If you’re one of the few people who still think the best way to build a team in the NFL is to sign a bunch of high-priced free agents during the offseason, check out CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco’s latest column and see if you change your mind.

Maiocco examined the past five NFL drafts (2006-2010) and ranked every team based on how their selections panned out. At the top were none other than the Packers and Saints, who each won a Super Bowl the last two years.

The Colts, who have made the playoffs every year over the past five seasons and won the 2006 Super Bowl, were third, while the Jets, who played in the last two AFC title games, were fourth. The defending NFC South champion Falcons were fifth, while the Ravens (who have made the playoffs the last three years) were sixth. The Vikings, Steelers, Patriots and Bucs rounded out the top 10.

Every team in Maiocco’s top 10 has made the playoffs at least once in the last two years outside of Tampa Bay, which had a winning season in 2010 and should be a contender again in 2011 (if there’s a season, of course). In other words, the teams that have drafted well over the last five years have built a roster that can contend.

On the flip side, the Cowboys (28), Cardinals (29), Bengals (30), Redskins (31) and Bills (32) rounded out the bottom five. Granted, Dallas and Cincinnati won their respective divisions in 2009 and went to the playoffs, but both teams collapsed in 2010 and proved that their success was short-lived. And while Arizona nearly won the Super Bowl three years ago, the Cards are feeling the effects of drafting Matt Leinart with the 10th overall pick in 2006.

The Bengals and Cowboys have the smallest scouting teams in the NFL and thus, it’s not surprising to see that they’ve failed on draft day over the last five years. Before Mike Shanahan took over in Washington last year, the Skins had/have been a team that relied on big-money free agent instead of building through the draft. It’s one of the reasons that they’ll be selecting in the top-10 for the second year in a row.

Granted, this is just one man’s opinion but examine Maiocco’s rankings and put together your own list. Is he way off? If you’re answering objectively, the answer should be “no.”

And this isn’t to say that signing free agents is a bad idea. On the contrary – teams need to strike a balance between both. The Saints traded for Jeremy Shockey and Jonathan Vilma, two contributing players in their Super Bowl run two years ago. The Jets traded for Antonio Cromartie, Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards over the last two years, and signed free agent LaDainian Tomlinson to aid them the past two seasons. The Falcons signed Michael Turner and Dunta Robinson, and traded for tight end Tony Gonzalez. To see how the Packers built their Super Bowl-winning roster last year, check out this excellent piece by TSR’s John Paulsen.

But the key is that all of those teams drafted well, too. The draft has become a pillar of success for NFL franchises.

With the Green Bay Packers getting ready to face the Bears in the NFC Championship Game this weekend, it’s a good time to stop and reflect on a franchise that was in a serious state of flux as recently as two-and-a-half years ago, when Aaron Rodgers took the reins from Brett Favre.

Ted Thompson is the man who made that call (and countless others) over the past six years, so he’s ultimately responsible for the Packer roster as it stands. A roster that is playing very good football and has enough depth to withstand 15 players on injured reserve, including starters Jermichael Finley, Nick Barnett, Ryan Grant, Brandon Chillar and Mark Tauscher.

Let’s go year-by-year and look at each draft, along with any major transaction that Thompson made.

2005

Thompson took over in January of 2005, with the Packers coming off a 10-6 season and a first round loss to the Vikings at Lambeau Field. Mike Sherman was stripped of his personnel duties, and Thompson was brought in to call the shots.

The 2005 season was a rough one. The Packers went 4-12. Favre tossed 29 interceptions and the Packers were 31st in turnover ratio. It was an excruciating season as Green Bay was just 1-5 in games decided by three points or less. Part of the problem was Thompson’s unwillingness to pay free agent (and Pro Bowl) guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle. The O-line struggled, and so did the Packers.

Here’s a look at that Thompson’s ’05 draft: (1) Aaron Rodgers, (2) Nick Collins, (2) Terrence Murphy, (4) Marviel Underwood, (4) Brady Poppinga, (5) Junius Coston, (5) Mike Hawkins, (6) Michael Montgomery, (6) Craig Bragg, (7) Kurt Campbell, (7) Will Whitticker

Note: Players in bold are starters. Players no longer with the team are in italics.

