Mark Tauscher is back in Green Bay, and there can be no doubt now: Ted Thompson is trying to win a championship this year.
The offensive tackle, who came back halfway through last season after tearing his ACL in 2008 and stabilized the Packers’ offensive line, got a multi-year deal for what one league source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was “starter’s money.” Tauscher is going to be 33 in June, but the Packers don’t have another legitimate alternative to protect Aaron Rodgers on the right side. You don’t make that kind of deal if you’re a year or two from winning a championship. You make it if you need to keep things together for a run now. Thompson has moved aggressively to keep his own guys in the fold this offseason — that’s always been his m.o., but not with guys on the wrong side of 30, as Tauscher, Chad Clifton and Ryan Pickett all are.
If he can add a piece or two in the draft, it could be a very, very good year for the Packers.
The other thing this does is completely change the draft strategy. You’ve got another year (maybe two) to develop offensive linemen, so maybe you take one in the second or third round instead of using the top pick there. That, instead, could go toward another defensive back. Or maybe Thompson trades up again to get a legit pass-rusher, like he did last year with Clay Matthews.
Because it’s March, not September, let’s take a second to dream: Say Thompson can add another impact piece in the draft, and Al Harris comes back to be an effective corner after his ACL injury. Everyone is back on offense. The Cardinals are regressing without Kurt Warner or Anquan Boldin. The Vikings don’t know if Judas will determine playing for them is more worthwhile than trimming Bonita’s hedges. The Bears will be better with Julius Peppers, but can you see Jay Cutler leading them to the playoffs? The Giants are regressing, and Donovan McNabb is due for a stinker of a year after leading the Eagles to the playoffs two years in a row.
That leaves the Packers in the mix with the Saints and the Cowboys for the NFC title — and you’ve got to wonder if the Saints’ bend-but-don’t-break defense can do it two years in a row. We saw the Packers get away with a similar approach — create enough turnovers to mask more fundamental flaws — in 2003 and 2004, but it typically doesn’t last. And, uh, we’ll take our chances against Tony Romo (preferably not in Dallas, though, because with Jerry Jones trying to make the Cowboys the first team to play at home in the Super Bowl, you can expect some extra-special mob refs down there).
It’s all built on about a half-dozen best-case scenarios, but like I said, that’s what March is for. They could take Judas out in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl in Jerry Jones’ shrine to Jerry Jones. As Chris said the other night, that might be the moment you just stop watching sports. Because it couldn’t get any better than that.
But hey, it’s just a right tackle contract.
–Gene Bosling
I think this means TT is going to pass on Charles Brown come the draft (maybe he considers an OT if somebody like an Anthony Davis or a Buluga is left but I highly doubt they will be). Looking at who’d most likely be left around that 23rd pick… well, I think the most logical choice would now be Kyle Wilson from Boise St. He’d add depth at the CB position but he is also a punt/kick returner which is something we need. Haden will be gone by then and there aren’t any OLBs left there that are worth a 1st round pick…