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As Lombardi turns 99, NFL still thriving – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – Vince Lombardi would be 99 today.
When the National Football League’s greatest coach died Sept. 3, 1970, at the age of 59, the league had just conquered the color barrier. Unfettered free agency for players was non-existent. The Super Bowl trophy was called just that – the Super Bowl trophy – only to later become known as the Lombardi Trophy.
The AFL-NFL merger was just kicking off that fall.
Monday Night Football was still several years away.
Billion-dollar TV contracts were unheard of, and the possible long-term health problems associated with playing football weren’t considered.
So much has changed since the great coach’s passing.
However, I would argue that for all its differences, the NFL still bears enough resemblance to its pre-merger days that Lombardi and his methods would be relevant.
Lombardi would thrive, just like the league has, for several reasons.
First, Lombardi was a tremendous communicator. He could get his intended message across with scant room for misinterpretation. He knew what he wanted from his assistants and his players, and just as important, they knew it, too.
For all of the portrayals that paint Lombardi as a screaming lunatic, the fact is he was much more complex than that. He understood and treated his players as individuals, but never at the expense of the team. He explained the methods behind his madness – when necessary – and his dynamic and sometimes combustible personality were assets.
Players of any era, I believe, respond to passion. That’s especially true so long as the passion also brings credible, valuable information that can help a player improve his career path.
Lombardi was a dominant personality, an alpha dog in today’s vernacular, but he also was a deep thinker. He didn’t talk to hear himself talk, and he didn’t shout simply for shouting’s sake.
He had a purpose. The purpose was to improve the team.
Lombardi’s ability to effectively communicate was powerful because he had something to say that was worth hearing. Forget what you read about players being lazy. The vast majority want to improve. They want to be coached. They want to be led.
What they detest is being misled, or being made to look foolish on the football field because they got bad or useless information from a coach. That’s when doubt creeps in, mistrust sprouts and defeat sets in.
Lombardi’s ability to communicate was guided by unwavering convictions. He demanded that the game be played a certain way, and he shared his vision with his players in crystal clear fashion. It didn’t mean he was always right, but it surely lessened the possibility of confusion.
Along with his ability to communicate, Lombardi also was an uncanny judge of character and talent. His ability to project college running backs such as Herb Adderley and Bob Jeter into all-pro cornerbacks is just one example. In today’s NFL free agency, and the draft, I suspect Lombardi wouldn’t make many mistakes.
Lombardi turned Willie Davis from a so-so offensive tackle into a perennial all-pro defensive end. He drafted Dave Robinson to play linebacker, rather than tight end. Robinson did both at Penn State.
Lombardi had a gift for talent evaluation.
That gift was augmented by his humanity.
He was among the first NFL coaches to oppose racism. He took it head on with a zero tolerance approach. He made it clear that the best players – whether white or black or gay – would play for him. If a player didn’t like it, he could pack up and hit the road.
He was a complex man. He also was a man for all ages.
Lombardi would be 99 today. After a bit of time to get reacquainted with what the NFL has become I’m guessing Lombardi would be impressed.
I also think he would approve.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
On Rodgers, Favre and being a Packer for life – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – Donald Driver wants to be a Packer for life. Aaron Rodgers wants to be a Packer for life.
Brett Favre wanted to be a Packer for life.
I suspect anyone who has ever played for the Packers – at some point – wants or wanted to be a Packer for life. In the context of “life” being defined as the balance of a player’s NFL career even the loathsome Jim McMahon wanted to be a Packer for life.
For McMahon, it was about collecting a paycheck, getting a Super Bowl ring and hitching a ride to the White House so he could flash President Clinton with the Bears’ jersey cleverly hid beneath the green and gold.
For Favre, it was much the same reason as Driver and Rodgers: He loved playing for the Green Bay Packers. He loved the fans. He loved the small-town feel. He loved the ability to go deer hunting, if only for a few hours, the day before a home game.
Favre loved the Packers and vice-versa.
I recall interviewing Brett for an article in the Packers’ Yearbook. It was circa 2003, before Irvin Favre’s death, before Mike Sherman’s departure, before Aaron Rodgers’ arrival, before the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings and all the rest.
