Now look at them yo-yo’s, that’s the way you do it
You play the guitar on the M.T.V.
That ain’t workin’ that’s the way you do it
Money for nothin’ and your chicks for free
Props to those who can make the connection between those lyrics and the article title. It means you know what actual, good music is.
Something else about as rare as good music being created these days is scheduled to take place in Green Bay on Tuesday: a free agent visit! What really makes this a unicorn sighting is the fact that it’s taking place in late August. What makes it a double unicorn sighting is that the free agent is a noteworthy player who has played at a high caliber level for years. If the discussions and physical go as planned, the Packers should be signing longtime 49er Ahmad Brooks in the next 36 hours.
The scenario that is prompting the visit is all too familiar in Green Bay: injuries. The Packers have two competent pass rushers in Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. The bad news is that both are injury prone, and the former has added multiple seasons of lackluster performances to his injury-riddled history. Jayrone Elliot also suffered a back injury, with no clear information provided about his prognosis. Even when healthy, he was not turning any heads. Opponents would love nothing more than to see Kyler Fackrell on the field as much as possible.
The good news behind this visit is that the addition of Brooks would be an instant upgrade, even without the injuries. More importantly, it signals that the Packers are finally appearing serious about more short term solutions. Yes, their commitment to the long term keeps them a perennial contender. Their lack of commitment to the short term also keeps them from becoming more than a contender. Julius Peppers contributed well in the twilight of his career. The Packers are thinking Ahmad Brooks can as well.
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John Piotrowski is a UW-Eau Claire alum, spending most of his life in western WI. He makes the trek east to Lambeau whenever possible. Follow him on twitter at @piosGBP.
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1 response to “Brooks Visit Signals Dire Straits”
Thanks for the REAL reason we should be concerned about CMIII – “lackluster performances.” Popular wisdom is that he’s injured a lot, which may be generally true, but he actually doesn’t miss that many games.(4 in ’16 and none in ’14 and ’15…5 in ’13)
Even more obvious, the reason to be concerned about Clay is that he’s just not as good as his PR makes us think he is. He’s got 22.5 sacks in 14-16, which is not awful, but this general assumption that he’s a HoF player carrying the GB defense is largely a product of the national media slurping up the product of Clay’s PR machine. Listen to the pre-game of any national broadcast. The extraordinarily ordinary Clay Matthews is all over the talking points.(The other problem is that no one seems to notice that he’s a better player inside than outside, and he keeps playing OLB with little effect on the game.)