Ted Thompson has pulled the trigger on many more good moves than bad ones since becoming Green Bay's general manager in 2005. And it appears his latest maneuver will work in the Packers' favor, too.
Thompson announced the hiring of Russ Ball on Wednesday as the team's new vice president of football administration/player finance. That's a fancy phrase for contract negotiator and salary cap guru, roles that Andrew Brandt filled so admirably before leaving in January.
Ball has experience on the football and administrative sides of the NFL, where he worked with head coach Mike McCarthy in Kansas City and New Orleans and with one of Thompson's top colonels, personnel analyst John Schneider, in K.C. and Washington.
That familiarity will pay dividends in the long haul but more importantly in the short term as he moves to his new digs on Lombardi Avenue only two weeks before the free agent period begins Feb. 29.
Thompson and Brandt have put the Packers among the best in the league fiscally, with an estimated $25 million in their coffers to spend if they so choose and only one unrestricted free agent of note, defensive tackle Corey Williams.
Ball reportedly helped leave New Orleans, where he worked the past six seasons, with around $30 million in cap space, so he obviously knows how the system works. If he got along with McCarthy, who works well with Thompson, then this should be an excellent fit.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment