The Packers gambled when they signed troubled wide receiver Koren Robinson.
General manager Ted Thompson knew that Robinson, who signed Sept. 12, was likely to be suspended by the National Football League because of his drunken driving arrests in Seattle and Minnesota. Robinson was sentenced last week to 90 days in jail in Kirkland, Wash., for violating probation in a May 2005 arrest. Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to drunken driving in an August incident in Minnesota that earned him a release from the Vikings.
On Tuesday, he was suspended for 11 months.
The Packers knew about the baggage. So did fans and reporters, many of whom criticized the team for signing Robinson. Some said they feared for their safety on the highways because Robinson was in the state. (That was kind of a ridiculous claim; nobody worried about getting shot by Corey Rodgers, the since-cut fourth-round draft pick who fired a gun over a car this summer).
But, the Packers knew Robinson could be lost very soon and now they are stuck with three receivers: the steady Donald Driver, the promising Greg Jennings and the untested Ruvell Martin. (Robert Ferguson, who probably should have been released due to his performance / lack of improvement in recent years, is likely out for the year with a foot injury.)
To be caught this thin at a pivotal position a third of the way into the season shows a lack of foresight by general manager Ted Thompson. We don’t really blame him for taking a chance or rehabilitating Robinson. We’re all about second and third chances in our society, especially for athletes. But, Robinson’s contribution -- four games, seven catches for 89 yards and 12 kickoff returns for a 21-yard average -- ended up not being worth the public relations hit the team took for signing him.
And the notion of being caught short-handed at this juncture doesn’t reflect well on Thompson’s leadership.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