Brett and I were standing on Lambeau Field near the tunnel to the home team’s locker room. It was a sunny early summer day, much like any of the recent days in Green Bay, with the team’s OTA’s in full swing.
Favre scanned the empty stadium, soaking up the sun along with everything that is wonderful about the place, and he said, “I couldn’t imagine ever playing for another team.”
Favre pointed to the tunnel and wondered aloud, “Could you see me come running out the tunnel, let’s say, in San Diego playing for the Chargers? Could you see me in a Raiders’ uniform? Could you picture me wearing a Cardinals’ uniform?
He didn’t wait for a reply.
“Me neither,” he said, wrinkling his nose.
Back then, the likelihood of Favre suiting up for any other NFL team seemed somewhere between none and non-existent.
Last week, Driver professed his love of the Packers in word and deed. He said so and he followed it up with agreeing to take a pay cut. The contract restructuring doesn’t guarantee Driver a roster spot. It merely insures the opportunity to earn one.
For Driver’s sake, and his fans’ sake, I hope he retires a Packer.
The sentiment for Rodgers is the same. However, the receiver and the quarterback are in different stages of their career.
Driver is still charming and capable, but he also is near the end.
Rodgers, equally captivating in his own way, seems on the verge of sustained greatness. Rodgers says he wants to be a Packer for life, and his fans shake with delight.
They can’t imagine Rodgers throwing touchdowns for another NFL team like they couldn’t imagine Favre doing likewise.
Look at Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. In 2009, Brees led them victory in the Super Bowl. He was the king of the Big Easy. Brees wasn’t the Saints’ quarterback. He was the Saints, period.
Now, Brees and the Saints are locked in a difficult contract negotiation. Common sense suggests each has too much to lose to blow it up. Then again, when has common sense dictated all the action in the NFL?
Surely, it warms Packers’ fans hearts to hear Driver and Rodgers espouse their enduring love of the team. That’s because the thought of them playing elsewhere is painful, just as it Favre’s exit hurt.
Sadly, with one retired (Favre) and two to go (Driver and Rodgers), the reality of “life” in the NFL suggests McMahon likely will be the only one of the four to retire as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
Here is a well-intentioned though unsolicited suggestion: Enjoy Driver and Rodgers for as long as the Packers have them. Just try not to be crushed if the definition of “life” in this context shifts between now and then.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
In praise of The Donald, and why #80 remains relevant – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – Now that Donald Driver has danced his way to stardom everybody wants to know: Will the Packers save the last dance for him?
Interest in Driver, and affection toward him, is at an all-time high.
Driver’s compelling appearances on “Dancing With The Stars” enthralled a national TV audience that extends beyond Packers’ fans. Viewers of all walks were captivated by Driver’s charm and won over by his amazing life.
Imagine this: After 13 NFL seasons, 735 catches and 59 touchdown receptions, Driver has become an overnight sensation.
The 37-year-old’s victory on “DWTS” is especially engaging because it comes at a time when Driver’s “day job” hangs in the balance.
What will the Green Bay Packers do?
Will they keep him? Will they cut him?
If they keep him, some will suggest he’s a charity case. If they cut him, others will say the Packers’ GM and head coach weren’t loyal.
In fact, neither would be true.
If the Packers’ Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy elect to keep Driver on the 53-man roster, rest assured it won’t be due to any sentimentality. The Packers didn’t become a team of the present, and future, by making uninformed, emotion-based decisions. If they can cut a player as likeable and skilled as Nick Collins, they can cut anybody.
On the other hand, if Thompson and McCarthy elect to cut Driver, it doesn’t make them disloyal or ungrateful or villains.
It means they are doing their jobs.
Some fans are so focused on expressing “their opinion” that they haven’t taken the steps to form an opinion worth hearing. That said, if the Packers ultimately waive Driver, all it will take is a few wins to wash away the discord.
The simple fact is this: If Driver didn’t bring value to the Packers, rest assured he would have been cut yesterday.
Furthermore, now isn’t the time to make this decision.
What happens if – God forbid – there is a catastrophic injury at receiver?
What happens if the collective receiving corps continues to be thwarted by a case of the drops?
