Per JSO Blog:

McCarthy: "No substitute for experience and Clifton and Tauscher have it."

Really? Does this team really believe that? Because it hasn't in any way been manifest in the way this team has been built. In fact, experience seems to be one of the most absolutely disregarded facets of personnel decisions for this organization.

Wow, Mike.

Contradict much?

With Ahman Green and Tauscher back I declare this team a mess.
At least before this we were bad but with an idea, young players, play for the future, build on the draft etc.

Now where is Henderson ?

I saw that comment also and shook my head.

What if he had said:
"No substitute for experience and Woodson and Harris have it."

or

"No substitute for experience and Kampman and Pickett have it."

Need to look at the answer in the context of the question. And I think some are reading too much into the answer.

Good question! Bring him back!

Sure, but Woodson, Harris, Kampman, and Pickett were all on the field Sunday afternoon. The two veteran linemen whose experience he was extolling never set foot inside the sidelines until it was time to congratulate the Vikings on their victory. The way I read his remark it sounds like a contradiction; because if their experience is so irreplaceable, why weren't they playing?

I wasn't even taking that direction. I was more annoyed since this team has completely eschewed bringing in vets via FA in favor of bringing in youth via the draft. That's a sign that you believe experience isn't important. Which flies in the face of this comment from McCarthy.

So which is it, is experience important or isn't it? Because if it is, then there's no excuse for not bringing in some veterans via FA.

So I was in Milwaukee today listening to 1250AM and they have a live interview with Nick Barnett. They asked him, "After the loss to Mn, who is the leader on the team the young guys go to?"


He couldn't answer it or avoided answering it...

According to what they were saying on the radio, Woodson was rated as 4th by the players as far as leadership in the locker room.

Not sure what that stacks up to but they were implying that the vets that were ther were not the models of leadership that people think they are.

Tauscher is still recovering from a really bad knee injury; Clifton is also recovering from an injury. Yes, experience is great- as long as the "experienced" stay healthy. Once you've been in the NFL plus-ten years, it takes longer to recover, and injuries are more likely. Its like "dog years"- an alleged seven for every human year.

Whatever context MM made this comment, it seems there is a "CYA" attitude being developed by MM. He has to know that tempers- and tenure- is getting shorter and shorter. Isn't next year his contract year? Players usually perform better so they can get a big contract. MM had better perform (assuming he's still the Packers HC), or he will be finding himself on the outside, looking in.

McCarthy was just extended 4 years last year, so him and Thompson both have 3 years left on their contract after this year. Because of that, I don't think either of them will be going anywhere this off season unless they lose the rest of their games and finish 5-11 or worse.

They weren't healthy enough and were only active as injury back-ups?

Here is the context of the comment.

Obviously Tauscher and Clifton wouldn't solve everything, but how much value is there in their experience?)
No substitute for experience, and Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton have a ton of it. You see that just in the practice today, just some of the things that they do. Anytime you add experience to your group, it's definitely a benefit.

Question asked and answered...