Another week, another overtime loss. With the Green Bay Packers' overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins at Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy halted his 6 game home winning streak while extending his overtime losing streak to 6 games.
Last week not only did the Packers lose in overtime to the Redskins, they lost a number of key players to serious injuries. The only silver lining to this week's overtime loss to the Dolphins is that besides Brady Poppinga, no new names were added to the injury list. That said, most of the reason that few new names were added to the injury list was that a ton of players (Clay Matthews, Ryan Pickett, Jermichael Finley, Mark Tauscher, Mike Neal, and Brandon Chillar) were held out of the Packers/Dolphins game due to injury.
With defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Mike Neal out, the Packers were so thin along the defensive line that they re-signed defensive linemen Michael Montgomery. Montgomery took Nick Barnett's roster spot when Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson decided to place Barnett on injured reserve.
Quick side note, Montgomery and suspended Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly were teammates at Texas A&M. Both guys have been working out together the last six weeks in Houston while being unemployed for different reasons. Jolly is suspended for the entire 2010 NFL season by the league while Montgomery is just not that good. Montgomery spent training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, so the most he can offer the Packers in terms of value is a copy of the Vikings play book at this point.
Anyhow, back to the Packers/Dolphins game. The Packers were forced to start C.J. Wilson in place of Ryan Pickett. You read that correctly, C.J. Wilson. That meant the healthy Packers defensive linemen against the Dolphins were B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins, C.J. Wilson, Jarius Wynn, and Mike Montgomery. The Packers were so thin at defensive line that they inserted back-up offensive lineman T.J. Lang on a few plays on defense.
With the Packers thin along the defensive line, the two-headed running back monster of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams got a bunch of carries. The Dolphins are proof that the two-back system can work in the NFL. Even if Packers running back Ryan Grant was healthy, having another quality running back would help the Packers immensely. With Ryan Grant out for the season, Thompson's decision not to trade for another running back looks downright foolish now. Let's say Marshawn Lynch was in fact a head case (despite rumors that Thompson was gunning for Lynch even before Grant got injured) then take a chance on another guy. The Cleveland Browns recently traded running back Jerome Harrison to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back Mike Bell. Are you trying to tell me Harrison was not available for a late draft pick?
Not only were the Packers thin at defensive line but All Pro in the making outside linebacker Clay Matthews (and his league leading 8.5 sacks) didn't play either, so the Packers struggled to create any pass rush. That gave Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne plenty of time to sit in the pocket and locate wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Another quick side note, the Dolphins would be much worse off if Ted Thompson picked the right quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft. For those of you that don't remember, Thompson picked Lousiville quarterback Brian Brohm one pick ahead of when the Miami Dolphins selected Michigan quarterback Chad Henne. As we all know by now, Brohm was cut last year in favor of quarterback Matt Flynn. That lead to me writing a post about whether Justin Harrell or Brian Brohm was Ted Thompson's worst draft pick. For a guy that "builds through the draft", Harrell and Brohm are two huge black marks on the resume for Thompson.
Let's leave those horrible personnel decisions and get back to the painful Packers/Dolphins game. Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake was a one man wrecking crew against the Packers. Wake tormented rookie right tackle Bryan Bulaga all game. Despite Wake having his way with Bulaga, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy refused to give Bulaga any help. As a result, Wake and Company sacked Rodgers 5 times and hit Rodgers 10 times. May be it is because Rodgers is getting hit more than he wants (although that was the case the first half of last year as well) but Rodgers been just a little off this year compared to last year. Through 6 games this year, Rodgers has thrown 10 TDs and 7 INTs. Through 6 games last year, Rodgers threw 11 TDs and 2 INTs.
Last year third down was a productive down for the Packers, but this year it has been a completely different story. Against the Dolphins the Packers only converted 3 of 13 on third down after a 2 of 13 performance on third down against the Redskins. Aaron Rodgers was automatic on third down last year, but this year things have been different on third down for Rodgers. Take a look at the stats:
- 2009: completed 67.5% of his passes, throwing 14 TDs and 0 INTs for a 133.5 passer rating.
- 2010: completed 53.5% of his passes, throwing 4 TDs and 4 INTs for a 65.6 passer rating.
