Five years under Thompson, this team is stuck in neutral. Some of the comments in this thread praising Thompson and downplaying Wolf are just ridiculous. Wolf's reputation is not just built on the immediate turnaround he pulled off in GB. He helped build a championship Raiders team in the 70s; went to TB when they started and took them from a winless expansion team to the NFC title game in five years; went back to the Raiders and built another championship team; then after one season with the Jets came here. In the last twenty years, the only other personnel man I can think of off the top of my head with that kind of resume is Bill Polian (built the 90s Bills who played in 4 Super Bowls, built the expansion Panthers into instant contenders, built and still runs the championship Colts). Those two are men who won everywhere they went. Ted Thompson's resume doesn't hold a candle to those two.
"WhiskeySam" wrote:
I think the question is how far away were all these teams mentioned when the new GM took over. In the case of the Packers there was much immediate help needed in a lot of positions and through the years the old guard from the past began the natural path out.
Thats alot of turnover. I mean we are holding onto Tauscher, Clifton, and now Green again, but it's obvious that is out of necessity at this point and none will likely be here next year.
I'm not saying Ted and Mike should or shouldn't be here after this year but I do know there will be some GM's and coaches licking their chops to get in here because there is a core of younger players here well above the talent level most new guys would takeover.
I think that alone speaks for itself in terms of a misguidence on Thompson's part NOT to go after the FA's that could immediately help. It's obvious we have all the young and talented guys we really need.
One thing I don't think Thompson gets is how important that stud defensive LEADER is to a team. I think he and MM are so wrapped up in the tiny details they overlook the fact a huge amount of success can be contributed to the emotion and togetherness of 11 guys on the field.
They get so wrapped up in gap control and assignments and leverage they seem to forget sometimes you just go out there with the mentality that your going to whip the other guys ass. I mean, about every great defense now or what I can recall from the past had this big, mean, tough, always bleeding, LEADER, that kept everybody up which always allowed them to overcome a bad play now and then.
They look too often for the "assignment sure" guy IMO and I cannot pick out any bonafide blood spitting leader. That guy would have to be a veteran FA type because it won't come from the young guys until they establish that ability and that takes years.
"The train is leaving the station."