Mucky Tundra
11 years ago

One of our Packers contributors looks at two key off-season decisions general manager Ted Thompson made, and why they reflect the brilliance of the Packers' head of personnel.

WTMJ  wrote:


Under Construction!
texaspackerbacker
11 years ago
In the case of Johnny Jolly, absolutely - Ted Thompson defied conventional wisdom and took a chance which is paying off big. In the case of Greg Jennings, however, Ted Thompson did offer him supposedly more money than the Vikings are paying him. If logic prevailed, he would be a Packer, and the current injury situation would be less of a problem. The cap situation might be a different story.

I'm not completely sold on Ted Thompson being a "great" GM. I just have to ask, what if Aaron Rodgers didn't fall to us? Honestly, Thompson has not put together all that great a roster otherwise. The team I am most familiar with other than the Packers - the Cowboys, for example, have loaded up at WR, TE, LB, DB, and D Line, and rebuilt their O Line with pretty fair success, mostly without high-priced free agents, and with not much different draft position from the Packers. Seattle also has come from way down to have a loaded team. Kansas City and Houston also. Sure, there are a lot of counter-examples, but the Packers don't need to be compared to those, rather to the best.

I would NOT want more signings of over-priced FAs; I acknowledge TT's success in the low rounds and UDFAs. I'm just saying he rates IMO good, not great overall in building a team.
Expressing the Good Normal Views of Good Normal Americans.
If Anything I Say Smacks of Extremism, Please Tell Me EXACTLY What.
steveishere
11 years ago
I think the cowboys are already like 30 million over next years salary cap or something crazy like that
DakotaT
11 years ago
Anybody that thinks Ted Thompson is not a great GM is a moron. Nobody, with the kind of injuries we had in 2010, comes away with the Lombardi Trophy. That is incredible depth to be able to not only sustain a winning team, but to come away with the ultimate prize. Yeah, having the best player in the game really helps, but the Packers had no business winning that championship. That team will always be my favorite, unless the 2013 team can do the same thing.
UserPostedImage
nerdmann
11 years ago

Anybody that thinks Ted Thompson is not a great GM is a moron. Nobody, with the kind of injuries we had in 2010, comes away with the Lombardi Trophy. That is incredible depth to be able to not only sustain a winning team, but to come away with the ultimate prize. Yeah, having the best player in the game really helps, but the Packers had no business winning that championship. That team will always be my favorite, unless the 2013 team can do the same thing.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 



Aaron wasn't the best player in the league when we drafted him.

I do believe Ted is a great GM. But part of that is acquiring the staff to develop these players. Sam Shields, for example. Look at the guys this year who have developed. Jamari Lattimore.

Every year we've got guys coming out of nowhere and becoming players. That's on Ted, not just for acquiring them, but for developing a quality staff as well. It's a winning formula.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Tezzy
11 years ago

Aaron wasn't the best player in the league when we drafted him.

I do believe Ted is a great GM. But part of that is acquiring the staff to develop these players. Sam Shields, for example. Look at the guys this year who have developed. Jamari Lattimore.

Every year we've got guys coming out of nowhere and becoming players. That's on Ted, not just for acquiring them, but for developing a quality staff as well. It's a winning formula.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 



I go back to TT's comments regarding the GM and Coach(staff) being a true partnership. And after years of continued success there isn't another GM in the league that I would switch Ted Thompson with.


On top of every beard grows a man.
"The Bears are shell-shocked... and it's breaking my heart."
sschind
11 years ago
Pretty lame article if you ask me. Another fan who feels personally rejected by Greg Jennings so she can't resist taking shots at him. GMs can't show loyalty but if a player doesn't he is a pariah and needs to be moved off the team ASAP. A players off season activities is proof that it was a good thing he was let go but had he not been let go those off season activities would not be an issue (note, they aren't an issue but like I said some people can't resist)

The decision to let Jennings go came down to simple dollars for the Packers If he would have agreed to stay here for... lets say... 5 million a year he would still be here. Since it is such a good thing that he is gone it stands to reason that Brenton thinks it would be a bad thing if he would have stayed. I'm sure he would have been a locker room cancer given his off season behavior.

The more I read about the situation the more I get the feeling that Jennings wasn't happy here. Maybe his turning down the 10 million or whatever it was it was that was supposedly offered had nothing to do with him wanting more. Maybe he just wanted out.

Like I said in a previous post, some Packers fans simply can't take this as a fact. They can't believe anyone would want to leave this Shangri-La that Ted Thompson has built. If they want out it must be because they are greedy for more money or more playing time.

Much like Brett Favre, Greg Jennings is becoming one of my favorite Ex Packers. I love the Packers and I can't fathom anyone wanting to leave this organization that I would give almost anything to be a part of but when I see players with the guts to speak their mind when they know it will hurt their reputation I find it somewhat refreshing. So many people toe the company line when they don't really mean it that it can get sickening.

I realize that in a lot of cases toeing the line is the only or certainly the best option and I can understand it in those cases but with athletes it is rarely the case. They are one group of people who, for the most part, can afford to be honest. Its just a shame when fans hold that honesty against them if it involves anything negative about their favorite team. Player A leaves team A and says that it was a poor atmosphere to play in and fans of team B applaud him. Now player B leaves team B and says the same thing and that player is shunned by the fans of team B. I guess a lot of it can be chalked up to human nature, or perhaps nature in general. Its a good thing to protect your own. But when protecting your own makes you sound like a hypocritical broken record of a parrot I have a hard time taking you seriously.