Finally Packer punter Tim Masthay struggled again. In fact, 2010 Packer punter Tim Masthay has worse numbers so far this year then the horrendous Jeremy Kapinos did in 2009. The Packers need to invest in a quality veteran punter and special teams coach soon, otherwise it will be more of the same out of Tim Masthay and Shawn Slocum.
Despite all the negative things said above, there were a few positive things that came out of the Packers/Dolphins game. For one thing, Greg Jennings and Aaron Rodgers finally got on the same page. That was sparked by the Rodgers/Jennings 86-yard touchdown hook-up. On that play, Jennings beat Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis, one of the up and coming cornerbacks in the NFL.
Also the Packers have amassed a little less than 800 yards of offense in their last two games but only have 33 points and 2 losses to show for that. According to most professional bettors (I know that sounds like an oxymoron), yards are a much better indicator of a team's ability than points so may be things are looking up...
At the start of the season the Green Bay Packers were picked by a lot of pundits to win the Super Bowl. A ton of serious injuries (18 players have missed at least 1 game) later the Packers are 3-3 and the Super Bowl talk has come to a screeching halt. Let me play the optimist for a second. At 3-3, the Packers are only 1 game out of first place. I am convinced that 9-7 (may be even 8-8) will get you into the playoffs in the NFC this year so there is no reason to hit the panic button yet. Plus, the Packers are a few small breaks away from being 6-0. Lets turn each of the Packers' 3 losses into a win.
Packers/Bears Game: If James Jones holds onto the ball at the end of the Packers/Bears Monday Night game, the Packers most likely move down the field and score to win the game. Instead, the Bears got the ball back and Mike McCarthy inexplicably let the Bears run the clock out and kick a field goal with only a few seconds left in the game to win.
Packers/Redskins Game: If Mason Crosby makes either of the two (should have been three) field goals he missed against the Redskins, the Packers win that game. I put three in parenthesis because McCarthy should have attempted a field goal when it was 4th and goal from the 1 yard line up 7-0 against the Redskins. Any more points via Crosby's foot and the Packers win in regulation instead of losing in overtime to the Redskins.
Packers/Dolphins Game: If the referees eat the flag, as they should have, with the Dolphins punting to the Packers mid-way through the 4th quarter then the Packers probably win that game. As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out in a great blog post, the Packers got absolutely hosed on the Robert Francois special teams penalty.
See how I turned the 2010 Green Bay Packers' record from 3-3 to 6-0 with a few minor tweaks? Unfortunately, it is the little things that usually decide whether a team wins or loses a close game. Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, and Company have struggled to do those little things in close games which is why the Packers are 3-3 instead of 6-0. Just to drive the point home, in 39 career starts Aaron Rodgers is 1-11 in games decided by 4 points or less and 0-5 in overtime games. Mike McCarthy is 4-13 in games decided by 4 points or less and 1-6 in overtime games. Those are downright horrible stats, so what do the Packers need to do to fix it?
Despite all the injury troubles the 2010 Green Bay Packers have gone through, Thompson made only one trade before the NFL trade deadline. Not that it would matter for the Packers but isn't it crazy that the NFL trade deadline is so early in the season? I understand that the NFL does not want teams to trade away players for future draft picks if their season is going down the drain but the NFL trade deadline should be at least a few weeks later in the season. Players just became eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list so many NFL rosters are in flux with no ability to add players via trade.
Back to Thompson's one trade. Immediately following the loss to the Dolphins, Thompson sent a conditional 7th round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for safety Anthony Smith. Some will remember that Thompson cut Smith in favor of the perpetually disappointing safety Aaron Rouse at the end of the 2009 preseason. Throughout 2009 Thompson tried to reacquire Smith via the waiver wire, but was unsuccessful on two occasions. Well Thompson finally got Smith back, but is that enough to keep the Packers in the playoff picture?
Here is a little unsolicited advice for Ted Thompson. This week cornerback Al Harris, safety Atari Bigby, and running back James Starks are eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list. That means Thompson has to activate, cut, or place on injured reserve the aforementioned players in the next three weeks.
