All the Ted Thompson haters out there need to give the guy some love. I have been praising him since day one much to the chagrin of a lot of Packers fans. He rewards in house players who are classy and perform. He does not frivolously blow money on overpriced free agents. He locked up Aaron Rodgers with one of the most potent receving threats in the NFL with no off the field issues...it is amazing how good a pastor's son turns out. I have never heard Greg Jennings say one negative thing about anyone or anything or go out of his way to draw negative media attention. A class act with elite talent who does not whine...who knew such a receiver exists.
Look at the 2009-10 Packers team....Rodgers, Driver, Jennings, Clifton, Grant, Jackson, Raji, Pickett, Kampman, Barnett, Hawk, Matthews, Woodson, Harris, Collins, Bigby among others....the team has championship caliber players. They need to put everything together and win now to save Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy from all the haters who claim they can not get it done.
That is a very impressive roster on paper, but I don't think too many people should be asking for the head of Thompson or McCarthy if the Packers do not make the playoffs. It is also young in some very key spots.
This team is moving over to a 3-4 defense and may have some hard times adjusting to that new scheme. If the Packers can accomplish a top 15 defense this team can go very far in the playoffs. Nobody has questioned their ability to score points. Also, if I am not mistaken the Packers were the league leaders in YAC, and it because of players like Jennings who allowed this to happen.
If the Packers do not stop a team on the defensive side of the ball, they are going to have a harder season than most are predicting.
Good luck though, we will see you out at the Frozen Tundra for week one!
I'm sorry, but after a 4-12 season it'll take more than one extension for me to shut up about TT. His ego is rediculous, he's sitting on a ton of cash and not only is not signing free agents but is also not resigning his own guys enough...look at how many players are free agents after this season and look at the salary cap figure they have and tell me how great of a job he's doing.
Here, take a look at the list here and tell me he's getting the job done: http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/feat ures/freeagents/fa.php?option=By+Team&y=2010
One top signing does not make thompson a genius. Remember, since he has taking over, 2 losing seasons, and one winning season. The 12 years before ol`teddy, ZERO losing records, and 11 winning years. Yeah, thompsons doin` a fantastic, bang up job. NOT
This extra money is great, ASSUMING all the free agents will want to re-sign. Nick Collins comments did not seem like those of a happy man. If he has a break out season, he will break the bank and Ted. Somebody will offer higher and he will be gone. Kampmann hasn't said boo this offseason and clearly is not happy. Again, if he has a good season, do you really think he will stick with Ted? Again, great to have money when people want to come, worthless if they don't or don't want to stay.
There was a reason why these other key players were not getting their contract extensions. That reason just got a 3 year extension. Now he'll focus his time on Nick Collins or Aaron Kampman. One of the 2 has to get the attention so the other one just needs to be patient, shut up and go to practice. I'm thinking I was wrong about Collins and he is complaining about his contract so Kampman should be first in line now. Next is Kampman. Don't worry about what Ted Thompson is doing. The players who he feels deserving of contract extensions WILL get theirs. Look for a Kampman/Collins extension either in the next month or during the season. All the loose ends right now will get tightened down for at least a few more years at some point in the next 6 months. Don't worry about Clifton, T.J. Lang or Meredith were drafted because he probably won't be here too much longer. Same goes for Bigby, if he can stay off the injured list he should be getting paid as well. Bigby is good but he's not that good.
Very well put greatbenji. I'd say you're right on with what we're gonna see.
stever and chevy clearly you guys are never gonna understand the flaws in your argument here:
I'm sorry, but after a 4-12 season it'll take more than one extension for me to shut up about TT. His ego is rediculous, he's sitting on a ton of cash and not only is not signing free agents but is also not resigning his own guys enough...look at how many players are free agents after this season and look at the salary cap figure they have and tell me how great of a job he's doing. You're telling us you don't realize that the 4-12 season (TTs first as GM) was largely a result of losing a lot of key players to both FA and injuries. Several people on here have been using this argument for months now to say TT is horrible. I digress here a bit (and this comparison has also already been written on the Packers board), but it's like saying the state of the US economy is Obama's fault entirely because we happen to be in his first year in office. Simply flawed reasoning.
TTs other seasons include the 13-3 season. Of course he isn't supposed to get any credit for that even though that was his 3rd season and was played with a whole lotta players that he brought in. We all know about last season, and most fans, even fans of other teams, recognize last season as an anomolie and think the Packers are better than last season's results (reasons are obvious and have been written on here countless times).
I'm not saying TT hasn't made some mistakes, of course he has. But everybody does. Go on choosing to look at only the negative when it comes to TT. Go on thinking hte Packers will suck as long as he's around. Be miserable. Be pessimistic. Maybe you feel that's the safer approach to take, then you'll never be disappointed.
As for TT not re-signing his own guys enough. It's reall y abit early to say that as greatbenji points out. A few more deserving players will get theirs over the coming months. If it becomes clear we have a player with talent that also becomes a head case, well he'll be sent packing and that's how it should be... I for one am glad my team doesn't knowingly acquire and wouldn't reward/keep players with crap attitudes. Signing Greg Jennings was a good move, others will follow.
@gbfann...don't presume to tell me what I do or don't understand, or what I do or don't think about TT. I never said the "Packers will suck as long as he's around" because I don't believe they will, but I also don't think one extension is enough to shup up the skeptics. You said yourself "the 4-12 season (TTs first as GM) was largely a result of losing a lot of key players to both FA and injuries" so you admit that despite a 20+ Million dollar cap surplus their losing is partially because of a loss of FA. Injuries were brutal last year loosing the safties, Barnett, Harris to the spleen, Grants lingering hammy issues and injuries all over the OL.
What bothers me about TT is that IMO he's afraid to take a risk. He realizes that he's on the hot seat a bit so he made the move to get Matthews, but name any other time in his career (including Seattle) where he's done anything other than trade down in the draft. On a team with so much talent at key positions he's afraid to pull the trigger to bring in one or two more impact players. This team is extremely exciting and fun to watch, but it has glaring holes that he seems to not address properly. First they implement a zone blocking scheme, now they're scrapping it. The O-Line is still piecemeal at best and with Taucher gone there's even more question marks. We're pinning our hopes on the draft picks to improve the line but most OL don't develop for at least a couple of years so why not bring in more veteran help? With how ofter Rogers spent on his backside the prospect of an even younger more inexperienced line is a scary proposition.
Now they're switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4 and now Kampman's PO'd and they're going to have to wait and see if Barnett is back to full health. Hawk has underproduced. Brady Poppinga is still inconsistant. Plus our jump up in the draft netted us Matthews...a backup on the depth chart. Now look at the D-line, the slated line is Jenkins, Raji & Harrell. I like Jenkins a lot, and I think Raji should be pretty good...if not at least we still have Pickett as a backup, but Harrell has been nothing short of a bust and he's out slated starter. So the O-Line and D-Line have questions at best...are suspect at worst. I'll cut him some slack until we see the rookies in action, but the lines really needed the help of another veteran on both sides of the ball.
I understand GM's aren't infallible, Wolf botched his fair share of picks, but TT just doesn't seem to be a GM in the 'win now' mindset...every decision he makes seems to be for the future, and this far into his tenure he needs to start planning for the now not the future or the future will never arrive. I think he's afraid to make a mistake and thus just constantly plays it safe.
Also, addressing the contracts of the future UFA's, this one at a time in order of importance is going to lead to a situation where everyone else is going to get upset that they're not next in line and we're going to lose a lot of talent after this year. These players have egos as well and if they percieve they're not 'respected' as much as the guy resigned before him it'll cause problems.
BTW, my feelings for Thompson have nothing to do with the Favre situation, I feel he handled that the best way possible. The media made TT out to be the bad guy, but honestly he made the hard decision that needed to be made and honestly I think Rogers is going to be an MVP callibre QB in the next year or two.
Greg Jennings is a result of trading down... We were able to get a starting OL and star wide receiver in the second round due to trading down. Any one of these players can have as big of an ego as they want. If they have a problem with Greg Jennings getting well earned money than that's their problem and I don't want them in Green Bay, Washington, Dallas and Oakland can have them. Kampman does not have that big of an ego to where he's going to not feel respected because another man is making more money than he is. Every move that TT has made IS for the future and now. 7 year contract extensions for Aaron Rodgers aren't usually for the next 3 years. Name 1 player who won't be signed that can not be replaced in a draft or other ways. Half of the players you're referring to were either drafted by TT or picked up from the scrap heap or were non-drafted free agents. I don't care if we lose Atari Bigby or Jarrett Bush. The best talent on this team will be resigned at some point this season.
Kampman doesn't have an ego, but he is unhappy with the new defensive scheme and is unlikely to resign...that doesn't bother you?
How about all these other free agents that need to be addressed as well: Humphrey College Coston Clifton Moll Spitz Jolly Pickett Blackmon Pepprah Collins
You say name a player that can't be replaced by the draft, but how many impact players does a team get in a draft...3, maybe 4 if you're really lucky.
I'm starting to think that a lot of the TT supporters are drinking the same Koolaid as the Ned Yost supporters were.
Now don't get me wrong, TT is a vast improvement over Sherman, but that's not saying much.