Of the 11 players selected in that draft, just three remain. But they’re three good ones. Collins was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl this season and if Rodgers isn’t a top 5 QB, he will be soon. He also landed a starter-caliber LB (Poppinga) in the fourth. Thompson knew that he had to be patient with Rodgers, especially with Favre still on the roster and capable of MVP-type numbers. He passed on a player that could help immediately in order to draft the QB of the future, and he took some grief for it.

Obviously it worked out for the best.

2006

The key acquisition in 2006 was Charles Woodson, whom Thompson signed to a seven-year deal. It was a risky move because some were critical of Woodson’s play in Oakland, but the usually frugal Thompson saw the 30-year-old as a shutdown corner still capable of Pro Bowl-caliber play. Woodson had been named to four Pro Bowls while in Oakland, but he broke his leg during the ’05 season, which is why he was available in ’06. Woodson has made three Pro Bowls with the Packers (’08, ’09 and ’10) and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.

After the season, Thompson also hired Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Sherman. McCarthy has had some ups and downs in Green Bay, but the mark of a good coach is how the team improves over the course of the year, and McCarthy always seems to have his Packers playing their best football late in the season.

Here’s a look at the ’06 draft: (1) A.J. Hawk, (2) Daryn Colledge, (2) Greg Jennings, (3) Abdul Hodge, (3) Jason Spitz, (3) Dominique Byrd, (4) Cory Rodgers, (4) Will Blackmon, (5) Ingle Martin, (5) Tony Moll, (6) Johnny Jolly, (6) Tyrone Culver, (7) Dave Tollefson

Hawk didn’t live up to his draft pick (#5 overall), but he’s a solid starter. The same goes for Colledge, who filled the hole at left guard that was left by Wahle. Greg Jennings made his first Pro Bowl this season. Jolly was on his way to being a starter before getting mixed up with drugs. He’s now suspended indefinitely.

The Packers went 8-8 in 2006. The offense improved from 18th in total yards in 2005 to 9th in 2006. Favre had a better year (18 TDs, 18 INTs), but still wasn’t playing up to snuff. There was some talk that he should retire, but Thompson and McCarthy stuck with him even though he was starting to waver.

During the ’06 season, Thompson signed street free agent Tramon Williams, who some say had a better 2010 than Pro Bowler Charles Woodson. Williams has been a fixture at CB for the Packers over the last two years and had two big interceptions against the Falcons last week.

2007

Here’s a look at Thompson’s ’07 draft: (1) Justin Harrell, (2) Brandon Jackson, (3) James Jones, (3) Aaron Rouse, (4) Allen Barbre, (5) David Clowney, (6) Korey Hall, (6) Desmond Bishop, (6) Mason Crosby, (7) DeShawn Wynn, (7) Clark Harris

This was arguably Thompson’s worst draft with the Packers, but he still landed a starting LB in the 6th (Bishop), who just signed a long-term deal to stay in Green Bay. James Jones would be a starter on most teams and will eventually take over for Donald Driver. Harrell and Jackson have not lived up to their draft positions, but they are still on the Packer roster. Harrell can’t stay healthy, but Jackson has played an important role this season with Ryan Grant out for the year. In fairness, none of the RBs drafted after Jackson — Lorenzo Booker, Tony Hunt, Garrett Wolfe — have done much of anything, but fourth rounder Michael Bush would have been a nice pick had Thompson not been able to acquire Grant.

Speaking of Grant, Thompson traded a sixth-round pick for the undrafted free agent, who was a member of the Giants at the time. He rushed for 3,412 yards and 23 TDs over the next three seasons, and was named to the Pro Bowl during the 2009 season.

The Packers went 13-3 in 2007, completing the the job that Thompson was initially hired to do. Green Bay lost to a hot New York Giants team in overtime at Lambeau Field. We didn’t know it at the time, but Brett Favre’s season-ending interception would be the last pass he’d throw as a Packer. The saga has been covered to death, and if you’re interested in my take on Favre’s last few years, you can read it here. Needless to say, Thompson made the move to Rodgers and hasn’t looked back.

