By not spending big money on other team's unrestricted free agents, GM Ted Thompson is able to keep his own players. When's the last time the Packers lost a really good young starter? The answer is offensive lineman Mike Wahle in 2005. Since then, Thompson has been able to lock up, among others, Bryan Bulaga, MorganContinue Reading›› 

Continue Reading @ Michael Rodney 

Michael Rodney wrote:

The last couple years, I thought the biggest thing that prevented us from succeeding in the playoffs was Mike’s fear-based game management. Belichek doesn’t mind running up the score. For some reason, Mike just emotionally clenches down and wants to run out the clock in the third quarter.

Overall though, I think Ted’s biggest problem when it comes to players is the training staff. It just seems like our guys are hurt more often and more seriously than other teams. That one year Bulaga popped a knee ligament in the Family Night scrimmage, and kept on playing for the rest of the series.

I mean, a dude is just playing, to traumatic impact, no twisting, and his knee just falls apart? What’s up with that?

How many GMs draft even ONE Nick Collins, much less, then having to turn around and find another one? The list goes on. Jermicheal Finley. Ted drafts Eddie Lacy AND JOhnathan Franklin in the same draft. Only gets to keep one of them.

Not all these guys have injury histories either. Ted gambled on Justin Harrell, but look at some of these other guys. Derrick Sherrod was starting to stabilize when he went down too. Talk all the smack you want about how he was a bust, but iirc he had no training camp due to the lockout, then they tried to move him to G, which was never going to work, the dude is just too enormous and lanky. But yeah. Sherrod was just getting his feet under him when he broke the HELL out of that leg. Keep in mind Ted had a 4th rounder who came out of nowhere and has held the LT position down for a few years.

Ted also had a guy (Tretter) who could have been serviceable last year, but he didn’t see the field until what, 3 weeks later?

What’s that trainer’s name, the guy who works for Stanford football? He came in and reduced injuries by 87% in his first year there. They’ve been doing pretty well over there. So this is not a coincidence.

Anyway, these guys would all be in their prime right now. Terrance Murphy. That dude was the real deal. Even a guy like Dez Bishop, gone to injury. Ted gets us plenty of players, it’s just that a large portion of the time, he has to go out and do it all over again.

And he DOES.

And how many times has Ted been content to re-sign his own average/serviceable starter instead of going after a FA who would be an upgrade?

"Signing your own players" is important. But it's also important to recognize that many of your players can possibly be improved on.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

I miss the days of "I Love Greg Jennings" threads.... now every thread seems to end up with people arguing /complaining about the same two things.

Originally Posted by: Bigbyfan 

I'm still the only one to have commented on the article at the site. I guess it's because I'm right, and everybody knows it.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 

I miss the days of "I Love Greg Jennings" threads.... now every thread seems to end up with people arguing /complaining about the same two things.

Originally Posted by: Bigbyfan 

I don't think Ted questions whether some outside players could theoretically help the Packers. I think the risk or uncertainly just bothers him, especially when usually coupled with an inflated value and potential compensatory selection implications. When players are drafted, developed, and have only played for the Packers, they are essentially indoctrinated in their philosophy, as Greg Jennings alluded in the past. I think "outsiders" sometimes make Ted nervous. Maybe he thinks they will come in and start saying things to young players like "Well team X does things this way, and it's much better, etc." Ted just has to feel completely comfortable with the risks of free agency, and most of the time, other General Managers will be willing to take more risks than Ted Thompson, which is why most of the free agents sign elsewhere.

Originally Posted by: DoddPower