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**Not-so-offical Green Bay Packers Off-season Thread** (1 Viewer)

Thompson needs a bigtime draft, and he can't afford to sit by and not sign any FA's. There's no reason we need to be the youngest team in the NFL for the 4th year in a row. Youth cost us this year in the 4th quarter of many games. I'm not saying break the bank, but there's no reason to not take a chance on a couple guys that can potentially help us out.
I agree. I hope he goes FA linemen and linemen/CB in the draft in my opinion. Grant will be fine if they get linemen that open some holes.
 
I am not at all surprised that a brand new GM didn't want to say he was drafting Brett Favre's replacement.
I knew this would be your next post. If you knew the situation of the team and the team's needs back then, then you would agree that a QB most likely would have been the last thing on Thompson's agenda. That's like saying next year TT needs to grab a WR at the 9th pick.
 
How many of you were saying "Rodgers sucks and ca't play a whole season" in July? The truth is TT is the second best (ron wolfe) GM Green Bay has had since Vince Lombardi. That's 40 years if you are counting.
I didn't say he sucked then, but I'd be lying if I didn't question his durability or if it didn't make me nervous. But seriously, I question if every QB not name Peyton Manning or Brett Favre can play 16 games.
 
Not to harp on this for too long, but... replacing Favre was supposed to be impossible, and now that Thompson and his staff have done it as well as anyone could have possibly hoped or imagined, some of you guys are writing it off as luck. This baffles me. Rodgers was drafted specifically to start at QB for the Packers one day. It's not like you can plan to trade a 1st round player down the road for value. So yeah, I think Thompson's regime absolutely deserves credit for correctly evaluating Rodgers' talent (which is what you want your GM to do!).
The point is TT's draft plan wasn't to draft a QB with his 1st round pick, but with arguably the best QB in the draft falling all the way into the 20's, it was a no brainer for TT to make the pick.
I think the jury is still out on Thompson's drafts so far in Green Bay, with a few clear hits and a few clear misses, but its a bit funny to hear people saying Aaron Rodgers was a "no brainer" for Thompson in his first Packer draft and with an iron-man 3 time MVP as his starter. I'm sure Favre didn't consider it a no-brainer. I don't think Favre ever forgave Thompson for that pick and it may have been the beginning of the end for them. I wonder if GMs for the Bears, Lions or Vikings would now call it a no-brainer. I think the Vikings took Troy Williams and Erasmus James that year before the Packers picked Rodgers.
 
Not to harp on this for too long, but... replacing Favre was supposed to be impossible, and now that Thompson and his staff have done it as well as anyone could have possibly hoped or imagined, some of you guys are writing it off as luck. This baffles me. Rodgers was drafted specifically to start at QB for the Packers one day. It's not like you can plan to trade a 1st round player down the road for value. So yeah, I think Thompson's regime absolutely deserves credit for correctly evaluating Rodgers' talent (which is what you want your GM to do!).
The point is TT's draft plan wasn't to draft a QB with his 1st round pick, but with arguably the best QB in the draft falling all the way into the 20's, it was a no brainer for TT to make the pick.
I think the jury is still out on Thompson's drafts so far in Green Bay, with a few clear hits and a few clear misses, but its a bit funny to hear people saying Aaron Rodgers was a "no brainer" for Thompson in his first Packer draft and with an iron-man 3 time MVP as his starter.
If you follow the Packers like you claim you do then you would remember how EVERY expert stated it was a no brainer for Thompson to take Rodgers after he fell to them. Seriously, you can't deny that. I really do think you must be related to Thompson.
By taking California quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the 24th overall selection, the Packers did just what Thompson said they would do in the weeks leading up to the draft: looked past current needs in the name of overall talent and value. "It sounds silly to keep repeating myself," Thompson said from the media auditorium at Lambeau Field, just minutes after the selection of Rodgers. "We really and truly wanted to take the best football player on the board, and we felt like he was the best football player on the board."

Exactly how high Rodgers rated on the Packers' draft board, Thompson wouldn't reveal. However, he did note that the Packers wouldn't have taken a quarterback at the 24th spot had Rodgers, and presumably Smith, been off the board by the time Green Bay was on the clock.

"He was up pretty high, pretty close to the ceiling there," Thompson said. "You kind of let the draft and the board just work. If things fall a certain way, then you have a decision to make. In this particular case it fell a certain way where the decision was really pretty easy."

In fact, the Packers think so much of Rodgers that until a few weeks ago Thompson thought there was no way he would be available at pick 24. It wasn't until the 49ers leaned toward Smith and several mock drafts suggested that Rodgers might fall out of the top 10 that Thompson saw a sliver of hope.
http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2005/04/23/3/
 
