It’s been eerily quiet at 1265 Lombardi Ave the last two weeks. Not that there’s ever a hoard of news coming from the Green Bay Packers during the first few weeks of free agency, but with some seemingly big holes on the defense at CB and ILB, one might have expected a minor signing at least. perhaps a B-C grade player to help fill out the depth chart at those positions. Not.
Of course, this should come as no surprise to anyone, as the Packers are perhaps the ultimate draft and develop team in the NFL, and have shown year after year their willingness to go with very young rosters, and have had great success doing so.
Can anyone really argue with their methods after six straight playoff appearances? Well of course they can. For some, playoff appearances don’t mean anything unless there are Super Bowl wins involved and one isn’t enough. The battle cry is “you’re wasting Rodgers’ prime years!” To which I say, hogwash!
Being in contention for the playoffs year after year is an extremely difficult thing to do in the NFL, where change is more and more abundant every year. This year was downright insanity with the return of NFL player trades in a big way, in addition to major names changing teams in free agency.
To have the Packers in a position every year to make a Super Bowl run is an accomplishment that too many take for granted. That doesn’t mean I agree with everything the Packers do or will ever hesitate to be critical when I think it’s warranted, but those issues are at the micro level. On the macro level, I can’t help but be impressed and grateful of the “Packers’ Way.”
Packers News, Notes and Links
- From the “some people need to get a life” department, Aaron Rodgers actually was taking flak from some sectors for cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA tournament. Rodgers lashed back via twitter.
- Now that he’s free of playcalling duties, as promised, Mike McCarthy is spending more time on defense and special teams. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives us McCarthy’s thoughts on who needs to step up, Matthews at ILB, Julius Peppers and more…
- Speaking of play calling, Silverstein brings us another piece on how Mike McCarthy’s decision is merely following a trend in the NFL of giving veteran QB’s more control at the line of scrimmage.
- The Packers will be rolling out new throwback uniforms this year, so get those credit cards ready to buy more “merch.”
- Here’s a nice summary of the Packers 2015 free agents status from Tex Western over at Acme Packing Company.
- If you love the Packers AND the NFL Draft, here’s something you’ll want to have in your possession. Every year, CheeseheadTV puts out an NFL Draft Guide geared to the Packers’ needs, wants, scheme fits, etc. Some of the top writers from various Packers sites participate, in addition to your truly. For three more days, you, can get it at the bargain price of $6.99 (April 1 it goes up to $8.99). At any of those prices, it’s a bargain. Please support our efforts and order your copy here.
Non Packers links and other Nonsense
- If you’ve never seen this, you must watch. Led Zeppelin, being honored at the Kennedy Center, watch with delight and amazement as Heart (with Jason Bonham on drums) does a killer rendition of Stairway to Heaven. The looks on the faces of Plant, Page and Jones says it all.
- Sticking to that topic, here’s Jimmy Page talking about the writing of Stairway to Heaven.
- As if Russian hackers are not irritating enough, it seems they also are in the business of professional “trolling.”
- If you’re a fan of chocolate and a fan of wine, this one is for you:
- Almost had your March Madness bracket blown up by Notre Dame? Here’s a recap of how Kentucky pulled out the win.
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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“…one might have expected a minor signing at least. perhaps a B-C grade player to help fill out the depth chart at those positions. ..”
We only have C and C+ guys on the DL and ILB so why rush to sign replacement or depth guys early in FA when the same types will be available later for even cheaper…don’t spend more for equal and not have the cash to spend for better if that comes about and if it doesn’t…status quo and some think it enough to get into playoffs.
“For some, playoff appearances don’t mean anything unless there are Super Bowl wins involved and one isn’t enough. The battle cry is “you’re wasting Rodgers’ prime years!….Hogwash.”
Whether some do or don’t agree with that statement or feeling to date,if Rodgers and the Packers don’t win anymore SB’s it will certainly be viewed as the wasting of prime years and will certainly force a hit on his ranking among the greats.