Of the three players, Al Harris should be put on the active roster immediately. Yes Harris is only 11 months removed from a serious knee injury but he is a physical freak. The Packers are in need of another physical freak this weekend when the face Brett Favre, Randy Moss, and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Lambeau Field. As a result of activating Harris, Thompson will have to cut a player from the 53-man roster. Thompson should cut offensive line prospect Nick McDonald. If McDonald clears waivers, put him on the practice squad where he should have been from the start of the season.
With the recent re-acquisition of Anthony Smith, Thompson can take his time with Atari Bigby. If Bigby is ready to play significant snaps this weekend then put Bigby on the active roster immediately. Thompson should cut fullback Quinn Johnson in favor of Bigby if that is the case.
Thompson still does not know what he has with the current running backs on the roster so there is no rush (no pun intended) to add rookie James Starks to the active roster right away. Plus, Starks has not played a live snap of football in over two years so the Packers should ease Starks back into the fold.
Finally Thompson has to buck his trend and sign a couple free agents that can contribute immediately. First, Thompson should sign a veteran free agent outside linebacker (i.e. Adalius Thomas) in place of rookie outside linebacker Robert Francois. Next, Thompson should sign a veteran middle linebacker (i.e. Abdul Hodge) in place of rookie middle linebacker Maurice Simpkins. After that, if Brady Poppinga has to go on injured reserve, Thompson should sign recently released (from the Detroit Lions) tight end/linebacker Spencer Havner for Havner's versatility alone. Finally, Thompson should sign a dedicated return man because Jordy Nelson/Pat Lee on kickoff returns is not working and Tramon Williams on punt returns is not worth the injury risk.
The advice is free for now, I can only hope that Thompson follows at least a few of the suggestions. Good luck to the Packers this weekend on Sunday Night Football against Brett Favre and the Vikings at Lambeau Field. I am going to the game so look for my notes next week on the blog.
Showing posts with label Randy Moss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Randy Moss. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Week 4 of 2010 - Packers/Lions Review & NFL Notes
I thought this space was going to be devoted to an in-depth discussion of how a lackluster win over the lowly Detroit Lions was a win nonetheless. Unfortunately with all the injuries and trades that happened in the last 72 hours, the game review will be brief. Following the game review, I will take an in-depth look at Morgan Burnett's season ending injury, Nick Barnett's potentially season ending injury, Randy Moss getting traded to the Minnesota Vikings, and Marshawn Lynch getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
Packers/Lions Revisited:
There were a number of players and plays that stood out from the Packers/Lions game but two players, Jordy Nelson (KR/WR) and Charles Woodson (CB), are worth talking about the most for two very different reasons.
Until week 4 Nelson was the John Kuhn of kickoff returns...nothing to fast or flashy but reliable. Every time Kuhn or Nelson have a long run or return, it feels like anyone off the street could have done the exact same thing. Well reliable went out the window against the Lions when Nelson fumbled twice.
I know I have talked about this a number of times but it is becoming borderline criminal that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson refuses to use the 53rd roster spot on a dedicated return man. Absent a run of catastrophic injuries to the offensive line, there is no way that Nick McDonald (53rd ranked guy in my pre-season rankings) will play a meaningful snap for the 2010 Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, every time the Packers field a kickoff or punt, they could have a dedicated specialist threatening to return it for a touchdown. Just to drive the point home, probably the biggest reason why the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI was Desmond Howard.
With the negative talk out of the way, Charles Woodson (and 5,000 Packer fans) made the regional sports illustrated cover this week. The aforementioned cover shows Woodson acrobatically capping his 48-yard interception return for a touchdown ("pick-six"). A number of interesting footnotes accompanied that play by Woodson, it was his: 3rd consecutive season with a pick-six against the Detroit Lions (NFL record), 8th pick-six as a Packer (broke Herb Adderly's club record of 7), 9th defensive touchdown as a Packer (team record), and 10th career pick-six (3rd all-time behind Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper). Woodson is challenging the late, great Reggie White for the best free agent acquisition in Packers' history. It would take two Super Bowl rings on Woodson's fingers to top White but since Woodson will be a Packer for the next 5 years he has a window.
Unfortunately the Packers/Lions game might be the like the Packers/49ers game from last year when the Packers lost two players to season ending injuries. It was Al Harris and Aaron Kampman against the 49ers...this year Burnett and Barnett might suffer the same fate.
