They’ve got a Driver (and that’s a start)

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, May 16, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Green Bay Packers
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At least this one wasn't dragged out for months: Green Bay Packer fans were able to rejoice in some good old-fashioned non-retirement centered news last week, as management came to terms with receiver Donald Driver.

Driver has notched almost 300 receptions in four years, easily making him Brett Favre's favorite target over the course of an impressive career in Packer land. After being drafted out of Alcorn State in 1999, Driver found himself fighting his way to the front of the receiving corps for three seasons. The literal breakthrough came in 2002; before that year, Favre targets Corey Bradford, Antonio Freeman and Bill Schroeder all left the squad, requiring a reshuffling of the depth chart at receiver that had Driver becoming Green Bay's top receiver. Driver bagged seventy receptions for 1,064 yards (representing 19% and 29% of Favre's production in those categories), got his only Pro Bowl nod and won the hearts of many a football fan in Wisconsin.

Even more impressive, though, was Driver's production in 2005. Leading a bit of a slapdash wide-receiving bunch and admirably filling the gap left by the petulant Javon Walker, Driver caught an almost unbelievable 86 passes for 1,221 yards. Though representing career highs in both categories, 2005 was actually a near mirror-image of his fantastic 2004, in which he went for 1,208 yards on 84 receptions.

The collective sigh of relief emanating from the frozen tundra of the Midwest after the signing could be heard in all corners of the football world. Heartening as well was the length of the contract: Green Bay now gets four more years of Driver, up from the two he'd promised under the terms of his old contract. Driver's re-upping also assures cheeseheads that at least one key component of the Packer pass attack will stay in town for the post-Favre era.

The signing of Driver provided a satisfying ending for what had originally threatened to be a ho-hum Green Bay offseason. Though LaVar Arrington didn't come to town, the intriguing Charles Woodson did. In addition to the expected addition of A.J. Hawk, the draft also got Green Bay the promising pair of OT Daryn Colledge and WR Greg Jennings. And, of course, Brett's back. Suddenly the Pack seems - if not exactly back to championship-threatening form - solid.

Nevertheless, the future is uncertain for the Green Bay Packers. Right now, this squad is one of those 10-6/6-10 teams: It could go either way in 2006. Amidst the legion of question marks piled on the Packers, though, there's a humming going on around cheeseheads this week: "We've got a driver and that's a start..."

Baby, he can drive the car.

Read up on the Pack at Realfootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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