Glenn doing well in Dallas for now

[TK]

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/7105090.htm

Posted on Sat, Oct. 25, 2003

Glenn doing well in Dallas for now

BY BOB MCGINN

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

GREEN BAY, Wis. - (KRT) - Good for Terry Glenn. He's off to a nice start in Dallas, but that won't last much longer.

The Green Bay Packers were thinking Glenn was a good buy about this time a year ago, too. He had 27 receptions for 386 yards (14.3-yard average) and one touchdown, but after he went sour down the stretch, coach Mike Sherman did well to obtain a sixth-round draft choice in 2004 from the Dallas Cowboys in February on the day before he would have released him.

In Dallas, Glenn has been reunited with coach Bill Parcells, who once called him "she" but still hoped Glenn could fit the offense that he knew so well from their one year together in New England.

Glenn leads the 5-1 Cowboys in receptions with 23, is second in receiving yards with 333 (14.5 average) and is first in receiving touchdowns with four after scoring three last Sunday against Philadelphia. After the Philadelphia Eagles game, Glenn said he had hesitated about rejoining Parcells but ultimately decided.

"It couldn't have been worse than what I had last year, when they were using me sparingly but I was out there a majority of the game. I beat myself over the head all last year trying to figure out why they didn't throw me the ball. Maybe they were using me to clear out for the other guys, I don't know, " Glenn said.

Football players love to reinvent the truth after they leave one team and find success with another. Earth to Terry, Brett Favre threw you 110 passes last season, just seven fewer than Donald Driver, and it's your fault you didn't do more with them.

Glenn dropped seven passes. Despite his speed, he averaged merely 3.91 yards after the catch because he went down so easily. Favre didn't go to him deep more often because he didn't have field presence, didn't always separate against the better cornerbacks and wasn't strong enough to take the ball away in a crowd. Three times he ran highly questionable routes on passes that turned into interceptions.

Plus, he looked like a candidate for last rites whenever a defender hit him squarely, or even half squarely. Among his many hurts in Green Bay were a hyperextended right knee, a sprained left knee, migraine headaches, concussions and a bruised tailbone. As a little guy, his blocking for Ahman Green was more miss than hit.

On Friday, two executives in personnel for National Football teams ranked the Cowboys' wide receivers this way: Joey Galloway (19-384-20.2) first, Glenn second and Antonio Bryant (15-304-20.3) third.

"Actually, he's playing pretty good for him (Parcells)," an AFC scout said. "He's running nothing over the middle. Everything's down the field."

Sherman knew Glenn was too small for the West Coast offense, but considering the alternatives he figured the positives of the trade outweighed the negatives. But when Driver won the split end job, it left the Packers with two undersized wide receivers. That forced Glenn to run some short underneath routes, which he clearly didn't want to do.

Neither Robert Ferguson nor Javon Walker has shown more than modest improvement but at least they have the size to go across the middle and muscle up for Green, even if it means delivering crack-back blocks. And, with offensive coordinator Tom Rossley absolutely refusing to allow Favre to get hit by calling deeper drops, the Packers wouldn't have utilized Glenn's vertical skills, anyway.

Let's give Sherman a B-plus for getting something for Glenn, who had to go. Considering that the Packers had to give up two fourth-round picks to New England and only got one so-so season in return, give him a C-minus for the entire transaction.

Sherman permitted six other contributing players to leave during the off-season. Here's how he fared in those decisions:

S Matt Bowen: There was no reason for the Packers not to like Bowen. He ended up starting six games last year, didn't give up a touchdown pass and tied for second in solo tackles on special teams.

In the Packers' perfect world, Bowen would have been back as the third or fourth safety. They wanted Antuan Edwards to start alongside Darren Sharper, not Bowen. That wouldn't have changed.

When Washington owner Dan Snyder offered Bowen starter's money (four years, $5.9 million, $1.6 million signing bonus) as a restricted free agent, the Packers let him go for a sixth-round pick as compensation. They packaged the sixth and a seventh in a trade with Philadelphia for a fifth-round selection that they used on linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, who was cut Sept. 10.

Bowen has started all seven games at free safety, ranks fourth on the Redskins in tackles with 43 and has one interception and one fumble recovery.

"The Redskins overpaid him," the AFC scout said. "He shouldn't be a starter. He's OK. He's tough and a smart guy, but he doesn't have great range and he's not a great athlete."

Grade: B-plus.

DE Vonnie Holliday: The Packers placed much higher value on Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila than Holliday. Still, they offered Holliday a signing bonus of $5.5 million as part of a contract averaging $4 million before the start of the 2002 season. Holliday turned it down, then missed six games with chest and knee injuries.

Even though Holliday didn't fit the Chiefs' need for a pass rusher, they signed him as an unrestricted free agent April 7. The five-year, $20.325 million deal ($3 million signing bonus) in reality is for two years and $5.95 million.

In February, the Packers paid three-technique Cletidus Hunt $25.35 million over six year ($6 million signing bonus). They probably still could have re-signed Holliday but five days before the Chiefs signed him, the Packers gave "KGB" $37.3 million over seven years when they could have kept him in 2003 for the $1.318 million tender.

In Kansas City, Holliday is playing as well as if not better than he ever did in Green Bay, whereas Hunt and Gbaja-Biamila haven't produced. More important, Holliday has played in all seven games for an unbeaten team after missing 14 of 80 games over five years in Green Bay. Assuming Holliday is injury-free and productive through 2004, and that's a big if, the Packers made a big mistake not getting him re-signed.

Grade: D.

