My award for the most logical move of the draft is the
fact that the Packers drafted TE Bubba Franks in the first round.
Normally I am not a big fan of drafting tight ends in Round One. They tend
to bust out a lot, and it's not as much of an impact position as many others.
That said, I really liked the choice.
Most people thought that the defensive line was a bigger area of need for
Green Bay than tight end, and they are probably right. Nonetheless, the best way for the
Packers to improve this next season has nothing to do with the defensive line. The surest
way for the Packers to get better in 2000 is for QB Brett Favre to return to his MVP form
of old.
Favre's passer rating last season was a very mortal 74.7. His 23
interceptions were alarming.
It's not as though Favre became a bad quarterback overnight. In fact, if
you were to take every quarterback in the league and surround them with exactly the same
players, Favre and Peyton Manning would rate as the top guns in the NFL in my book.
(My apologies to sensational Kurt Warner who doesn't get the call because
of all the talent surrounding him in St. Louis and the fact that he has only done it for
one season. If Warner repeats last season's shockingly out-of-this-world numbers, I'll
make him king of the hill.)
The problem last season was the talent around Favre. The offensive line
was not what you'd like. The loss of OG Adam Timmerman was really felt. WR Antonio
Freeman, though posting solid numbers, did not play to the high level he had established
in the past. TE Mark Chmura was hurt. Plus, Favre was not the picture of health himself.
Thus, there is a good chance Favre would have improved next season merely
through better health on his part and those around him. In particular, I anticipate that
Freeman will play at a much higher level next season.
Add in Franks as an extra ingredient, and the possibility of Favre
significantly improving his play in 2000 is terrific.
With Chmura's future up in the air, the Packers needed to give Favre a
quality safety valve for the passing game. Franks has the tools to be a difference maker,
and now he has the quarterback as well.
Franks is also a physical blocker, which will help the running game. If
the running game gets better, there is a trickle down effect to the passing game. Every
way you look at it, this pick helps Favre.
Then in the second round, the Packers took OL Chad Clifton. More help for
Favre. You may recall that I said earlier that the Packers have never really overcome the
loss of Timmerman. I'm not saying Clifton will be as good as Timmerman. I am saying that
Clifton improves the depth of the line, which had been an issue since Timmerman left. The
scouting report says that Clifton can play tackle or guard, which provides some nice
versatility for a line that has some health concerns.
It is a wise team that puts its superstars in position to be successful.
The Packers may not have added major firepower to their defensive line through the draft,
but they definitely have improved the likelihood of the football world seeing a return of
the old Brett Favre. That's a scarier thought to opponents than if the Green Bay defensive
line had been upgraded.
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