Silverstein Goes 0-2 This Week

(Actually, 0-3 if you count the Jarrett Bush nonsense...)

Tom Silverstein is having a tough week over at the JSOnline Packers Blog. (Well, 'tough' if my opinion matters, which, of course, it doesn't...) Today he tries to justify his criticism of Thompson's lack of involvement in free agency by pointing to the plethora of signings made so far this offseason by the New England Patriots, telling his readers how smart the Patriots are in utilizing free agency as a tool to augment the bevy of high draft picks the Patriots also have at their disposal. 

This is all well and good, but ultimately either disingenuous or obtuse. (Is it deliberate? ;) )

The Patriots and the Packers are light years apart in terms of how they are going to be viewed by free agents. Matt Bowen makes all the points I was making in my head while reading Silverstein this morning. The Patriots have a Hall of Fame bound coach and quarterback that have won multiple Super Bowls. Belichick only added to his mystique by directing the Patriots to an 11-5 record after losing Brady in the first quarter of the first game of the year.

Compare that to what the Packers have on offer. A young quarterback who's career record is 6-10 and a head coach who has presided over exactly one winning season. Three Super Bowl championships and multiple winning seasons and playoff appearances it is not.

The Packers have a long way to go before players like Fred Taylor, Joey Galloway and Shawn Springs want to sign up for a reduced rate to come play for McCarthy and company. 

 

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Comments (12)

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Ron La Canne's picture

March 17, 2009 at 03:47 pm

Yeah, the Packers just jumped in to the FA market with both feet. They signed that great DE M. Montgomery for two years. I can't F!@#ing believe this. First Bush now Montgomery. Does that idiot TT think the Packers were 10-6 last year? THEY WERE 6-10!

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PackerAaron's picture

March 17, 2009 at 04:31 pm

Ron, you can keep having mini-heart attacks but it won't change the fact that Thompson clearly thinks the main problem with his team was the defensive coaching staff. I tend to agree with him. Just calm down. You're going to run out of indignation before the first mini camp at this rate... ;)

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WoodyG's picture

March 17, 2009 at 07:33 pm

Hey Ron,
The Pack did sign a FA. Montgomery. Somehow I have the feeling that if Monty had played for say Dallas or the Giants, you'd be thrilled.
You can't help but admire how the Patriots conduct their business. They seem to be able to keep their draft picks, draft well, sign FAs selectively without going into salary cap hell & most importantly win.
However, in the last ten years they have won 3 SBs & none in the last 4 years. This is the best rate but still a paltry 30%. People react to the Patriots like they've won the last 7 or 8 SBs. Take away 1 player for a season & they're not even a playoff team. How good is that??

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PackerAaron's picture

March 17, 2009 at 08:12 pm

Well stated Woody. I would point out that the Patriots are able to stay out of 'cap hell' because those FA vets all come to NE at reduced rates just to play for Belichick and the chance to go to a Super Bowl. If the Packers win a few, I'm sure FAs will flock to GB as well...

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L.A.'s picture

March 17, 2009 at 09:54 pm

"Only" three Super Bowls in the last ten years?

Four Super Bowl Appearances in eight years.

Five AFC Championship appearances in eight years.

And they did go 11-5 last year and missed the tiebreakers for the playoffs.

Not a losing record in eight straight years.

The Pats won their first SB in 2002. That is just eight seasons ago. I'm the absolute last person to ever speak on behalf of the Pats, but there's a point where I think we start getting absurd with minimalizing them.

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Shootz's picture

March 18, 2009 at 07:21 am

If Madden has taught me anything, it is that if I were the Packers' GM we would have blown all our cap space, traded away every pick that another team would take in exchange for some big name playmakers but I'd still be throwing my controller at the TV, so to speak. I wouldn't want to get to the point where we can't resign or need to cut guys that have worked hard and performed well for us in the past just because we have some new, overpriced talent on board. If we could have had Gonzalez for a third or a second or we could still grab Haynesworth for a single pick it could bolster our side and their chances for the future but it's not worth losing our minds over.

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Shootz's picture

March 18, 2009 at 08:49 am

Apparently I'm also a bad GM because I typed Haynesworth when I meant Peppers. Although I suppose I'd have a Personnel Director for those details.

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Ron La Canne's picture

March 18, 2009 at 12:42 pm

Well said LA! I see the rebirth of "The Pack Will Be Back" mentality beginning to surface. No matter what shlub Forrest, Lindy, Bart, et. al. picked up in the draft it would be the savior and put the Pack over the top. That was a period of time from 1968 until 1995. 27 years! We have but one winning season in four for our GM. Why will this year be different than last?

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PackerAaron's picture

March 18, 2009 at 12:50 pm

"Why will this year be different than last?"

Dom. Capers. Why is this so hard to understand? The Packers have gone from a defensive line coach who got lucky and was handed the reins who was obviously in over his head to one of the best defensive minds in the game. Mark my words, the defense will be light-years better this year than last...

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Ron La Canne's picture

March 18, 2009 at 03:23 pm

As you know I think Capers was the best possible selection they could have made. However, a coach can't get on the field. He can motivate and that is a big thing. But to motivate you need to have players with emotion enough to repond. So far they have not changed the personnel equation. And after they just extended Hunter, yes Hunter, I'm feeling less confidence in a coaches ability to overcome the wall of ..... let's just say their Wonderlick's are not too good.

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ReadyforSomeFB's picture

March 20, 2009 at 10:28 am

Thank you CHTV, There's finally a place to read where it isn't all about name calling and TT bashing. Interesting at all times. People can disagree without getting lambasted. Love it. I happen to agree with the Dom Capers comment...I have hope. And here that doesn't make me an outcast.

BTW thanks for the followfriday. Can't find too many foodball nuts over there. But I am a twitter virgin and don't know how to do anything much.

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PackerAaron's picture

March 20, 2009 at 01:50 pm

Thanks very much RFSFB. Kind words indeed.

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