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They Know More Than We Do
The drafting of Mike Neal raised some eyebrows during the Packers 2010 draft. Obviously, Ted Thompson knew more about the seriousness of Johnny Jolly’s situation than most others. The jury is out as to whether Neal will be a solid pro, but there is little doubt that Thompson had Jolly’s situation in mind when he made the pick.
Pro personnel folks know what they are doing…the Jolly situation provides a classic example of how fans really need to wait a while before passing judgement on a personnel move. Remember the harsh criticism the Houston Texans took for not drafting Reggie Bush? The Texans don’t look so foolish now.
A similar curious drafting decision took place this past year by the Minnesota Vikings. With needs in the offensive and defensive lines, and for that matter at quarterback, in the second round Minnesota selected running back Toby Gerhart from Stanford. With Adrian Petersen only entering his fourth year in the league, the draft pick seemed to be an unnecessary selection of a backup. Then again…the fumbling problems Petersen has experienced do not seem to be going away, and there have been rumblings that he is less than happy with his contract situation. Might the Vikings, similar to Ted Thompson, have been addressing an unforeseen potential problem with their starting running back?
3 Comments
[...] suspension a blessing in disguise. Most bloggers, including your own Lombardi Ave and Pocket Doppler, said that the Packers prepared for this loss drafting DE Neal and DE Wilson. Two bloggers focus [...]
[...] Jolly’s suspension a blessing in disguise. Most bloggers, including your own Lombardi Ave and Pocket Doppler, said that the Packers prepared for this loss drafting DE Neal and DE Wilson. Two bloggers focus [...]
Nice to hear from you, Jon.
Of course they know more than we do; that’s their job. That’s why I usually give them the benefit of the doubt. However, they’re not above making mistakes as it’s not an exact science. Therefore, they are also not immune to criticism.
If I were a Viking fan, I’d be concerned at the mere suggestion of Gerhart carrying the load. And I think they’re going to miss Taylor more than they realize.