Talk about victims of your success, Green Bay Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy might have had too much success too soon. A 14-4 record last year means going into this offseason thinking the Packers are only a player or two away from winning the Super Bowl. That may be true, but many variables play into the equation. First and foremost of course is whether or not Brett Favre will be back. If Favre returns the Packers motto obviously is “Super Bowl or Bust”, anything less in what would assuredly seem as Favre’s last year would be a disappointment.

McCarthy and Thompson might buy some time if Favre retires and Aaron Rodgers takes over at quarterback. Although Rodgers appears ready for duty, questions about his durability have arisen to go along with his lack of playing experience. I think Rodgers will be up to the task whether it be this year or next, but I just wonder what his state of mind will be if Favre comes back. He has been great for three years, can McCarthy buy one more year of patience out of him?

I believe that Thompson will likely stay the course and continue to build through the draft with the long term well being of the Packers firmly in mind. That is probably not the news the fans would like to hear, but Thompson is who he is and that means he will stick to his plan of building through the draft and just dabbling in free agency. Bottom line is I look for a quiet free agency period once again from the Packers.

Normally I would say if you are not getting better you are getting worse, but Thompson believes in getting better from within and so far, so good. However, and I say this in a good way because I know Thompson knows it as well, improving on 8-8 is one thing, improving on 14-4 is quite another. The Packers could lose more games next year and still be a better team, something we all need to keep in mind as next season plays out. I promise to do my best.

For the record, if I was Thompson my thought pattern would be if Favre comes back make a move, if not, stay the course. The Packers have the cap room that one big move wouldn’t kill them even if doesn’t pan out. Of course, Thompson would need to know whether Favre is coming back or not and we seem to be getting into one of those drawn out affairs again. I grant the man the time he needs, but I think he just needs the time to come to terms with the fact that he doesn’t really want to put forth the work it will take to play another year. It is always a harder decision to retire than it is to play, which is why the decision came quicker last year. And you have to wonder what kind of signals the Packers are sending Favre. Like “Brett, even if you come back, we need to get Rodgers some meaningful playing time”. I can’t see Favre going for that. Stay tuned.

More to come…

OK, Monday is not Thursday, but if somebody could turn off the damn snow in this city I would have more time. This is getting ridiculous. Anyway, lets talk football. There were a lot of good comments about the offensive free agents available, but things might get interesting on defense. Names like Lance Briggs, Jared Allen, Marcus Trufant, Asante Samuel top the list.

The Packers could use help at linebacker but Briggs isn’t a good fit and the only other guy probably worth signing is the Cardinals Karlos Dansby and he just got nailed with the franchise tag, which means the price is too high. Other than Kawika Mitchell, the rest are a weak crop. Look for Ted Thompson to look to the draft here.

Spending some of their cash on defensive end Jared Allen would be certainly be a wise investment, but the Chiefs probably won’t let him go, but if they do I would fully expect the Packers to be aggressive in the bidding. What a replacement he would be for KGB or Cullen Jenkins. The Packers have to decide what to do with Corey Williams as well. It would be nice to keep him in the rotation but with Johnny Jolly the likely starter next year Williams will probably look elsewhere and will certainly get an offer the Packers won’t match even if given the chance. Without Williams the Packers will likely look to a second-tier player like Justin Smith or Tommy Kelly. My guess is last year’s first round pick Justin Harrell is given the first opportunity to replace Williams.

In the secondary if New England doesn’t lock up Samuel, I would thank Charles Woodson for his two years of service and wish him well in future endeavors, then upgrade to Samuel. Wouldn’t cost the Packers’ hardly anything on the Woodson side because his contract was front-loaded big time and the addition of Samuel might put the Packers’ defense over the top. Woodson is old and hurt and should be replaced. Trufant would be cheaper and could also do the job. At safety there is not a whole lot of help available. I can’t see the Packers being interested in Ken Hamlin or Sammy Knight, maybe Gibril Wilson, but look for Thompson to again look to the draft at safety.

Allen or Samuel would be a Reggie White-like signing. Does Thompson have the brass to do it? Is that all it takes to get the Packers over the hump? A little pressure on Eli Manning, a little better coverage and toughness in the secondary and who knows what happens. The problem is there is still two weeks until free agency begins, plenty of time for their own teams to work out a deal.  I’d take either one.

