Pack need to pony up

Talk about it

I picked the wrong time to get breaking Green Bay Packers news on my Facebook feed simply because there hasn’t been any, aside from the news of players the team didn’t sign.

Ted Thompson once again is proving he is elite in the NFL when it comes to doing nothing, a strategy that is becoming exceedingly difficult to support.

Instead of getting news on all the players the Packers have signed I get quotes like this from former Packers VP Andrew Brandt: “I understand fans’ frustration with lack of signings and quick fixes. But again, winners in March rarely are winners in January. ... Cap-friendly deals now = Cap-unfriendly deals later.”

Except the Packers have about $21 million in cap space to use right now to address more than a handful of glaring needs.

At the very least I’d like to see some progress in locking up Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews with long-term deals. Instead I have to delve deep into the Internets for a mention of Rodgers getting a lucrative deal.

Now after Steven Jackson signed with Atlanta I get this from guard TJ Lang: “Amazing how excited/upset people get after 1 signing or lack thereof. This isn’t baseball folks. #teamgame (not directed towards lions fans).”

In response to Mr. Lang, Jackson would have been a perfect fit, and the type of signing Thompson has occasionally pulled off in the past. Once again I eagerly wait for the next retired running back to average less than two yards a carry in Green Bay.

Ahman Green? Samkon Gado? Dorsey Leavens? Why not throw some pads on running backs coach Edgar Bennett?

Yes, I understand, like any Packers fan worth their weight in cheese, that this is a team known for building through the draft and developing players that fit into their system.

But what would be wrong with adding a veteran player at a position of need? Chances are that Jackson will be more productive than an undrafted free agent.

The last time Green Bay went after a big name free agent named — Charles Woodson — things worked out extremely well.

The Green Bay Packers are considered the poster boy for a well-run NFL franchise, but with several NFC teams making bold moves the conference is only getting stronger.

Three years ago I never thought I’d pine about Seattle and San Francisco, but both teams are moving in the right direction with positive acquisitions and roster adjustments.

Even the seemingly cost-conscious Vikings are getting into the act, luring talented, but injury-prone, wide receiver Greg Jennings out of Wisconsin Friday night.

The Packers are no longer the No. 1 threat in the NFC, despite their elite quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers is in his prime at age 29 and will be for a few more years. I’d just like to see Thompson realize this and surround his quarterback with the best players available rather than waiting for them to develop.

The clock is ticking ...

Ben Rodgers is a news writer at the Sun

Tags: sports, nfl, football