Packers seek QB read Wolf busy appraising this year's draft class By TOM SILVERSTEIN [email protected] If there's one thing Ron Wolf knows, it's quarterbacks, so it only makes sense that Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman brought him in last week to evaluate the 2003 draft class. Wolf spent about five days in Green Bay poring over tape and writing scouting reports on nearly a dozen quarterbacks who will be available in the draft in April. Still a consultant with the team after retiring as general manager in June 2001, Wolf agreed to help Sherman evaluate a potential successor to Brett Favre, the man who Wolf acquired 11 years ago to resurrect the Packers franchise. Initially, Wolf did not want to talk about what his role was during his recent visit to Green Bay, but when asked directly about his well-documented ability to evaluate quarterbacks he admitted he was there to help out. "I was just a small part of it," Wolf said of the evaluation of the quarterbacks. "He called me in to do some things and I did those. I think most of this should come from him." Sherman did not return a phone message requesting an interview, but sources inside the organization said Wolf broke down tape of the quarterbacks, sat in on personnel meetings and consulted with Sherman. Team president Bob Harlan said he thought it was a great idea for Sherman to invite Wolf to help out in the evaluations, especially given his track record in drafting quarterbacks. During his 9 1/2 years as general manager, Wolf traded for Favre and drafted among others Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks, all of whom went on to become starters in the National Football League. "I thought it was (smart)," Harlan said. "You look at his track record and I think it makes a lot of sense. You get another guy's opinion, someone who will give you something to think about." Favre successor? Sherman has made it a priority this off-season to acquire a young quarterback in order to prepare for Favre's eventual retirement. The 33-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback spoke often of retirement during the past season, but announced he would be back in 2003. Beyond that, however, no one knows for sure how long he'll stick around. Some people think this is the ideal year to be in the market for a quarterback because there are so many options available. The Packers, who pick 29th in the first round, aren't expected to have a shot at USC's Carson Palmer and Marshall's Byron Leftwich, but others such as Florida's Rex Grossman, California's Kyle Boller, Louisville's Dave Ragone and Texas' Chris Simms might be available. The latter are all considered solid first-day prospects, although that could change this week. The Packers and the rest of the NFL's coaches and scouting staffs are in Indianapolis for the scouting combine, which will allow for an intensive study of the players. Wolf will not join the Packers in Indianapolis, but he has already given Sherman and the scouting department some things to think about with his evaluations. For the most part, his observations seem to jibe with the rest of the Packers' brain trust, especially in the overall evaluation of the class. QB class over-hyped "I think it's pretty good, but it's probably over-hyped," Wolf said. "I didn't look at the top guys, so I can't speak about them. But overall I think it is over-hyped a little bit." He said in his estimation, the Packers are in good shape offensively, but they have a lot of work to do to get their defense together. He said that if he were still in charge of building the team he would go after cornerbacks and linebackers. "What do they have to do to get better?" Wolf said. "They've got to get some linebackers. They've got to get some dynamic force, a true difference-maker. "Then they need four capable - more than capable - corners. Then you fill in the rest. I think they have enough quality players offensively. Defensively, they have to fix that." From PackersPlus |
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| Quarterbacks such as Florida's Rex Grossman might still be available when the Packers make their first pick in the NFL draft on April 26. |