Sounds like Thompson is OK with who they have even if the GB media isn't
Thompson sees no setback
GM isn't uncomfortable with loss of Green
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 5, 2007
It may turn out that the Green Bay Packers were the smart ones with regard to running back Ahman Green.
Ahman Green is all smiles after agreeing to a contract with the Houston Texans.
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Thompson: GM sees no setback
But they won't know that until the 2007 season is over.
Right now, they face two questions that must be answered: Should they have raised their offer in order to retain Green; and, who replaces him in the backfield?
General manager Ted Thompson did not characterize Green's loss as a major setback for the Packers, but he made it clear he did want the 30-year-old running back on his roster. The Packers set a price for Green and tried to get him to take it before free agency started, but it turned out to be much lower than the four-year, $23 million deal the Houston Texans offered Sunday.
Thompson said he's perfectly comfortable with Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, P.J. Pope and Arliss Beach and didn't feel compelled to make a major move. But he said he would consider signing a veteran.
But, letting Green get to the open market sealed the Packers' fate because with most of the league swimming in cap space, it was almost guaranteed Green would get a better offer. The Packers continued to negotiate with Green up until the time he agreed to terms Sunday with the Texans, but they never met his price.
"I don't know if you ever know," Thompson said Monday when asked if he had done the right thing. "I think with many things you have discussions and evaluations and - and we do this with everything we put our hands on, good or disappointing - have a self-evaluation. And we'll do that.
"We made it clear that we would like to have him back and he said he would like to come back. But once free agency starts, it's a moving target. Apparently, he had a nice visit and that clinched it for him."
The money was a big factor as well.
According to Green's agent, Joby Branion, Green will receive a total of $8 million this season, including $6.5 million in bonuses, $12.5 million over two years and $18 million over three. The Packers were mostly concerned with the first year because they weren't sure how many seasons Green had left and refused to go much over $5 million.
Green gave the Packers an opportunity to match the offer, but they refused. Had they raised their offer earlier - before the start of free agency - it's possible they could have signed Green.
"They made a strong play at the end," Branion said of the Packers. "Hindsight is 20-20. Everyone was speculating what the market would be like. They held the cards prior to free agency as is the case with any team with a pending free agent. If you get that done (a deal) you don't risk having what happened."
Thompson put a value on Green and stuck with it. The Packers have $21 million in salary cap room and could have afforded to meet Green's demands, but Thompson's philosophy has been not to overpay, which in this case seemed inevitable given the market.
Asked if the Packers erred in not getting Green signed before free agency, Thompson said: "We haven't gotten there. We'll certainly go back and review and see where we might have done better. But you just do that anyway."
Branion said money wasn't the only factor in Green choosing the Texans. Former Packers coach Mike Sherman, now the Texans' offensive coordinator, convinced him the 6-10 Texans were a team on the rise.
Plus, Green liked the idea of running in Sherman's offense, which incorporates both the zone-blocking system he played in last year and the power-gap system in which he had his best seasons in Green Bay, under Sherman.
"That right there, I just felt real comfortable with it," Green said. "It was a big part of my decision. With learning the zone blocking scheme last year with (Packers coach Mike) McCarthy, and prior to that knowing what I know in terms of the power game and the counter game with coach Sherman, it's an ideal mix. It's a good little thing that I can't wait to be a part of."
The next phase for the Packers is to find a suitable replacement.
The Packers touched base with Tennessee free agent Travis Henry before he signed with Denver and have been in contact with Chris Brown, another Titans free agent.
Other options include free agents Dominic Rhodes, Corey Dillon and T.J. Duckett, trade candidates Willis McGahee of Buffalo and Tatum Bell of Detroit, and soon to be released Oakland running back Lamont Jordan.
"I don't feel we absolutely need someone," Thompson said. "Like with any other position, if we see someone who interests us, we'll pursue that."
