Vegas ups Packers’ odds with Favre back
If the Las Vegas oddsmakers are to be believed, the Green Bay Packers will have a better chance to be a Super Bowl contender with Brett Favre than they would without him.
But even with Favre, the Packers won’t be expected to do much during the 2006 season.
Shortly after the Super Bowl in February, the Packers were listed as 45 to 1 odds to win the NFC championship and 100 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl.
That was when Favre’s future was in question. Even though it’s known that Favre will play this season, no one is exactly considering the Packers to be favorites, even in their own division.
As of Wednesday, the odds made a considerable shift. The Packers now have 30 to 1 odds to win the NFC championship and are 60 to 1 to win the Super Bowl. While that is a large upswing, the odds indicate that if Favre had retired, the Packers would be expected to finish last in the NFC North. With Favre returning, they’re still picked to be no better than third. The Chicago Bears are 15 to 1 and the Minnesota Vikings are 30 to 1 to win the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions, at 90 to 1, are picked to finish last.
“With Brett coming back, we expect to be a better team than we were a year ago,” Packers General Manager Ted Thompson said. “We think we’re capable of being a contender next season.”
According to the most recent lines, the Indianapolis Colts are 6 to 1 favorites to win the Super Bowl and are followed closely by the New England Patriots at 8 to 1 and the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers at 10 to 1. The Seattle Seahawks are the favorites among the NFC teams at 11 to 1.
After finishing 4-12 and in last place in the NFC North, it would be foolish to think that the Packers would be a favorite in the division even with the return of Favre. While Green Bay’s chances unquestionably got a boost with the announcement of the return of Favre and the signing of cornerback Charles Woodson, the Packers haven’t been nearly as active in free agency as the other teams in the division.
Woodson visits but no deal reached
Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson, the biggest name the Green Bay Packers have courted during free agency, visited the club's Lambeau Field headquarters Monday but departed without signing with the team.
"It seems like he had a pretty good visit," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said.
The Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be the only teams competing for Woodson, who spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
Getting Woodson, the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at Michigan, wouldn't just be a headline-grabber for the Packers, who have been thrifty thus far in free agency. More importantly, he would significantly upgrade the Packers' talent level in the secondary and add versatility because he can play a variety of positions.
"I think he's a good football player," Thompson said. "How we'll use him, I think we'll leave that to the imagination of imaginative sportswriters like yourself."
OK, how's this? The Packers could install him as the starter opposite Al Harris, their one reliable cornerback, and relegate penalty-prone Ahmad Carroll to backup status. Carroll, or second-year nickel back Mike Hawkins, could then come in on passing downs and play outside while Woodson moved inside to cover the slot receiver.
Last season for the Raiders, Woodson also saw extensive action at safety, both up in the box as a run-stopper and deep in coverage, so he could work into the mix there as well.
That versatility is also one of the reasons why the Buccaneers, who had Woodson in for a visit last week, also are interested. Woodson played for Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen when both were in Oakland early in Woodson's career.
"As a football player, he's such a unique guy," Gruden said of the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Woodson, who has 17 career interceptions and 5 sacks. "He can play corner or safety. Watching him play over his career ... he can match himself against tight ends (and yet) he can still stand in there and play man-to-man, old-school bump-and-run coverage (against wide receivers) with the best of them.
"And, he will knock you out. He's physical guy and he's been hurt, which is something we've looked into. But someone will get a fine football player and a great competitor."
The Packers hope it's them, despite a recent injury history that is cause for some concern. Woodson, 29, missed 10 games last year with a broken right leg, two games in '04 with a knee injury and seven games in '02 with a fractured shoulder. A thorough physical was part of Woodson's visit Monday.
"That's one of the purposes of a visit like this," Thompson said.
After being designated as the Raiders' franchise player each of the previous two offseasons - guaranteeing him one-year base salaries of $8.78 million in 2004 and $10.53 million last year, Woodson might command a deal that only averages about $4 million per year with a reasonable up-front signing bonus.
Asked if he liked his team's chances of landing Woodson, Thompson replied, "It's free agency. You just never know."
