Packer News: Thompson says Packers' draft strategy will remain the same
Wisconsin Sports-- Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson says he will not change the Packers’ draft strategy as a result of the team’s Super Bowl championship. But he did say it’s a little more complicated this year, because his staff is getting off to a later-than-normal start.
GREEN BAY - Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson says he will not change the Packers’ draft strategy as a result of the team’s Super Bowl championship. But he did say it’s a little more complicated this year, because his staff is getting off to a later-than-normal start.
Normally, Thompson says they start preparing before the Super Bowl for the April draft – but obviously, they couldn’t do that this year. Still, he called it a good complication. Thompson’s remarks came at a news conference today at the NFL’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The draft will still take place in April – even if a possible owners’ lockout is still going on then.
Also today, Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy announced a small shuffling of his staff. Running backs’ coach Edgar Bennett will now coach the receivers, after Jimmy Robinson left for the Dallas Cowboys. McCarthy moved assistant offensive line coach Jerry Fontenot to Bennett’s old spot with the running backs. Also, the Packers named John Rushing as an assistant coach for receivers and special teams. And Joel Hilgenberg was named as the Pack’s quality control coach on offense.
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The Green Bay Packers decided not to use their transition-or-franchise tags to lock up one of their impending free agents. And defensive end Cullen Jenkins says it probably means he’ll be playing elsewhere next season. Over a dozen NFL teams used their tags on players they didn’t believe they could sign to long-term deals before free agency begins. That’s scheduled to start a week from today, unless the league and the union do not strike a deal by then on a new collective bargaining agreement. Whenever free agency starts, it’s believed that the transition-and-franchise tags imposed by yesterday’s deadline will still apply. Had the franchise tag been placed on Jenkins, the Packers would have had to pay him $12-million next year – so it’s not surprising they didn’t do it. Jenkins does not believe there’s a chance the Packers will resign him and quote, “You get to a point where you want to go where you feel you’re wanted.” Before Jenkins spoke out, Packers’ GM Ted Thompson said at the NFL’s Scouting Combine that he has not given up signing of their impending free agents. Those players include running back Brandon Jackson, fullback John Kuhn, receiver James Jones, safety Atari Bigby, safety Charlie Peprah, and offensive linemen Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz.
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