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Wednesday, June 5
What kind of an impact do you expect from Terry Glenn? Glenn has the tools to be a top-five receiver in this league. He can catch 90 passes for 1,300 yards and grab about 10 touchdowns. He offers more chances for big plays than Antonio Freeman. Patriots quarterbacks counted on him making six or seven catches and getting 100 yards per game.
In Green Bay, he knows he can't squander this opportunity. In New England, he must have felt that he was bulletproof and didn't have to accept responsibility for anything. Missed meetings. Lateness. Inconsistent training. In Green Bay, Glenn knows his contract is structured so that he can be released if he repeats such infractions.
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The Packers returned to familiar territory last season and hope a successful offseason can boost them even higher. A year removed from missing the playoffs with a 9-7 record, Green Bay turned things around in 2001, finishing 12-4 before losing to the Rams in the divisional round.
Brett Favre was back to being arguably the NFL's best quarterback and definitely its most fearless, and Ahman Green emerged as one of the NFL's best all-around running backs.
In terms of offseason moves, the receiving corps underwent a significant shake-up. Corey Bradford (Texans) and Bill Schroeder (Lions) were allowed to walk away as free agents, and Antonio Freeman was cut. In their place, Green Bay made its riskiest move of the offseason, bringing in wide receiver Terry Glenn from the Patriots.
Undoubtedly one of the most talented receivers in the league, Glenn is also one of the biggest enigmas. After a brilliant rookie season, Glenn's career with the Patriots went downhill, ending with a 2001 season that saw him play in only four games due to suspensions and injuries. Glenn can be moody and needs plenty of attention, but if Mike Sherman and the rest of his staff can get Glenn to show up every day, Favre will have his best receiver in years. Freeman was a great receiver for the Packers, but he has lost a step and hasn't been the same player the last three years. In addition to Glenn, Green Bay will need more from second-year receiver Robert Ferguson. Currently penciled in as a starter, Ferguson had no catches in his rookie season.
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PACKERS AT A GLANCE
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Brett Favre threw 32
TD passes last season. |
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2001 record: 12-4
Team rank: Defense (12th); offense (6th)
Packers team news |
The addition of defensive end Joe Johnson (New Orleans) should provide the defense with a big boost. Johnson, who had nine sacks last season, is also solid against the run, meaning he can play on every down, something that Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Jamal Reynolds can't do. In an effort to boost the depth of their linebacking corps, the Packers brought in veteran free agent Robert Jones. Depending on other moves still to come, Jones, who started nine games for the Redskins last season, could compete for the starting middle linebacker spot.
One key loss was special teams ace Allen Rossum, who signed a free-agent deal with the Falcons. Injured for much of the season, Rossum was Green Bay's best return man and also played cornerback.
For a complete list of all the players Green Bay has signed and lost so far this offseason, click here.
How they drafted
For the second year in a row, the Packers used a high pick on a wide receiver, selecting Javon Walker in the first round. They better hope Walker has more success than Ferguson. Green Bay gave up a second-round pick to move up eight spots to pick Walker, so there will be pressure on him to perform. The knock on Walker at Florida State was that he dropped too many passes, something that plagued him at the Packers' first offseason minicamp. Defensive end Aaron Kampman, selected in the fifth round, is a smart player with a non-stop motor.
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Fantasy Focus
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Make no mistake about it, Brett Favre may get all the publicity and deservedly so, but Ahman Green remains the centerpiece of the Packers' West Coast offense. In his first full season of starting, Green totaled 1,981 yards and scored 11 TDs. His best years are ahead of him, since he's entering only his fifth pro season. Favre will depend on Green more because he lost his top three receivers. Favre may find it difficult to rely on inconsistent Terry Glenn and rookie bust Robert Ferguson, both of whom are expected to start. Green makes a case to be drafted as the No. 2 fantasy back behind Marshall Faulk. Click here for more fantasy football news.
-- Roger Rotter, Fantasy editor
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For a complete list of Green Bay's draft picks, click here.
Unfinished business
Obviously, how Glenn progresses and what kind of relationship he can develop with Favre will be interesting to watch. Early word out of Green Bay is that Glenn has been a model citizen. That's good news for Packers fans, because a happy and healthy Glenn could catch 90 passes this year. With Freeman gone, the Packers have some money to spend in the free-agent market. One player they are interested in is linebacker Hardy Nickerson, recently released by Jacksonville. Green Bay is a little weak at middle linebacker with second-year pro Marshall and free-agent addition Jones currently fighting for the job. Nickerson would likely move into the starting spot if he is signed.
Outlook for 2002
The Packers should remain one of the NFC's best teams. Despite finishing behind Chicago in the NFC Central last season, Green Bay was arguably the best team in the division, beating the Bears twice in the regular season. Until the Bears prove they can beat Green Bay, the Packers should be considered the favorites in the new-look NFC North. Another 12-win season and a trip deep into the playoffs should be in Green Bay's future.
Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.