DT Billy Lyon: The Packers decided late last season that Lyon was finished even though he ranked fourth on the team in total of sacks, knockdowns and hurries with 17 and was fifth in snaps with 410. Minnesota gave him $2.305 million over three years ($400,000 roster bonus) on March 4. As the Vikings' No. 3 tackle he posted marginal statistics in the first four games and then missed the last two games with a calf injury. He's playing this afternoon.

There are 10 defensive linemen on the Green Bay roster. In terms of winning a game now, Lyon's as good as if not better than five or six of them. The Packers miss his hustle and play-making.

Grade: D-minus.

CB Tod McBride: A broken right hand and thumb in the first week of camp sidelined McBride until the fifth game of the regular season. He was the nickel back until replacing Tyrone Williams at right cornerback after the first series last Sunday.

As the Packers' full-time nickel back and 10-game starter from 2000-'02, McBride allowed 12 plays of 20 yards or more. His successor in Green Bay, Bhawoh Jue, has given up five such plays in seven games.

In March, the Falcons gave McBride a $750,000 signing bonus as part of a four-year, $9.38 million deal that in reality is two years for $2.33 million. It wasn't an exorbitant sum to pay for a solid No. 3 cornerback, which he was. The Packers believed Jue had more long-range potential and that Bryant Westbrook was a cheaper alternative.

Grade: C.

LB Nate Wayne: The Packers cut Wayne in mid-March shortly before he was to receive a $750,000 roster bonus. One-half, or $375,000, continues to count against the Packers' salary cap because of Wayne's grievance against the team for an alleged calendar error.

Four days after his release, Philadelphia overpaid Wayne (four years, $13.23 million, $4 million signing bonus) to be their starter on the weak side, replacing Shawn Barber. In six starts he has 49 tackles, no sacks, no interceptions and one forced fumble. He has missed as many as three series in five of the six games because of an assortment of injuries.

Eagles coach Andy Reid is finding out what Sherman already knew: Wayne is an average player who has started to slip. The Packers are better off without him, especially at a $2.8 million cap charge.

Grade: A.

CB Tyrone Williams: As usual, Williams reported in less than tip-top shape and then struggled playing for the NFL's worst pass defense. He was suspended for one game after throwing a tantrum between morning meetings. Remember, this is a man who went ballistic over a prank telephone call as a player at Nebraska in 1994, firing his .22-caliber handgun twice into the trunk of an occupied vehicle.

Last Sunday, Williams' feeble tackle attempt enabled New Orleans' Donte' Stallworth to turn an 8-yard slant into a 69-yard touchdown. Coach Dan Reeves benched him for the rest of the game and is undecided whether to start him or McBride in the Falcons' next game.

"He's not playing to where he did in Green Bay," an NFC scout said. "I'm not sure if he has the same comfort level as he did before."

Sherman couldn't re-sign Williams because he refused to negotiate down from the last year of a fat contract. The Falcons took him for $14.005 million over five years ($3 million signing bonus). Sherman already had replaced him with Al Harris but at the cost of a second-round pick.

Williams runs better than Harris and has tons more experience. Harris is less flighty and a little more physical.

Grade: B-minus.

---

© 2003, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

[PCS]

Well now, if you're an Ex Packer, you better keep an eye out for stories by BOB MCGINN. May be a little criticism in there for ya.

[AkaD]

As for Bowen, he has certainly missed alot of big plays for the Skins so far. He played much better in Green Bay because he wanted to make 1st string pay. Now that he is making 1st string pay, he hasn't lived up to our expectations. And another thing..... if a safety is #2 on the defense in tackles, you have a big big problem. Like I told Matt Bowen at training camp.....

If you want to be a great Redskins safety, you should study prior great Redskins safeties like Alvin Walton and Ken Houston.

Apparantly he hasn't done that.

As for Terry Glenn, I could care less. It appears we will see exactly how good these guys really are tomorrow when they play the Bucs. Even with virtually everyone injured from last years defense, I bet Dallas gets their ass handed to them in a big way. Maybe just wishful thinking, but they are going down. Hopefully. lol.

Lates.

[PCS]

No doubt Bowen has had his moments, but with that lack of pressure and some apparent confusion amongst the defensive players he's had some help and is not alone, pay not withstanding. Not really conerned about him being up there in tackles. In a good run defense safteys are going to be up around the top of the list in tackles much less one that's struggling. Assuming of coure that the bulk of those tackles come on runs and not those pesky receivers.

[Red&BlueRivalry]

First of all, it's hard to take this guy's "expert opinion" serious when he doesn't even follow the games close enough to realize that Glenn had his 3 touchdown game against the Lions, NOT the Eagles. Sounds like sour grapes to me. "Good for Terry Glenn. He's off to a nice start in Dallas, but that won't last much longer." Could he sound any more bitter? Glenn didn't fit into the Green Bay system? Parcells makes a system for his players, all good coaches do. Parcells did not go into this year telling himself the Cowboys would put three receivers on the field a majority of some games, he realized that Glenn was still a damn good receiver. Glenn has run nothing over the middle? Excuse me? Did this yahoo watch Monday Night Football against the Giants? Face it Packers fans, if Glenn ends up with the year he's on pace for, the Cowboys raped the Packers in that trade.

[bulldog]

Glenn is a perfect example of a talented but unfocused player that needs a strong coach to keep him on course. I don't expect his play to drop off because Parcells is the one coach that has been able to get through to him.

As far as the Redskins safeties go, here are the starting safeties on the Skins last two Super Bowl winners:

Todd Bowles and Alvin Walton 1987

Danny Copeland and Brad Edwards 1991

Now, how many pro bowls do these players have cumulatively?

Bowen is not a talented athlete, but if the Redskins had a defensive line with some bite the Skins back seven should be good enough to contend with.