2008

Thompson’s ’08 draft: (2) Jordy Nelson, (2) Brian Brohm, (2) Patrick Lee, (3) Jermichael Finley, (4) Jeremy Thompson, (4) Josh Sitton, (5) Breno Giacomini, (7) Matt Flynn, (7) Brett Swain

Thompson traded away his first round pick to the Jets for a second (Nelson) and fourth. The latter eventually got traded back to the Jets for Jeremy Thompson. Nelson is a good wideout, but he’s buried on the Packer depth chart behind Jennings, Driver and Jones. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t contribute. He caught eight passes for 79 yards and a TD against the Falcons last week (along with a 4-124-1 day in a must-win game against the Giants in Week 16), so his importance should not be underestimated. Finley will make the Pro Bowl if he can stay healthy and, in Sitton, Thompson finally found a starting right guard to fill the hole left by Marco Rivera. Matt Flynn filled in for a concussed Rodgers at New England and played well enough that the Packers nearly pulled off the upset. He’ll get a shot at a starting job somewhere soon.

The Packers struggled in 2008 to a 6-10 record, and Rodgers unjustifiably took a lot of the blame. But it was the defense that was mostly at fault. The unit went from 11th in total yards in ’07 to 20th in ’08, largely due to an inability to stop the run and pressure the quarterback. Thompson brought in Dom Capers to fix that side of the ball.

2009

Thompson’s ’09 draft: (1) B.J. Raji, (1) Clay Matthews, (4) T.J. Lang, (5) Quinn Johnson, (5) Jamon Meredith, (6) Jarius Wynn, (6) Brandon Underwood, (7) Brad Jones

Clearly, Matthews was the steal of the first round and has arguably been the best player from the ’09 draft considering he’s in the running for 2010 Defensive Player of the Year. Raji has been playing at a Pro Bowl level of late, while Jones was getting some starts prior to getting injured earlier in the year. It’s usually tough to grade a draft so quickly, but it’s obvious that Thompson hit a home run with Matthews and has found at least one good starter in Raji.

The Packers went 11-5 in 2009, but failed to win the NFC North thanks to the Brett Favre-led Vikings. In the playoffs, Green Bay lost in a shootout in Arizona, and once again the defense let Aaron Rodgers down. However, the unit showed great improvement on the year (finishing #2 in total yards allowed) in Dom Capers’ first season as defensive coordinator.

2010

Thompson’s 2010 draft: (1) Bryan Bulaga, (2) Mike Neal, (3) Morgan Burnett, (5) Andrew Quarless, (5) Marshall Newhouse, (6) James Starks, (7) C.J. Wilson

Again, it’s hard to judge a draft this soon, but Bulaga has been a fixture at right tackle after Mark Tauscher went down and won’t be giving the job up anytime soon. Quarless has been serviceable after being pressed into duty due to Jermichael Finley’s injury. James Starks looks like he might be the team’s RB of the future with 189 rushing yards in his first two playoff games.

Thompson also signed street free agents Sam Shields and Frank Zombo, who have both played a lot (and have played well) with all the injuries to the Packers’ defense. Zombo is out right now with a knee injury, and has been replaced by another street free agent, Erik Walden, but Shields has been playing a great deal opposite Tramon Williams, which has allowed Woodson to play the slot and blitz the QB from time to time.

To sum it up, Thompson has done an incredible job putting this roster together. He won The Sporting News’ Executive of the Year award in 2007 and in my estimation should win it again this season given the Packers’ ability to overcome a laundry list of injuries on both sides of the ball. His choices for head coach and defensive coordinator have worked out very well and he obviously answered the Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers question correctly even when there was a lot of pressure to stick with #4.

The Packers could very well go out and lose to the Bears on Sunday, but it’s a minor miracle that they’re even in this position given all that has happened to the franchise over the past three-plus seasons. Assuming there aren’t any catastrophic injuries to any of the Green Bay stars, the Packers should go into 2011 as the consensus favorite to win the NFC.

Merry training camp season, everyone. It’s been a long offseason, but football is finally gearing up again and to celebrate I’m rolling out a new series on TSR entitled “2010 NFL Question Marks,” where I discuss one or two of the biggest concerns that teams have heading into the new season. Granted, some teams have more issues than others, but I’ll primarily be focusing on the biggest problem areas. Today I’ll be discussing the Packers and whether or not Green Bay fans can expect the offensive line to keep Aaron Rodgers upright this season.

You’re dreaming if you don’t think the Packers have what it takes to reach the Super Bowl this year. Aaron Rodgers proved last season that he could play at an elite level and Dom Capers was a miracle worker (he only had one offseason to transform the Packers from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and they finished 2nd in the NFL in total defense) in his first year as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator.

But even though expectations are high right now in the land of cheese, one question continues to loom large: Can the offensive line keep Rodgers upright?