Extra points Veteran offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer, whom the Packers made zero effort to re-sign, signed a one-year deal worth the $750,000 veteran minimum with the New York Giants. Ruegamer started 13 games over the past two seasons for the Packers, including two last year. ... The Packers lost out on ex-Minnesota linebacker Raonall Smith, whom they had in for a visit. Smith signed a one-year, $750,000 veteran minimum deal with the St. Louis Rams. ... The Packers appear to have only tepid interest in trading for Cleveland Browns center Jeff Faine. Faine is on the trading block after the Browns signed LeCharles Bentley early in free agency.
Packers sign free agent QB
The Green Bay Packers reportedly signed former Colts quarterback Tom Arth to a 2-year contract Tuesday.
Arth, who spent last season on the Colts practice squad, was in Green Bay on Monday for a tryout, according to ColtPower.com.
Arth, released by the Colts in the off-seasons of 2003 and '04, remained with the team as an assistant, breaking down game film for Peyton Manning. He was on the Colts' practice squad last season. The Colts usually only keep two quarterbacks on their active roster.
Arth, who played collegiately at Division III John Carroll University, will compete for a roster spot behind Brett Favre, if he decides to return, and Aaron Rodgers. Brian Wrobel, who signed as a free agent this off-season, is the only other quarterback currently on the Packers' roster. He is currently playing in NFL Europe.
Craig Nall, who served as Green Bay's third-string quarterback the last four years, signed a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills on Monday.
Green Bay Inks Unrestricted Free Agent Ryan Picket
The Green Bay Packers Friday signed unrestricted free agent Ryan Pickett to a multi-year contract. Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson announced the addition.
Pickett, a 6-foot-2, 322-pound defensive tackle out of Ohio State, is a relentless run-stopper who led all NFL defensive linemen with 115 tackles in 2005. In fact, Green Bay within the past week has signed the league's top two defensive linemen with respect to tackles. Defensive end Aaron Kampman, re-signed Saturday, finished second in the NFL with 105 stops last year.
St. Louis' third of three selections in the first round (29th overall) of the 2001 draft, Pickett turned in his best career season last year, adding two sacks and three passes defensed in 16 contests, all starts.
In just five NFL seasons, the 26-year-old Pickett has 401 career tackles (192 solo), with 51/2 sacks and 17 passes defensed. A durable anchor in the Rams' defense, he has played in 71 consecutive contests (79 including playoffs). He last missed a game Nov. 18, 2001, when Mike Martz listed the rookie as inactive. In addition to his 75 regular-season games (59 starts), he has played six postseason contests, including Super Bowl XXXVI.
A three-year starter in college, Pickett entered the NFL Draft after his junior season. Ohio State had managed to extract him from the football-rich state of Florida, where he earned consensus All-America honors as a high school standout.
Nall to leave Packers for Bills
Green Bay Packers No. 3 quarterback Craig Nall has agreed to a three-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.
The departure of the free agent fuels speculation about Brett Favre’s future. Nall recently went on a fishing trip with Favre and if he thought the team’s star No. 1 quarterback was going to retire, he might have been reluctant to find another job.
Nall was a fifth-round draft pick in 2002 and saw action in a total of six games last year.
In another move, receiver/punt returner Antonio Chatman agreed to a two-year deal with the Bengals. He didn’t receive a free-agent tender offer from the Packers, so he was free to shop around.
Willie Davis To Receive Prestigious Award
The Paralysis Project of America will honor former Green Bay Packer and Hall of Famer Willie Davis on Saturday with their annual Sports Legends Award.
"It's a very special award," Davis said. "It's as much recognized for the people who have been honored."
Those other honorees joining Davis in receiving the award at The Omni Hotel in Los Angeles include gymnastics' Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci, swimming's Donna de Varona, volleyball's Karch Kiraly and horse racing's Alex Solis.
The selection committee represents an equally esteemed group. The Paralysis Project of America's Business and Sports Council includes former Sports Legends Award winners Roy Firestone, Jim Hill, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Rafer Johnson, Joe Morgan, Bill Sharman, Mark Spitz, Gary Stevens, Al Unser, Jamaal Wilkes and John Wooden. Davis looks forward to meeting up with council head and former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe.
"(He's) been a big-time friend for a long time," Davis said.
A multimedia program with film footage of each honoree typically serves as a highlight of the evening. To depict scenes from the career of the five-time Pro Bowler and five-time NFL champion, Davis said they have combed through archived material from both the Packers and NFL Films.
"From that -- I understand they got quite a bit of stuff," Davis said.
