Bleacher Report - Articles by Gary Z

Nick Barnett: Packers Linebacker out for Season

Gary Z — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:11:14 -0500

The samurai sword maneuver, the over-pursuit of running backs, and the spicy semi-afro will all no longer appear on Sundays for the Green Bay Packers. Middle linebacker, Nick Barnett, went down with a torn knee ligament in the 28-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Barnett, thought by many to be the anchor of the defense, had 49 tackles thus far. He even admitted that he needed to step up his play last week.

Tearing a ligament in his knee is not, however, the way one goes about doing so.

The painful injury will cost the Packers due to Barnett's communication helmet. As the one who receives the signals from the sidelines—a new rule in the NFL this season—Barnett gave orders to other defensive players and made sure everyone was in position.

The mike, or middle, linebacker position will now be filled by Desmond Bishop. Bishop, a second-year pro out of California, entered Sunday's game against the Vikings and made nine tackles, and forced a fumble by Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson on a crucial fourth-and-one play.

Bishop is an effective linebacker, one who consistently has turned heads in preseason play for the past two years. He will now be given an opportunity to succeed in the remaining games of the season.

However, when Barnett is placed on injured reserve and a roster spot opens up, look for the Packers to add another mike linebacker. While it is disappointing to see Abdul Hodge, a draft pick by the Packers in 2006, now signed with the Bengals, the Packers need to look to acquire a veteran presence to replace Barnett.

Nevertheless, the Packers' playoff hopes took quite a dive on Sunday against the Vikings. The Barnett injury truly adds insult to injury.

For Brewers, Time Is Right to Trade Prince Fielder

Gary Z — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:50:12 -0500

Every fan that boarded the Brewers bandwagon in the past three years has come to adore Fielder and his curious charms. He's got the trademark past—a famous feud with his ex-All Star dad—and a huge swing that draws crowds to the stadium.

However, if there is one principle when it comes to baseball, it is to buy low and to sell high.

Given Fielder's prolific September in which he single-handily sent the Brewers to the playoffs, the Brewers should trade him to the team offering the most. Using this principle, Milwaukee has reaped a true harvest of talent in the past.

Former Brewer first baseman Richie Sexson was a two-time All-Star, including his first appearance in 2002 when the All Star Game was played at a brand new Miller Park. Hitting .279 with 29 home runs and 102 RBIs in 2002, at age 27 he helped the Brewers win a paltry 56 games in a season where manager Davey Lopes lost his job.

Enter Ned Yost in 2003. With Sexson starting at first base and appearing in all 162 games, the slugger hit .272 with 45 home runs and 124 RBIs.

Heading into the 2004 season, Sexson's stock could not have been higher. His mid-20s were set to be his prime, and the Brewers cashed in for Sexson.

In a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Brewers sent Shane Nance, Noochie Varner, and Sexson to Arizona in return for first baseman Lyle Overbay, second baseman Junior Spivey, infielder Craig Counsell, catcher Chad Moeller, and pitchers Chris Capuano and Jorge de la Rosa.

All six players that came to Milwaukee spent time with the big league club, and all contributed.

Junior Spivey manned second base until Rickie Weeks assumed the position. When Weeks was called up for full-time duty, Spivey was dealt to the Montreal Expos for Tomo Ohka. Ohka spent his time in Milwaukee as a fifth starter and performed marginally.

Overbay gave the Brewers fan base a new fan favorite for two years and manned the position until Fielder was ready to come up from the minors. The lovable first baseman, who would elicit chants of "Ohhh" from the crowds, eventually garnered pitchers Zach Jackson and David Bush along with outfielder Gabe Gross when he was traded.

Craig Counsell and Chad Moeller were used in bench roles, although Counsell has spent a majority of the years since the trade with the Milwaukee organization due in large part to his home town of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin being just over a two-hour drive.

The real catch of the deal, however, was Chris Capuano. Despite control issues in his 2007 season and an injury that cost him all of 2008, Capuano won 18 games in 2006 and made the All Star Game.

As for Jorge de la Rosa, the prospect starting pitcher never translated into anything special at the big league level and was traded to the Kansas City Royals for infielder Tony Graffanino.

The impact of trading one talented first baseman who is about to approach his prime can influence the direction of an organization. In the case of the Brewers, the return of the trade were the building blocks for a successful future.

