So, you are thinking the hiring of Capers is an upgrade and therefore the Packers if they stay healthy, will be a better team??

I think this is Ted Thompson fifth year as GM, and i feel we need an upgrade at his position

here is some more interesting facts:
Ted Thompson has not done anything in free agency for the past three seasons.
he has one winning season in four years
overall, his record as gm is a losing record at 31-33

the packers better do well in 2009 b/c sooner or later Ted Thompson record will come under the spotlight.

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I think they'll be better. Better coaches get the most out of players know matter what the talent.

My concern is they might only be 8 or 9 wins. That's better than last year, but still not where you want to be in the 5th season of a regime. For me, it's playoffs or bust this year. Will they make it? Right now I don't think so. I think their on the bubble and adding a free agent would put them over.

I do have an open mind though as nothing is set in stone.

My point is nobody should dismiss an upgrade know matter where it is. I get the criticism and I agree with it, but certain things just go overboard.

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Anything? Brandon Chillar was a pretty intricate piece of our defense last year (no matter how poorly they played).

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There is the problem though. He brought in Chillar, who saw time, and you are using that as a basis to the fact that Ted does sign FA.

Then you state "no matter how poorly they played". That's what is frustrating. I'm not knocking Chillar at all. In spots he is a nice backup. However instead of Ted addressing the average play from Poppinga buy UPGRADING he went out and got an average guy to back him up.

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You say he hasnt done anything..proven wrong, your view changes to he is an okay back up....

Should just said Ted hasnt got any full time good starters in past 3 years

I'm pretty much right in step w/ Porky on this, though I am trying very hard to be patient and wait until all the offseason movement is over before I say anything one way or another - Woodson was a late FA addition, so I'm still holding out some hope that post-draft Thompson will make a couple additional moves.

If he doesn't, though, and if the team can't crack the playoffs, then I agree that the front office situation will need to be examined. I don't see last year's injury issues repeating, and Rodgers will be a second-year starter with a solid first year under his belt, so there really isn't a lot in the way of excuses if they don't excel this season.

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Dhpackr - Our problems on D were two-fold:

1) When Cullen Jenkins went down, our DL went to ****. We made a huge mistake thinking Bustin can fill Corey Williams' shoes. KGB lost a step and generated NO pressure from the other side, so opponents simply doubled up on Kampy and the opposing QB used to sit in the pocket, do a line of coke, text message his best friend, call his mother, check how his stocks are doing, then look for an open receiver.

This falls on TT.

2) We'd start the game with a Defensive scheme. The scheme will fall apart, and the Coaching staff would fail to make adjustments. This falls on MM. Well, Mike McCarthy fixed the problem by firing his defensive coaching staff and hiring studs. Problem most likely fixed.

As for #1, Ted Thompson NEEDS to either pick up two DL studs either in the draft or FA. I don't care. I want two DL studs (one for depth). When Kampy starts seeing one guy TRYING to block him again, expect double digit sacks.

A failure in #1 in '09 could cost us a winning record and TT's job. Fix #1 and expect a 10-6 or better season.

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You and Dhazer try this concept on for size for once: Teams do not let good players get to free agency. And the top players always go to the warm weather cities as their first choice instead of freezing their nuts off in Green Bay. As a result we have to way overpay.

BTW, which linebacker would have been better than Chillar, to go along with your upgrading theory? Don't just sit there spouting about what Thompson doesn't do. Give us the name of this phantom linebacker and what it would have taken to get him here.

Chillar was brought in to neutralize tight ends. You do know Dallas has a real good one that keeps torching us and they were the top team in the NFC going into last season?

I don't mean to rip you guys, but your negativity eats away at me.

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Wow my understudy of the Darkside is coming along fast in dh lol. Dakota do we have to prove anything other then just stating what record Ted Thompson has? I remember back in Wolfes run as gm after we got Reggie we had plenty of FA's that came to Green Bay, but now i see us back to the place noone wants to go to.

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In case you haven't noticed, and by reading some of your posts, you haven't; the free agency era is dead. Teams have a much better handle on how to retain their players because they have experts to run their cap. There are few free agents to go obtain. Are Canty and Ohlshansky so awesome that were suppose to just throw the red carpet out to them. Reggie White's signing was 15 years ago or ancient history. Now get off the guy's back. With the exception of Harrell and Terrence Murphy's injury, Ted has done very well in the draft and has our cap in a very healthy place.

Let me ask you something DH - would you have given Haynesworth a $100M contract? We could have swung that, but we also would have risked losing Jennings, Kampmann, and Collins. Let the Daniel Snyders be fools, we'll keep our team in tact.

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