“In my opinion, we have to get some veteran guys on the team, some guys that have weathered some storms in their careers and know what it’s all about,” Packers cornerback Charles Woodson said. “I don’t know what will be done, but I know there will be some things done.
“I think we need a couple of more (veterans on defense). A couple more and I think we’ll be OK.”
Fellow starting cornerback Al Harris agreed.
“We are a young team, but that’s no excuse,” Harris said. “There’s going to be some guys out there that may (be able to) help us.”
And not exactly a vote of confidence for Sanders.
Though the Packers’ starting cornerbacks were vocal about their desire to see Thompson add veteran players to the roster, neither was willing to say much about Sanders, whose job security appears shaky after a season in which the defense failed to hold multiple fourth-quarter leads.
Asked whether he would bring Sanders back, Woodson said: “I won’t answer that.”
Harris, when asked the same question, said: “However it works out, it works out.”
Several other defensive players, including linebacker A.J. Hawk and Pickett, defended Sanders, saying the problems on defense were more about execution and injuries to key players like Nick Barnett, Atari Bigby and Cullen Jenkins than about the scheme.
“The scheme’s been working for us the last couple of years,” Pickett said. “It wasn’t the scheme.”
Sanders refused to address his future on Sunday, saying his sole focus was on beating the Lions. His defense gave up 316 yards and three touchdowns but came up with two turnovers.
