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Thompson seems to be thinking small
Posted: May 10, 2006
Green Bay - With Brett Favre nearing the twilight of his career, the Green Bay Packers under Mike Sherman couldn't resist the temptation to go for broke and try to land that one more star who might help them win another Super Bowl.
And understandably so.
That's why some of the criticism of Sherman as general manager is misplaced. The trades to move up in the draft that depleted the overall number of picks, the free agent signing of Joe Johnson, etc., were done in quest of the so-called final piece to the puzzle.
This off-season, even with the Packers coming off a 4-12 record, there again was a buzz that if they could just somehow swing a trade to get Reggie Bush or even take tight end Vernon Davis in the draft, it might be enough to put them back in the playoff hunt and, in turn, at least give them an outside shot at a bigger prize.
But what seemed apparent at the Packers' recent minicamp is that general manager Ted Thompson has a different plan in mind. Even if he refuses to call it rebuilding, he's trying to fill in the pieces from the ground up, not the other way around.
There were 12 draft picks there and not one of them looked out of place, although defensive tackle Johnny Jolly didn't participate due to an injury. There were some non-drafted free agents who might have a chance. There was youth to be found in the offensive and defensive lines. There seemed to be more speed on defense.
On the whole, there appeared to be more good, young players on the field than there had been in recent years.
There's no right or wrong way to build a championship team. Circumstances might dictate the course as much as philosophy.
The reigning champion Pittsburgh Steelers were an example of a team built from the ground up. The foundation for winning a Super Bowl essentially has been there since early in Bill Cowher's reign, which dates to 1992. But it wasn't until the past three years that they topped it all off with safety Troy Polamalu, the key to their defense, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the key to their offense.
On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts, who have been in the Super Bowl hunt four consecutive years, built the penthouse first. They started with Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James over the course of three drafts in four years in the late 1990s and have been filling in around them ever since, or at least until James departed in free agency some two months ago.
One could argue that former general manager Ron Wolf built the 1996 Packers from the top down. He acquired his cornerstones, Brett Favre and Reggie White, early on and built off them.
Only time will tell if Thompson will be successful. Again, it's understandable why his agenda differs from Sherman's. By playing the all or nothing game, Sherman was largely at fault for the deterioration of his roster's infrastructure and someone had to fill the cracks.
Sherman also was fighting steep odds. By drafting late in all three of his years as GM, he was banking mostly on pure luck to find the instant stars he needed to win it all.
But Thompson's approach isn't foolproof either.
The game is still all about playmakers. And, in the short-term, even if the Packers appear to have added several promising young players and already have improved their depth, it's hard to see at this point how they can be a whole lot better than last season.
Who's going to score their touchdowns? Where are the big plays going to come from?
Their only healthy and proven running back in camp was Samkon Gado. He looked every bit as explosive as he did late last season, but he's still a raw talent.
The Packers' doctors are optimistic about Ahman Green making a successful comeback, but he's coming off an injury that has been career-ending for others and he's 29, old for a running back. Najeh Davenport remains an intriguing candidate, but he hasn't stayed healthy for four years.
By no means did the Packers look bankrupt of talent at wide receiver in this camp. As a group, it looked deeper than the casts of recent years. Clearly, the receivers looked better on the hoof than the group that finished last season, simply because they weren't all a bunch of gnats.
Donald Driver looked as good as ever and just about every team in the league would be happy to have him as a starter. But he's not Javon Walker. He's not an ideal No. 1.
Robert Ferguson looked healthier and faster than he did at any time last season, but he has been an underachiever for five years and his durability also remains suspect. Rod Gardner showed a willingness to go inside to catch slants and held onto the ball, albeit in non-contact drills, but he didn't cut it last year with Carolina, which desperately needed a big receiver opposite Steve Smith. Marc Boerigter is another big target who showed good hands and might be sneaky-fast, but he couldn't get playing time last year with Kansas City, another team short on receivers.
Greg Jennings, the Packers' second-round draft pick, looked as good as any rookie in camp, but wide receiver is a position where it's becoming increasingly rare for rookies to make an impact.
Even Favre is no longer a sure thing. At some point, he's going to lose it and it's something that can happen overnight.
For now, Favre is the least of the Packers' worries. But it's hard to envision him at age 36 moving the chains the way he did at 26, if indeed that's coach Mike McCarthy's plan: To revert to the style of West Coast offense that Mike Holmgren brought to Green Bay in the early 1990s.
In a nutshell, Thompson's apparent plan might be perfect for the moment. Maybe Sherman was chasing fool's gold and it was time to revert to a more realistic approach.
But it also might require more patience on the part of fans.
Posted: May 10, 2006
Green Bay - With Brett Favre nearing the twilight of his career, the Green Bay Packers under Mike Sherman couldn't resist the temptation to go for broke and try to land that one more star who might help them win another Super Bowl.
And understandably so.
