Run for the hills, McCarthyism is baaaaack!

Ahhh how very ironic that Senator Joe McCarthy was from the great state of Wisconsin. Speaking of Wisconsin, I need to check through all of my Wisconsin state quarters to see if they have that extra cornstalk flap. Now where was I, oh yes Mike McCarthy now the new head coach and Ted Thompson 2nd year GM have been putting their stamp all over the new team. Most of it is questionable at best. The latest and most puzzling hire being Bob Sanders as the new defensive coordinator. Uhhhh Bob who?!?!? The Packers defensive line coach of course.

I'm sick and tired of hearing people throw misleading stats out there about Green Bay's defense last year. As any sane person knows, statistics can prove any point you want them to. Yes the Packers defense was ranked #1 in yards allowed vs. the pass, but come on, they couldn't stop the run, why would any team pass the ball. Add into that the offense's propensity to turn the ball over, and an impotent punter and there you have the formula for the defense's high rank. Let's be serious, there wasn't a single pro bowler on the defense, and in particular Mr. Sanders' unit was extremely inept.

Take for example, Kabeer Baja-Biamila, aka Mr. Moneybags! Last season he didn't even reach double digits in sacks and was extremely weak against the run. The defensive line should take the primary responsibility for the pourous rush defense. How does Mr. Sanders intend to improve this defense overall and the defensive line in particular. It's my opinion that there are only about a handful of defensive players worth keeping. Aaron Kampman is a free agent and could get a lot of money thrown his way. He's a very hard worker, but let's be realistic he's never going to be an upper echelon defensive end. Grady Jackson is a huge help in stopping the run but his agent has already said he's going to want a big deal. It's clear the Packers need at least two quality starters on the defensive line for next year. One tackle and one end, UNLESS Sanders decides to go to a 3-4 defense, which is very unlikely. The linebacking corps is even more inept. The only worthwhile proven commodity is Nick Barnett, who arguably had his worst season as a pro last year. He was consistantly out of position and couldn't seem to do anything in pass coverage. Brady Poppinga could be serviceable but more likely a quality backup. I think it is paramount that the Packers take either A.J. Hawk at linebacker or Mario Williams an end with the number five overall pick and fill in a couple of holes via free agency.

The secondary is foolishly funny! I think Nick Collins will develop into a good player and he actually seems to have a mean streak in him. He likes to hit and he likes to tell you about it afterwards. This is the type of defender the Packers sorely lack. Al Harris is a good #2 cornerback but he's not a #1, let's not kid anyone. It's also about time to cut Ahmad Carroll loose and admit that was another terrible first round pick. The other safety position is currently manned by Mark Roman, but that has to change as well. So in summation, the Packers need 6 new starters on defense. I'm not sure how Bob Sanders is going to help as he has no experience as a defensive coordinator at ANY level, just like Mr. McCarthy. Does any of this sound familiar? It should, as Mike Sherman had no head coaching experience at ANY level either before he was given the key to the Rolls! It's a scary time to be a Packers fan.