The lure of free agency is too seductive for some players. Andrew Brandt
A lot of Packer fans have been venting in emails lately about the state of the franchise after the embarrassing loss to the Bucs. I understand the pain that Packer Nation is feeling and empathize with it, although I know we’re only halfway through this 2009 slate. This column is about the Packers, but sorry to disappoint, it’s not about the current state of affairs in Titletown. Rather, it’s about a player brought back from the past into the present and near future.
APAhman Green sporting his new No. 34 jersey.
It was with scant notice that the Packers signed old friend Ahman Green, now wearing No. 34 (he couldn’t get his old number 30 back from John Kuhn?). After signing Mark Tauscher the week before, it looks like the band from the mid-2000s is back together after breaking up for a while. At this rate, Marco Rivera, William Henderson and Bubba Franks should be expecting calls from Lambeau FIeld soon.
Buried in the stories from the bungle at the bay was the fact that Ahman broke the all-time Packers rushing record of Jim Taylor, an extraordinary accomplishment for a player who left the Packers in the seduction of free agency process.
In attempting to lock up players prior to their “walk” year, Ahman was the first player approached in that manner in Green Bay, which extended him with a five-year deal a year before he was to be a free agent.
Ahman played out that entire deal, although it was difficult when another player, Clinton Portis, hit the exacta two years before free agency with a trade from Denver and stunning contract from the Redskins, causing the low rumble of discontent from Ahman to percolate. To his credit, however, he was always friendly and courteous and never made his grievances public.
Ahman’s last year of his five-year contract was interrupted by a quad injury, and he signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal in 2006 before becoming a free agent for the first time in his career in 2007.
That first taste of free agency was exciting for Ahman. With his former head coach and friend, Mike Sherman (Ahman was referred to by teammates as ‘Ahman Sherman’), with the Texans, Houston put on the recruiting blitz -- private plane, floor tickets to a Rockets game, fancy dinner and hotel suite, etc. And, by the way, over $8 million in the first two years of the deal, a good bit more than we were willing to pay.
I’ll never forget that day in early March 2007 when, during my son’s 10th birthday party at -- where else? -- Lambeau Field, I walked the concourse with my cell phone trying to convince Ahman and his agent that he would regret leaving Green Bay. Ahman lived year-round there, has a large house in the area and another one on a nearby lake. I warned Ahman that the passion of the recruiting visit would quickly become cold embers once he signed. His mind, however, was made up. He was a Texan.
At least he was for two injury-shortened seasons, the second only when he took a pay cut to not be released, which he was prior to this season.Now, 32 months later, Ahman returns to the scene of his glory and sets the all-time Packers rushing record (soon after longtime teammate Donald Driver set the team’s all-time receptions record). Ahman could always run; he was a former track star. If he can still show some burst, he’ll be a productive signing for the Packers.
APGreen broke Jim Taylor's all-time Packers rushing record in the loss to Tampa Bay.
Free agency can be the Wild West, with money thrown around and promises made, much like college recruiting without the money (we hope). Everyone wants to feel wanted. The problem, however, is that many players leave for the wrong reasons: the seduction of the recruiting pitch, some hard feelings against their incumbent teams and, of course, money. Unlike baseball and basketball, where players can fit seamlessly into their new teams, football is all about fitting into schemes and structures that vary significantly from team to team. Players often jump to new teams in free agency only to discover a new system that they don’t fit as well into.
Another problem with free agency is that the new teams don’t really know the players. Ahman Green, for instance, was very comfortable with the training staff in Green Bay, a staff that provided him great care and treatment. As a new player with the Texans, he wasn’t going to get the same maintenance, no matter how much money they were paying him. I’ve heard of many cases like this in which teams call the former teams of players they have acquired realizing the player requires more maintenance than they thought.
The money part of free agency is complicating. At the Packers, I remember when we made a big splash in free agency in 2002 and signed Joe Johnson from the Saints, outspending them in a high-stakes bidding war to get a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end. We became emotional -- a taboo in the negotiations game -- and paid more than we wanted for Joe. He was a good guy and played hard and hurt, but his heart was in New Orleans. He should have never left the Saints.
Ahman never wanted to leave the Packers but was seduced by the money and the glitz of the Texans. He was in Houston two years, but his heart -- and home -- was in Green Bay.
Now Packer fans can go back to venting.
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Nice article, Andrew - your point about the lure of free agency is a good one. However, without knowing the Packers offer to him it is tough to say he made a terrible decision. Not knowing his injuries that would come in Houston, if the Texans offer was only say 10% above what GB was offering, then sure, he rolled the dice and lost. If, on the other hand, they were offering him a significant premium to leave it is tough to kill him for taking the money - especially at the RB position where you might not even make it to age 30 in the league.
He might have thought that the extra cash would pay for a house in Houston for a few years and he could always come back to Green Bay and drive his custom batmobile around. In the end, he gets to retire as a Packer and got a bunch more money for his two year flirtation with Houston. Not a bad deal, all things considered.
I understand where you are coming from Andrew, but going to Houston should have minimized all of the risks do to the familiarity. For most players, I would say the grass isn't always greener. Arthur (I tried to do my best Snyder impression) Blank did this with Peerless Price and still tries to do it with the big splash free agent signing.
Great story, Andrew. I always figured Green would sign a one day contract and retire as a Packer, but it's a far, far better story with him actually getting a final run out at Lambeau.
I've never understood the vitriol displayed toward Ted Thompson. Sure everybody makes mistakes, but QB play has not been the issue this year. Put Favre's 40 year old body behind the line Rodgers has and at this point he'd be lucky to be on the bench instead of in the hospital. But a huge subset of Packer fans seems to just want to kill the guy.