Florence Henderson, who starred in "The Brady Bunch", will host the award ceremony, which is preceded by a silent auction of sports and entertainment memorabilia. Proceeds of the sold items will go toward spinal cord research.
Davis represents an appropriate choice for such a community-oriented award. Among other activities he served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Urban League and worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
"I've done a lot of things that speak to the heart of the community," Davis said.
Before leaving for Los Angeles, Davis will spend the rest of the week staying with Jerry Kramer and his family at his house in Vail, Colorado.
"I'm trying to get (Kramer) on the slopes," he said. "It was like old roommates all over again."
The weekend's festivities also will serve as a blast from the past as the ceremony honors his playing career from 1958 to 1969. Former Packers linebacker and teammate Dave Robinson will present Davis with the award.
"I'm just delighted to see and be a part of everything that's positive that's going down about the Packers," Davis said.
Packers must think big with first pick
The Green Bay Packers kiss off the 2005 season by taking their quarterback of the future late in the first round of the NFL draft and, a year later, they're picking fifth overall and the draft is teeming with quarterbacks. In fact, three will be rated higher than Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback Green Bay took last year.
But the itchy trigger finger general manager Ted Thompson had last year could turn into a good thing for the Packers this April. Assuming Rodgers has what it takes to become a quality quarterback, something no one knows at this time, the Packers could find themselves in a near-perfect position in the draft.
When Houston re-upped with quarterback David Carr on Friday, it became a lock the Texans will take USC tailback Reggie Bush with the first pick. That will leave three quarterbacks - USC's Matt Leinart, Texas' Vince Young and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler - on the board. The next three teams in the draft - New Orleans, Tennessee and the New York Jets - could decide they need a quarterback or trade with a team that does.
If the teams ahead of Green Bay are indeed afflicted with quarterback-on-the-brain, the Packers, despite sitting at No. 5, would have their pick of the top player at every other position except tailback. That should stir more than a little debate in Packerland for the next two months.
Here's a suggestion as you argue about which of their many weak areas the Packers should fortify with their highest draft pick since 1992:
Think big.
True, the Packers have many needs on a roster depleted by years of failed personnel moves. They could use help at tailback, wide receiver and 6172guard on offense and everywhere on their very ordinary defense. But what they need most is a difference-making defensive lineman.
Next to quarterback, the defensive line is the most important position in the NFL. And the best way to get a standout lineman is to draft him in the first round.
Take this year's 12 playoff teams. Of the 46 preferred starters in the defensive lines (Pittsburgh and New England use 3-4 defenses), 21 are former first-round draft picks. That's almost 46 percent.
No team reached the playoffs without at least one first-rounder starting in the line for a majority of the regular season, though Washington and the New York Giants lost their No. 1s to injury prior to the postseason.
For comparison purposes, 10 of the 38 starting linebackers in the playoffs (26.3 percent) were first-round picks. The disparity grows even more if you consider the Patriots' Willie McGinest is a linebacker in name only.
Thompson would be wise to keep that in mind on draft day.
The Packers kept nine defensive linemen last season and not one entered the league as a first- or second-round pick. Donnell Washington and Kenny Peterson were taken in the third round, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Aaron Kampman in the fifth and Grady Jackson, Corey Williams and Michael Montgomery in the sixth. Colin Cole and Cullen Jenkins went undrafted.
No wonder the Packers made so few big plays on defense. They had solid players up front who gave great effort, but the line was devoid of playmakers.
When former general manager Ron Wolf built the Packers' Super Bowl teams of the mid-1990s, his two most critical moves were trading for quarterback Brett Favre and spending big bucks in free agency for defensive linemen Sean Jones, Santana Dotson and the late Reggie White.
White, who last week was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, made everyone around him better. The Packers need another such monster on the line, both to make plays and to make life easier for the players already there.
Trading down with the first pick isn't likely due to a lack of potential trading partners. Only Denver has two first-round picks and they are an unappealing 22nd and 29th, which means the Packers will probably use the fifth pick.
But while they could have many options at that spot - tailback LenDale White of USC, Virginia offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk are possibilities - the Packers need to toe the line.
The defensive line.
North Carolina State's Mario Williams, a rangy defensive end in the mold of Carolina's Julius Peppers, is exactly what the Packers need.
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