Ever since the arrival of general manager Ted Thompson, who assumed his post in 2005, fans of the Green Bay Packers have developed a twisted sense of enjoyment surrounding the advent of free agency each spring. Banded by snark, they revel in the annual chance to lob scripted volleys at Thompson’s passivity on the open market, a core tenet of his draft-and-develop philosophy.

The irony of such apoplexy is that Thompson plays an absentee role in the actual negotiation of contracts, both with his own players and those from other teams. Aside from establishing financial parameters, during which he is a crucial figure, Thompson keeps his distance from ongoing discussions. He has, according to league sources and Thompson himself, almost no direct contact with agents.

Instead, the executor of Thompson’s frugality is Russ Ball, the vice present of football administration/player finance for the Packers — better known as the team’s chief negotiator and salary-cap savant.

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Michael Cohen wrote: