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OFFICIAL 2007 DRAFT PACK REVIEWS & PREDICTIONS
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<blockquote data-quote="TOPHAT" data-source="post: 147197" data-attributes="member: 781"><p><strong>WSJ DRAFT REVIEWS</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/index.php?ntid=131761&ntpid=3" target="_blank">http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/index.php?ntid=131761&ntpid=3</a></p><p></p><p><strong>Wilde: High or low grade?</strong> JASON WILDE </p><p></p><p>GREEN BAY - Grading your favorite NFL team's draft right after it ends is akin to reviewing a restaurant after sitting down, sipping the water and placing your order off the menu. You haven't even dug into your house salad or the complimentary breadbasket yet, and already you've decided that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson's cooking stinks. Thompson, like his mentor Ron Wolf before him, said Sunday he believes "it takes three years" to decide if a draft is a success or failure. </p><p>Thompson also admitted that even when your rookies contribute right away - like last year, when linebacker A.J. Hawk, wide receiver Greg Jennings and offensive linemen Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll all started - you can't judge your draft. "Because initially, you can (get) really excited and then by the end of the first season you think, 'Boy, this is a great draft.' And then over the course over the next couple of years, it doesn't really work out," Thompson said. "Then (other) times guys are a little bit slower starters." </p><p>Of course, while we won't be giving you any grades, we're happy to pass along the insta-graders' analysis. Sports Illustrated's Paul "Dr. Z" norton and ESPN's Mel Kiper each gave the Packers a C-plus. The Dallas Morning News' Rick Gosselin gave them a C. The three highest grades came from CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco, who correctly predicted that the Packers would take defensive tackle Justin Harrell at No. 16 and might have let that color his judgment a little, as he gave the Packers a B; The Sporting News, which gave the Packers a B-minus; and the Chicago Tribune's Don Pierson, who gave the Packers a B and praised Thompson because he "continued his pattern of quantity without trying to impress anybody with flashy picks." The Washington Post's Mark Maske wasn't quite as impressed, giving the Packers a D grade because "the 16th pick was too high" for Harrell, and Thompson "couldn't complete a trade for wide receiver Randy Moss as many around the league - and within the organization - expected." Even on the team's Web site, opinions were mixed. As of Monday night, almost 24,000 fans had voted in the club's online poll, and the Cs had it (35 percent) over the As (5 percent), Bs (27 percent), Ds (18 percent) and Fs (12 percent). </p><p>But if you insist on criticizing Thompson for something - and actually want to have a strong argument - complain about this: The Cleveland Browns, desperate to take free-falling Notre Dame quarterback (and Ohio native) Brady Quinn, called and offered their 2008 first-round pick, plus to flip-flop picks with the Packers in Rounds 2, 3 and 4, for the Packers' first-round pick at 16. "I thought it was going to work," Cleveland GM Phil Savage told SI's Peter King. "But (the Packers) thought about it, called back and said no." The Browns ended up sending their second-round pick (No. 36) and their first-round pick next year to the Dallas Cowboys to move into Dallas' No. 22 spot to take Quinn. </p><p>No offense to Quinn and University of Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas, whom the Browns drafted No. 3 overall, but how much better are the Browns really going to be with a rookie quarterback and rookie left tackle in their lineup this year? Their 2008 first-round pick could be in the top 10 - as could the Packers' if they fall back from their 8-8 finish - and with some hard-line negotiating, Thompson (who has traded back all 15 times he's swung a deal during the eight drafts he's run) could have extracted an even greater price from Savage this year, such as the Browns' second-round pick at No. 36, plus flip-flopping in the later rounds. But Thompson apparently was committed to taking Harrell, and he admitted he's against trading for future picks - something he's never done. </p><p>"I don't know (why). I've never really been able to figure that one out, quite frankly," Thompson said when I asked him about it. "I normally don't do that." In this instance, he should have. At least then he'd have a better chance at a high grade next year.</p><p>__________________________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/oates//index.php?ntid=131696&ntpid=1" target="_blank">http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/oates//index.php?ntid=131696&ntpid=1</a></p><p></p><p> Oates: Packers didn't get the big one TOM OATES </p><p></p><p>Admit it, you were waiting for Ted Thompson to hit a home run, weren't you? As the NFL draft wound its way through seven rounds over two days, you hoped sooner or later the Green Bay Packers general manager would jack one out of the park. Alas, Thompson kept hitting singles. Lots of singles. Good, solid singles that yielded 11 players who will solidify the roster and, in all likelihood, make the Packers better. </p><p>There were, however, no long balls. No franchise-altering moves. No infusion of offensive playmakers. No reason to think the team will be dramatically improved in 2007. Mostly, there was no Randy Moss. </p><p>Moss, the troublesome yet supremely talented wide receiver, has been on the Packers' radar screen for months. Everyone knew Oakland had to trade Moss after two unproductive and unhappy seasons and Green Bay looked like the likely landing spot for him. When Thompson kept making safe, by-the-book moves to improve his 8-8 team Saturday, the Packers GM appeared to be operating under the assumption he had a good chance of adding Moss to his punchless offense when the festivities began again Sunday. Thompson even admitted he went home Saturday night thinking he would have a shot at trading for Moss in the morning. </p><p>Instead, Thompson turned on the television Sunday and discovered that New England had beaten him to the punch. The Raiders traded Moss to the Patriots for a paltry fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall) after Moss agreed to a restructured contract for one year and a dirt cheap $3 million. The best pick the Packers had to offer at that point was No. 112, but this wasn't a question of getting aced out by two spots in the middle of the draft. No, this was a question of how aggressive one must be to build a team. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, stung by two title-free seasons after winning three Super Bowls in four years, was swinging for the fences. Thompson, as we have discovered, doesn't step to the plate with that mentality. </p><p>A league source told the Wisconsin State Journal the Packers offered only a fifth-round pick for Moss, which probably meant they finished last among the handful of teams with an interest in him. Indeed, Green Bay's refusal to pursue Moss with the vigor of the Patriots revealed a fundamental flaw in the way Thompson operates. At some point when building a team, a general manager has to take a chance or two. He can add draft picks in large numbers to his roster and make his team competitive, as Thompson has done, but that will only take a team so far. To get a team to the elite level - which, incidentally, is where the Patriots are - he has to make some bold personnel moves. </p><p>Thompson has refused to do that since January even though the Packers appeared to turn the corner late last season. He declined to trade up for much-needed halfback Marshawn Lynch in the first round of the draft. He has declined to pursue unrestricted free agents. And he made only a cursory attempt to acquire Moss. "What we try to do is everything in our power to try to help make this team as good as it can be," Thompson said. "You have to take a lot of things into consideration. Sometimes it's an aggressive move, sometimes that aggressive move is not the appropriate time. But you just keep doing everything you can to make the team better and that's all you can do." </p><p>The Patriots aren't acting like that's all you can do, which is why they've become the favorites to win the Super Bowl next season. With no quality receivers on his roster, Belichick attacked the problem, adding Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker and Kelley Washington, veterans with 156 catches, 2,080 yards and 10 touchdowns among them last season. </p><p>Meanwhile, the Packers, who need playmakers in the passing game even more than the Patriots, added James Jones and David Clowney, the 13th and 21st wide receivers taken in the draft, respectively. Jones was considered undraftable by most NFL teams, yet Thompson used a third-round draft pick on him. Better he had taken that pick and traded for Moss. After all, who would you rather have catching passes next year, Moss or Jones? Belichick answered that question by landing Moss. Thompson answered it by hitting singles. Or it is possible he just struck out?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TOPHAT, post: 147197, member: 781"] [b]WSJ DRAFT REVIEWS[/b] [url]http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/index.php?ntid=131761&ntpid=3[/url] [b]Wilde: High or low grade?[/b] JASON WILDE GREEN BAY - Grading your favorite NFL team's draft right after it ends is akin to reviewing a restaurant after sitting down, sipping the water and placing your order off the menu. You haven't even dug into your house salad or the complimentary breadbasket yet, and already you've decided that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson's cooking stinks. Thompson, like his mentor Ron Wolf before him, said Sunday he believes "it takes three years" to decide if a draft is a success or failure. Thompson also admitted that even when your rookies contribute right away - like last year, when linebacker A.J. Hawk, wide receiver Greg Jennings and offensive linemen Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz and Tony Moll all started - you can't judge your draft. "Because initially, you can (get) really excited and then by the end of the first season you think, 'Boy, this is a great draft.' And then over the course over the next couple of years, it doesn't really work out," Thompson said. "Then (other) times guys are a little bit slower starters." Of course, while we won't be giving you any grades, we're happy to pass along the insta-graders' analysis. Sports Illustrated's Paul "Dr. Z" norton and ESPN's Mel Kiper each gave the Packers a C-plus. The Dallas Morning News' Rick Gosselin gave them a C. The three highest grades came from CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco, who correctly predicted that the Packers would take defensive tackle Justin Harrell at No. 16 and might have let that color his judgment a little, as he gave the Packers a B; The Sporting News, which gave the Packers a B-minus; and the Chicago Tribune's Don Pierson, who gave the Packers a B and praised Thompson because he "continued his pattern of quantity without trying to impress anybody with flashy picks." The Washington Post's Mark Maske wasn't quite as impressed, giving the Packers a D grade because "the 16th pick was too high" for Harrell, and Thompson "couldn't complete a trade for wide receiver Randy Moss as many around the league - and within the organization - expected." Even on the team's Web site, opinions were mixed. As of Monday night, almost 24,000 fans had voted in the club's online poll, and the Cs had it (35 percent) over the As (5 percent), Bs (27 percent), Ds (18 percent) and Fs (12 percent). But if you insist on criticizing Thompson for something - and actually want to have a strong argument - complain about this: The Cleveland Browns, desperate to take free-falling Notre Dame quarterback (and Ohio native) Brady Quinn, called and offered their 