Good thread. I just read the whole thing, and here are my thoughts.
1. Re: the OP's question: I don't know how I feel about Ted Thompson anymore.
I definitely think Ted Thompson is overrated. To my mind he has made two best-in-NFL-history type moves: Rodgers and Woodson. And several others I'd call home runs (Matthews, Pickett, Shields, Sitton). And a lot of others I really like (Tramon Williams, Cobb, G. Jennings, James Jones, Lacy). I'm looking forward to seeing Peppers and am cautiously hopeful about Clinton-Dix and Lyerla and Bradford (if they play him inside).
On the other hand, I have a hard time getting excited about the rest of this year's draft. I am very pessimistic for big improvement on defense, especially middle-of-the-field defense where the best player is A J Hawk and the rest goes by names like Raji, Jones, and Hyde/Burnett. And, everyone knows what I think about Thompson's approach and record with respect to offensive line players named Sitton.
2. Re: uffda: I don't understand why everyone is ragging on him so much.
Oh, okay, I know a lot of people don't like long posts. But if you don't like 'em, skip 'em. The world won't end if you do. (Me, I like them; but I would, wouldn't I?)
But, it seems to me he makes some good points:
1. Without the Rodgers grand slam, Thompson wouldn't be in the ballpark of "best GMs." AJ Hawk instead of Ngata or Hali or Vernon Davis? B J Raji? Colledge, Spitz, Bulaga, Bahktiari, Lang? Brad Jones? Perry? McMillian?
2. If you are going to put as many eggs in the "draft and develop" basket as the Packers have in the Thompson era, just having good drafts isn't enough. You need to have well-above average drafts. Hitting monster homeruns like Dave Kingman isn't enough. You need to hit homeruns like Kingman AND have Rod Carew's batting average AND steal bases like Rickey Henderson.
3. Being satisfied with good is not as good as striving to be great. Sorry, Shawn and others, but I disagree with you on this. I absolutely *hate* the Packers perennially being listed as playoff contenders and perennially showing themselves in the playoffs as being championship pretenders. "Getting to the playoffs" should never be a criterion of success for anyone who drafts in the bottom half of the first round. The goal for the Packers should be domination. Absolutely, complete, overwhelming domination.
Does this mean I think it is possible for a team to go to the Super Bowl every year? No, of course not. I know that's not going to happen. But I do *expect* and *want* a team that doesn't just try to finesse things, that isn't just satisfied when they outplay the other guys. I want a team that strives to destroy the other team on both sides of the ball. A team whose players, to a man, on every play, look at the guy on the other side of the line with eyes that say, "I'm coming. I'm coming, and I'm going to beat you, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. You may be stronger than me in the weight room. You may run away from me on the track. But right here, right now, my will is stronger than you, you pissant. And my will *will* be done!"
All those Lombardi-era Packers aren't in the Hall of the Fame because they were the strongest or the fastest or had the best intangibles. They're in the Hall of Fame because they had the strongest wills. With the possible exceptions of Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, and Dave Robinson, those Hall of Famers weren't the best physically -- Jordan wasn't, Davis wasn't, Gregg wasn't, Taylor wasn't, Nitschke wasn't, Starr sure as hell wasn't. They're there because they had an unparalleled will to win. A will that refused to be denied.
I don't know if the problem is Thompson, McCarthy, Capers, Campen, or the players themselves. But I just don't see enough of that will to dominate. Rodgers has it. Woodson had it. Sitton has it.
I don't want a team that is just trying to win. I want a team that strives to impose its will and dominate other teams. A team that refuses to believe the "any given Sunday" line when it is the Green Bay Packers playing.
Will. Not try. Not might. Not may. Not even can.
Will.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)