Time for TT to go ‘Off the Board’

Posted on | December 30, 2008 | 4 Comments | by BigSnakeMan

It has been well documented that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson has a preference for building his teams through the draft, much to the chagrin of fans who feel he should delve more often into the free agent market. Unlike many people, I am generally in agreement with that philosophy.  As opposed to the early days of free agency, teams are now better versed in managing their salary caps and usually lock up their best players before they hit the open market.  The result is that teams usually end up paying more for availability than ability.   There is also the matter of matching a player to your system.  Football is more interdependent than other team sports.  A player who looks good on one team can become pretty pedestrian when removed from that system and familiar teammates .   A good example of the latter is defensive lineman Corey Williams; an effective role player for the Packers last season but largely a bust after being traded to the Cleveland Browns, who were forced to make him a starter to justify his big contract.  In fact, as a matter of principle, I’m more in favor of bidding on players who are restricted free agents; players who may not be as developed but are still young enough to learn a new system at about the same time they should be coming into their prime years.

This offseason, however, there is a notable exception to the standard rule of free agency.  Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth is the rare impact player to become available as a free agent and I believe it would behoove Ted Thompson to use his considerable ‘cap space’ in order to secure his services as a Green Bay Packer.

Admittedly, the move is not without some risk.  Haynesworth is going to command a premier salary with a sizable signing bonus up front.  No doubt he also benefitted from playing alongside some good players on a fine Titans defense.  And Haynesworth doesn’t exactly fit Thompson’s definition of “Packer People”; he was notable for stomping on the head of Dallas center Andre Gurode in a game last season.  But a little ’attitude’ can go a long way on defense.  Back when Fritz Shurmur coordinated the Packers defense one of the starting linebackers was Wayne Simmons, who was not exactly a choirboy but was definitely an intimidating presence on a highly ranked defense.  Haynesworth might help provide the same kind of presence to a Packer defense that was sorely lacking in the same last season.  At age 28, he should just be coming into his best years.

Plugging in Haynesworth at tackle alongside Ryan Pickett would instantly turn a weakness into a strength.  Combine those two tackles in a line with ends Aaron Kampman and a healthy Cullen Jenkins and suddenly the Packer defensive line becomes a formidable one.  It also has the added advantage of increasing the team’s depth, allowing the Packers to bring Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole off the bench in roles that maximize their effectiveness.  And something else that should appeal to Thompson; it gives him greater flexibility in using the Packers higher than normal draft position in 2009.

Haynesworth clearly isn’t the impact free agent that Reggie White was back in the day, but he’s probably as close as you’re going to find in today’s NFL.  And this is an opportunity that Thompson would be well advised to take advantage of.

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