More to come…

As I continue to look forward, the next step in the NFL offseason is free agency which begins in March. Here is a look at some players I think could help the Packers on offense.

While the Packers are probably not interested, there are some good running backs available. Michael Turner, Jamal Lewis and Julius Jones are three players that would be an upgrade over incumbent Ryan Grant. I’m not sold on Grant and if the price was reasonable I could see going after Jones. At the very least the competition would be good for Grant and an new environment might be just the thing for Jones to return to his 1000-yard form of two years ago.  Turner is going to require franchise-type money and the Packers aren’t that desperate with Grant on the roster and while Lewis would be intriguing, you just don’t know what you are going to get with a guy with that much milage. Look at Ahman Green last year, the Texans got about 250 yards out of a former dominating runner. I would like to see Jones added. You can’t stand pat with Grant and Brandon Jackson, competition must be added and Jones would do just that. It would be an interesting battle between two former Notre Dame teammates. Jones won that round, maybe Grant could beat him out now, it would be fun to watch.

There are some interesting receivers available in guys like Bernard Berrian and Patrick Crayton, but if there is one area I think the Packers can stand pat in it would be receiver. With Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Koren Robinson and Ruvell Martin, the Packers deepest position is arguably wide receiver. At tight end you might want some help but the only guy the Packers might be interested in is Marcus Pollard from Seattle, but he is 35 and probably not worth the risk. Maybe Ben Troupe would be of some interest. He was a second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2004 and caught 55 balls as a rookie, but hasn’t done squat since due mostly to injuries. I would think they take a look at him at least. But the Pack might just look for a tight end on draft day instead. I have to believe Bubba Franks days as a Packer have come to an end as well.

The one area the Packers need improvement on the most is the offensive line. Everybody knows about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Alan Faneca, who might be the best available free agent at any position. Faneca would immediately upgrade the Packers’ line by sending the inconsistent Daryn Colledge to the bench once and for all. The price tag may be too much for general manager Ted Thompson to absorb, but I sure hope he at least tries, especially if Brett Favre comes back. If you are going to make a one-year run with Favre, start with improving the offensive line. Jake Scott of Indianapolis would also be a nice addition, but the Colts will likely have something to say about that, because like the Packers, they like to keep their own. Ruben Brown of the Bears might come cheap and would be an upgrade for sure. As you can see, I’m focused on the guard position. I’m happy with Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton at tackle. Replacements need to be groomed however as both tackles are getting long in the tooth.

Thursday I will run down the free agents on defense. The Packers could use a few of those as well.

More to come…

This is getting ridiculous. I have to reengage. It’s like child care. Do you people realize that the the Packers lost to the Giants THREE weeks ago?! Let it go already. I forgot about it in three days. The Giants have already won the Super Bowl for cripes sakes.

I don’t want to hear about 29 yards rushing either. What does that have to do with anything? Come on, anybody who knows anything about football and the Green Bay Packers knows that the Packers are a pass first team. If they can’t pass, they sure as hell aren’t going to be able to run the ball. What part of the West Coast Offense don’t you understand?

One thing the loss to the Giants did is lay out the blueprint for how to beat the Packers. Take away the run and force Brett Favre to beat you. Ten years ago this strategy would get you beat 35-0. But with a soon-to-be 39-year old quarterback and without a running back like Ahman Green, it is the obvious way to go.

Finally, even if Favre comes back next year, there is no guarantee the Packers will be as good. Look at the Bears this year. 13-3 to 7-9 with the same team. Favre said the same himself in his last press conference. I am at looking at five years down the road. Are the Packers going to better holding back a young quarterback who can take them to same level in 2008 just to appease a legend to make a one-year run? Glad I don’t have to make that decision but if I did I would advise Brett to hang it up for the good of the team or accept a trade.

If you disagree with opinion, fine, but I have had enough of the name calling in this blog.  If you want to bring intelligent conversation, then fine, but if I see the words “idiot” or “moron” again I will be extremely tempted to delete those entries. Fight nicely or don’t fight at all. I’ll shut it down in a heartbeat no skin off my back.

