Who will the Packers sign?

[MarkCharles]

1.  He's not replacing your workhorse - that will fall on the shoulders of Brandon Jackson.

2.  "Inferior team"?

3.  Superbar! (edited to include this)

Um, yea, the Falcons are an inferior team to the Packers

[Moonboots]

Curtis he is a terrible pass blocking RB and cant catch.  Go watch the snaps from sunday where Rodgers gets hit.  Grant has a chance at the everytime and whiffs.  Also, he cant catch the football.  I totally agree with Chicos here. 

I'm glad you finally sniffed out this misconception. Grant is a below average pass blocker.

He definitely ran with better north-south burst than Jackson, and runs with better leverage between the tackles. Jackson has more shake in his game, is a better receiver, and could be the best pass blocking RB in the NFC (and that's not an exaggeration).

I won't pretend it doesn't suck to lose a guy as productive as Grant, but I also won't say it's a killer. It's just going to force us to change the way we do things. Get ready to see Air McCarthy for the next 15 games, and that might actually not be a bad thing.

As far as Ted signing or trading for any big names... you can forget about it. And I can't disagree with him. The guy has more resources at his disposal than any of us could wish to, and we know a fraction of a percentage about these guys compared to what the Packers scouting staff does. They fielded a team that went 11-5 and is poised to be a contender for the foreseeable future. Keep in mind Grant was an undrafted free agent that we traded a 6th round pick for in '07. Let's trust them and see what they can come up with.

[Moonboots]

Um, yea, the Falcons are an inferior team to the Packers

So are you trying to say that "superior" teams can't find any players of value from an inferior team?

[DiaperDandy]

Let's bring back Ahman Green for a third time .  Hes playing for the  Omaha NightHawks right now ahahahhahahah!

[MarkCharles]

So are you trying to say that "superior" teams can't find any players of value from an inferior team?

Come on. Of course not, not as a rule, but its just another factor that makes this signing frustrate me. If the Packers addressed their cb shortage by signing a guy from Detroit's practice squad, would you be happy? If he wasn't even good enough to be Atlanta's 3rd rb, why would he be good enough to be our 2nd? And don't bring up Jon Kuhn. Hes not a running back, no matter how big of a woody Ted Thompson has for him.

[Jay Bee]

The Packers better sign the second coming of Barry Sanders if they want a chance at the NFC North title. 

Actually, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal.  Grant isn't anything special -- you guys will be fine (if by fine you mean finish in 2nd place in the division). 

Vikings are looking at fourteen thousand different receivers as possibilities to help out... none looks real promising, but I am still hopeful either Camarillo steps up big time or Berrian finally comes through. 

[MU B2002]

Didn't the vikes recently sign Javon Walker or am I confused? 



Also isn't he the guy who Brett Favre cost millions of dollars in free agency?

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Come on. Of course not, not as a rule, but its just another factor that makes this signing frustrate me. If the Packers addressed their cb shortage by signing a guy from Detroit's practice squad, would you be happy? If he wasn't even good enough to be Atlanta's 3rd rb, why would he be good enough to be our 2nd? And don't bring up Jon Kuhn. Hes not a running back, no matter how big of a woody Ted Thompson has for him.

The irony is, Grant was a guy that wasn't good enough to be on the Giants roster.

Now, to replace him, people bitch that they get a guy off of ATL's practice squad.

Same thing, no?

[Jay Bee]

Didn't the vikes recently sign Javon Walker or am I confused? 

Probably both.  He was signed a few weeks ago, but was then cut prior to the season starting.  Now that the money would not be guaranteed, he is one of a million guys under consideration as receivers they we might try out. 

[Hards Alumni]

Arent the Vikings recievers too busy being on TV game shows to catch passes?

[MarkCharles]

The irony is, Grant was a guy that wasn't good enough to be on the Giants roster.

Now, to replace him, people bitch that they get a guy off of ATL's practice squad.

Same thing, no?

Not quite. Similar, but Thompson traded for Grant before the season started, not as an emergency fill during the year. The fact that he was immediately signed shows that Thompson has been following this guy. If he thought he was going to be a good player or the next Ryan Grant, than he would have claimed him on waivers, but he waited until he had an emergency with only 1 rb on the roster to do so. Doesn't sound like the answer to me.

