory minicamp for all players is May 18-20. Organized team activities will be open to fans on six tentative dates: May 31 and June 4, 7, 11, 14 and 18.

Meanwhile, team Chairman Bob Harlan and players Nick Barnett, Aaron Rodgers and Mark Tauscher left this morning for a four-day bus trip across the state. Formal stops are scheduled for Superior tonight, Eau Claire on Wednesday, McFarland on Thursday and Racine on Friday.


Little contact
Thompson used the No. 16 pick on defensive tackle Justin Harrell of Tennessee without ever having a substantive conversation with him.

"I saw him at the combine and he was walking by and I shook hands with him," Thompson said. "We might have had about a minute conversation."

Thompson relied on pro scout Reggie McKenzie, a Tennessee graduate, for character references on Harrell.

Harrell's pre-draft visits were to Tampa Bay (fourth pick), San Francisco (11), St. Louis (13), Cincinnati (18), Dallas (22), Kansas City (23) and the New York Jets (25).

Harrell said he had 15-minute interviews at the combine with 29 or 30 teams but Green Bay wasn't one of them.

Close call
The Packers traded down from No. 112 to No. 119 in the fourth round immediately after Buffalo took running back Dwight Wright of Fresno State with the No. 111 pick. Wright didn't know if the Packers were going to take him but thought it was quite possible.

"I spoke with them at the combine and then I also met with their whole offensive staff," Wright said. "I think that was unusual. I think they liked me."

After Pittsburgh moved up to No. 112, the Steelers took the top punter on the Packers' board, Daniel Sepulveda of Baylor. However, Thompson indicated that the Packers weren't considering Sepulveda.

No interest
Thompson said the Packers were never involved in Seattle's lengthy effort to trade wide receiver Darrell Jackson. He went to San Francisco for a fourth-round pick.

Thompson was directing his first draft in 2000 when he helped draft Jackson in the third round.

[wist43]

I liked Dwayne Wright... He's the bigger type of back I was hoping for. In fact, I had him picked in the PR draft game.

I also like Jackson, but am more skeptical that he can be an every down back - which is, of course, what the Packers needed.

You know Ted though, never, ever, ever, never draft to fill a need!!!

[Brainerd]

Re: THOMPSON TO BROWNS- NO DEAL !!---JS

Notes: Thompson: No deal
General manger rejects Browns' trade offer for first-round pick
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 30, 2007

On Saturday, Thompson said he couldn't conceive of a situation in which he would trade a first-round pick in next year's draft.

I guess he doesn't know the particulars of the trade Wolf made with Atlanta back in 1992.

[the_idle_threat]

Re: THOMPSON TO BROWNS- NO DEAL !!---JS

Notes: Thompson: No deal
General manger rejects Browns' trade offer for first-round pick
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 30, 2007

On Saturday, Thompson said he couldn't conceive of a situation in which he would trade a first-round pick in next year's draft.

I guess he doesn't know the particulars of the trade Wolf made with Atlanta back in 1992.

Yes ... surely he has no idea. None whatsoever, I'm sure.

[the_idle_threat]

What I wanna know is, for any of those folks who bash TT for not making this supposed trade with the Browns, how many of you would be calling for his head if he HAD made the trade?

We would have had no 1st-round pick this year. Yes, there would have been an extra 2nd rounder this year, but there's no guarantee we would have gotten a guy you all wanted with that pick. Knowing TT, it probably would have been a guy you didn't want, which would have been even more to bitch about.

People complain that TT does nothing to help the team---and Favre in particular---right now, and then people complain that TT didn't trade away our first round pick for a pick in next year's draft? A pick that would be potentially higher than 16th overall?

TT can't win with some people.

[Bretsky]

What I wanna know is, for any of those folks who bash TT for not making this supposed trade with the Browns, how many of you would be calling for his head if he HAD made the trade?

We would have had no 1st-round pick this year. Yes, there would have been an extra 2nd rounder this year, but there's no guarantee we would have gotten a guy you all wanted with that pick. Knowing TT, it probably would have been a guy you didn't want, which would have been even more to bitch about.

People complain that TT does nothing to help the team---and Favre in particular---right now, and then people complain that TT didn't trade away our first round pick for a pick in next year's draft? A pick that would be potentially higher than 16th overall?

TT can't win with some people.

I was all for a deal like this; the people watching the draft with me would back that up. There were still a lot of solid players at the very start of round two.

[PackerBlues]

I am so in awe of how some of you guys "read into" what other people write in these forums and immediatly attack. Here is the part of TT's quote that really stuck out:

"Quite frankly, I'd rather help us now rather than help us a year from now."

I agree with Bretsky, if TT is going to build for the future, he should have taken the trade. If he really wanted to help this team win now, there are a few big name WR's that he could have went after a bit more strongly than he did. Instead we have to read about how the Patriots picked them up.

For him to say he is all about winning now is hypocracy, plain and simple. Bash me all you want, but I honestly dont think I will hear an intelligent argument from anyone that says differently.

[Zool]

How many 1st year WR's really have a big impact?

[swede]

For him to say he is all about winning now is hypocracy, plain and simple. Bash me all you want, but I honestly dont think I will hear an intelligent argument from anyone that says differently.

You believe that this quote from TT defies logic and present evidence. I can see how you would. It is a pretty defensible position that TT is at least spinning if not being untruthful somehow when he says he is all about winning now.

