PACKERS THOUGHT THEY HAD A DEAL FOR GONZALEZ

Wow. Not only were the Packers serious players for Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, but the Pack also thought they had a deal. According to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal, the Packers drew up the paperwork that would have sent a third-round pick to Kansas City for Gonzalez, only to have the Chiefs back out ten minutes before the 4:00 p.m. EDT trading deadline, and demand a second-round pick. Per Wilde, the Packers and Eagles offered a third-round selection for Gonzalez, and the Giants tendered a fourth-rounder. The Falcons and Bills were willing to do more, but Gonzalez wanted to play for neither team. Currently, the Falcons and the Bills have better records than the Packers and the Eagles. In either Atlanta or Buffalo, Gonzalez would have been greeted as a superhero, and we’re baffled by his reluctance to play for either team. We’re even more baffled by the misguided decision by Carl Peterson to pull a last-second power play. An unrestrained ego is a dangerous thing, and Peterson now must deal with a locker room full of players who realize that, if King Carl is willing to screw Gonzalez, any of them could get equal or lesser treatment.