Green Bay Packers: Is this Dom Capers’s last stand?
By Mark Gladney
Now that the Green Bay Packers 2017 version of the NFL Draft is in the books, considering the number of draft picks dedicated to the team’s defense, one question looms.
Is this “do-or-die” time for Packers’ defensive coordinator Dom Capers?
The Packers’ front office has gone defensive-heavy in recent drafts to improve the leaky ship that is the team’s defense.
This year, GM Ted Thompson used his first four picks on defensive players, three of which in the defensive secondary, sending a clear message to cornerbacks Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall.
That said, it is possible that the team will have two rookies starting at CB this season. That would generally concern most.
However, many Packers fans may feel better with the rookies starting than the past two season’s work provided by Rollins and Randall.
In any case, Packer fans are losing patience with the underproduction of Capers 3-4 defense. Whether it is the lack of quality in the Thompson draft picks in recent years or the defensive scheme can be debated, but the team cannot depend on quarterback Aaron Rodgers to carry the team on his shoulders every week. The fans hunger for another Super Bowl championship and are not satisfied with “almost getting there.”
More than any other team in professional sports, Packers fans have not just a psychological connection to this team, but also a financial one, as many are actual shareholders.
While those shares do not have the usual characteristics of other stocks in a company, the front office owes a duty to all of the fans to put the best product as possible on the field.
This is not to say the fans know more than those individuals that spend their careers building professional football teams, but fans are not to be taken for granted either.
Sometimes, it appears that the front office completely ignores other options in addition to the “draft and develop” philosophy and year after year, the fans suffer heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss.
The definition of “insanity” is doing the same wrong thing over and over and expecting a different result.
One does not have to be a professional coach or general manager to know that something is amiss and it has been so for the past several years.
This writer is not merely satisfied with getting to the playoffs. I would like to see the team win multiple Super Bowls, just like the fans of the New England Patriots.
Is that asking too much?
Is the Patriots front office, coaching staff and their players that much better than the Packers?
The Packers have a Hall of Fame quarterback just like New England’s. Are their supporting players that much better than Green Bay’s.
If you are just judging Super Bowl wins, apparently so. New England does not just “draft and develop.” That team takes calculated risks with free agents in addition to shrewd drafting. They also make judicious trades as in obtaining wide receiver Brandon Cooks just recently.
The Packers sit and wait for opportunity to come. The Patriots create opportunity.
Some would say Thompson has “created opportunity” this year in obtaining tight ends Lance Kendricks and Martellus Bennett, among others.
I guess better late than never.
Where was this attitude in years past? Have the Packers squandered the talents of Aaron Rodgers as they did with Brett Favre? Two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and the team has two championships to show for it.
Do you think Vince Lombardi would have been satisfied with that type of production from his front office or his defensive coordinator, if he had not been general manager?
This year’s draft could provide the much-needed competition and quality depth that has been missing in past years and could be an indicator as to whether it is the players or the scheme that prevents the Packers from reaching the next level.
If the defense fails again, when will Mike McCarthy and the front office realize that Dom Capers needs to go?
When will Packers President Mark Murphy realize that Ted Thompson’s time has passed?
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This writer does not think the team or the fans can take anymore “draft and develop.” That is akin to “wait until next year.”
This season will tell the tale.