BeaverCleaver said:
CletiusMaximus said:
BeaverCleaver said:
CletiusMaximus said:
I think if fans read that quote and accept it for what it is at face value, there will be much less surprise and angst on draft day when the Packers draft someone that isn't in the top 25 according to Kiper or Maycock.
If he wants a player that isn't viewed as a top #25 player I sure hope he trades down to select that player. He will have some solid options at #9 this year and the reality is this team needs an impact player on defense.
I don't think there's much worry that Thompson won't trade down for value if he gets the opportunity. The point is that whether a player is "viewed as top #25" is in the eye of the beholder, and we know that what Kiper and others view as a top player won't matter much to Thompson (and most other NFL GMs) on draft day.
That's the only point of my comment - don't be surprised on draft day if you have to look into round 2 or 3 on your beat-writer's NFL draft guide to find the guy Thompson picks.I'm sure everyone remembers when Thompson passed on Chad Jackson to get Gregg Jennings and Jason Spitz. I believe the comments on this board were all focused on how Bellichik had "schooled" Thompson in that deal. I'm not saying that Thompson was a smarter football guy that day than were Bellichik/Pioli, just that there was a lot of pointless angst throughout Wisconsin when we missed on the great Chad Jackson and ended up with a nobody according to football geniuses like Dr. Z and Bob McGinn.
That is all well and good as the draft moves on. There is a HUGE difference about making a reach at #9 then trying to compare it to taking Jennings in the 2nd round at #52 overall. Kiper liked the pick of Jennings as did many Packer fans.All one has to do is remember the reach TT made in the first round for Harrell. That pick was questioned by many more people than Jennings.
So....as much as you always support TT are you saying you won't have any problems if he drafts a projected round 2 or 3 player at #9 overall?
I guarantee I will not get excited or agitated, up or down, with the Packers' draft pick - which is the point I was trying to make. I'll pick up the paper Sunday morning and read about the guy they picked and then put it aside. I don't think this is anything unusual. Its fun to talk about the draft and who we like and don't like, but in the end its pretty meaningless offseason banter. I remember 2003 when everyone was lauding the Jets for giving up picks to move up and get Dewayne Robertson (cut by the Broncos last week); meanwhile, the Vikings were the laughing stock of the league after their bumbling selection of a different DT - Kevin Williams. There are a ton of stories and memories like this regarding draft day.Harrell is a good example of a player that really has to produce this season for Thompson to save any face with that pick. It was a risky pick - not because Mel Kiper didn't have him on his board in the first round - but because he didn't play his senior year and came in injured and has more or less been injured ever since. Every GM has their hits and misses and that pick will obviously be a huge negative for Thompson if he doesn't make an impact this season.
Turning to free agency, here is what Thompson said last Friday. I would again advise fans to take these words at face value when discussing the Packers offseason moves in the FA market:
"I think we react in free agency if we think there's value there, we think it's something we will add something to our team then we're going to try to pursue it. And we are cognizant of the fact that if you make an investment in free agency then that comes with a cost. There's going to be a player or two players or something within a year from now that you won't have because you made that investment. Now, if it's worth it, it's worth it. But everything comes at a cost."
"I still think it's a very valuable tool and I think it's a tool that's best used to address specific needs that you have. We've done that in the past. The two prime examples are Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett. We think they did exactly what we wanted them to do and maybe more. They're good players and they're good in the locker room and the whole structure fit into what we were trying to do. If you go outside those bounds then the problems tend to get bigger."
Reading these words, consider the Raiders hype we all remember from last summer, when they signed DeAngelo Hall, Gibril Wilson and Javon Walker. Hall didn't even make it to the end of the season, Wilson was cut earlier this year and Walker will reportedly be cut soon. Combined, they will still cost the Raiders over $15mil. in salary cap money this season.