What happens if Diondre Borel and/or Tory Gurley flinch in the spotlight? What happens if they simply aren’t good enough? They wouldn’t be the first.
What happens if the tight ends and/or offensive line suffer a major setback? What happens if Jermichael Finley doesn’t dominate, or if Jeff Saturday grows old overnight? What happens then?
Donald Driver is what happens.
He brings value in so many ways. Occasionally, it’s because of the things he doesn’t do.
He doesn’t groan and moan if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t throw him the ball. He doesn’t gripe about his contract – in fact, he is willing to play at or near the veteran’s minimum salary. He doesn’t make it about him.
What he does is lead by example.
Whether he can still play at a level high enough remains to be seen, but that’s nothing new. Every year the challenge is great.
When McCarthy talks about the 2012 Packers being “the most talented and experienced” team he has coached it is because of players such as Driver. When McCarthy talks about “the great competition” he also is talking about players such as Driver.
Veterans like No. 80 will be pushed, or pushed out.
It is the way the best NFL teams operate. It is how the Packers operate.
So the question remains: What will be Donald Driver’s fate? Will the Packers save the last dance for him?
The answer is fairly obvious.
If one of the Packers’ young receivers proves to be as good as Driver, the veteran will be waived. If Driver sustains any setbacks in training camp, he will be waived. If his play remains clearly better than any of the contenders, or mitigating circumstances demand it, he stays.
My best guess is a young receiver emerges and the offense remains powerful though Driver-less for the first time since 1999. Translation: The Packers play in the Super Bowl and Driver plays in Cleveland.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
Ten things (I think) I know about the Packers – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – It has been a long, trying offseason for the NFL.
The New Orleans Saints’ “Bounty Program” and subsequent stories, including the eight-game suspension of Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, coupled with lawsuits filed by former players against the league, have been front and center.
Meantime, the Packers go about the business of getting back to the Super Bowl. There isn’t a lot of fanfare, and scant little hype. There haven’t been many big stories surrounding the Packers. Recent headlines in the state media have been pretty ho-hum.
For example, safety Charlie Peprah intends to retain his starting job at safety. Really? And here I thought he would just hand it over. Another headline, “Brett Favre to be inducted into Packer Hall of Fame.” That was revealed during the Packers’ Tailgate Tour. No surprise. The real question – when? – was not addressed.
In light of the slow news, I am presenting readers with a list of “Ten Things (I think I know) about the Packers.”
Number 10: At least one and perhaps more players will emerge from the Packers’ ranks of the undrafted. It is a routine offseason occurrence. In 2010, it was cornerback Sam Shields who caught fans’ eyes and earned a spot on the final roster of a Super Bowl champion. So did punter Tim Masthay and the aforementioned Peprah.
In 2011, corner M.D. Jennings, running back Brandon Saine and several other undrafted free agents contributed.
Who will it be this year? Nic Cooper, a fullback from Winston-Salem State, and corner Otis Merrill from Illinois State might be the next undrafted free agents to make their mark. Rest assured, some will.
Number 9: The Packer Hall of Fame Golf Outing, which takes place Monday, July 9, is my favorite golf outing of all-time. Every ex-Packers player that can make it does so. It makes for a star-studded list of men that qualify as friends to Packers’ fans. Packers’ greats such as Willie Davis, Dave Robinson and Lynn Dickey are always great to see. It makes for a memorable day, and a terrific show on 107.5 FM The FAN from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with all the wonderful player interviews.
Number 8: I think Jerel Worthy wearing No. 99 is a good thing. A tough, rugged NFL defense should have a kick-butt player who wears No. 99. One of the Packers’ more recent No. 99, Jamal “Too Small” Reynolds, didn’t quite cut it. Worthy certainly has the size and pedigree to make No. 99 stand tall and proud.
Number 7: The defense is better. It has to be. Worthy, Nick Perry and Casey Hayward in addition to the later defensive draft picks and undrafted free agents infuse the defense with talent and physical prowess it sorely lacked. The attention GM Ted Thompson paid to that side of the ball is going to bear fruit.
Number 6: Aaron Rodgers is the rare great player who not only can get better, but actually will get better. Count on it.