I don’t know how Rodgers didn’t wind up breathing out of a tube at some point last year. The amount of blows he took on a weekly basis was flabbergasting, but to his credit he somehow went on to throw for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns.

I don’t think you’re listening: He threw for 4,434 yards and 30 touchdowns with the equivalent of a FINISH LINE ribbon for an offensive line.

Now, was some of that his fault? Yes. At times, he took far too long to get rid of the ball and he sometimes took sacks that he shouldn’t have. But most of the blame could be laid at the feet of the offensive line.

Realizing his biggest need was to get more protection for Rodgers, GM Ted Thompson used the team’s first round pick on Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga in April. While veterans Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are expected to start this year, Bulaga gives the Packers much-needed depth and an eventual successor to either tackle.

Of course, given the amount of injuries (not to mention poor play) that the Packers sustained on the offensive line last year, Bulaga better be ready to play as a rookie. Tauscher gave up a sack, four QB hits and nine QB hurries in two games alone against the Vikings last year. On the other side, Clifton was more than adequate when he was on the field, but he couldn’t stay healthy and T.J. Lang struggled as his replacement.

When Daryn Colledge slid to left tackle at one point during the season, the combination of him and Lang was an utter disaster in pass protection. The only saving grace from the play of last year’s O-line was right guard Josh Sitton, who played every snap and was solid in both run-blocking and pass-protection, and center Scott Wells, who turned out to be a valuable commodity in the run game.

If Clifton can stay healthy this season, then Colledge can stay at guard where he’s more comfortable. And if Tauscher struggles again this year, at least it’ll be Bulaga that replaces him and not Lang or Allen Barbre. (The same can be said for if Clifton can’t stay healthy again.)

The bottom line is that the Packers are in much better shape now than they were a year ago because of Bulaga. But let’s keep in mind that he’s only a rookie and at this point, he’s going to be counted on as a swing tackle and not a starter. The key this year is for Clifton to stay healthy and for Tauscher to play better than he did in ’09. If Clifton goes down and both Tauscher and Bulaga struggle, then we could see a repeat of last year.

But even with all of their troubles in pass protection last year, the Packers weren’t a bad run-blocking unit in ‘09. If they can pick up their pass protection even a little bit in order to give Rodgers more time, then the sky’s the limit for Green Bay in 2010.

Usually when a team loses a starter for the entire season, it’s viewed as a massive problem. But even though the Packers lost defensive end Johnny Jolly for the entire 2010 season, they have options to replace him.

First the bad: Jolly has been suspended by the NFL for the entire 2010 season after reports surfaced in June that he’s a major player in the Houston drug game. What does that mean? Only that Jolly allegedly bought, sold, funded, transported and aided in the buying, selling, funding and transportation of illegal narcotics (including cocaine and marijuana) in Harris County from 2006 through May of 2008 according to Greg Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Dude has been busy.

Now the good: The Packers obviously had been expecting to be without Jolly this season because they’ve already moved Ryan Pickett to Jolly’s position and drafted ends Mike Neal and C.J. Wilson last April. They also still have Justin Harrell on their roster, although at this point in his career, if the grounds crew at Lambeau Field left a sprinkler head poking out of the ground it would be more effective than the former 2007 first round pick.

Granted, none of the above options look better than Jolly on paper, but it’s not like he’s coming off a particularly strong ’09 season. A 3-4 defensive end’s biggest job is to occupy as many offensive linemen as he can in order to keep them off his linebackers and Jolly wasn’t very effective in that category last year. He also struggled a tad against the run, which is something Pickett might be more versed with seeing as how he’s used to playing inside.

While it’s never advantageous to lose a starter, give GM Ted Thompson credit for preparing for the worst when it came to Jolly’s situation and setting Mike McCarthy up with options at the defensive end position. It appears as though Jolly has spent his last days in Green Bay, so maybe Neal or Wilson will emerge as a long-term option, or at the very least, Pickett can help bridge the gap until Thompson can find someone else.

While it hasn’t even been a month since the Patriots released him, it’s becoming clearer by the day that Packers GM Ted Thompson isn’t interested in signing free agent Adalius Thomas. With Green Bay’s apparent need at outside linebacker, one would think that Thompson would have reached out to Thomas (who has lost a step over the years, but is still an effective pass rusher) by now.