Trading Fielder, who is still quite young and entering just his first year of arbitration, means the amount teams will be willing to part with will increase substantially.

Imagine what the Brewers could get in return for a player who, at age 23, draws comparisons in a statistical manner to Lou Gehrig, Willie McCovey, and Willey Mays.

With the likelihood of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets suiting up for different teams next season, the Brewers have a mammoth-sized hole in their starting rotation. To fill that mammoth gap, they need to trade mammoth talent.

Whispers of Fielder being available on the trading market have already been heard, as the winter meetings will not only include talk of trading Padres ace Jake Peavy, but perhaps the Brewers' lone vegetarian first baseman, Prince Fielder.

The Milwaukee Bucks Begin to Show Improvement

Gary Z — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:30:33 -0500

Miller Lite's were being passed out amongst players, fans were in pandemonium, and the city of Milwaukee had never felt this alive since the days of the Reagan administration.

While sports in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have certainly seen championships before, it has been a long time since both the city's teams have been good at the same time.

With the Milwaukee Brewers doing their part this season, making the playoffs for the first time since 1982, it falls now upon the shoulders of center Andrew Bogut and the new-look Milwaukee Bucks under new Head Coach Scott Skiles.

The Bucks have been a backwards team in the NBA since Game Seven of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, in which they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Team chemistry killer Anthony Mason came on board in the 2002 season and the Bucks went from fourth place in the Eastern Conference at the midway point in the season to out of playoff contention after a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the last day of the NBA regular season.

Since that point, the "Big Three" of guards Sam Cassell, Ray Allen, and forward Glenn Robinson were all disbanded. Cassell was traded for the likes of former first round draft pick Joe Smith, Allen was pawned off to Seattle for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason, and Robinson was shipped off for Toni Kukoc and a first-round draft pick which ended up being point guard T.J. Ford.

Losses started to pile up for the new-look Bucks after the “Big Three” era, as Ford and budding star guard Michael Redd could not bring the Bucks farther than a clean sweep out of the first round of the playoffs under Head Coach Terry Porter.

The free-fall began under the next head coach, Terry Stotts, who led the team to 83 losses in less than two seasons. The collapse was complete after general manager Larry Harris got his grubby paws all over the roster, acquiring players like Smith, Jamaal Magloire, Keith Van Horn, and Bobby Simmons.

With a fresh perspective now, the Milwaukee Bucks no longer have apocalypse written all over the franchise. Owner Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) wants to keep the team in Milwaukee, but a tired-out Bradley Center is not sufficient enough for the NBA brand to be maintained.

The one thing Kohl could do to energize the fans—who showed up in record-low numbers last season—was to re-energize the team.

Firing both Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak and GM Larry Harris, Kohl replaced the pair with the right-hand man to the Pistons' GM Joe Dumars in John Hammond, who selected the defensive-minded Scott Skiles as the new head coach.

Skiles, now the third head coach in as many years for the Bucks, brings a defensive presence with him. Characteristically a shoot-first, defend-never team, the Bucks were the poor man's equivalent of the Mark D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns—run and gun basketball.

The roster, now completely overhauled, stands with only Redd and Bogut as the remaining starters from the disappointing "rebuilding seasons" since 2004.

All-Star Richard Jefferson was acquired from the New Jersey Nets in return for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, and has thus been a welcome addition to the Bucks' lineup, giving Milwaukee a pair of scorers that can score 30 or more points a night.

However, Skiles is a defensive head coach and bringing pressure on the defensive side of the ball comes first. While the combination of new players who are primarily offensive weapons bodes for a paltry mixture that might not be able to hold a prep team under 100 on a bad day, what the Bucks have seen from the first two weeks has been promising.

For those optimistic about the Bucks' 3-4 record in this young NBA season, remember that the very same Bucks had held the exact same record last season after a 102-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

However, box scores have proved that the Bucks' defense has improved this season, which bodes well for long-term success.

Second-round draft pick Luc Mbah a Moute and Jefferson have thrived in their new environments, while point guard Luke Ridnour will be a factor once he heals from a painful back injury.

And when the first-round draft pick Joe Alexander puts it all together and starts playing a consistent game, the Bucks will have the makings of a solid team in the Eastern Conference that can contend for much more than the lower spots in the playoffs.

Ted Thompson: Making All the Right Moves

Gary Z — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:47:55 -0500

While the buzzword in Washington has been "change" this election year, that very same element has been implemented in Green Bay to help influence an unwilling fanbase.