Number 5: The Packers are putting a lot of faith in running back Alex Green. It is one position that failed to be addressed in the recent draft. It shows that Thompson isn’t giving up on Green, and that last year’s third-round draft pick from Hawaii still figures in the team’s plans. Green has to because it’s up to him, James Starks and Brandon Saine to carry the load out of the backfield.
Number 4: When Anthony Hargrove’s suspension ends, the veteran defensive end is going to contribute in a big way. Hargrove and others involved in the Saints’ “Bounty Program” – in my opinion – were given much too harsh punishment. The commissioner should have placed great blame and responsibility on the men (Gregg Williams, Sean Payton, etc.) who ran or allowed the programs, not the players.
Number 3: When the Packers hired Mike McCarthy over Brad Childress, Sean Payton and others in 2006, they got the pick of the litter.
Number 2: The Packers will win fewer games in 2012 but be a better team than in 2011. Count on it. Thompson and McCarthy have invested major time in making this a more-rounded team. They generally accomplish what they set out to do.
Number 1: I can’t wait for the start of training camp, and the Milwaukee Brewers aren’t helping the situation.
Stay tuned, and have a safe, reflective and fun Memorial Day Weekend.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
Rookie, free agent talent pool key to Packers’ success – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – Packers coach Mike McCarthy seemed pleased with his players’ progress during this past weekend’s three-day rookie camp.
McCarthy especially liked what he saw in Sunday’s final gathering.
“Today was our best practice,” McCarthy told reporters afterward. “The tempo was the best we had of the three. I really felt the practice environment for the team as a whole got better through the weekend. That’s a credit to the players and a credit to our coaches.”
McCarthy said his team “actually finished a little ahead of schedule” coming off the practice field.
“I don’t think that’s ever happened for a rookie orientation camp,” he said. “They were flying around (Sunday).”
The three-day camp included eight draft picks, 14 undrafted free agents and 29 tryout players. McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson met immediately after the final practice to begin determining which of the tryout players would fill the final four spots on the 90-man roster.
McCarthy’s desire to get his young players up to speed as quickly as possible is twofold: It hastens the young players’ development, and it allows the veterans to hit the field running when voluntary OTA’s (Organized Team Activities) begin May 22.
The Packers had a league-high number of rookies and first-year players on their roster last season, according to the team.
“The way our program is designed tells you how we feel about young players,” McCarthy said. “We’ve been a draft-and-develop program going on Year Seven now. It’s a young man’s league, in my opinion. I think that’s a trend that potentially is only going to pick up, so it would not surprise me if you continue to see those numbers.”
So where on a team coming off a 15-1 season do young players have the best shot to stick? Opportunity exists in the receiving corps, to be sure, as well as along the offensive line and in each of the three levels (defensive line, linebacker and secondary) on the defense.
At receiver, Donald Driver appears to be the most vulnerable.
Driver enters his 14th season playing a position not known for its longevity. Whether he fends off young wideouts such as Tori Gurley and/or Diondre Borel remains to be seen. Typically, an aging veteran must be clearly better – rather than the equal of – a possible successor.
Thus far, Driver has been able to prevail over all comers, but that may change for the wildly popular “Dancing With The Stars” contestant.
“Gurley and Borel stood out and that’s what you expect,” McCarthy said. “It’s a camp that you don’t have a lot of contact. You look for their skill set, what they bring to the table, how they fit, the potential for a roster spot. There are definitely a few guys that’ll have a chance to stay.”
Offensive line depth is critical. Florida State’s Andrew Datko seems a strong candidate for the 2012 practice squad, but it’s still early.
Defensively, the top three picks (linebacker Nick Perry, defensive lineman Jerel Worthy and cornerback Casey Hayward) are in position to earn significant roles and playing time.
Who stays and who goes remains to be seen, but McCarthy takes pains not to prejudice himself. It is a wise course. All too often factors such as injuries can transform a position of great depth into a position of need.
“I don’t concern myself with (roster spots) in May,” he said. “Create the competition and your roster will come to you. I don’t chase roster moves in May and June. I don’t ever try to pick the team this early.”
Indeed, it isn’t for the head coach to chase roster spots this early.