Morgan Burnett:
Sometime during the Packers/Lions game rookie safety Morgan Burnett tore his ACL. Everyone is puzzled as to when the injury actually occurred but one thing is certain, Burnett is out for the rest of the 2010 NFL season. Burnett, a third-round draft out of Georgia Tech, showed flashes of flashed of brilliance (interception against the Bills) mixed with rookie growing pains (pass interference against the Bears that nullified a game changing interception). Paired with Nick Collins (one of the best young safeties in the NFL) Burnett was just starting to get comfortable when he suffered a season ending knee injury. So now the question is where the Packers go from here?
Former starting safety Atari Bigby is scheduled to come off the physically unable to perform list after week 6. It is questionable whether Bigby will be healthy enough to play right away since he has not faced live action in over 10 months. In the meantime, the Packers have two other reserve safeties on the roster (Charlie Peprah and Derrick Martin) and another reserve safety on the practice squad (Anthony Levine).
If Peprah can get fully healthy by Sunday then he will start opposite Nick Collins against the Redskins in Washington this weekend. If Peprah is unable to go, Martin is next in line. Finally, if Levine gets promoted to the active roster in place of Burnett, that is an indication that Bigby is not quite at full strength.
Nick Barnett:
Not to be confused with Morgan Burnett, starting middle linebacker Nick Barnett faces potentially season ending wrist surgery. Barnett (and his samurai sword) is the leader of the vocal leader of the Packers defense. With Brandon Chillar already injured, the Packers only have two healthy middle linebackers on their current roster: A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop. The Packers have former Arena Leaguer Maurice Simpkins on their practice squad but Simpkins is really only a short term solution. If Barnett is lost for the season, the Packers will be forced to make a trade or sign a free agent.
Barnett has been an integral part of the Packers defense since they drafted him in the first-round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Many Packer fans remember that Barnett suffered a season ending knee injury against the Vikings in 2008. After losing Barnett in 2008 the Packers imploded, losing 5 of their last 7 games.
If Barnett is able to continue, he only needs 8 tackles to break John Anderson's franchise record of 1,020 tackles. Unfortunately there is a small asterisk on that record though because tackles only became an official statistic starting in 1975.
Barnett is schedule to get a second opinion, hopefully he can gut it out and take care of the injury in the off-season. If losing Ryan Grant for the season seemed bad, as 2008 showed, losing Nick Barnett for the year would be a borderline season killer.
Randy Moss:
While still wearing the green and gold, Brett Favre lobbied on numerous occasions for the Packers to acquire Randy Moss. Favre finally got his wish to be paired with Randy Moss. Although Favre gets his chance to hook-up with Moss, albeit three years later than he hoped, this might not necessarily be a match made in heaven like it would have been in 2007. For the first time in a long time, Favre looks his age and Randy Moss is no fountain of youth.
Since Favre has held the Vikings hostage for the last year and a half, I am sure there was a clause in his contract that forced the Vikings to trade for Moss at Favre's direction. Would Vikings coach Brad Childress step in the way? No way, Childress and Company have become Favre's lap dog. By giving up a third-round pick for Moss the Vikings mortgaged their future to win now. That said, you have to give the Vikings credit for going all-in for 2010. With how old Favre looks, the Vikings knew this might be Favre's last season so they are going for it all, good for them.
Marshawn Lynch:
According to NFL sources the Seahawks, Packers, Eagles, and Patriots were vying for the services of running back Marshawn Lynch. As we all know by now, former Green Bay Packer front office employee and current Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider acquired Marshawn Lynch for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a conditional sixth-round pick (that could be a fifth-round pick) in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The good news is that Ted Thompson was actually involved in trying to acquire Lynch. The bad news is that the pupil (Schneider) outdid the teacher (Thompson). According to the aforementioned sources, Thompson offered a fourth-round pick and a borderline starter. This is pure speculation but based on the Buffalo Bills' offensive line issues, I am guessing the unnamed borderline starter was either Jason Spitz or T.J. Lang. Including Spitz is fine by me but if Lang was involved the Packers might have dodged a bullet by the trade failing to go through.