The man who perpetuated this change is general manager Ted Thompson, now in his fourth year as Director of Football Operations for the Green Bay Packers.

Thompson's hiring came on the heels of the 2004 NFL season, when head coach and general manager Mike Sherman was relieved of his executive duties. This prompted Packers president Bob Harlan to turn to Thompson, who was the Vice President of Football Operations for the Seattle Seahawks at the time.

In Seattle, Thompson had helped assemble a team that a year after his departure would appear in Super Bowl XL. This, after he served as an influential member of the Packer front office from 1992 to 1999.

In the Harlan era in Green Bay, people were brought into the front office because they were seen as "Packer people." And Thompson fit the profile perfectly.

Ted Thompson's first challenge as general manager was to wade through the roster of veterans and young players alike to find the winning formula.

With guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle up for a new contract, Thompson let both walk despite the fact that each had Pro Bowl-caliber seasons. Before the new season began, Thompson cut All Pro safety Darren Sharper, only to see him go to the rival Minnesota Vikings.

And, as if Packer fans felt flustered enough by the onslaught of changes, Thompson drafted a quarterback in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The heir-apparent to Brett Favre was the largest of many thumbprints the new general manager put upon this Packers team.

Thompson's headline move bore inauspicious results at the outset.

Partially due to Aaron Rodgers' injury-plagued rookie season, head coach Mike Sherman had trouble pushing the right buttons, and the Packers ended with a 4-12 record despite being outscored by only 46 points.

In yet another controversial move by Thompson, Sherman was fired the day after the final regular season game. The search for the next Packer head coach was underway.

In a search that included Wade Phillips, Sean Payton, and defensive coordinator Jim Bates, Thompson went with 42-year-old Mike McCarthy to lead his team.

Never one to tip his hand or give too much information to the press, Thompson was labeled abrasive and noncommittal regarding personnel moves. To this day, press conferences with the general manager are short, do not reveal any new information, and frustrate those searching for answers about the team's future.

In reality, however, the general manager has to make tough calls. And in an NFL where communication occurs at lightning-fast speed, a general manager who tips his hand to the media at the behest of fans will last as long as a quarterback without an offensive line.

Thompson has developed a core group of young players that is in the process of leading the Packers into the future. Similar to the rise of every young team, there are growing pains, but the core group of Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk, Tramon Williams, and Nick Collins has progressed well alongside grizzled veterans like Aaron Kampman, Donald Driver, and Charles Woodson.

Granted, no discussion about Ted Thompson will ever be complete from now until the end of time without mention of the Brett Favre saga.

As Brett Favre wallowed in his decision to unretire after his emotional press conference on March 5, 2007, general manager Ted Thompson removed Favre from consideration for starting quarterback the minute that Favre's retirement press conference had concluded.

Thompson, a man who made the Houston Oilers after going undrafted in the 1975 NFL Draft, fought his way onto the roster as a special teams player and backup linebacker. Thompson put up a stronghold on his position, holding down a linebacker spot for the next 10 years as a member of the Oilers.

Knowing exactly what it takes to make it in the NFL despite not being one of the top 442 players drafted (in 1975, there were 17 rounds in the NFL Draft), Thompson was not about to let Favre feel inclined to take back his old starting position simply because he had held it the past 16 years.

Phrases like "we've moved on" and "backup role" were then commonly whispered amongst the Packer front office under Thompson when discussing Favre. But regardless, the All Pro quarterback decided he wanted one more shot at playing quarterback in 2008.

With nowhere to turn, Thompson could not go against his ethics as a general manager and simply hand back Brett Favre his starting position. He made the move that made the most sense to him—he offered Favre to the highest bidder.

Due to a high asking price and his extra baggage, the market for Favre became so thin that internal discussions were had about trading Favre to an NFC North team like the Minnesota Vikings.

Nevertheless, Thompson found himself a suitor in the New York Jets, and Brett Favre was sent out of town. Since his trade, Favre has reportedly contacted the rival Detroit Lions to discuss the Packer offense in a move obviously full of anger towards the Packer front office.

While the Packers may be sitting at 4-5 and in third place in the NFC North after Week 10, they certainly made the best move for the organization by letting Favre go. Having Rodgers sit for a fourth year would have been catastrophic for his development and would have set a bad precedent of entitlement for the NFL.