And before anyone jumps down my throat screaming that everyone is entitled to their opinion let me just say that I agree with you. My comments are just that, they are my opinions. I realize that not everyone will agree with them and I am OK with it. I also realize that my posts may seem to stray as far in one direction as those of others stray in the opposite direction. I can see the merit in that argument as well. I certainly don't claim to have any more insight than anyone else into the Jennings/Packers situation and so I realize that your opinions are just as legitimate as mine. Its just that I can't let some opinions go unchallenged. So challenge away if you like.
sschind
11 years ago
Man I will be happy when tomorrows game is over and we can settle down into the calm relaxing atmosphere of a regular game.






WHAT? next week is BEAR week? goodbye calm and relaxing.
steveishere
11 years ago
I think many people when deciding how good a team is only care about the starters (understandable since few would bother learning another teams back ups lol) but that doesn't seem to matter as much, especially this year. Chicago for example with all of their starters have a phenomenal defense but down a few starters they are atrocious. The rest of those players on the 53 become pretty dang important. That's where Ted has seemed at his best IMO. Getting guys to fill out that 53 who can step in and still play NFL football even if they aren't each world beaters. Not necessarily getting a huge amount of pro-bowl or all-pro players.
Users browsing this topic
    Fan Shout
    dfosterf (2h) : FAFO
    Zero2Cool (3h) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m
    dfosterf (3h) : Or Lions
    dfosterf (3h) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing
    Zero2Cool (3h) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.
    dfosterf (14-Jun) : TWO magnificent strikes for touchdowns. Lose the pennstate semigeezer non nfl backup
    dfosterf (14-Jun) : There was minicamp Thursday. My man Taylor Engersma threw
    dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
    Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
    wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
    Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
    Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : Well he can always ask his brother for pointers
    Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : Bo Melton taking some reps at CB as well as WR
    Zero2Cool (10-Jun) : key transactions coming today at 3pm that will consume more cap in 2025
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jaire played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 season
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : reported, but not expected to practice
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : Jenkins has REPORTED for mandatory camp
    Zero2Cool (9-Jun) : I really thought he'd play for Packers.
    buckeyepackfan (9-Jun) : Packers releasing Jaire Alexander.
    Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : (Context: he wants his defense to create turnovers)
    Mucky Tundra (8-Jun) : Giants DC Shane Bowen tells players to “be a damn pirate."
    dfosterf (6-Jun) : Semper fi !
    Cheesey (6-Jun) : This is why I have so much respect for those that have gone through battles
    Cheesey (6-Jun) : I can't even imagine what that would have been like
    wpr (6-Jun) : "Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"
    wpr (6-Jun) : Facing a line of machine guns 2 time medal of Honor recipient, First Sergeant Dan Daly told his men,
    wpr (6-Jun) : Another detachment went into the Belleau Wood.
    wpr (6-Jun) : On the 6th the Marines took Hill 142 but suffered terrible losses.
    wpr (6-Jun) : It’s time to remember dfoster’s Marine brothers in Belleau Wood. The battle went on from June 1-26. Nearly 10,000 casualties.
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett have signed with the PACK
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : he won't be wearing #12, maybe he will wear number two
    packerfanoutwest (6-Jun) : He will fail this season, should have retired
    Mucky Tundra (5-Jun) : Thus the cycle of Hall of Fame Packer QBs going to the Jets and then the Vikings is broken
    bboystyle (5-Jun) : Rodgers to steelers on 1 year contract
    Zero2Cool (5-Jun) : It's the cycle of civilizations. Get lazier, lazier, softer, softer and vanish.
    Martha Careful (5-Jun) : great point. every aspect of society, including art, culture and sports has degraded.
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Green Bay sweep meant something to society about stopping pure excellence. We have the tush push now
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : We old Martha.
    Martha Careful (4-Jun) : *front four
    Martha Careful (4-Jun) : Re frout four, I wish we had some Green "People Eaters" or a fearsome foursome
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : *directions*
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Just don't ask him for driving direct
    dfosterf (4-Jun) : Jim Marshall was an all-time great DE for the Purple People Eaters. Didn't like him. That's a compliment. RIP
    Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : ooppppss
    Zero2Cool (3-Jun) : “Kenny Clark played all of last season hurt by the way and got surgery to fix it in January”
    Mucky Tundra (3-Jun) : @ByRyanWood How much did the injury affect him last fall? “A lot.”
    Please sign in to use Fan Shout
    2025 Packers Schedule
    Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
    LIONS
    Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
    COMMANDERS
    Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
    Browns
    Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
    Cowboys
    Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
    BENGALS
    Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
    Cardinals
    Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
    Steelers
    Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
    PANTHERS
    Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
    EAGLES
    Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
    Giants
    Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
    VIKINGS
    Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
    Lions
    Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
    BEARS
    Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
    Broncos
    Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
    Bears
    Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
    RAVENS
    Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
    Vikings
    Recent Topics
    14m / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    2h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    6h / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

    16-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

    15-Jun / Random Babble / Martha Careful

    14-Jun / Around The NFL / beast

    14-Jun / Community Welcome! / dfosterf

    13-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

    13-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Adam

    12-Jun / Random Babble / Martha Careful

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    12-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    11-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    10-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

    Headlines
    Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.