What have the Green Bay Packers done with Ted Thompson and who is this guy pulling the strings in his place?
The Green Bay Packers, who have now signed two free agents and expressed interest in several others, brought a second veteran player in for a visit on Friday. The player was defensive end Anthony Hargrove.
So really. Where has Ted Thompson gone? Because this flurry of free agent activity surely isn’t his doing.
Hargrove has been around the league, playing for four teams in eight NFL seasons, but he’s still only 28. Hargrove had 18 tackles and three sacks last season for the Seattle Seahawks, but his best seasons came with New Orleans and St. Louis. In 2009, he registered 42 tackles and five sacks for the Saints and in 2005, he had 51 tackles and 6.5 sacks for the Rams.
Hargrove would play end in the Packers 3-4 and is considered solid against the run, as well as a pass rush threat.
The visit is a sign the Packers are serious about upgrading their defensive line and pass rush, which was a major disappointment in 2011. Although most of us thought they’d wait around for the draft, the Packers have been sniffing around several front seven defenders.
They expressed interest in defensive end Kendall Langford, who ultimately signed with St. Louis, and now they’ve had Hargrove in for a visit. The Packers are also expected to bring in Giants defensive end/outside linebacker Dave Tollefson next week and have expressed interest in Cincinnati outside linebacker Manny Lawson.
Whether all of this activity results in any additions to the Packers defense remains to be seen, but it’s clear the team is serious about upgrading last season’s lowest-ranked unit.