BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Mark Murphy made an unusual assurance on Sunday evening at the NFL owners meetings when the Green Bay Packers president was asked what he thought of his team’s actions so far in free agency.
“Ted and Russ and Mike know what they’re doing,” Murphy said.
He was referring, of course, to general manager Ted Thompson, vice president of football administration/player finance Russ Ball and coach Mike McCarthy -- a trio that has overseen seven straight playoff seasons and one Super Bowl title. That statement was part of a longer answer to a question about what he thought of the Packers’ moves -- or lack thereof -- in free agency.
As he does more often than not, Thompson has -- so far, at least -- more or less ignored players from other teams and instead spent his time and resources on re-signing his own free agents. Six of them, to be exact, if you go back to the four-year, $41 million contract defensive end Mike Daniels signed in December. Under Thompson's instructions, Ball was able to secure deals with defensive tackle Letroy Guion, kicker Mason Crosby, guard Lane Taylor, outside linebacker Nick Perry and running back James Starks in the weeks and months that followed.
Meanwhile, despite McCarthy saying last month at the scouting combine that "we might shock you this year" in free agency, Thompson and the Packers have hosted merely one free agent, former Rams tight end Jared Cook. His visit was more than a week ago, and he remains unsigned.
Murphy was ready for questions about that strategy on Sunday night perhaps because they’re the same questions he faces most years. Thompson didn’t sign a single player off another team last offseason, either.
“This is the time of year that fans ask a lot of questions: ‘How come you’re not doing this, how come you’re not doing that?’” Murphy said.
Murphy said he was “pleased with some of the players we’ve been able to retain, starting with Mike Daniels. It was important to get him.”
Thompson hasn’t spoken to reporters since before free agency began. It was at the combine, where he insisted “we value free agency.” Thompson will get the chance to explain his inactivity on Monday afternoon, when he is scheduled to talk to reporters, but on the eve of that scheduled session, Murphy expressed a strong belief in Thompson’s way of conducting business.
“[The past few years], some of the minimum spending rules have kicked in, so you’ve seen some teams spend a lot of money that you haven’t seen spend in the past,” Murphy said. “And I feel confident in our strategy that we’re not going to overspend for players. The main focus is on keeping our own. But I know if we can help ourselves, we’re looking at it. We brought Jared Cook in for a visit, and we’re going to continue to look at different ways we can build the team.”