2008 first-round pick, plus to flip-flop picks with the Packers in Rounds 2, 3 and 4, for the Packers' first-round pick at 16. "I thought it was going to work," Cleveland GM Phil Savage told SI's Peter King. "But (the Packers) thought about it, called back and said no." The Browns ended up sending their second-round pick (No. 36) and their first-round pick next year to the Dallas Cowboys to move into Dallas' No. 22 spot to take Quinn. No offense to Quinn and University of Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas, whom the Browns drafted No. 3 overall, but how much better are the Browns really going to be with a rookie quarterback and rookie left tackle in their lineup this year? Their 2008 first-round pick could be in the top 10 - as could the Packers' if they fall back from their 8-8 finish - and with some hard-line negotiating, Thompson (who has traded back all 15 times he's swung a deal during the eight drafts he's run) could have extracted an even greater price from Savage this year, such as the Browns' second-round pick at No. 36, plus flip-flopping in the later rounds. But Thompson apparently was committed to taking Harrell, and he admitted he's against trading for future picks - something he's never done. "I don't know (why). I've never really been able to figure that one out, quite frankly," Thompson said when I asked him about it. "I normally don't do that." In this instance, he should have. At least then he'd have a better chance at a high grade next year. __________________________________________________________________________ [url]http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/column/oates//index.php?ntid=131696&ntpid=1[/url] Oates: Packers didn't get the big one TOM OATES Admit it, you were waiting for Ted Thompson to hit a home run, weren't you? As the NFL draft wound its way through seven rounds over two days, you hoped sooner or later the Green Bay Packers general manager would jack one out of the park. Alas, Thompson kept hitting singles. Lots of singles. Good, solid singles that yielded 11 players who will solidify the roster and, in all likelihood, make the Packers better. There were, however, no long balls. No franchise-altering moves. No infusion of offensive playmakers. No reason to think the team will be dramatically improved in 2007. Mostly, there was no Randy Moss. Moss, the troublesome yet supremely talented wide receiver, has been on the Packers' radar screen for months. Everyone knew Oakland had to trade Moss after two unproductive and unhappy seasons and Green Bay looked like the likely landing spot for him. When Thompson kept making safe, by-the-book moves to improve his 8-8 team Saturday, the Packers GM appeared to be operating under the assumption he had a good chance of adding Moss to his punchless offense when the festivities began again Sunday. Thompson even admitted he went home Saturday night thinking he would have a shot at trading for Moss in the morning. Instead, Thompson turned on the television Sunday and discovered that New England had beaten him to the punch. The Raiders traded Moss to the Patriots for a paltry fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall) after Moss agreed to a restructured contract for one year and a dirt cheap $3 million. The best pick the Packers had to offer at that point was No. 112, but this wasn't a question of getting aced out by two spots in the middle of the draft. No, this was a question of how aggressive one must be to build a team. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, stung by two title-free seasons after winning three Super Bowls in four years, was swinging for the fences. Thompson, as we have discovered, doesn't step to the plate with that mentality. A league source told the Wisconsin State Journal the Packers offered only a fifth-round pick for Moss, which probably meant they finished last among the handful of teams with an interest in him. Indeed, Green Bay's refusal to pursue Moss with the vigor of the Patriots revealed a fundamental flaw in the way Thompson operates. At some point when building a team, a general manager has to take a chance or two. He can add draft picks in large numbers to his roster and make his team competitive, as Thompson has done, but that will only take a team so far. To get a team to the elite level - which, incidentally, is where the Patriots are - he has to make some bold personnel moves. Thompson has refused to do that since January even though the Packers appeared to turn the corner late last season. He declined to trade up for much-needed halfback Marshawn Lynch in the first round of the draft. He has declined to pursue unrestricted free agents. And he made only a cursory attempt to acquire Moss. "What we try to do is everything in our power to try to help make this team as good as it can be," Thompson said. "You have to take a lot of things into consideration. Sometimes it's an aggressive move, sometimes that aggressive move is not the appropriate time. But you just keep doing everything you can to make the team better and that's all you can do." The Patriots aren't acting like that's all you can do, which is why they've become the favorites to win the Super Bowl next season. With no quality receivers on his roster, Belichick attacked the problem, adding Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker and Kelley Washington, veterans with 156 catches, 2,080 yards and 10 touchdowns among them last season. Meanwhile, the Packers, who need playmakers in the passing game even more than the Patriots, added James Jones and David Clowney, the 13th and 21st wide receivers taken in the draft, respectively. Jones was considered undraftable by most NFL teams, yet Thompson used a third-round draft pick on him. Better he had taken that pick and traded for Moss. After all, who would you rather have catching passes next year, Moss or Jones? Belichick answered that question by landing Moss. Thompson answered it by hitting singles. Or it is possible he just struck out? [/QUOTE]
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