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http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40870762.html
What happened to Olshansky?
By Greg A. Bedard of the Journal Sentinel
Mar. 6, 2009
Green Bay -- After the Packers decided not to get too heavily involved in a pursuit for Chris Canty, the next top 3-4 end on the free-agent board was Igor Olshansky of the San Diego Chargers. And the Packers were expected to show a little more interest in him.
But they didn't. Agent Bruce Tollner said Friday afternoon that he had heard nothing from the Packers since some early discussions. On Friday evening, Olshansky signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he will be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
But what happened to the Packers' apparent interest in Olshansky?
At 6-foot-6, 309 pounds and 26 years old, Olshansky seemed to be a good fit for the Packers as they transition into being a 3-4 team. The Chargers are a 3-4 team and for the most part, Olshansky has been a good player for them. He was an instant starter at right end since being a second-round pick out of Oregon, and appeared on his way to being one of the league's top 3-4 ends in '07 when he set career highs with 69 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed and one interception. Long known as one of the league's strongest players and "the Mad Russian," Olshansky was coming into his own as a player.
Just listening to that description, if the Packers got Olshansky after the opening weekend of free agency, they'd no doubt be getting a good player at a good discount.
But according to people around the league, it's what appeared to happen to Olshansky last year that has likely turned off the Packers and other teams once they did a little digging.
Two league sources, including one with the Chargers, said that once it became apparent to Olshansky that he wouldn't be getting a lucrative contract extension from San Diego, it appeared as if he shut down to preserve his health and, as a result, was nearly invisible the second half of last season. It got so bad that he was benched for four of the Chargers' final eight games after he had started the previous 54 in which he had appeared.
Olshansky's poor effort down the stretch not only infuriated the coaches and front office, but also some of his teammates. They had known him to be absurdly arrogant -- to the point that some players thought he was a joke -- but when you don't start pulling your weight, players don't have much tolerance for that.
If the Packers called around on Olshansky -- and they undoubtedly did -- that's what they heard, so it likely turned them off as well. Doesn't seem to fit the description of "Packer people."
It's too bad. Strictly as a player, Olshansky did/has a lot of promise. And who's to say that if the Cowboys passed on him and he price continued to drop, that the Packers would have showed renewed interest? It's entirely possible considering general manager Ted Thompson was in contract discussions with Randy Moss at one point. They could have structured Olshansky's contract in a way to give him more week-to-week incentive and to protect the team.
Again, he's just about everything you want in a 3-4 end and has experience. The Packers are still lacking in both. But for the first week of free agency, the Cowboys were the only team to show genuine interest in Olshansky. Lucky for him they signed him because Olshansky might not have gotten much attention from any other teams.
What happened to Olshansky?
By Greg A. Bedard of the Journal Sentinel
Mar. 6, 2009
Green Bay -- After the Packers decided not to get too heavily involved in a pursuit for Chris Canty, the next top 3-4 end on the free-agent board was Igor Olshansky of the San Diego Chargers. And the Packers were expected to show a little more interest in him.
But they didn't. Agent Bruce Tollner said Friday afternoon that he had heard nothing from the Packers since some early discussions. On Friday evening, Olshansky signed with the Dallas Cowboys where he will be reunited with his former defensive coordinator, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
But what happened to the Packers' apparent interest in Olshansky?
At 6-foot-6, 309 pounds and 26 years old, Olshansky seemed to be a good fit for the Packers as they transition into being a 3-4 team. The Chargers are a 3-4 team and for the most part, Olshansky has been a good player for them. He was an instant starter at right end since being a second-round pick out of Oregon, and appeared on his way to being one of the league's top 3-4 ends in '07 when he set career highs with 69 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed and one interception. Long known as one of the league's strongest players and "the Mad Russian," Olshansky was coming into his own as a player.
Just listening to that description, if the Packers got Olshansky after the opening weekend of free agency, they'd no doubt be getting a good player at a good discount.
But according to people around the league, it's what appeared to happen to Olshansky last year that has likely turned off the Packers and other teams once they did a little digging.
Two league sources, including one with the Chargers, said that once it became apparent to Olshansky that he wouldn't be getting a lucrative contract extension from San Diego, it appeared as if he shut down to preserve his health and, as a result, was nearly invisible the second half of last season. It got so bad that he was benched for four of the Chargers' final eight games after he had started the previous 54 in which he had appeared.
Olshansky's poor effort down the stretch not only infuriated the coaches and front office, but also some of his teammates. They had known him to be absurdly arrogant -- to the point that some players thought he was a joke -- but when you don't start pulling your weight, players don't have much tolerance for that.
If the Packers called around on Olshansky -- and they undoubtedly did -- that's what they heard, so it likely turned them off as well. Doesn't seem to fit the description of "Packer people."
It's too bad. Strictly as a player, Olshansky did/has a lot of promise. And who's to say that if the Cowboys passed on him and he price continued to drop, that the Packers would have showed renewed interest? It's entirely possible considering general manager Ted Thompson was in contract discussions with Randy Moss at one point. They could have structured Olshansky's contract in a way to give him more week-to-week incentive and to protect the team.
Again, he's just about everything you want in a 3-4 end and has experience. The Packers are still lacking in both. But for the first week of free agency, the Cowboys were the only team to show genuine interest in Olshansky. Lucky for him they signed him because Olshansky might not have gotten much attention from any other teams.