That concern is left to the Donald Drivers of the team, and the young players who dream of supplanting them.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
May 7: All eyes on 2012 draft, but Packers need help from 2011 in a big way
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GREEN BAY – The general rule of thumb is that it takes three NFL seasons to accurately evaluate a team’s draft class.
The thumb isn’t always right.
There are instances when educated conclusions can be drawn early on. For instance, there is the Green Bay Packers’ 2011 rookie pool, and the educated conclusion is this: They are critical to the team’s success this season. With them, the Packers could be a complete team. Without them, the Packers will be severely limited in several key areas.
After one season, eight of GM Ted Thompson’s 10 draft picks from 2011 are still on the roster, which means they are still projected – if not expected – to contribute in a meaningful role.
They are: First round – Derek Sherrod, offensive lineman, Mississippi State; Second round – Randall Cobb, receiver/return specialist, Kentucky, second round; Third round – Alex Green, running back, Hawaii; Fourth round – Davon House, cornerback, New Mexico State; Fifth round – D.J. Williams, tight end, Arkansas; Sixth round – D.J. Smith, linebacker, Appalachian State; Seventh round – Ryan Taylor, tight end, North Carolina; and Seventh round – Lawrence Guy – defensive end, Arizona State.
That is a lot of young players with key roles on a 15-1 team that returns as a Super Bowl favorite among Las Vegas odds-makers.
Five of the eight contribute either on offense or special teams.
All are areas that Thompson couldn’t address for two reasons: The defense – like an emergency room patient – demanded immediate attention; and these areas all were tended to in the previous 2011 draft.
Thompson’s greatest strength may be his ability to evaluate talent. His second-greatest strength may be his ability to stay true to his evaluations, and therefore the players, rather than falling in love with the quote/unquote “next great player” in the upcoming draft.
While all eyes are on the Class of 2012 and its potential to re-energize the team’s sagging defense, the 2011 group’s performance is critical.
Everything the Packers didn’t get in this year’s draft was accounted for in last year’s. Think about it. The Packers’ need for defense superseded any needs on offense or in the return game.
Fortunately, Thompson’s 2011 draft covered those areas.
Now it is time for second-year players such as Sherrod, Green, House and Williams to step into critical roles at their positions.
Sherrod, who is recovering from a broken leg, was hurt by the NFL’s lockout last offseason. Consider SI.com’s pre-2011 draft evaluation:
“Sherrod has been a consistent player at Mississippi State and possesses all the skills necessary to develop into a left tackle at the next level. He’ll need time to physically mature and add strength to his frame, but he is one of the better blind side tackle prospects in this draft.”
Fate didn’t allow Sherrod’s body the time it needed to develop last season. Now, he has had a full offseason to gain the necessary strength. The Packers are counting on him to provide depth, if not eventually become the starting left tackle.
Green, a powerfully built 6-foot-1, 220-pound athlete, is coming off a knee injury. Reports are that he is fully healed and ready to assume a role as the third-down back in the Packers’ offense.
Some may have preferred a smaller, quicker, more elusive player in that role – a Darren Sproles type – but Green’s limited offseason a year ago stunted his growth. He spent too much time thinking and not enough time reacting until a knee injury ended his season.
Green, I suspect, will surprise fans with his explosion this time around.
While Packers’ fans marveled at Cobb’s exploits in the return game last year, it should be noted that both Green and Cobb were timed at identical 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash last year.
Green has the necessary burst to add punch to the running game, especially as a threat to catch it out of the backfield. Here is SI.com’s 2011 pre-draft analysis of Green:
“Green is a physically gifted ball carrier with the athletic skills and running abilities to make it at the next level. He offers potential as a second back in the NFL if he rounds out his game and carries the ball with more physicality.”
Give Green a chance.
Next up is House, a cornerback, who was beset by an array of injuries during training camp. House, like Green, was a victim of circumstances but shouldn’t be dismissed. Here is SI.com’s pre-draft evaluation:
“House is a talented player who has been productive on the college level. He comes with a great amount of upside and has starting potential in the NFL if he is able to fine-tune his game and consistently do the little things well.”
