Live by the draft, die by the draft? Not entirely

GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers pride themselves on homegrown talent – that is developing a roster and depth by drafting players, versus acquisitions through trades and free-agent signings.

That’s not to say they’ve shied away entirely from making deals to help solidify the roster over the years. In fact, two of the team’s top offensive record-holders were acquired in trades.

Ron Wolf, Hall of Fame general manager, used arguably the most successful trade in pro football history to acquire quarterback Brett Favre — himself a Hall of Famer and four-time NFL Most Valuable Player award recipient. 

Favre, acquired from Atlanta in February 1992 in exchange for a first-round draft choice, holds or shares 17 of the team’s passing records.

Ahman Green, the team’s all-time leading rusher (8,322), was acquired from Seattle in an April 2000 trade for cornerback Fred Vinson, which also involved several draft picks. 

Green, who played for the Packers for eight seasons (2000-06, 2009) holds or shares 18 franchise records, including most yards rushing in a season (1,883), most touchdowns in a season (20), the team’s longest run from scrimmage (98) and the most yards from scrimmage (11,048). 

Vince Lombardi successfully used trades to help build the dynasty teams of the 1960s, including acquisitions such as Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston, Emlen Tunnell, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis and Carroll Dale.

Bart Starr traded for offensive weapons like Lynn Dickey, Terdell Middleton and John Jefferson.

Free-agent signings have always served the Packers well. 

And because the NFL Draft didn’t exist until 1936, every player in the early days of the league was essentially a free agent signing. 

Most notable among Curly Lambeau’s rookie acquisitions were future NFL Hall of Fame inductees Arnie Herber, Clark Hinkle and Don Hutson. 

Lambeau also lured key veteran free agents away from other teams, such as Cal Hubbard, Johnny (Blood) McNally and Mike Michalske.

Lombardi signed rookie free agent Willie Wood in 1960, while Starr nabbed rookie free agents like Johnnie Gray, Paul Coffman and Mark Murphy.

When the restricted/unrestricted free agency era began in 1993, the Packers opened their arms (and check book) early to entice talent, perhaps none bigger than Reggie White in 1993. 

After White made cold Green Bay “cool” again, other notable unrestricted free agent signings by Ron Wolf soon followed, including Sean Jones, Don Beebe, Santana Dotson and Desmond Howard, the MVP of Super Bowl XXXI.   

Among the first free agent acquisitions by GM Ted Thompson in 2006 was future NFL Hall of Fame inductee Charles Woodson.

More recent free agent impact players have included Adrian Amos, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith in 2019 and Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney this season.

The waiver wire has also been good to the Packers. Lombardi claimed Chuck Mercein in 1967. 

Ron Wolf’s waiver-wire transactions included the signings of fan favorite Gilbert Brown, Andre Rison and Ryan Longwell, the team’s second all-time leading scorer. 

And Ted Thompson claimed Jarrett Bush and John Kuhn, key members of the Packers squad that won Super Bowl XLV.

But the life blood of any NFL team is the Annual Player Selection Meeting. 

The draft, which the Packers will host in April, serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. 

And while the vast majority of selections never become household names, the Packers have certainly discovered their fair share of diamonds in the rough.

Continued in the next edition of Packerland