I disagree. If you're saying without an elite QB, the Packers would only be an average team, then I will agree with that. But that seems rhetorical to me. It's incredibly difficult for ANY team to be great without a great QB. It's basically a necessity. So that argument doesn't do much for me. There are many teams around the league that would instantly be contenders if they had Aaron Rodgers or another elite QB. But without them, they are average, at best. It doesn't necessarily mean that they have inadequate General Managers. That's just the way the NFL is. Some teams might be able to catch lightning in a bottle for a season or be one of the rare all time greats without an elite QB, but that's incredibly rare in today's NFL.
Who's to say the Packers wouldn't have developed another quarterback if not for Aaron Rodgers? Perhaps they would have found someone else to sit behind Favre for a few years, even if it meant he stuck around longer. None of us can say for certain. It's all conjecture. The only fact is that Ted Thompson DOES have Aaron Rodgers and has built a perennial contender. He can't be discredited because he drafted an elite quarterback. It's his team and he deserves the good and bad credit that the team gets.
Moreover, the Packers have shown they can still be an effective football team at times when playing with a second string QB (a noodle arm one, at that). Many people slam Aaron Rodgers and call him a "system" QB. Give the Packers another 1st round draft pick or so that takes all the starting reps for a few seasons and who knows what could happen. I think they would still develop an above average QB that operates well in the system. They would also still be in great shape financially and be a consistent organization.
Originally Posted by: DoddPower