CRISTL- "THOMPSON THINKING SMALL"

[b bulldog]

This is the reason why Spec teams was so lousey.

[Noodle]

Bulldog -- your comment on special teams hit on something I've been thinking; that is, we will be vastly improved in our coverage units (though we will suck at punting and FG kicking).

Take Hodge, for example. Even if he doesn't crack the starting lineup, you gotta believe this kid is going to be a holy terror on coverage units.

I don't think Sherman's teams had the depth of young studs looking to make a name for themselves. Instead, we had guys like Fergy playing coverage who didn't really want to be out there.


On the whole, I agree with Mr. Ayn Rand's analysis of the Shermy years. And don't tell me folks thought Joe Johnson was a bad move -- he was without question the best FA DL at that time. So this notion that Shermy ignored D is silly. He didn't ignore D, he just didn't have any luck/skill at picking D guys (except for Barnett).

[ND72]

No one thought T-Glenn and JJ were the best free agents at their positions that year. Wasn't Ray Lewis picked 29th? i'll take him over barnett.

Ray Lewis was actually picked in the top 20...i think like 18 or 19...cause i remember Ron Wolfe saying he'd pass on Ray Lewis, we picked right after Lewis was taken. I believe we took Jon Michaels, could be wrong, but i know we picked right after Ray Lewis was taken.

This is actually one of the first, and only, articles I've read of this guys, and actually thought his brain was working when he wrote it. Thompson had NO choice but to go in this direction, and for months when people were complaining about him not signing big FA, i sat back and said GOOD. I do like the Woodson signing don't get me wrong, but there was no reason to break the bank in basically Thompson's first full offseason of work. I'm passing judgement on last year's offseason cause I think he came in and wanted to put his footprint on the team, and he really shouldnt' have just yet. More imporantly, I think he knows that. I think He had maybe one of the best drafts ever in packer history a couple weeks ago, and I think he's bringing in the right people free agent wise.

I've also said for months that sherman's downfall was he was signing and drafting for the NOW, not the tomorrow. Thompson is signing drafting for the tomorrow, with hopes of NOW.

[KYPack]

No one thought T-Glenn and JJ were the best free agents at their positions that year. Wasn't Ray Lewis picked 29th? i'll take him over barnett.

Ray Lewis was actually picked in the top 20...i think like 18 or 19...cause i remember Ron Wolfe saying he'd pass on Ray Lewis, we picked right after Lewis was taken. I believe we took Jon Michaels, could be wrong, but i know we picked right after Ray Lewis was taken.

Well, ya got some of this right.

I'll give you props for remembering John Michels.

Ray Lewis was NOT a top 20.
He went 26 to Baltimore.
The next pick? John Michels to the Pack with the 27th pick of the draft.

Baltimore had two #1 picks that year ('96)
With the 4th pick in the draft, They picked Jonathon Ogden.

Not bad, two perennial All-Pro's for the first two picks. Ozzie Newsome is one of the top 3 GM's in the NFL

Wolf's statement is most likely bullshit, I think he'd have taken Lewis if he was available, but who knows?

[ND72]

AH...yeah i was just guessing, i didn't take time to go check. All i remember from that year was RAY LEWIS RAY LEWIS RAY LEWIS....and then baltimore took him, and we took Michaels. what a downer that was. I remember after teh draft, and this is after the fact, and theyhad taken michaels and all that, but the quesiton was if ray lewis had been there at the packers pick, would they have concidered him, and Wolfe answered, "no"......kick me in the groin.

[Noodle]

Yeah, Lewis went 26, but getting a talent like that is rare -- sort of like Marino slipping down to No. 27. It happens, but it's freakish.

I thought this article was kind of fun:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5549072

It selects the best player ever picked at their number. For example, Lewis was picked as the best ever No. 26 selection.

Guess who is the best ever No. 29 -- our own Nick Barnett.

[ND72]

good link Noodle. Notice how many Packers are listed as the All Time Worst...and by the way, Craig Newsome???? If he hadnt' gotten injured, he was pretty solid...then of course he got busted in La Crosse while coaching their In-Door team for possesion of Cocaine.

[KYPack]

Yeah, Lewis went 26, but getting a talent like that is rare -- sort of like Marino slipping down to No. 27. It happens, but it's freakish.

I thought this article was kind of fun:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5549072

It selects the best player ever picked at their number. For example, Lewis was picked as the best ever No. 26 selection.

Guess who is the best ever No. 29 -- our own Nick Barnett.

Great post, Noodle.

There's a lot of GB/Wis connections in that list.

There's one interesting fact in the flop list, there's a father/son flop with a Packer connection:

Stan Thomas, OT Texas
taken by Chicago Bears, 1991
Ditka used this guy as a bad example of the Bears front office ineptitude.

Stan's son is Robert, a 1st round flop for the St Louie Rams & eventual Packer (now a Raider).

They are the only Father - Son 1st rd flops that I know of.

I don't think the Craig Newsome flop is fair. He was on his way to multiple Pro Bowls when he was hurt, that can happen to anybody. He even came back to play after he was hurt, but obviously, he couldn't play at a high level anymore.

[Noodle]

I agree about Newsome, and the writer admitted that he was pretty good. But I remember a lot of Packer fans not liking Newsome, and I think the knock on him was that he wasn't a great run support tackler.

I never cared too much about whether my DBs can throttle an RB -- what I want is for them to shut down receivers and to do whatever is necessary (drag, trip, pull hair, whatever) to prevent yards after catch. Newsome could cover, and I liked him.

[Guiness]

Wow - four wrost picks, vs one best pick. Maybe we're better off trading out of the first round altogether on a more regular basis.

[mraynrand]

"I don't think the Craig Newsome flop is fair. He was on his way to multiple Pro Bowls when he was hurt, that can happen to anybody. He even came back to play after he was hurt, but obviously, he couldn't play at a high level anymore."

Loved Newsome. a bit slow, but the guy could play. by the end of 1996, he was playing press coverage as well as just about anyone. And he was absolutely punishing receivers. hard hitter. Blew out his ACL and came back. he didn't have speed to lose and he lost it. but you gotta admire how he gutted out the 1998 season. Coming back from his ACL, he also suffered this horrible tear in the skin across his knee - about 8 inches long. The tear would sometimes reopen during games -he's restitch it and get back in there. Damn, that's old school toughness!

[pbmax]

All i remember from that year was RAY LEWIS RAY LEWIS RAY LEWIS....and then baltimore took him, and we took Michaels. what a downer that was. I remember after teh draft, and this is after the fact, and theyhad taken michaels and all that, but the quesiton was if ray lewis had been there at the packers pick, would they have concidered him, and Wolfe answered, "no"......kick me in the groin.

I think T2 has said recently that if Lewis had been there, that they would have selected him. Wolf might have just been defending his pick at the time, or memories could be confused after a few years. I don't know if Wolf has ever copped to that disappointment though.

I completely agree with the posts that Sherman's approach cost us depth and may have specifically affected areas like special teams. I understand why he did it, but with the window closing and talent dwindling, he had a small margin for error. This is where I think Favre's public posturing on retirement had an effect. It put pressure on the front office to think short term.

Between the good money after bad we spent on our own FAs that we had to resign because there was no depth, Sherman had walls closing in on hm from 3 sides.

[ND72]

absolutely pbmax, good post

[The Leaper]

Taking a look at the best of the players selected at #24...it makes sense why Thompson took a flier on Aaron Rodgers last year.

[retailguy]

Wolf's statement is most likely bullshit, I think he'd have taken Lewis if he was available, but who knows?

I remember reading somewhere JSO article perhaps? that the packers were on the telephone with Ray Lewis when Baltimore picked him telling him that they were going to take him. I think, recently, in the last few years that Ray said the same thing.

I can't post a link to verify, but for what it is worth?....