![]() I said, "Doc, is this necessary?" I expected to hear him say, "Absolutely." He said, "No, you've had enough." The 2003 draft is my all-time favorite draft. I had to call the doctor to get the result of my blood test, which would determine whether I had recovered enough to get treatment the next day. The week of the 2003 draft, I was scheduled for my final treatment. Plus, I had to wear this pump on my belt, to keep pumping in the snake poison, and it made a swirling noise. The next day, people would look at me and quickly avert their eyes. I'd go in to work early in the morning to do the column, and then I'd go from there to the pump room and sit in the recliner the rest of the day. So, I went back to work, and I'd be lying if I said it was the smart thing to do, but it got me back to the job of living. I missed two games due to cancer surgery, but I was bound and determined to get back to work because sitting at home worrying about dying was killing me. Yeah, from November of 2002 until the week of the 2003 draft. The preseason should first and foremost be about preparing for the season, not about making decisions on the bottom two players on your roster. We need the commissioner to get tough with coaches that treat the preseason dismissively. He bristled at anybody that referred to preseason games as exhibition games. I remember thinking this could become a trend, and I remember thinking Pete Rozelle would've had a fit about it because Pete was adamant about providing a quality product in the preseason. I covered the Jaguars-Patriots preseason game when Bill Belichick benched all of his starters. How many personnel decisions were made do to preseason games that wouldn't have been made without them? Practices provide more information than preseason games because practices provide more exposure. So, we're using the preseason almost solely as an evaluation tool, and four games to do that is overkill. Coaches all over the league are reluctant to play their starters during the preseason for fear of losing them to injury. But adapting is also key, and the Packers showed a willingness to do so by going out and getting Peppers.I believe September is an extension of the preseason, but not because of the CBA as much as because of the fear of injury. That's how they'll remain as long as the current regime is in charge, and that's fine because that's what works. The Packers will remain a football team that relies on the NFL Draft and re-signing its own young players to build a successful organization. They know they have a winning football team and they know that now is the time to add key players who can make an impact immediately and not potentially three to four years down the line. Raji were solid steps in the right direction, but bringing in Peppers is a clear indicator that the Packers are taking this seriously. Green Bay desperately needs some help on defense, from the secondary to the pass rush. But the contract itself isn't the point: Peppers was the biggest name remaining on the market, and the Packers actually brought him in. If Peppers doesn't pan out, they can release him in 2015 without much issue. That's a solid deal for the Packers given that they're really only on the hook for the first year. Peppers' three-year deal is reportedly for $30 million with $7.5 million guaranteed and $8.5 million in the first year. Former Green Bay Packers Defensive End Julius Peppers Is Eligible For The NFL Hall Of Fame In 2024. Signing Peppers in 2014 isn't as big a deal as signing Peppers three or four years ago, but he's still an impact player. Then on Saturday the Packers signed free agent defensive end Julius Peppers to a three-year deal. No, they did sit on the sidelines for a little while, with things looking like they might not pick up at all. That's not out of the norm, however, given that Shields was set to be a departing free agent and doesn't really fit the spirit of the team eschewing front office tradition. The Packers got out to an early start with their spending money, signing Sam Shields to a massive contract. Rodgers and that offense can win games single-handedly, but the secondary and pass rush were so poor last season the Packers stood little chance of competing with the teams that eventually made a deep push into the playoffs. The biggest players the Packers have brought in from the outside in recent years include Jeff Saturday and Anthony Hargrove.īut this year has been different, as many expected the Packers to take advantage of about $30 million in 2014 cap space by actually eschewing the normal modus operandi to improve the defense. In that time, the Packers watched Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Desmond Bishop and Charles Woodson all walk. Tight end Jermichael Finley received a healthy two-year contract extension in 2012, and they extended cornerback Jarrett Bush for three years at the same time. Of course, the team has made it a point in the past to give their own players contract extensions. ![]()
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