There is no denying that winning many Division Championships and a near yearly entrance to the show to win the show is a daunting task as witnessed by other teams constant failings lead us to accept,but when you have ‘that guy’ and then ‘the guy’ for the number of years that the Packers have had with not one but two for twenty+ years and don’t achieve the ultimate prize more than has been,failure will become the choice of description down the road in history.
Yes,die hard fans will deny but the fact sheet,not a stat sheet,will be a constant reminder of those who won more than two of the best GB ever had no matter the date the fact sheet is viewed. 🙂
People keep looking at TT aversion to bring in Free Agents, calling it draft and develop. Look, every team drafts and develops. Now about lack of free agent signings; people applaud TT reasoning that the draft and develop method is what got us so successful. But this is simply bad reasoning and conclusion. The real reason GB has been successful is having MVP quarterbacks. There are plenty of repeat-success teams which bring in quality FAs, like Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Colts and Broncos just to name a few. Those are every bit as much “draft and develop” teams, but know when to bring in FAs. So there is no proof that TT’s rather extreme aversion to FA (and people like to call draft and develop) is responsible for GBP past success. MVP quarterbacks is thee #1 reason.
I would assume that the separation of the Packers from other teams that have been as equal or more benefactors of success yearly in regard to the Draft and Develop ideology must also include the UDFA success rate and not failing to mention the number of players who have never played for another team other than the Packers.I believe this number is the answer to why the Packers are deemed the best D&D team under TT. But,as like with Rodgers,the other teams have pretty good QB’s also which allows the counter thinking/assumption that FA works as well as D&D.
The final part is not how you get the players but what you are able to get them to achieve.
Teams obsessed with FA are eyed only to trying to get what a player has done before where D&D has teams trying to get players to do what they haven’t yet done.Reap the benefits of their play while upside is still there and not when it’s on the decline for a price tag in the ridiculous. 🙂
“Almost had your March Madness bracket blown up by Notre Dame? ”
Actually, almost had my bracket SAVED by Notre Dame. Oh well…
I would like to hear that Raji and Guion have been resigned. It doesn’t seem possible to address all the defensive needs in this year’s draft. Also, I would have liked to see them make a run at that Cowboys inside linebacker.
Micro, macro, Hogwash! GB’s lack of Super Bowl appearances is primarily due to poor drafts in ’11, ’12, and a so-so draft in ’10. I see a lot of need picks in those drafts. Shoring up a position in FA with a C or B level FA would have allowed TT to draft to the strength of each draft rather than reach. I would suggest that career ending injuries to Collins and Bishop, and the injuries to Bulaga, Sherrod, Green, Franklin and arguably Datone and Perry also hurt.
Reynoldo – Agree on the injury issue and the drafts. I see the lack of SB’s since the 2010 SB win this way. 2011 – WE have the #1 seed and the league MVP at QB. But I think 3 factors worked against us that year, our defense wasn’t good enough to get us all the way, Rodger’s was rusty after a 3 week lay off before the NYG game and the Philbin tragedy. I am not sure that an FA or 2 would have made a difference against the Giants, since our offense was held in check by the Giants D and Rodgers being off his game that day. In 2012, again our D was not ready for Kaepernick and he was able to run right through them. Maybe an FA or 2 may have helped our D stop Kaep or possibly we would have earned a better seeding, which may have made a bigger difference. 2013, too many injuries, no way for better seeding. Again, it’s possible an FA signing on defense would have made a difference in the 49ers game if whoever it was had managed to stay healthy. But I think even if we beat the 49ers it would have been difficult to make it to the SB given the overall poor play of our defense in 2013. 2014, we didn’t make it because again Rodgers was injured for the Seattle game. However, it is possible that an FA signing on defense, especially at ILB may have gained us a win against Buffalo or Detroit earlier in the season and we could have earned the #1 seed which would have been huge against Seattle even with Rodgers injury. Or may have kept the defense from collapsing against Seattle in the final 4 minutes. The problem is that it is all speculation and we’ll never know. At least TT signed Peppers and Guion in 2014 and both made an impact during the season and the playoffs. Still hope that we re-sign Guion and an ILB at least for depth. Thanks, Since ’61