There have been a number of posts as well as newspaper articles concerning the "Lack of leadership" on the team. I feeling is that we need to acquire these leaders in free agency.

I will be the first to admit that other than the big names on the potential free agency list, I don't know much about the individuals. So who are the potential leaders that could be available?

The only one that I can think of would be Brian Dawkins.

Goff, Sharper and Jermaine Phillips.

Ray Lewis?

Not saying it's going to happen -- it would be more shocking than, er, Brett Favre being traded. But Baltimore is going to have a really tough decision heading into the offseason with three LBs needing new contracts. My bet is that it will be Bart Scott or Terrell Suggs as the odd man out, but Lewis does have the "age factor" working against him a bit.

And if it did, this would be a Reggie White type opportunity.

Sharper? Please tell me your joking? This guy is a joke and has nothing left.

My thought exactly! The only problem is, Lewis would be expensive to get, and exactly how do the Packers put him into the lineup? Trade Barnett or Hawk? Jettison Bishop? Or Poppinga? Besides, as you post, Lewis is getting pretty old.

Although I believe Lewis would bring fire to the locker room and the field, he is, quite simply, getting older. Now, the problem becomes- is he that good, or are the players around him better, making him look better? I still remember the FA signing of Hardy Nickerson from Tampa a few years ago. He apparently had the body of the statue of a Greek god- and the same mobility.

Still, I absolutely agree that the Packers need to get some fire on the team. Right now, they play like technicians, not football players. There seems to be little or no joy/excitement on the field. Take away Driver's "shake and bake" when he gets a first down- and what other demonstration of success do we see?

I think in terms of leadership, there is nobody better than Ray Lewis. He is not only a vocal leader but also a leader by performance. He just inspires people, holds them accountable, and I think he lifts the play of those around him.

That said, I don't think he will leave Baltimore. In fact, I think he is a type of player that would take a little less money in order to stay in Balitmore. He has been the staple of that franchise, and I think he sees (perhaps for the first time since he has been there) future potential in that offense. However, if he does leave, Adam Schefter last night said that the Cowboys could be a team that would show strong interest. We know how much Jerry Jones likes this "names."

I think the Ravens will use the franchise tag on Suggs. At only 26 years old (dude was a rookie at 20 years old), Suggs seems to have the most long-term potential.

Thus, that leaves Bart Scott, whom I think is the less appealing of the three.

But who knows.



Switch to a 3-4.

Even if they don't sign Lewis (which I don't think they will), I still want the Packers to try to sign another LB and/or draft one. In addition, I'm not sure Poppinga makes the team next year. Barnett, Hawk, Chillar, and Bishop all appear to be better options, and as far as I'm concerned, Barnett and Hawk are both replaceable.



I fall on the opposite side of the argument. I think Lewis makes those around him look better. The guy is just a play maker, easily the best LBer since LT.