I think I get TT. As my old sig used to say, "TT cares. He just doesn't care what YOU think."

Wolf took a gamble and it paid off when he sent a first rounder to Atlanta for a 2nd round QB that had shown jack squat.

TT took a gamble by turning down a first round pick in order to ensure that he did not miss out on a long, very ball-aware DT that he really believes will help the team today.

I don't think TT was telling a lie. He believes it.

[PackerBlues]

Sorry, should have been more clear, I was referring to the Pats picking up Wes Welker in a trade with Miami, Moss, and Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington as free agents.

I honestly dont know much about Washington or Welker, but the other two can stretch the field as well as if not better than anyone else. (And yes, I do understand that Moss has to prove he can still play.)

[Fritz]

Re: THOMPSON TO BROWNS- NO DEAL !!---JS

Notes: Thompson: No deal
General manger rejects Browns' trade offer for first-round pick
By BOB McGINN
bmcginn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 30, 2007

On Saturday, Thompson said he couldn't conceive of a situation in which he would trade a first-round pick in next year's draft.

I guess he doesn't know the particulars of the trade Wolf made with Atlanta back in 1992.

Brainerd, Wolf did not trade a first round pick in the "next year's draft." Here's the quote from the Packers' website about the trade:

"Acquired from Atlanta by then-Packers General Manager Ron Wolf for a first-round draft selection in an offseason trade (Feb. 10)"

As you can see, Wolf traded that year's first rounder, not the following year's.

Furthermore, I would also say that people's impatience and frustration is understandable to some extent, because - I believe - we fall victim to what I'll call the "big name syndrome." We read our ten or eleven internet sites and their player analyses, which focus on the bigger names, and then when the Packers don't pick those guys, we assume that the players TT picks are necessarily not as good. Consequently, a team that picks two or three guys we've read about - Minny with Peterson and Rice, or San Fran with Willis and Staley - are automatically assumed to have had better drafts.

I'd say let's wait and see. Heck, we can't really quite judge TT's first draft yet. I keep reading about how that was a crap draft, but until we see how Rodgers and Underwood do or don't pan out, it's too soon to say. If Underwood can't contribute this year then it will be iffy, sure. Then you're down to Collins and maybe Rodgers. But if - and it's an if - Underwood stays healthy and starts and plays well, then you've got to say that TT picked up two starting safeties and maybe a starting QB.

Besides, from various reports I've read that all Cleveland was offering was there second and a flip of the third and fourth round picks as well as next year's first. That really doesn't sound like that much to move up that many spots.

[pbmax]

Re: THOMPSON TO BROWNS- NO DEAL !!---JS

Does anyone know if the Packers interviewed Hawk, Colledge or Jennings last year? I know they didn't come in for a visit, but did they get interviewed?

If Harrel was the backup plan for Lynch getting taken by Buffalo (which many mock drafts had happening) would it be typical to never peak to him?

Is this all part of the secrecy or did T2 gets caught unaware?

He's been accused by others of failing to prepare for Rodgers fall, though they claimed they had envisionedthis scenario.

Little contact
Thompson used the No. 16 pick on defensive tackle Justin Harrell of Tennessee without ever having a substantive conversation with him.

"I saw him at the combine and he was walking by and I shook hands with him," Thompson said. "We might have had about a minute conversation."

Thompson relied on pro scout Reggie McKenzie, a Tennessee graduate, for character references on Harrell.

Harrell's pre-draft visits were to Tampa Bay (fourth pick), San Francisco (11), St. Louis (13), Cincinnati (18), Dallas (22), Kansas City (23) and the New York Jets (25).

Harrell said he had 15-minute interviews at the combine with 29 or 30 teams but Green Bay wasn't one of them.

[Fritz]

My sense is that TT is very secretive and tries very hard to disguise his interest in certain players.

[FritzDontBlitz]

What I wanna know is, for any of those folks who bash TT for not making this supposed trade with the Browns, how many of you would be calling for his head if he HAD made the trade?

We would have had no 1st-round pick this year. Yes, there would have been an extra 2nd rounder this year, but there's no guarantee we would have gotten a guy you all wanted with that pick. Knowing TT, it probably would have been a guy you didn't want, which would have been even more to bitch about.

People complain that TT does nothing to help the team---and Favre in particular---right now, and then people complain that TT didn't trade away our first round pick for a pick in next year's draft? A pick that would be potentially higher than 16th overall?

TT can't win with some people.

i would have thought it a smart move from a gm who keeps stressing he's "building for the future": what better way to build than to add a first rounder in 2008 from CLEVELAND - a team that is a pretty safe bet to be choosing in the top 10 again next year? while the scouts agree that harrell is a good player, most of those same scouts feel he was a reach at 16 by a team that already has a glut of defensive linemen (ryan pickett, kgb, kampy, cullen jenkins, colin cole, corey williams, kendrick allen, mike montgomery, johnny jolly). considering the impessive way the d-line played after moving jenkins to de on early downs and sliding him to dt while bringing kgb in on passing downs, why not trade down and put yourself in a great position for next year's draft? another thing of note: that #1 pick from cleveland would make excellent trade bait between now and week 8 should a player of interest become available around the league (like a productive te or rb maybe?)

passing up the first round by trading down to the 2nd would ease the financial considerations as well because you wouldnt have to shell out 1st round money to your top pick.

just my random thoughts.

[LL2]

How many 1st year WR's really have a big impact?

In reality, not too many.