Like it or not, Ted Thompson is the best thing to happen to Green Bay since the iconic figure whom he chased out arrived.

Ryan Grant: All Because of a Screen Pass

Gary Z — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:01:52 -0500

Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant stands as a prime example of what happens when you make the best of every opportunity. Grant was picked off of the proverbial scrap heap of the NFL by the Packers for a conditional sixth-round draft pick from the New York Giants in the beginning of the 2007-2008 season and has since been one of the most productive rushers in the NFL.

However, if it had not been for a 21-yard screen pass against the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants in Week Two of the 2007-2008 season, Grant may be out of football this season instead of starting for the Packers.

Green Bay and New York were scoreless in the early goings of the second quarter, and the Packers needed a spark. Then-quarterback Brett Favre had just thrown an interception to Gibril Wilson on the last series, and the running game behind rookies DeShawn Wynn and Brandon Jackson was largely inept.

The Packers' defense forced a quick three-and-out after the Wilson interception, and Favre stepped back onto the field with 10 men in hopes of putting seven on the board.

Tailback DeShawn Wynn had just lost five yards on a run, and visions of the Week One victory over the Philadelphia Eagles were apparent. In the 16-13 victory, the Packers rushed 17 times for an average of 2.7 yards per carry behind Wynn and Jackson.

Green Bay found a quick spark in the form of a 46-yard reception from rookie wide receiver James Jones, and Favre hurried the Packers to the line as tailback Brandon Jackson squandered a large hole opened up by the offensive line in return for a two-yard gain.

Patience was running thin, as Head Coach Mike McCarthy looked up and down his sideline for an able-bodied running back who would take advantage of the opportunity to be Brett Favre's running back. McCarthy called upon Grant, who was acquired just two weeks earlier, to execute a screen pass.

And, with that, Ryan Grant smelled his first opportunity as a Packer. Heading into the huddle, Grant executed the screen pass to perfection, with the help of some keen blocking and a smart cutback.

The play ran for 21 yards and put the Packers inside the 10-yard line of the Giants, and two plays later, Wynn would run in the first of his two touchdowns, en route to a Packer victory.

Grant only played that one snap, but his impact was surely felt. Once the Packers realized the disappointment in which second-round pick Brandon Jackson had been, and seventh-round selection DeShawn Wynn went down to injury, running backs coach Edgar Bennett called upon Grant to shoulder the load.

Taking advantage of his second opportunity, Grant entered into the Packers' contest against the Denver Broncos following Wynn's injury and rushed for 109 yards as Green Bay won a dramatic 19-13 overtime game.

He never looked back.

In the following weeks, Grant showed the Packers and the rest of the NFL exactly what he was made of—ability. Rewarded with a four-year extension in the offseason, Grant stands tall as an example of what hard work in practice and making the most of opportunities can do for an athlete.

Grant's college coach, Ty Willingham, said it best.

"Ryan really wants to be a great player," Willingham said, "and he works every day toward that goal."

While his holdout in the beginning of the 2008-2009 season impeded upon his play in the first half the season, many have already bailed upon Grant as the true answer to the Packers rushing game.

However, for those who know what Ryan Grant is made of know that he will certainly go out on his own terms.

And when Grant does catch fire in his second season with the Packers, it could put the Packers onto a crash-course ending in Tampa Bay, FL in February.

Aaron Rodgers Deserving of New Contract

Gary Z — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:03:18 -0500

Aaron Rodgers stands above every Ryan Leaf, every Kyle Boller, every Tim Couch, every David Carr, and every Joey Harrington as a proud example of what three years of riding the pine can do for an NFL quarterback.

Of the six quarterbacks mentioned, only one sat on the bench and learned the offense for three years before getting his chance. And only one had been back-up under iron man Brett Favre.

And that only one, Aaron Rodgers, is the only one still contributing weekly in the NFL.

As quarterback of the Green Bay Packers in the 2008-2009 season, Rodgers has legitimately had the most pressure put on him in comparison to any first-year starter in NFL history.

It was simply not enough that Rodgers had to follow in the footsteps of a retired Brett Favre, but Favre complicated matters by un-retiring, wanting his old job pried from the hands of Rodgers and returned, then getting his wish of being traded, and now is playing with the New York Jets.

Not to mention, the Packers are fresh off a 13-3 season in which they ended their season just one field goal away from the Super Bowl.

Pressure? You don't know the meaning of pressure until you've met Aaron Rodgers.

Stepping into the bowl of Lambeau Field against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football to start his first game under center, the Packer faithful were supportive of the young quarterback and praised his skills after Green Bay pulled a win out of the fire.

What was supposed to make Aaron Rodgers' job easier this year, however, was that he would have a strong running game behind him with second-year sensation Ryan Grant. Grant, who ran for just under 1,000 yards last season, signed a four-year extension in the preseason and missed so much practice time during his holdout that it has effected his play in the first half of the season.

Thus, Rodgers has had to literally kick-start the offense every week and ignite the pilot light for offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's offense.

Just seven games in, Rodgers signed an extension to be in green and gold through 2014; a move which, while sudden, represents the commitment that the Packers have always given to Rodgers.

By trading away Brett Favre, the Packers showed extreme confidence in Rodgers as their quarterback of the future. By signing Rodgers to a long-term deal just seven games in, they are rewarding the California graduate for his patience and understanding through three years of turmoil of being the back-up to Brett Favre during his summers of "thinking about retirement."

For all those not in favor of the deal, simply imagine what Rodgers has done in eight games as quarterback. He has played some of the NFL's toughest defenses—the Cowboys, the Colts, the Vikings, and the Titans—and still maintains one of the best quarterback ratings in the NFL.

If Rodgers can perform at this level with just eight games of experience under his belt, what can he do with three years of experience under his belt?

And that question is why Aaron Rodgers was signed long-term.

Why Willie Randolph Is a Smart Pick for Brewers Bench Coach

Gary Z — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:32:17 -0500

The Milwaukee Brewers hired former Oakland Athletics manager Ken Macha to be skipper a day after the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series.

While Macha's hiring was certainly on pace to be the most exciting coaching hire for the Brewers since the October 29, 2002 hiring of Ned Yost, General Manager Doug Melvin made the call to hire ex-Mets manager Willie Randolph as bench coach on Saturday.

Randolph, who spent the last four years as the manager of the Mets, agreed to become the bench coach for Milwaukee with one strong condition, however. If Randolph is offered the managerial job for the Seattle Mariners, he is welcome to take it.

The move may seem odd to Milwaukee outsiders, but it represents a gentleman's agreement between the Seattle Mariners' new general manager, Jack Zduriencik, who has spent the past nine years within the Milwaukee system, and current General Manager Doug Melvin.

Zduriencik is currently rebuilding a Seattle team that was the first in major league history to spent over $100,000,000 and lose 100 games, and is doing so through the ways he created a winner as scouting director for the Milwaukee Brewers, through the June draft.

But, "Jack Z" needs a skipper. Those tied to the job include Randolph, ex-Brewers manager Ned Yost, and interim Mariners' manager Jim Riggleman, and it is up to Zduriencik to pick his candidate.

Randolph's hiring by the Brewers represents a changing of the guard, however, for Milwaukee. While winning the wild card and entering into the playoffs for the first time since 1982 amounted to a successful campaign by the Brewers, simply making the playoffs is no longer a suitable option.

Despite the ability for the Brewers to be able to re-sign mega free agent CC Sabathia, Milwaukee has and always will remain a small-market team which must survive on building young players through the farm system and making long-term commitments to those young players, similar to the deal third baseman turned left fielder Ryan Braun received after his rookie season.

With Macha in control as manager, the mild-tempered ex-A's skipper can now rely upon a man less than a year removed from the game in Randolph for advice. And, if Macha wants a third opinion, hitting coach Dale Sveum spent the last twelve games as interim skipper of the Brewers and knows the team better than anyone.

Bringing in Randolph, along with Macha, sends a clear message to fellow National League teams that the Brewers are not content with folding back into the middle of the pack after losing stud aces Ben Sheets and Sabathia.

Young budding stars in Manny Parra and Yovani Gallardo will eventually be able to handle the load of being front-tier starters, while David Bush will carry over the momentum of winning a playoff game into a more steady 2009 campaign.

Throw in Seth McClung, resident everyman pitcher, and veteran Jeff Suppan, and the Brewers have a formidable starting five, which could be improved through trading.

The winning karma that the new bench coach brings, having won more games in his tenure as Mets manager than any other National League manager, along with the winning pedigree that Macha brings, gives the Brewers a renewed sense of optimism for the 2009 campaign.