Green Gone

In a somewhat surprising development, free agent RB Ahman Green has left the Green Bay Packers to sign a 4 year $23 million contract with the Houston Texans. The Packers apparently hoped the market wouldn't bear such a price for a 30 year old workhorse running back with a history of fumble issues. Unfortunately, the desperate Texans ponied up the money and Green understandably took it.

This leaves the packers with another hole to file on the offensive side of the ball. With Favre back for at least (only?) another year, the Packers have to provide him with offensive weapons. If this means a free agent signing or a trade there are not a lot of explosive top names available with the exception of Oakland WR Randy Moss and that will come with a price and considerable baggage. RB Corey Dillon has been released from New England but is not the same running threat he was when the Patriots were dominating the Super Bowl landscape. Travis Henry and Chris Brown formerly Tennessee RBs are available but neither truly inspire the imagination.

Of course, the the Packers might look to the draft with their 16th pick. While some speculation was that Oklaholma RB Adrian Peterson might fall, the Packers will probably be looking at California's Marshawn Lynch.

One way or the other the Packers have to address the ending of the Ahman Green era and figure out how to replace a six-time 1,000 yard rusher (who was just 46 years shy of breaking Jim Taylor's all time Packer record for career yards of 8,207). It was a good run. It didn't contain a Super Bowl champion, but Green was a fine player for many years whose contributions and efforts can't be overlooked.

That said, I couldn't find this last picture of Ahman Green and not post it as he leaves town: