This article made me literally rub my hands with glee. This is EXACTLY the kind of management strategy I want for our team, and have for years. A lot of fans develop emotional attachments to specific players. I don't. My attachment is to the team, first and foremost. I want the Packers to win. The players are just pieces fit in to achieve that goal. So I never really understand it when people say things like, "I hope he gets to retire here" or "I'd really hate to see him go" for reasons other than his talent. The only reason why a player should be kept is because he's still performing at a high level and no one of equivalent or greater talent can be brought in at a reasonable price.
These guys make way too much money for me (or a good GM) to keep them around for purely sentimental reasons. They are tools in the quest for championships. If these guys really are about the team (maybe 1 in a 100 is), then they can choose to take a little less to stay wtih the team they profess to love. If they elect instead to strike out for greener pastures, best of luck to them, but I may or may not root for them (just as I root for some players who have never been Packers), but I won't grieve their departure. If they want to retire Packers, they can either stay with the organization or sign a one-day retirement deal at the end of their career.
"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:
As cold as that sounds, it's true.
I'm guilty of saying it. I've said it about Favre, and most recently about Donald Driver. I love Driver. I want to see him retire as a Packer.
But Driver will command a large salary as he falls down the depth chart from #1 WR to #2 WR (where he's at now, realistically), to eventually #3 behind Jones and #4 behind Jones and Jordy. Yes, I think Jones is better than Jordy and '09 will show I'm right. But that's changing the subject.
So the whole thing sucks. I do develop an emotional attachment. Driver entertained me. So I like him. I like his attitude. I like his work ethic. I like the fact that when his teammate scores, he feels like he scores. I love that.
But yeah, the ultimate goal is to win games and sometimes you have to be cold about it. Dang. Wish it wasn't that way, but it is what it is.
My man Donald Driver
(thanks to Pack93z for the pic)
2010 will be seen as the beginning of the new Packers dynasty. 🇹🇹 🇲🇲 🇦🇷