Weeeewh, dear readers, it’s been a swell few months of relaxation in these parts. Been working hard doing a whole lot of nothing, aside from thatching the yard gremlins out and painting a few lures for the upcoming fishing season. I got this new flavor – Trouter Prowler. It’s going to be dynamite. Trust me. And boy oh boy; that lawn is going to be ready, set, gorgeous for future Bocce Ball contests.Anways, if you’re reading this you’re probably wondering what my take is on the newest draft class for the old Green and Gold.
Like anyone with their wits about them, I’m sure too that you’ve heard an un-fair share of criticism directed at Mr. Thompson and his low-key approach to team building. I have to say, I wasn’t surprised that the draft-day fanatics called out the boo-monster regarding our first day picks. Justin Who? Brandon What? James Mysterious? Aaron Huh? “Where’s the big names?” you may have thunk? What about Mr. Lynch or that slick tight end from Miami Tropical? And why, oh why, you might wonder, didn’t Mr. Thompson and the gentlemen in the draft room bring in more help for Old Number Four through the inter-league trading matrix?
These are valid questions, for sure. Questions that any green-blooded Packers fan can rightly ask. But may I suggest a bit of caution before jumping to hast-eey conclusions, ye post-draft tomato tossers. Put down the ripe fruit for a moment and breath deeply!!!
I may not be the most rational fellow in town, but with the post-draft winds calming down I can certainly say that any trustworthy assessment of this draft class should probably wait until two-thousand and nine. My early favorite, however, based purely on a gut feeling, is the receiver from San Jose – Mr. James Jones. Mark my words. The gut is mighty and wise, among other things.
I will say this, however: I am certainly drawn to any D-Lineman from Tennessee wearing the number 92, and any shifty-footed Running Back from Nebraska. Being a historical enthusiast, and noting the recent visit to Wisconsin soil by the Dalai Lama himself, it would be foolish to ignore the parallel notions of heroic athletics reincarnate. May the souls of Mr. White and Mr. Green forever inhabit the realms of Lambeau Field, in one form or another! Just the thought gives this old columnists the willies.
But back to assessments, dear readers.
Since we cannot rightly judge this particular class of youngsters at the moment, I think it’dbe prudent to pan the frame back where the long-term decisions of Mr. Thompson can more easily be deciphered. On the whole, it seems this General Manager has been making sounds decisions regarding our future prospects. While some of these picks have been solid as my pick-ups fender since day one (Mr. Hawk), there are many other bright spots that were far from a sure thing following draft day (Mr. Collins, Mr. Jennings). Based on the track record – which bears none of the foolishness of Mr. Sherman’s dark regime (such as trading up to pick bust punter B.J. Turkey-leg) – I am going to keep my support firmly behind Mr. Thompson, molded in the style of the great Mr. Wolf.
There is one count on which I will hurl a juicy raddish towards the state, and that has been on free-agency, or lack thereof in these parts. With all sorts of spending money in the bank, I thought this would be one of our top assetts going into the off-season, however, Mr. Thompson has done little to improve the team in this regard. This is not to say I favored bringing in trouble-maker extraordinaire Randy Moss, but it would have been quite uplifting to gather in some sort of proven star. The team finished last season riding a wave of success and a little action on this front would have helped keep that enthusiasm on the rise.
But who knows? Idle months remain.Until next time, then.