The Bills balked at the Packers offer because the Packers fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft will likely be 20 spots later than the Seahawks fourth-round pick. As a result, the source speculated that Thompson would have had to offer the Packers' third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Thompson was probably reluctant to part with a third-round pick because that has been fertile ground for him. Look at Thompson's third-round picks: Jason Spitz (2006), James Jones (2007), Jermichael Finley (2008), and Morgan Burnett (2010). Thompson used the Packers' 2009 third-round pick (along with two other picks) to move back into the first-round in 2009 to select Clay Matthews. Needless to say, Thompson has been successful drafting in the third-round.
Much like the failed acquisition of Randy Moss in 2007 and Tony Gonzalez in 2008, Thompson had a chance to "overpay" for Lynch according to his personal valuation but decided against overpaying. The failed Moss and Gonzalez acquisitions pale in comparison to the failure to acquire Lynch.
If rookie running back James Starks doesn't hit the ground running (no pun intended) after coming off the physically unable to perform list after week 6 then the groans are only going to get louder.
Will failing to acquire Lynch mean the Packers have no chance to win the Super Bowl this year, no. Does the failure to acquire Lynch make it much harder, yes. Bottom line, despite Lynch only being under contract through 2011, Thompson should have pulled the trigger and sent a 3rd round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Marshawn Lynch.
Packers/Lions Revisited:
There were a number of players and plays that stood out from the Packers/Lions game but two players, Jordy Nelson (KR/WR) and Charles Woodson (CB), are worth talking about the most for two very different reasons.
Until week 4 Nelson was the John Kuhn of kickoff returns...nothing to fast or flashy but reliable. Every time Kuhn or Nelson have a long run or return, it feels like anyone off the street could have done the exact same thing. Well reliable went out the window against the Lions when Nelson fumbled twice.
I know I have talked about this a number of times but it is becoming borderline criminal that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson refuses to use the 53rd roster spot on a dedicated return man. Absent a run of catastrophic injuries to the offensive line, there is no way that Nick McDonald (53rd ranked guy in my pre-season rankings) will play a meaningful snap for the 2010 Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, every time the Packers field a kickoff or punt, they could have a dedicated specialist threatening to return it for a touchdown. Just to drive the point home, probably the biggest reason why the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI was Desmond Howard.
With the negative talk out of the way, Charles Woodson (and 5,000 Packer fans) made the regional sports illustrated cover this week. The aforementioned cover shows Woodson acrobatically capping his 48-yard interception return for a touchdown ("pick-six"). A number of interesting footnotes accompanied that play by Woodson, it was his: 3rd consecutive season with a pick-six against the Detroit Lions (NFL record), 8th pick-six as a Packer (broke Herb Adderly's club record of 7), 9th defensive touchdown as a Packer (team record), and 10th career pick-six (3rd all-time behind Rod Woodson and Darren Sharper). Woodson is challenging the late, great Reggie White for the best free agent acquisition in Packers' history. It would take two Super Bowl rings on Woodson's fingers to top White but since Woodson will be a Packer for the next 5 years he has a window.
Unfortunately the Packers/Lions game might be the like the Packers/49ers game from last year when the Packers lost two players to season ending injuries. It was Al Harris and Aaron Kampman against the 49ers...this year Burnett and Barnett might suffer the same fate.
Morgan Burnett:
Sometime during the Packers/Lions game rookie safety Morgan Burnett tore his ACL. Everyone is puzzled as to when the injury actually occurred but one thing is certain, Burnett is out for the rest of the 2010 NFL season. Burnett, a third-round draft out of Georgia Tech, showed flashes of flashed of brilliance (interception against the Bills) mixed with rookie growing pains (pass interference against the Bears that nullified a game changing interception). Paired with Nick Collins (one of the best young safeties in the NFL) Burnett was just starting to get comfortable when he suffered a season ending knee injury. So now the question is where the Packers go from here?
Former starting safety Atari Bigby is scheduled to come off the physically unable to perform list after week 6. It is questionable whether Bigby will be healthy enough to play right away since he has not faced live action in over 10 months. In the meantime, the Packers have two other reserve safeties on the roster (Charlie Peprah and Derrick Martin) and another reserve safety on the practice squad (Anthony Levine).
If Peprah can get fully healthy by Sunday then he will start opposite Nick Collins against the Redskins in Washington this weekend. If Peprah is unable to go, Martin is next in line. Finally, if Levine gets promoted to the active roster in place of Burnett, that is an indication that Bigby is not quite at full strength.