Fine tuning comes through repetition. House is a big corner (six feet, 200 pounds) who runs a 4.42-second 40-yeard dash. He is being counted on to compete with rookie Casey Hayward as a dime defensive back, and also to bolster the special teams’ coverage units.
For those who are skeptical of the pre-draft reports, please consider what SI.com had to say about Cobb:
“(Cobb) is a versatile skill player who positively affects the offense in a variety of ways. Shows terrific quickness, has a burst of speed, and is dynamic handling the ball. (Cobb’s) a fluid receiver who comes back to the pass out of breaks, easily adjusts to the errant throw, and possesses both soft and strong hands. He plays with intelligence.”
That sounds a lot like the player Cobb has become in Green Bay. The Packers need Sherrod, Green and the rest to do likewise.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ MVP Parties the evening before home games.
Packers draft for defense, more defense – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – Ted Thompson would take an oath that he drafts based upon his board, rather than need, but nobody seems to believe it.
Well, believe it.
The Packers’ general manager drafted for defense, defense and more defense in last weekend’s 2012 NFL draft. The picks weren’t based upon need, though, because Thompson was aggressive.
He didn’t reach for a position of need. He simply traded up to the point in the draft where the Packers’ need and his board merged. It didn’t make a liar out of Thompson, and it may have cured what ails the team.
In the first round, Thompson sat tight and waited for USC linebacker Nick Perry to fall to the 28th pick. By refusing to panic, or worse, to reach, Thompson acquired a top 20 talent at the team’s most critical position of need. And he did it by being patient.
Perry, at 6-3 and 271 pounds, is a beast. He ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, and he tossed up 225 pounds an impressive 38 times without breaking a sweat. He can rush the passer, and he can set an edge, and most important he can play.
Perry is strong enough to avoid being steamrolled by opposing offenses, and he is fast enough to chase down plays from behind should they choose to attack Clay Matthews.
He gives Packers’ defensive coordinator Dom Capers options, and he makes it really difficult for offenses to load up on Matthews.
The Packers’ likely selection, according to nine out of 10 mock drafts, was Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin. Six weeks ago, reports said Thompson was high on McClellin. My guess is that prompted several NFL teams to take another close look at McClellin. The Chicago Bears must have liked what they saw and selected him at No. 19.
The Bears may have reached given McClellin’s serious concussion history. Frankly, I was glad the Bears took him and Thompson didn’t have to make that call. In fact, I believe Thompson would have selected Perry over McClellin anyway, based on the fact that Thompson DID TAKE PERRY at No. 28.
Then, in the second round, Thompson got acutely aggressive.
He traded up not once, but twice to ensure quality over quantity.
The first came when Thompson traded up to get the 51st pick, which guaranteed the Packers one of two players: Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead or Michigan State defensive lineman Jerel Worthy. Pead went to St. Louis at No. 50, so Thompson jumped on Worthy.
Worthy, a 6-foot-2, 308-pound stud, was projected by many so-called experts to go in the mid- to late-first round. Worthy has strength and power against the run, and definite pass rush capability. One of the knocks was against his motor, which some believe runs hot and cold.
I will say this for Worthy: Twice against the Wisconsin Badgers’ highly rated offensive line he was dominant. He stood out against the best competition, which means he loves to rise to a challenge.
Then, in the second round, Thompson traded up to acquire the 62nd pick, meaning he would get either Oregon running back LaMichael James, or Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward. When the San Francisco 49ers took James, the Packers countered with Hayward, who was highly regarded by a significant number of scouts.
Again, it is my guess that Thompson could have been happy with either.
The Packers’ one need on offense – a speed back – didn’t get satisfied. But an occasionally woeful Green Bay defense got a terrific infusion of youth, speed and strength in the first two rounds.
Obviously, any GM can trade up to acquire a specific player. The trick is to get the correct player. By being aggressive, Thompson parlayed 12 picks into presumably a handful of quality players.
In the final analysis, the Packers were fortunate USC’s Nick Perry was there for the taking at No. 28. Then, they relied on their scouts’ talent and hard work to target high second-round players to stoke the defense.
Now that Thompson’s and his scouts’ work is done it is time for Phase 2 of the Packers’ operation to kick in: The player development side.