It is not like I will be unhappy if Favre returns, how could I be? The guy is certainly the greatest Packer ever, might not have had the success he should have had, but no Packers’ player has ever been more popular. I’m just looking down the road. Why do you think San Francisco traded Joe Montana? They couldn’t keep Steve Young on the bench any longer and were looking toward the future. I’m not saying Aaron Rodgers is another Steve Young, but Young actually looked worse in his stint in Tampa Bay than Rodgers has in his few appearances in Green Bay. In fact, Rodgers looked great against Dallas in rallying the Packers from a 17-point Brett Favre induced deficit to a near win.

If you are looking at just one year, then yeah, you want Favre back. If you are looking at 2009 or 2010, you need to get Rodgers in the game. One guy said trade Favre, I would agree, but this is Green Bay and that kind of move would be the end of Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy. Not to say the Packers are stuck with Favre, but?

This will be my last comment on this matter. You know how I feel and it is what it is.

Now, like I have with my season in review offerings I am continuing to move forward. I think the Giants’ Super Bowl win was one of the greatest games of all time and should inspire the Packers in 2008. Not only is the NFC no longer the weak sister, it might be returning to at least a level field, if maybe not the dominance it had in the 1990s. The Giants and Cowboys are excellent teams, the Packers might go into 2008 as at least the second best team in the conference and Seattle and the up-and-coming Arizona Cardinals I also expect to be in the mix. The road to the NFC Championship will much tougher next year if you ask me. And don’t forget about the Bears.

Losing to the eventual Super Champs should be an emotional lift for the Packers in the long run and I think they will certainly be one of the teams contending for the Super Bowl next year. I think they have the makings of a real good team for years to come with some improvement on defense and most importantly the offensive line.

I am looking forward to this offseason. The Packers are close to a championship and a great Ted Thompson move here and there can make the difference. Look at the Patriots, even though they lost Sunday, the addition of guys like Wes Welker and Randy Moss took them from a conference championship game loser to the Super Bowl this year and almost the greatest team of all time. I think Thompson will make the move if he thinks it will help, he did sign key players in Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett via free agency, remember.

If you want to continue to look back at 2007, go somewhere else. I have moved on. Rip me if you must, but you have to come up with words better than “idiot” or “moron”. Trying to fake your intelligence won’t work either. Too much emotion, rub that sissy boy down with lotion.

More to come…

The Green Bay Packers were an astonishing 4-0 heading into their North Division showdown with the Chicago Bears in Lambeau Field. The Packers dominated the Bears for the first half and lead 17-7. The score should have been 31-7 had not for two fumbles in the red zone by wide receiver James Jones. A fact that would come back to haunt the Packers.

In the second half the took advantage of linebacker Brady Poppinga by using the tight end to pick apart the Packers’ defense. The Packers’ offense couldn’t do anything and a classic throw one up for grabs Brett Favre interception set up the tying field-goal and a 34-yard touchdown pass with a couple of minutes left sealed it. Favre’s hail-mary in the endzone was almost caught by Donald Driver, but the Bears had done it again. 4-1.

The Packers faced another upstart team in week six in the Washington Redskins and only a super play by cornerback Charles Woodson kept the Packers from a two-game losing streak. Looking back, that fumble recovery and return for a touchdown might have saved the season for the Packers. Who knows what two straight losses at home would have done to a young team’s confidence. Fortunately the old vet came through and the Packers were 5-1.

Speaking of old vets, in the Packers’ seventh game at Denver, another old vet saved the day, actually, two of them. The Packers played poorly and even still had the lead late in the game. The Broncos were driving for the game winning touchdown when KGB made a touchdown saving tackle from behind with just seconds on the clock. The Broncos settled for three to tie the game the rest is history. Favre, Jennings, touchdown. That play certainly has to go down as one of the greatest in Favre’s glorious career and certainly one of the best in NFL overtime history. A classic. 6-1.

The Favre-Jennings combination is getting stronger every week. Jennings’ 60-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter sparked a 20-point fourth quarter that sunk the Chiefs and kept the Packers’ train rolling. It was Brett Favre’s first win Kansas City just had it had been in Denver the week prior. The Pack was heading home to face the arch rival Minnesota Vikings with an amazing 7-1 record. I was flying high, much like the city of Green Bay. Amazing how that seems so long ago.

I’ll try not to be so long before the final two quarters. Computer problems set me back a day or two.

More to come…