Green Bay Packers: Not That Far Off

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

On its surface, the 2008 season appears to have been an unmitigated disaster for the Green Bay Packers. After the Packers made the NFC Championship Game the season before, fans painfully watched the Brett Favre retirement/unretirement/stick-it-to-Ted saga play out, and then got to see new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers play well before the team fell apart around him.

Unlike past seasons, where capable veteran players were let go in the name of fiscal sanity, the Packers don't have any impossible decisions to make this offseason. Instead, there are a couple free agents to deal with, and they pick ninth in the first round. With such a high pick, plenty of cap room, and no internal free agents to be terribly worried about, general manager Ted Thompson has a lot of ammunition to use in his efforts. The goal: Improve a team that really isn't all that far away from becoming a contender again.

Free Agents: S Atari Bigby (RFA), WR Shaun Bodiford (RFA), CB Jarrett Bush (RFA), TE Tory Humphrey (RFA), DE Jason Hunter (RFA), RB John Kuhn (RFA), WR Ruvell Martin (RFA), DT Colin Cole (UFA), DE Mike Montgomery (UFA), OL Mark Tauscher (UFA)

Draft Picks: 1 (9); 2 (41); 3 (73, 83); 4 (105); 5 (137); 6 (169)

Needs

1. Defensive line. With Dom Capers coming in to run the 3-4, the Packers are going to have to re-tool their defensive line. Aaron Kampman is going to move to outside linebacker in this new scheme, and the linemen go from a playmaking role to being asked to simply take up space and help stop the run.

2. Secondary depth. I expect Bigby to be back, and he'll join returning starters Al Harris, Charles Woodson, and Nick Collins. Harris is probably on his last legs, and Woodson is no spring chicken. Anyone who watched Tramon Williams get set on fire by opposing wide receivers can understand the need to beef up the depth at cornerback. With Bigby having been hurt for much of 2008 and Collins also having some history of getting nicked up, it's equally important for Thompson to upgrade at safety.

3. Tight end. I tend to think Jermichael Finley will turn into a good player, but he showed in his rookie season that he has a long way to go. Donald Lee doesn't do much for me, so it would be wise for Thompson to make a move for a guy like restricted free agent Owen Daniels. Getting Rodgers a legitimate pass-catching threat down the seam would make a huge difference in what is already a pretty good offense. After all, they still have weapons like Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, along with emerging youngster Jordy Nelson , at receiver.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-20-2009 @ 7:45PM

John said...

Get off the Brett-Bashing aready, Bruce. TT was in the middle of that BS, and you know it. The bottom line is Green Bay is not going to be a contender until your buddy Ted is gone. He is a notoriously bad decision maker, and Mike McCarthy is no better. As for Aaron Rodgers, he's a good quarterback, but he is not a Favre, Manning or Brady. He's got a lot to prove before he can be. He can start by winning some close ones. When he said met his goal of starting all 16 games when he lost 10 of them doesn't ring with greatness.

2-22-2009 @ 3:56PM

Hey, bruce - do you think you might have wasted ink on this piece? I responded to you ill-reported comments two days ago and nobody else cares!

2-23-2009 @ 9:05AM

speedrnnr said...

Defensive line, huh? Didn't TT draft Harrell in Round 1? But he always hurt, right? Great pick. Why do we need Owen Daniels? Maybe because TT couldn't draft one. How about Rodgers? He cost us that Tampa game w/ 3 picks! Ok, so, one of those may not have been completely his fault...BUT he could have audibled out of it too...he is far from a great qb and FAVRE would have taken us higher than 6-10. TT needs to go NOW - he sucked in Seattle, he sucks in GB!

2-26-2009 @ 1:35PM

dino said...

Ted Thompson has had enough time to mold this team. If you ask me, he has done an average job so far. Now this may be the year where it all changes. Capers was a great hire and exactly what this defense needs. Now TT has to put the talent there for the defense. We will see what TT's plans are in the upcoming months when free agency and the draft are completed.

2-26-2009 @ 11:13PM

cranium07 said...

NOT SO LONG AGO,I HEARD OVERUSE OF THE WORD,OVER RATED,TARNISHED,ETC. DEAR BRUCE,DONT YOU THINK ITS A LITTLE EARLY FOR PREDICTIONS FOR A ROOKIE,ABOUT TO START A SECOND SEASON.I HAPPENED TO BE A MEDICAL IMAGING SPECIALIST WITH OVER TWENTY YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A LICENSED,CERTIFIED
MRI/CT TECHNOLOGIST. I FIND IT HUMOROUS AS A FAN OF FOOTBALL,THAT OVER TWENTY FIVE YEARS I WATCHED THIS TEAM,NON FRANCHISE OWNED,BANKRUPT,
WITH VERY LITTLE TALENT,YEAR AFTER YEAR,LOSS AFTER LOSS,I MEAN TERRIBLE. I SAW THE ONE PLAYOFF LOSS IN THE FIRST ROUND MANY YEARS AGO.
ENTER THE NO NAME WHO WOULD MAKE THIS WASTE OF A TEAM A WINNER,CHANGE THE GAME,PROVE THAT ONE MAN,YES ONE MANCOULD SAVE A TEAM,FINANCIALLY AND
MAKE A WINNER OF A COMPLETE LOSER,NEVER MISSING WORK,NOW YOU ARE A WRITER,OR AS IT SEEMS,ONE WITH A PERSONAL VENDETTA?AT HALF SEASON WHAT TEAM LOOKED FEROCIOUS/WHO WAS SLATED TO BE A FOUR TIME MVP? NO NAME/HOW ABOUT LIL MISS BEATING GEORGIA,ALABAMA ETC,BREAKING FINGERS WITH A 70 MPH PASS,ASK ERLACHER.NOW LETS TALK ABOUT A NON-LEADER,WITH MORE INJURIES IN COLLEGE THAN ANY ACTIVE PLAYER,AARON WHATEVER,THE GUY WHO GOT A HUGE CONTRACT AT THE SIX GAME MARK,
EVER HEAR OF THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT,
THE WORST OF ALL KNEE INJURIES WHEN TORN,WITH A LESS THAN 50 % SUCCES RATE WHEN REPAIRED,JASON SEEHORN,ETC,ETC.YOURE HIGH DUDE,THIS GUY WILL PLAY AT THE MOST FIVE SEASONS,THIS IS A FACT. A WIN IS A WIN,ALMOST IS NOTHING AT ALL.AS THE PROFITS FROM FAVRES REIGN DWINDLE,SO DOES THE PACK,BACK TO A LOSER.THAT IS WHY THEY OFFERED HIM MILLIONS FOR EACH APPEARANCE,THEIR MERCHANDISING TOOK A 47 PERCENT HIT,THE JETS GOT THEIR MONEY BACK IN TEE SHIRTS ALONE,I KNOW. ALSO
YOU TARNISHED YOURE RECORD AS A WRITER,AARON ROGERS EARNED NOTHING,NO SHOOTOUT,FOF FEAR OF FAVRE,TO ALL PACKER FANS ROGERS IS GLUED TOGETHER,TRUST ME I KNOW,BRETT EARNED HIS REP.,PICKS,WITH 300 GAMES AND A RATIO,ELWAY THREW MORE PICKS,YOU SUCK BRUCE

2-28-2009 @ 9:41AM

You are right on! I predict Aaron Whatever will go down this year with a game-missing injury. But don't worry, Bruce and all the other sports writers will blame offensive line for that.