Its tough to find a needle in the haystack twice. If Thompson found a stud buried on a practice squad, then great for him, I'll be as happy as anybody. But there is no reason to blindly believe he did so, other than people hoping lightning will strike twice. He's missed on a lot more rbs than hes hit on.

But my biggest problem is how Thompson, when assembling this roster, seemed to be assuming zero injuries.

[Jay Bee]

Arent the Vikings recievers too busy being on TV game shows to catch passes?

I don't believe we any 'recievers'.

[drewm88]

I don't believe we any 'recievers'.

You sure showed him.

[Hards Alumni]

You sure showed him.

indeed, in my face.  I guess I should crawl back into my hole.

point be damned, spelling counts when typing from a mobile phone!

[MarkCharles]

I don't believe we any 'recievers'.

Rule #1 when calling out someone's grammar/spelling on a message board:

Make sure there aren't any mistakes in your own post. Seems like you're missing a verb in there......

[Markusquette]

What's this got to do with Marquette?  Who cares what the Packers do? 

Obviously you don't understand the point of the Superbar.

[Josey Wales]

Obviously you don't understand the point of the Superbar.

This started on the bball board and was later moved.

[MUSig54]

I already signed Grant's backup to all my fantasy teams in which I had Ryan Grant.

Sucks for us all because Grant was a great RB.

On the other hand, as a Bears fan, I like where this is going.

[wildbillsb]

Rule #1 when calling out someone's grammar/spelling on a message board:

Make sure there aren't any mistakes in your own post. Seems like you're missing a verb in there......

...."and "i" before "e" except after...." (Gee, I feel so good correcting usage errors.)

[GGGG]

But my biggest problem is how Thompson, when assembling this roster, seemed to be assuming zero injuries.

I was listening to Jason Wilde today...he said that Thompson thought that either Lumpkin or Wynn would clear waivers and be placed on the practice squad.  He was surprised that both were picked up.

That is why you saw one of their fullbacks take snaps at halfback during the final pre-season game - in case they needed him in an emergency and could wait a week before pulling someone off the squad..  Obviously if he would have known that Grant would have been hurt in the first regular season game, he would have kept Lumpkin or Wynn around, but hindsight is always 20/20.

[MarkCharles]

I was listening to Jason Wilde today...he said that Thompson thought that either Lumpkin or Wynn would clear waivers and be placed on the practice squad.  He was surprised that both were picked up.

That is why you saw one of their fullbacks take snaps at halfback during the final pre-season game - in case they needed him in an emergency and could wait a week before pulling someone off the squad..  Obviously if he would have known that Grant would have been hurt in the first regular season game, he would have kept Lumpkin or Wynn around, but hindsight is always 20/20.

If Thompson was so high on Lumpkin, he shouldn't have exposed him to waivers. The chances of him getting claimed are way higher than guys like Tom Crabtree, Marshall Newhouse or Nick McDonald getting claimed.

Yea, hindisght is 20/20, but its Thompson's job to make sure we aren't in a bind like this. Every team, every year has injuries, but for a supposedly elite team, we are shockingly unprepared at multiple important positions (cb, olb, s, rb)

[GGGG]

If Thompson was so high on Lumpkin, he shouldn't have exposed him to waivers. The chances of him getting claimed are way higher than guys like Tom Crabtree, Marshall Newhouse or Nick McDonald getting claimed.

Yea, hindisght is 20/20, but its Thompson's job to make sure we aren't in a bind like this. Every team, every year has injuries, but for a supposedly elite team, we are shockingly unprepared at multiple important positions (cb, olb, s, rb)

But the Packers are prepared both on the OL and the DL.  And considering the ages and health histories of the linemen, and the amount of emphasis he has always placed on the lines, he made sure that we had plenty of bodies there.  It's one of those calculated risks that you take...and one that potentially may bite him in the butt.

[Spotcheck Billy]

IIRC Jackson was the starter in 2007 before getting injured and thus replaced by Grant. I'm looking forward to Jackson getting his shot again.

OT, check out the urban dictionary for a lumpkin definition

[willie warrior]

Who cares--sign Paul Hornung

[NavinRJohnson]

but for a supposedly elite team, we are shockingly unprepared at multiple important positions (cb, olb, s, rb)

Name me a team in the NFL for which you could not make that same statement about a handful of positions.