Rest assured Dom Capers and Co. can’t wait to get to work.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
Packers’ pass rusher – like pass blocker – may come in later rounds – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – When last seen in a Green Bay Packers uniform a gimpy but game Chad Clifton battled bravely for most of three quarters to keep himself and his quarterback upright.
That was in the Jan. 15 NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants at Lambeau Field.
Clifton, who turns 36 in June, ultimately succumbed to back pain and was forced to vacate his left tackle post for the final time.
Today, the Packers waived Clifton after he failed his physical.
It likely signals the end of a terrific 12-year run for “Cliffy” – the gentle giant from Tennessee – whose greatness was defined by more than a decade’s worth of unwavering work ethic and understated excellence.
From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterbacks didn’t have to play while looking over their left shoulder pad.
They didn’t have to. They knew Cliffy had their back.
Today, that supremely critical task in the Packers’ pass-potent attack falls to … whom?
In a perfect NFL world, last year’s first-round draft pick, Derek Sherrod, would slide into left tackle and everyone would live happily ever after. That’s the fairy tale version.
The reality is Sherrod, who turns 23 today, is still recovering from a potentially devastating broken right leg. After an underwhelming start to his NFL career, Sherrod suffered the injury Dec. 18 at Kansas City.
Recent reports suggest Sherrod’s nerve damage wasn’t as serious as initially feared, and that he will undergo a complete recovery.
That prognosis – while uplifting – is a far cry from Packers coach Mike McCarthy being able to pencil in Sherrod as the starting left tackle.
That leaves arguably the second-most critical position on offense – aside from the quarterback – to Marshall Newhouse.
The 2010 fifth-round draft pick from TCU received little fanfare upon his arrival. No one in the media touted him as the heir apparent at left tackle. In fact, Newhouse’s initial claim to fame was being related to Robert Newhouse, the powerful fullback of Dallas Cowboys’ lore.
Of course, Newhouse’s steady improvement has changed all that.
Newhouse, at 6-foot-4, 319 pounds, now enters the 2012 season as the top contender to replace Clifton at left tackle.
It begs the question: Where would the Packers be if Newhouse hadn’t been drafted by GM Ted Thompson, and he hadn’t been developed by McCarthy and his staff?
The answer: The Packers would have to be seriously considering selecting a first-round offensive tackle for a third straight draft. Bryan Bulaga, the team’s first-round pick in 2010, is the starting right tackle. Sherrod is in limbo. Clifton is gone.
Whether Newhouse excels remains to be seen, but his production and potential suggest the situation at left tackle is far from dire.
Newhouse was taken with 169th and final pick in the fifth round in 2010. Only four offensive tackles were selected later. None has been close to the player that Newhouse has been early in his career.
Dallas selected Notre Dame’s Sam Young at No. 179. Young, now in Buffalo, played in four games for the Bills last year.
Baltimore chose Ramon Harewood of Morehouse with the 194th pick. He has yet to start for the Ravens and his roster spot is in jeopardy.
Chicago nabbed J’Marcus Webb of West Texas A&M with the 218th pick. Webb started 16 games for the Bears last season. His play was erratic if not awful. Webb, according to Pro Football Focus, allowed 12 sacks – second-most among all NFL tackles. He also was flagged for 15 penalties, which was third-most in the league.
Washington took Selvish Capers of West Virginia at No. 231. Capers, now with the Giants, appeared in zero games for New York last year.
By correctly identifying Newhouse, and subsequently developing him, the Packers retain the latitude to select a pass rusher with the 28th pick in Thursday’s first round of the draft.
Even if the Packers go a different direction with that pick, Newhouse’s presence should bolster Packers’ fans hopes that Thompson and his scouts – plus with McCarthy and his coaches – will find a pass rusher.
It may be late in the first round, where they nabbed Bulaga, or it could be late in the fifth round, where they chose Newhouse.
The fact that Green Bay has options, and flexibility, is a testament to Thompson’s draft acumen and McCarthy’s player development.
So while the Packers’ 28th pick is the sexy selection, and it might produce the team’s next top-flight pass rusher, it isn’t the end of the world if Thompson chooses a cornerback, for example.