But maybe Thompson is right when he says that the left outside linebacker position isn’t a dire need like many people believe it is. Maybe Brad Jones is the answer to replace Aaron Kampman (who signed with the Jaguars earlier this offseason) on a full-time basis.

When Kampman (who wasn’t an ideal fit at OLB in a 3-4 anyway) went down with an injury after Week 11 last year, it was Jones (a 2009 seventh round pick from Colorado) and not former starter Brady Poppinga who was placed into the starting lineup. With a playoff berth on the line, the Packers went with an unproven seventh round pick in Jones over a player with starting experience in Poppinga.

The move was either a testament to Jones’ abilities or a total slap in the face of Poppinga. Considering Thomas hasn’t received a call from Thompson, the former is probably more appropriate. The Packers obviously feel as though Jones is ready to become a full-time starter after he registered 27 tackles and four sacks in limited action last season. And considering Jones played in a 3-4 at Colorado, it’s apparent that his learning curve wasn’t that big when he went from college to the pros. He earned the starting position last season and barring a complete meltdown in training camp, it’s clear that he’ll have the same role in 2010.

If Jones blossoms into a reliable starter, then Thompson should be hailed for not only finding a late round gem, but also resisting the urge to sign Thomas. If Jones fails, then the Packers could be left with a gaping hole at the LOLB position and Thompson will be scrutinized for not addressing the need when he had a chance in the offseason.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/05/14/is-the-lolb-position-still-a-concern-for-the-packers/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/26/the-packers-would-be-a-great-fit-for-thomas/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/26/the-packers-would-be-a-great-fit-for-thomas/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:25:06 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=38694

It was only a matter of time before the Patriots gave outside linebacker Adalius Thomas the boot. He was already stealing money from them with his poor play before he became a distraction last season, thus leading to his release on Monday.

One team’s trash is sometimes another team’s treasure, as the Packers could emerge as serious contenders for Thomas’ services. Even though GM Ted Thompson insists that the left outside linebacker position in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense isn’t a dire need, it is.

2009 seventh round pick Brad Jones saw a fair amount of playing time last year when Aaron Kampman went down with an injury. But while he was decent against the run, he’s not the pass-rusher that Clay Matthews is on the other side. And in Capers’ system, both outside linebackers have to be able to get after the quarterback.

That’s where Thomas comes in. While the 33-year-old has lost a step over the past couple of years, Thomas can still get after the quarterback when he’s motivated. And seeing as how Thompson did nothing to upgrade the outside linebacker position during the draft, the Packers could use someone to push Jones for the starting job.

The Packers could upgrade their LOLB spot by adding Thomas to a one-year deal and still groom Jones for the future if they wanted. If Thomas turns out to be a bust, then Jones has already shown that he’s a capable starter and the team could rid themselves of Thomas after the season.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/04/26/the-packers-would-be-a-great-fit-for-thomas/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/15/nfl-week-9-mvp-power-rankings/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/11/15/nfl-week-9-mvp-power-rankings/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:00:43 +0000 Mike Farley http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=28940

With Drew Brees and Peyton Manning leading their teams to victory again, barely, there is no good reason to drop them in the rankings here. Meanwhile, Brett Favre and Jared Allen did not play, so we held spots for them, but moved Cedric Benson up based on a second 100-yard rushing performance against the Ravens.

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—Halfway through the season, Brees and his Saints are 8-0 and have a three game lead in their division. Suffice to say, this team appears to be headed toward a first round bye, and their QB is one of the biggest reasons.

2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—After a subpar start to 2008 after knee surgery, Manning wanted to get off to a fast start this season, and he has done just that. But what might be more impressive is that after Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, he’s throwing to guys named Garcon and Collie.

3. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—He rushed for 120 yards against the Ravens in Week 5, and 117 yards against them in Week 9. Read that back. That’s two 100 yard games against the Baltimore Ravens, and that’s just sick.

4. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—The old man still has it, much to the dismay of everyone in Northern Wisconsin. You think Ted Thompson is sleeping well lately?

5. Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings—He’s had two weeks to rest those wheels that never seem to stop moving. Next on Allen’s hit list is that poor Stafford kid in Detroit.

Honorable Mention–Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Andre Johnson, Texans, Tom Brady, Patriots; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Chris Johnson, Titans; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Michael Turner, Falcons; Reggie Wayne, Colts; Steve Smith, Giants