The second in a four-part series taking a closer look at theBears' Central Division rivals. GREEN BAY, Wis. More so than the rest of us, the Green Bay Packersgot older during the offseason.
Two of their young players, 27-year-old linebacker Tony Bennettand 26-year old Jackie Harris, took off for pastures that promisedmore green.
The Packers, meanwhile, signed enough free agents nearingretirement to start an arthritis club. There's 36-year-old defensivetackle Steve McMichael, 33-year-old guard Guy McIntyre, 33-year-oldlinebacker Mike Merriweather, 31-year-old defensive end Sean Jonesand 30-year-old center Jamie Dukes.
While the moves say plenty about the Packers' belief they canwin this season, what do they say about the long-term health of theorganization? Where will the Packers be in a few seasons if theykeep losing 26-year-olds and signing 33-year-olds?
The Packers have eight starters who are 30 or older. But headcoach Mike Holmgren, who thinks the Packers will win more than thenine games they won in each of the last two seasons, is notconcerned.
"That concept might have been a larger factor a few years agobecause of the rules we operate under as far as free agency,"Holmgren said. "There's a chance you'll get a good young player andlose him like we lost our young players. So that's just a fact oflife now in the league."
Losing Harris to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an unpleasantsurprise for the Packers. They had made him a transition player inthe hope of keeping him, but matching the Buccaneers' offer wouldhave caused salary-cap problems.
Packers general manager Ron Wolf said he considers losing Harristhe equivalent of a trade for running back Reggie Cobb, a free agentthe Packers signed from the Buccaneers. Wolf indicated a runningback is more important than a tight end in Holmgren's scheme.
But without Harris' 97 receptions the last two seasons, who isthere to throw to besides Sterling Sharpe?
"Jackie Harris is a fine football player who has the ability torun and get down the field, but we didn't have him for (six of 18games) last year," Holmgren said of Harris' knee injury. "Ed West isa very good tight end but a different type of player. A receiver ora back will have to make up those catches."
Who are the candidates?
Fullback Edgar Bennett, the Packers' second-leading receiverlast season, is sure to see plenty of passes again. And the Packershope wide receiver Robert Brooks, who broke Sharpe's career recordfor receiving touchdowns at South Carolina, is ready to step up aftertwo seasons of acclimating himself.
Replacing Tony Bennett, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts,is more of a clear-cut issue. That's what Jones was signed to do.
"We don't lose anything with Sean Jones," Packers defensivetackle John Jurkovic said. "He's been to the Pro Bowl. He's abigger body, more physical and more capable of playing the run. Andnow we can bring (linebacker) Bryce (Paup) from different positions.It gives more versatility to the defense."
Packers offensive tackle Ken Ruettgers thinks Jones, whoaveraged 11 sacks the last four seasons for the Houston Oilers, isone of the most underrated defensive ends in the NFL.
"He would have had my vote for the Pro Bowl every year the lastthree or four years," Ruettgers said. "I've studied him on film andseen him do incredible things."
While the Packers have aged at defensive end and otherpositions, Holmgren hopes the team also has aged at quarterback.From a maturity standpoint, it's important that Brett Favre is abetter quarterback than he was last season, when he threw 24interceptions.
"I think he had a good season in every way except for theinterceptions," Holmgren said. "And that's a huge statistic for aquarterback. He threw a lot of passes for touchdowns and all that,but unless you get that interception total down, your rating is notgoing to be very good. It did affect us last year."
After signing a five year, $19 million contract during theoffseason, Favre appears calmer and more confident.
"I'm much more relaxed this year," Favre said. "I anticipatehaving a great year."
That doesn't mean Favre will be calmer when he has a defensivetackle's hand under his face mask and a defensive end's helmet a fewinches from his kidneys.
The Packers' coaching staff made up a video reel of Favre'sinterceptions and had him study it. They also reviewed the playsthat were called when the interceptions occurred. Holmgren said manyof the interceptions were caused by poor judgment on Favre's part.
But the Packers can live with interceptions if Favre continuesto win and complete a high percentage of his passes. He has a 17-12regular-season record as a starter since taking over in 1992, and his1993 completion percentage of 62.4 was the best in Packers history.
Holmgren is pleased the Packers are not one of the many teamswith a new quarterback this season.
"If you need stability at one position, quarterback is theposition to have stability," Holmgren said. "I like the fact thatwe're able to build some continuity. That's important. If I had mychoice, I'd always do it that way." NEXT SUNDAY, BUCCANEERS
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