That pass rusher, like Newhouse the offensive tackle, just might come long after the first-round fanfare subsides.
The bottom line: When Aaron Rodgers drops back to pass his fans care nothing of the left tackle’s hype or pedigree or which round he was taken. They only care that Rodgers has ample time to deliver.
It’s the same with the pass rusher opposite Clay Matthews. They don’t care who he is or where he came from. They only care that Matthews no longer sees double-teams in his sleep, and that the opposing quarterback is hit, hurried and harassed into submission.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
Thompson needs to find quality, not quantity in upcoming NFL draft – Packers News @ PFT
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GREEN BAY – When discussing the National Football League draft, former Packers GM Ron Wolf said GM’s are like baseball players.
Hit .300 and you get Hall of Fame consideration.
If Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson is going to be considered in Hall of Fame terms, he needs to hit it big in the upcoming draft.
Thompson hit a home run in 2009 when he traded up to select USC linebacker Clay Matthews with the 26th pick.
That was two drafts ago. Two drafts, by the way, that produced safety Morgan Burnett (third round, 2010) and little else to help the defense.
Bryan Bulaga, the top selection in 2010, quickly developed into an above-average right tackle. But Derek Sherrod, last year’s top pick, struggled before breaking his leg in a Dec. 18 game at Kansas City.
A swing-and-a-miss by Thompson in the first round of this year’s draft likely means Matthews is going to be seeing double-teams in his sleep. A Packers’ defense that surrendered the most yards in NFL history can’t be expected to show significant improvement with the current personnel.
Matthews needs help. So do B.J. Raji and Charles Woodson.
Packers’ defensive coordinator Dom Capers needs help.
Capers can’t be expected to baffle NFL offenses with smoke and mirrors when a pass rush and run defense are what’s required to do the job.
Thompson’s likely draft strategy seems evident.
The Packers’ GM’s first obligation is to contemplate all possible trades up to acquire a top-flight – at least in the Packers’ scouts’ minds – pass rusher to bookend with Matthews and balance the defense.
For example, if Illinois’ defensive end Whitney Mercilus (6-4, 254) drops into the late teens or early 20s of the first round, Thompson seriously must consider trading up. That holds for Alabama linebackers Courtney Upshaw (6-2, 265) and Dont’a Hightower (6-4, 269) should either inexplicably take a draft-day tumble.
If none of the projected top pass rushers falls, or at least none that are to Thompson’s liking, the plan is clear at No. 28
No, it isn’t “selecting the best player on the board.”
The Packers have no need for a quarterback, receiver, running back or tight end, especially in the draft’s early rounds. Once those positions are ruled out it leaves the best available pass rusher unless there is still available a significantly higher-rated cornerback or safety.
Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (6-3, 192) or Crimson Tide safety Mark Barron (6-2, 218) are possibilities if Thompson and Co. has either rated significantly higher than the remaining pass rushers. Another long shot is Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones (6-5, 265) at No. 28.
If Thompson is sitting with the 28th pick, one option may be Boise State’s Shea McLellin (6-3, 258) as a pass rushing outside linebacker.
What I wouldn’t look for Thompson to do is trade down. Acquiring more draft picks isn’t going to solve the Packers’ most pressing need. That is an impact pass rusher to twin with Matthews. It is possible Thompson could mine gold in the mid- or late-rounds, but that would be a very dangerous approach to solving the team’s greatest weakness.
The Packers enter the draft with 12 selections – eight of their own plus four compensatory picks that can’t be traded.
That’s more than enough ammunition to move up in the first round and get a top-flight pass rusher, and to improve the overall depth, especially at running back, linebacker and the secondary.
The Packers have several things going for them entering the draft.
They don’t need a quarterback, receiver, running back or tight end in the early rounds. They have enough to offer to move up, and if not, they’re still likely to add a quality defensive player with the 28th overall pick.
My best guess is the Packers trade up, select Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus, and get ready for Day 2 of the NFL draft, with Thompson one clean hit closer to being a .300 hitter.
Chris Havel is a Packers News expert and national best-selling author. His latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’ Player Autograph Parties the evening before home games.