That's why some of the criticism of Sherman as general manager is misplaced. The trades to move up in the draft that depleted the overall number of picks, the free agent signing of Joe Johnson, etc., were done in quest of the so-called final piece to the puzzle.
This off-season, even with the Packers coming off a 4-12 record, there again was a buzz that if they could just somehow swing a trade to get Reggie Bush or even take tight end Vernon Davis in the draft, it might be enough to put them back in the playoff hunt and, in turn, at least give them an outside shot at a bigger prize.
But what seemed apparent at the Packers' recent minicamp is that general manager Ted Thompson has a different plan in mind. Even if he refuses to call it rebuilding, he's trying to fill in the pieces from the ground up, not the other way around.
There were 12 draft picks there and not one of them looked out of place, although defensive tackle Johnny Jolly didn't participate due to an injury. There were some non-drafted free agents who might have a chance. There was youth to be found in the offensive and defensive lines. There seemed to be more speed on defense.
On the whole, there appeared to be more good, young players on the field than there had been in recent years.
There's no right or wrong way to build a championship team. Circumstances might dictate the course as much as philosophy.
The reigning champion Pittsburgh Steelers were an example of a team built from the ground up. The foundation for winning a Super Bowl essentially has been there since early in Bill Cowher's reign, which dates to 1992. But it wasn't until the past three years that they topped it all off with safety Troy Polamalu, the key to their defense, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the key to their offense.
On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts, who have been in the Super Bowl hunt four consecutive years, built the penthouse first. They started with Marvin Harrison, Peyton Manning and Edgerrin James over the course of three drafts in four years in the late 1990s and have been filling in around them ever since, or at least until James departed in free agency some two months ago.
One could argue that former general manager Ron Wolf built the 1996 Packers from the top down. He acquired his cornerstones, Brett Favre and Reggie White, early on and built off them.
Only time will tell if Thompson will be successful. Again, it's understandable why his agenda differs from Sherman's. By playing the all or nothing game, Sherman was largely at fault for the deterioration of his roster's infrastructure and someone had to fill the cracks.
Sherman also was fighting steep odds. By drafting late in all three of his years as GM, he was banking mostly on pure luck to find the instant stars he needed to win it all.
But Thompson's approach isn't foolproof either.
The game is still all about playmakers. And, in the short-term, even if the Packers appear to have added several promising young players and already have improved their depth, it's hard to see at this point how they can be a whole lot better than last season.
Who's going to score their touchdowns? Where are the big plays going to come from?
Their only healthy and proven running back in camp was Samkon Gado. He looked every bit as explosive as he did late last season, but he's still a raw talent.
The Packers' doctors are optimistic about Ahman Green making a successful comeback, but he's coming off an injury that has been career-ending for others and he's 29, old for a running back. Najeh Davenport remains an intriguing candidate, but he hasn't stayed healthy for four years.
By no means did the Packers look bankrupt of talent at wide receiver in this camp. As a group, it looked deeper than the casts of recent years. Clearly, the receivers looked better on the hoof than the group that finished last season, simply because they weren't all a bunch of gnats.
Donald Driver looked as good as ever and just about every team in the league would be happy to have him as a starter. But he's not Javon Walker. He's not an ideal No. 1.
Robert Ferguson looked healthier and faster than he did at any time last season, but he has been an underachiever for five years and his durability also remains suspect. Rod Gardner showed a willingness to go inside to catch slants and held onto the ball, albeit in non-contact drills, but he didn't cut it last year with Carolina, which desperately needed a big receiver opposite Steve Smith. Marc Boerigter is another big target who showed good hands and might be sneaky-fast, but he couldn't get playing time last year with Kansas City, another team short on receivers.
Greg Jennings, the Packers' second-round draft pick, looked as good as any rookie in camp, but wide receiver is a position where it's becoming increasingly rare for rookies to make an impact.
Even Favre is no longer a sure thing. At some point, he's going to lose it and it's something that can happen overnight.
For now, Favre is the least of the Packers' worries. But it's hard to envision him at age 36 moving the chains the way he did at 26, if indeed that's coach Mike McCarthy's plan: To revert to the style of West Coast offense that Mike Holmgren brought to Green Bay in the early 1990s.
In a nutshell, Thompson's apparent plan might be perfect for the moment. Maybe Sherman was chasing fool's gold and it was time to revert to a more realistic approach.
But it also might require more patience on the part of fans.
When Wolf acquired Reggie, Reggie was a known quantity. Everyone in the league knew he was a terrific player. So from day 1 Reggie was a cornerstone for what became a championship caliber team. Brett was acquired by Wolf after having spent his rookie year in Atlanta having thrown 4 passes---two incomplete and two interceptions. Brett, in time, became the cornerstone of the offense. I'm not sure how many people around the league viewed Brett as a future HOF quarterback in those first few years. Certainly the Falcons did not view him that way. So I can buy into the statement "building from the top down" for the defensive side of the equation, but not so much for the offensive side.
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