Rockmolder
15 years ago
Good fortune smiled on the Packers. 

In my writings this week about the dangers of free agency in the NFL, I received many messages and comments about a successful free agent signing I was involved with at the Packers, that of Charles Woodson. Yes, sometimes free agency in the NFL does work, although in this case, the Packers were fortunate the circumstances played out the way they did.

Wood work

I well remember the chase of Woodson in the spring of 2006. We had just come off a horrendous 4-12 season, Brett Favre was cutting grass in Mississippi yet to decide whether he was playing, and I sensed Green Bay was the last place in the league that Charles wanted to play.

A couple weeks of free agency had passed. Some cornerbacks went off the board -- such as Brian Williams with the Jaguars, who received a $10 million signing bonus on a six-year, $32 million deal -- and Charles was still out there with little interest. The only real suitors were the Packers and Buccaneers, with Tampas financial interest being quite lukewarm.

In the end, Woodson had no real choice. If the money were close from Tampa, he probably would have been a Buc. But our offer was significantly more. We finally signed him to a seven-year deal with $18 million in the first three years and heavily incentivized after that (incentives and escalators that he has now earned). After a month of intense negotiations, we finally agreed on the deal and Charles got on the phone with one question: Do you guys wear black cleats? (we did not but he still agreed to the deal).

The chase of Woodson proved another mantra about free agency: it is often the price paid for drafting poorly. Woodsons signing was the direct result of the Packers top pick in the 2004 Draft cornerback Ahmad Carroll -- having lost the confidence of the staff.

Even as the only true suitor, we had to recruit the agent and player with all the gusto possible. I felt like the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce trying to convince Charles and his agent of the benefits of playing in Titletown.

At the same time we were recruiting Woodson, we were chasing another player with the same agents the Poston brothers in Lavar Arrington. Woodson signed, and the dynamic Arrington -- who had the defensive coaching staff smitten like high school girls with a crush after his impressive visit -- turned down more money from the Packers to sign with the Giants in order to play against the Redskins twice a year.

LaVar ruptured his Achilles tendon in Week Seven of that year. Charles is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Sometimes fortune shines down.

Zero2Cool
15 years ago
lol@black cleats

Edit, oh and thank you Ahmad!
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bozz_2006
15 years ago
This is one of the stories that I love being wrong about. I had such a football crush on Woodson when he was in college. Then, slowly, all those years on the Raiders cooled me down. A LOT. That year, I wanted the Pack to snag Arrington soooo badly. Man was I pissed when we got Wood but whiffed on Arrington. I was very very very wrong. lol.
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Zero2Cool
15 years ago
Oddly enough, the last two College players I 'clamored' over watching were Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson. When I saw Desmond do his Heisman pose, I was hooked! If the Wolverine's were playing and I was able to watch, I did! I liked Woodson the first time I seen him play, and then seen the one armed catch, it was a moment I won't forget, lol.

I've been lucky to be able to root for them on our favorite team in the pro's too. The best part is this. What the Redskins and Jaguars couldn't give Desmond the Packers did. This time next year, I'll be be able to say the same for Woodson about the Raiders.
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TengoJuego
15 years ago
I remember the year we started wearing Black cleats(08 I think) I was in the game chat asking around. Everyone was too busy watching to answer lol. I bet it was Woodson doing some suggesting.
PackerTraxx
15 years ago
Good read. I always liked Woodson in college and envied the Raiders when they got him. I was sooooooo happy when he signed with the Pack.
Why is Jerry Kramer not in the Hall of Fame?
earthquake
15 years ago
I was thinking about this the other day, but has there been a better free agent signing than Charles Woodson in the past 5 or so years? Drew Brees is the clear answer, but other than that has there been anyone close to Chuck Wood?
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Cheesey
15 years ago
I really didn't know if Woodson still had "it" when we signed him. He more then proved that he did!
Now....only a RING will do!
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Greg C.
15 years ago

This is one of the stories that I love being wrong about. I had such a football crush on Woodson when he was in college. Then, slowly, all those years on the Raiders cooled me down. A LOT. That year, I wanted the Pack to snag Arrington soooo badly. Man was I pissed when we got Wood but whiffed on Arrington. I was very very very wrong. lol.

"bozz_2006" wrote:



I had the exact same thought process. I thought Woodson was going to be an expensive mistake.
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Cheesey
15 years ago
My feeling are, because of all the mistakes the Raiders had made, that we were picking up one of those mistakes. I think that's how i saw it, at least.

Obviously (and thankfully) i was VERY wrong.
Trouble for me is, i don't follow other teams much. So i really didn't KNOW what was going on with the Raiders, other then what i heard from the "talking heads".
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