Nick Barnett:
Not to be confused with Morgan Burnett, starting middle linebacker Nick Barnett faces potentially season ending wrist surgery. Barnett (and his samurai sword) is the leader of the vocal leader of the Packers defense. With Brandon Chillar already injured, the Packers only have two healthy middle linebackers on their current roster: A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop. The Packers have former Arena Leaguer Maurice Simpkins on their practice squad but Simpkins is really only a short term solution. If Barnett is lost for the season, the Packers will be forced to make a trade or sign a free agent.
Barnett has been an integral part of the Packers defense since they drafted him in the first-round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Many Packer fans remember that Barnett suffered a season ending knee injury against the Vikings in 2008. After losing Barnett in 2008 the Packers imploded, losing 5 of their last 7 games.
If Barnett is able to continue, he only needs 8 tackles to break John Anderson's franchise record of 1,020 tackles. Unfortunately there is a small asterisk on that record though because tackles only became an official statistic starting in 1975.
Barnett is schedule to get a second opinion, hopefully he can gut it out and take care of the injury in the off-season. If losing Ryan Grant for the season seemed bad, as 2008 showed, losing Nick Barnett for the year would be a borderline season killer.
Randy Moss:
While still wearing the green and gold, Brett Favre lobbied on numerous occasions for the Packers to acquire Randy Moss. Favre finally got his wish to be paired with Randy Moss. Although Favre gets his chance to hook-up with Moss, albeit three years later than he hoped, this might not necessarily be a match made in heaven like it would have been in 2007. For the first time in a long time, Favre looks his age and Randy Moss is no fountain of youth.
Since Favre has held the Vikings hostage for the last year and a half, I am sure there was a clause in his contract that forced the Vikings to trade for Moss at Favre's direction. Would Vikings coach Brad Childress step in the way? No way, Childress and Company have become Favre's lap dog. By giving up a third-round pick for Moss the Vikings mortgaged their future to win now. That said, you have to give the Vikings credit for going all-in for 2010. With how old Favre looks, the Vikings knew this might be Favre's last season so they are going for it all, good for them.
Marshawn Lynch:
According to NFL sources the Seahawks, Packers, Eagles, and Patriots were vying for the services of running back Marshawn Lynch. As we all know by now, former Green Bay Packer front office employee and current Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider acquired Marshawn Lynch for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and a conditional sixth-round pick (that could be a fifth-round pick) in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The good news is that Ted Thompson was actually involved in trying to acquire Lynch. The bad news is that the pupil (Schneider) outdid the teacher (Thompson). According to the aforementioned sources, Thompson offered a fourth-round pick and a borderline starter. This is pure speculation but based on the Buffalo Bills' offensive line issues, I am guessing the unnamed borderline starter was either Jason Spitz or T.J. Lang. Including Spitz is fine by me but if Lang was involved the Packers might have dodged a bullet by the trade failing to go through.
The Bills balked at the Packers offer because the Packers fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft will likely be 20 spots later than the Seahawks fourth-round pick. As a result, the source speculated that Thompson would have had to offer the Packers' third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Thompson was probably reluctant to part with a third-round pick because that has been fertile ground for him. Look at Thompson's third-round picks: Jason Spitz (2006), James Jones (2007), Jermichael Finley (2008), and Morgan Burnett (2010). Thompson used the Packers' 2009 third-round pick (along with two other picks) to move back into the first-round in 2009 to select Clay Matthews. Needless to say, Thompson has been successful drafting in the third-round.
Much like the failed acquisition of Randy Moss in 2007 and Tony Gonzalez in 2008, Thompson had a chance to "overpay" for Lynch according to his personal valuation but decided against overpaying. The failed Moss and Gonzalez acquisitions pale in comparison to the failure to acquire Lynch.
If rookie running back James Starks doesn't hit the ground running (no pun intended) after coming off the physically unable to perform list after week 6 then the groans are only going to get louder.
Will failing to acquire Lynch mean the Packers have no chance to win the Super Bowl this year, no. Does the failure to acquire Lynch make it much harder, yes. Bottom line, despite Lynch only being under contract through 2011, Thompson should have pulled the trigger and sent a 3rd round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Marshawn Lynch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)