Rodgers made a career audible

Just finished reading this....awesome. Loved this part: "Rodgers was just 21, three years removed from his high school graduation, when his pro career began. He came across as overly self-assured and a little too slick. Even though Favre had been excused by Sherman, Rodgers tried to be funny by calling the three-time MVP "lazy" for not attending a minicamp in May 2005.

Far worse were the numerous cases in which Rodgers seemed to show up teammates by gesturing toward them after bad plays as if he were never the one at fault."

then this: "I have been humbled through not playing and through my poor play my first year," Rodgers told me in August 2007. "I came out as a 21-year-old kid still wet behind the ears thinking I had all the answers. I feel like my body language in general, practice included, has really improved."

Such growth in him..... that's why he's the best today, and Packer People.

I think we need a new smiley for him too....he actually hasn't done the "belt" move all year.

That is a great piece and without taking anything away from AR and his efforts to go from potential bust to stud, my opinion is it is more of a testament to M3 and Clements.

The most surprising part of the piece to me is how serious the Pack was in maybe taking another QB and giving up on 12. This really jumps out at me:

Thompson even said Young could become the NFL's version of Michael Jordan.

Outstanding article. I had forgotten how awful unprepared Rodgers was in his first two seasons. A testament to dedication and hard work.

There is a common belief that TT was indeed going to take Vince Young in that draft if given the chance.

Talk about dodging a bullet.

quote:

If the No. 2 quarterback job had been awarded based on performance in training camp and games, it would have gone to Craig Nall hands-down.

The tears ran down the icon's face when he read that.

"Oh the injustice of it all".

Nall's buddies agree.

Thanks for posting that article: I think it just shows that 21 y\o's are capable of growth. Really shows that smart players with talent can improve and mature!
Pack88

quote:

Originally posted by GPack88:
Thanks for posting that article: I think it just shows that 21 y\o's are capable of growth. Really shows that smart players with talent can improve and mature!
Pack88

Agree. In fact, I can think of two Packer quarterbacks in similar positions with opposite approaches. Obviously Rodgers and the other being Brian Brohm. What's Brohm doing now?

Brohm played for the Las Vegas Locomotives this season (well, "this season" being 2011).

quote:

Originally posted by chickenboy:
The most surprising part of the piece to me is how serious the Pack was in maybe taking another QB and giving up on 12.

Hard to tell from the piece how close they really were. TT's never going to tip his hand about the draft and I don't read too much into his comment about Young. The comments about the Packers going in another direction at the time were little more than media speculation.

quote:

Originally posted by michiganjoe: Hard to tell from the piece how close they really were.

f the No. 2 quarterback job had been awarded based on performance in training camp and games, it would have gone to Craig Nall hands-down.

As the 2006 draft drew near, Rodgers told NFL Network that he had heard the rumors of the Packers possibly selecting a quarterback with the No. 5 selection in a move that would likely end his career in Green Bay. Ted Thompson, the general manager who had drafted Rodgers with the No. 24 pick the year before, didn't rule it out.

This was serious business. Favre was talking retirement yet again, and Thompson's No. 1 charge was to find a suitable replacement. Thompson even said Young could become the NFL's version of Michael Jordan.

Last week, that same scout said, "After his second preseason, if they had released him, I don't know that anybody would have been shocked. I mean, he wasn't a very good player. He couldn't make a play." Once again, Thompson said he wouldn't rule out drafting a quarterback. In April 2007, 12 of 18 scouts said Brady Quinn was a better prospect than Rodgers.

In a piece like this, McGinn obviously can't reveal his sources by name but it doesn't seem too hard to tell, IMO, that they were seriously exploring other options.

If they really were going to take VY that "meaningless" win over the Seahags in the final game of the season did wonders for the franchise. Although it seems pretty unlikely they'd have taken him since they just spent a #1 pick on a QB the year before, despite how bad Rodgers had looked. Cutler and Leinart were on the board when they picked.

quote:

Originally posted by chickenboy:
In a piece like this, McGinn obviously can't reveal his sources by name but it doesn't seem too hard to tell, IMO, that they were seriously exploring other options.

The only thing in the piece that's directly attributable to TT that could offer some insight into his thinking is a failure to tip his hand on the draft and a comment about Vince Young. The rest is just scouts offering their own view of AR and his progress.

I'm sure the organization had all sorts of contingency plans in place but it's hard to make any real judgment about where they were in regards to going another direction at QB from the information given.