The Bookends: Joe Johnson and Jamal Reynolds

I would like to start this post with my sincerest apologies to former defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. I admit, after the 4th and 26 debacle, I was calling for his head and he was eventually fired. However, while I was reminiscing about Joe Johnson and what a terrible free agent acquisition he was, I kind of forgot that Jamal Reynolds was also on that defense. Yet somehow the in 2002 and 2003 the Packers ranked 12th and 11th in defensive scoring, respectively.

How They Got Here

jamal reynolds draft bustThe “Trade”

If you thought we got screwed over by the Seahawks in 2012 or during last year’s NFC Championship game, that was nothing compared to what they did to us in the 2001 NFL Draft. The Packers sent Matt Hasslebeck, a top 10 quarterback during most of his playing years AND a first round pick to move up 10 picks to select Jamal Reynolds. I’m actually crying as I write this paragraph.

joe johnson free agent bustThe “Free Agent”

Every year when free agency begins, you will hear a bunch of dejected Packers fan bitch and moan that Ted Thompson never signs anyone during free agency. Not this beard. For you young whippersnappers or for those of you who have damaged your brain cells by drinking alcohol heavily, the Packers signed Joe Johnson in the 2002 offseason (Len Pasquarelli thinks the world of him). He had played for the Saints for many years before and went to two Pro Bowls and was even named an AllPro. Sounds like a good person to sign, right?

These leads me to my point: teams don’t let good players even get to free agency. Every player on the free agent market is marginal at best. Reggie White was a once in a lifetime anomaly. Players that get to free agency are asking for a lot more than they’re worth from their current team a la Greg Jennings.

Joe Johnson and Jamal Reynolds Were Terrible

How bad were they? In their TWO seasons together, they COMBINED for 22 tackles and 3 sacks while collecting roughly $30 million dollars between them during that time. Is Samson T. Beard gonna have to Gino Smith a bitch? Give us back our money!

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