Kampman isn't unhappy with the new defensive scheme anymore. In fact the only reason why he was unhappy was because he was uncomfortable in it. He doesn't seem too unhappy now. He played well in the mini camp. Humphrey? REALLY? you've got to be kidding me? I guess we have no use for Jermichael Finley or Donald Lee. We have Tory Humphrey to start for our football team. The worst safety on our team(Peprah) and the OL who doesn't even play(Coston) are not worth resigning. That knocks off 3 of the players that need to be addressed. Pickett is either going to get his or he'll be gone. If he proves himself in the scheme I'm sure TT will resign him but not for that much because he's getting up there and wouldn't be that big of a loss. Collins is one of 2 contracts probably in the works right now. Blackmon will get his eventually. Colledge, Moll and Spitz will be resigned. Clifton will be gone. You're not naming that many quality players there that it would hurt to see let go. Collins, Blackmon, Spitz, Colledge and Moll would be the only ones I'd care if they left. I have a soft spot for Clifton but he's 5 years past his prime and Meredith and/or Lang were drafted to let go of Clifton. The only one out of the entire bunch who is a must sign is Collins. If Collins doesn't adapt to the 3-4 than it won't hurt to see him leave either. I dlsliked Ned Yost. I dislike some things about Macha too but not as much as everything I dislike about Yost.
I have been reading your posts and 5 starring each one because I can not agree more with everything you have to say. You have not written one thing I disagree with at all. Nice thinking and analysis on the Packers and Ted Thompson.
In Ted we trust. Or at least I do. He'll get the contract extentions worked out where they're needed (Collins and Kampmann above all) and he'll let the replaceable players leave at the end of the season. The team is young, built through the draft and with a ton of potential. What's not to like? Go Packers.
I find it interesting that you seem to think every player drafted by a team needs to make the team every year. You draft better players, you pick up free agents, apparently stever doesn't know how the NFL works.
Humphrey-waived by the Colts, wouldn't hurt to see him go. Colledge- draft pick, would hurt Coston-draft pick, bust Clifton-here before TT got here and won't hurt to see him go anymore Moll-draft pick, decent but I don't know why you list players who aren't going to require very much to resign Spitz-draft pick, he too will be cheap Jolly-draft pick, if he pulls a Colin Cole he can go the way of colin cole, we don't need this guyPickett-FA signing, getting up there, it doesn't matter if he's signed or not Blackmon-draft pick He will be resigned to a fair deal to what he's brought to the team Pepprah-scrap heap signing that has done absolutely nothing the entire time he's been here Collins-he's first or second in line for his contract. Don't worry about it. more than half the players listed that I've mentioned aren't going to take that much negotiating or time to get a deal done. Collins, Blackmon and Kampman are the only 3 players that require average to above average contracts. The other ones are "here's my figure on the contract", low number offered by TT, "here's my figure on the contract", high number offered by agent/player. They meet in the middle somewhere and that's it. These three are really the only ones who have the right to negotiate past what I've just stated. The rest of them are easy contracts or players you seem to have a thing for.
@Benji...so when I said earlier that you get 3 maybe 4 guys out of a draft that make an impact you must have missed that. And the problem is they're not picking up free agents...they're sitting on their hands. Your pretentious statement that I don't know how the NFL works just goes to show that you're either a jag or your so self important that debating anything with you is a waste of time. You have your opinions I have mine and since you're rather attack than debate there's no point in going on.
He does not frivolously blow money on overpriced free agents.
He drafts GREAT, but doesn't plug any holes with good FAs.
This is a make or break year for the Pack, they are likely to go downhill after this year. They are likely to get career years out of those that have contracts that expire after the season. Then they will have just enough money to sign SOME of their own players next year, and won't have money left over to improve the team.
He locked up Aaron Rodgers with one of the most potent receving threats in the NFL with no off the field issues...it is amazing how good a pastor's son turns out.
ENOUGH of the character crap. Jennings could have off the field issues NEXT WEEK, you never know. Being a pastor's son means diddly, they are human just like anyone else. I'm sure you could find PLENTY of kids that were pastors' kids that turned out HORRIBLY. Just like you can find plenty of kids that were NOT pastor's kids that turned out great. Do you think Raji should be off the team because he smoked some marijuana ? Should they cut any player that gets a DWI or is doing some aggressive behavior, or is hanging around people that make bad choices ? The Packers are NO better than ANY team in the league when it comes to players of character.
The fact that you think players like Charlie Peprah and Tory Humphrey are worth a roster spot says enough about your knowledge. These guys are easily replaced, pick a way? street free agent, free agent, undrafted free agent, late round draft pick. I wouldn't be surprised if Evan Moore or Carson Butler took Humphrey's spot on this team. That's how irrelevant that guy is. Who are you to tell me I'm in attack mode when you're attacking TT for reasons that don't even have anything to do with helping the team. Tory Humphrey, Junius Coston, and Charlie Peprah are apparently guys we need to worry about not losing to another team. They're apparently must signs, TT must focus his attention on the Coston's, Peprah's, and Humphrey's on this team. No need to bother with Kampman and Collins. Those 3 players will win us the super bowl. I still have no idea why you show you me a list where more than half the players are completely irrelevant to the success of this football team.
