The Green Bay Packers official website conducted an “Ask Vic” session this afternoon, in which fans can post questions for Packers.com editor, Vic Ketchman.
Well, a Packers fan from Saint Paul, MN named Brandon had a question for Vic about team character:
“Vic, it seems the Packers place a high emphasis on character during their selection process, as can be shown by the tremendously low arrest rate. This seems like a simple strategy to sustain success, yet, it seems more of a rarity in the NFL than the standard. What other teams are as committed to personal character?”
The Packers responded by posting this photo:
Then they proceeded to give Brandon his answer:
“Nobody wants a locker room full of criminals. All teams place a premium on character. Draft picks are too valuable to waste on guys in jail. It’s all a matter of where you draw the line. Some teams are a little more willing to gamble on a guy with some issues in his past. Aldon Smith had some red flags when he was coming into the draft, and it might be catching up to him just as it did with Holmes, but the 49ers have gotten a pretty nice return from their investment in Smith. Where do you draw the line? Every team has to answer that question in its own way. George Young said it’s not a game for the well-adjusted, and I am a George Young devotee. I don’t need a locker room full of choir boys. My line has some loops in it.”
What do you think? Are the antics of Smith worth his play-making ability and the success he brings to the defense of the 49ers? Or, do the Packers have a point about his behavior catching up with him and sticking to high-character players?