If you're looking for a topic to write about re: Packers, here's one I'd like to hear your take on. The other players mentioned here, Tauscher and Driver, were both 'afterthought' picks, 242 and 213 respectively. To get the all-time leader in receptions and a multi-year pro bowl lineman at the back end of the seventh round is something else. I wonder why the Packers haven't been all that good at that recently? Any insights? Bad luck?
letting players come back to retire with their former teams on one day contracts is crap. they decided to take the money and run.there is no way they should retire their numbers either.
Mr. Brandt, as a diehard Packers fans (I actually never wavered during the '70's and '80's), I respectfully disagree. Green had turned that magic number for running backs- 30. For some reason, when RB's hit that mystical wall, they start to decline. Sometimes rapidly. Green chose to go to the Texans for much more money than the Packers were willing to offer. He then showed he was not worth the investment. Is there any reason to believe he would have played better if he had taken less money and remained a Packer? That he might have made less money than the Packers offered is not an argument. Under the same circumstances he faced in Houston, the Packers would have also moved to recover salary.
Now, to write that if Green can regain his burst, he could be relatively valuable to the Packers is quite simply ludicrous. He got some yards against the Buccaneers. Will he ever have burst again? I really doubt it. In RB years, he is now "old". And, basically, done. I am very happy he got his Packers record, because I still remember the years when he was an outstanding runner. When Favre took a backseat, and, where even when it was third and seven, the Packers would run Green, and get the first down more often than not. However, he is no longer that player. It was a nice gesture, or a desperation move, or an attempt to shake up Ryan Grant, that brought Green back to GB.
Understand, I will happily eat these words if Green provides a decent alternative to Grant. I just don't believe it will happen.
I think he can still play as a reliever. He can't carry the load for an extended period of time anymore, but he can sure help them. He's a north-south runner who can break tackles and carry defensive players for the extra yard or two, something Grant can't do.
To jerry in texas - I agree with your comments - Green would have probably been injured in Green Bay as well - he couldnt stay on the field the final few years with us. Therefore it is likely the same thing what have happened that happened to KGB - I think that his signing was a good thing now that we lost a few backups ( because Wynn is on IR and we are carrying an extra FB) you are not taking a spot away from a young stud in training camp. Green can come in and help out due to his experience both within the system and with the clubhouse - unlike a body from another teams practice squad. He appears to have a burst and if Rogers and the Oline can do some of the old Packer screens maybe we can turn our disappointing season to date around and get Grant a breather and give him some pointers .
Andrew - nice try and the Joe Johnson front. You signed that guy to one of the most indefensible free agent contracts ever. Man, you should hang your head in shame. Joe Johnson is adequate reason to NEVER test the free agent waters. Joe freakin' Johnson. You and Mike Sherman basically destroyed the salary structure in Green Bay.
The good news is Mike S. delivered the same bad judgment when he went to Houston.
Green showed a bit of old time flash in his few carries against Tampa Bay. Man, he was fun to watch in his hey day. He put the quiver into many a DBs' legs when he lowered his shoulder.
Ahman will be a good addition for the stretch run. He's a much better receiver than Grant, and if McCarthy has any sense, Green will be on the field when the offense runs the inevitable screens against the Cowboy pass rush. If Green holds up the remainder of the season, I'd certainly bring him back as the number two back next year. If we go another year with Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn sucking up roster spots while alternating weeks in the whirlpool, I'll shoot myself.
Andrew - Interesting to hear about the player maintenance. What kind of stuff are you talking about? What won't the new team do for players? Is it a cost thing, or is there something that I'm missing?
Joe Johnson? I just threw up in my mouth a little.
Kevin and Bob-
You are right about the Joe Johnson signing. Nothing I can defend there, a major mistake. Just shows the risk in the big, sexy free agent signing. It started as a reasonable contract negotiation and then the emotion of bidding against the Saints just continued to raise the stakes and got out of control. Bad deal.
Andrew,
Nice article. While I'm sure you're too classy, you could probably throw Sherman under the bus on the Johnson deal. I guess it would depend on how much input you have in player acquisition... which, I'm assuming wasn't a lot. If Sherman wanted him that badly and told you to do what it takes... you do your job and do what it takes!
Am I the only one to note the irony that so many of the same Packer fans who scream, 'Hey, TT, there's this thing called FREE AGENCY' are the some ones who gripe about the awful Joe Johnson deal?
My favorite English soccer club is Arsenal, and their manager/GM Arsene Wenger always says he's bring in older, more experienced players if they really add something. But he also says that he builds the trust of his current players by treating them honestly and fairly. If a guy has come up through the system and is ready to start, he doesn't go sign a more experienced guy in front of him at the last minute so he sits on the bench.
Look at Taushcer. Love the guy, works like a dog, so he gets signed for 'experience' and then he's old and has had surgeries all over the place and gets hurt almost right away. Bad luck, to be sure, but now TJ Lang has a decent first start at right tackle. Sometimes the answers are already there on the squad.
In any case, Dear Packer fans/TT haters--you can't have it both ways, complaining he won't spend big in free agency and then whining about previous risks in free agency that went the wrong way. And TT got us Charles Woodson as well.
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Nov 13, 2009
12:12 PM
Nice article, Andrew - your point about the lure of free agency is a good one. However, without knowing the Packers offer to him it is tough to say he made a terrible decision. Not knowing his injuries that would come in Houston, if the Texans offer was only say 10% above what GB was offering, then sure, he rolled the dice and lost. If, on the other hand, they were offering him a significant premium to leave it is tough to kill him for taking the money - especially at the RB position where you might not even make it to age 30 in the league.
He might have thought that the extra cash would pay for a house in Houston for a few years and he could always come back to Green Bay and drive his custom batmobile around. In the end, he gets to retire as a Packer and got a bunch more money for his two year flirtation with Houston. Not a bad deal, all things considered.