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Not to harp on this for too long, but... replacing Favre was supposed to be impossible, and now that Thompson and his staff have done it as well as anyone could have possibly hoped or imagined, some of you guys are writing it off as luck. This baffles me. Rodgers was drafted specifically to start at QB for the Packers one day. It's not like you can plan to trade a 1st round player down the road for value. So yeah, I think Thompson's regime absolutely deserves credit for correctly evaluating Rodgers' talent (which is what you want your GM to do!).
The point is TT's draft plan wasn't to draft a QB with his 1st round pick, but with arguably the best QB in the draft falling all the way into the 20's, it was a no brainer for TT to make the pick.
I think the jury is still out on Thompson's drafts so far in Green Bay, with a few clear hits and a few clear misses, but its a bit funny to hear people saying Aaron Rodgers was a "no brainer" for Thompson in his first Packer draft and with an iron-man 3 time MVP as his starter.
If you follow the Packers like you claim you do then you would remember how EVERY expert stated it was a no brainer for Thompson to take Rodgers after he fell to them. Seriously, you can't deny that. I really do think you must be related to Thompson.
By taking California quarterback Aaron Rodgers with the 24th overall selection, the Packers did just what Thompson said they would do in the weeks leading up to the draft: looked past current needs in the name of overall talent and value. "It sounds silly to keep repeating myself," Thompson said from the media auditorium at Lambeau Field, just minutes after the selection of Rodgers. "We really and truly wanted to take the best football player on the board, and we felt like he was the best football player on the board."

Exactly how high Rodgers rated on the Packers' draft board, Thompson wouldn't reveal. However, he did note that the Packers wouldn't have taken a quarterback at the 24th spot had Rodgers, and presumably Smith, been off the board by the time Green Bay was on the clock.

"He was up pretty high, pretty close to the ceiling there," Thompson said. "You kind of let the draft and the board just work. If things fall a certain way, then you have a decision to make. In this particular case it fell a certain way where the decision was really pretty easy."

In fact, the Packers think so much of Rodgers that until a few weeks ago Thompson thought there was no way he would be available at pick 24. It wasn't until the 49ers leaned toward Smith and several mock drafts suggested that Rodgers might fall out of the top 10 that Thompson saw a sliver of hope.
http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2005/04/23/3/
:popcorn:
 
So there seems to be some contention about the talent that TT is bringing in via the draft. Honestly, I don't see the problem. Here are his four drafts.

2008 - Green Bay Packers Rd Sel # Player Position School 2 36 Jordy Nelson WR Kansas State 2 56 Brian Brohm QB Louisville 2 60 Patrick Lee CB Auburn 3 91 Jermichael Finley TE Texas 4 102 Jeremy Thompson DE Wake Forest 4 135 Josh Sitton T Central Florida 5 150 Breno Giacomini T Louisville 7 209 Matt Flynn QB Louisiana State 7 217 Brett Swain WR San Diego State 2007 - Green Bay Packers Rd Sel # Player Position School 1 16 Justin Harrell DT Tennessee 2 63 Brandon Jackson RB Nebraska 3 78 James Jones WR San Jose State 3 89 Aaron Rouse SAF Virginia Tech 4 119 Allen Barbre G Missouri Southern State 5 157 David Clowney WR Virginia Tech 6 191 Korey Hall FB Boise State 6 192 Desmond Bishop LB California 6 193 Mason Crosby K Colorado 7 228 DeShawn Wynn RB Florida 7 243 Clark Harris TE Rutgers 2006 - Green Bay Packers Rd Sel # Player Position School 1 5 A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State 2 47 Daryn Colledge G Boise State 2 52 Greg Jennings WR Western Michigan 3 67 Abdul Hodge LB Iowa 3 75 Jason Spitz G Louisville 4 104 Cory Rodgers WR Texas Christian 4 115 Will Blackmon CB Boston College 5 148 Ingle Martin QB Furman 5 165 Tony Moll G Nevada-Reno 6 183 Johnny Jolly DT Texas A&M 6 185 Tyrone Culver DB Fresno State 7 253 Dave Tollefson DE Northwest Missouri State 2005 - Green Bay Packers Rd Sel # Player Position School 1 24 Aaron Rodgers QB California 2 51 Nick Collins FS Bethune-Cookman 2 58 Terrence Murphy WR Texas A&M 4 115 Marviel Underwood DB San Diego State 4 125 Brady Poppinga LB Brigham Young 5 143 Junius Coston C North Carolina A&T 5 167 Mike Hawkins DB Oklahoma 6 180 Mike Montgomery DT Texas A&M 6 195 Craig Bragg WR UCLA 7 245 Kurt Campbell CB Albany State (NY) 7 246 Will Whitticker G Michigan State

I honestly don't think you really can evaluate the last two drafts as of yet. Many players need a few years to fully develop. The 2005 draft didn't look that good until this year. So his first to are ready for scrutiny. Ron Wolf always said he tried to get 4 guys out of each draft. Not necessarily starters, but valuable contributors.

The 2005 class now looks like a homerun to me. Hitting on a franchise QB in Rodgers was a coup at 24. Nick Collins deserved his probowl selection this year until he got hurt later in the season. His play slipped dramatically the last month after the injuries struck. Poppinga is a starter, and while he's not great, its a good pick at 125. Montgomery was miscast as a starter late in the year. He is a good rotation guy on your Dline. Most teams would like to have him as a backup.

The 2006 class also brought a blue chipper in Greg Jennings. Not only is he a fantastic WR, he's a quality person as well, something rare for his position. Hawk disappointed this season, and has been merely average to this point in his career. I think this years disappointment had a lot to do with the groin injury he suffered early in the season. It completely robs explosion. He doesn't look like he was worth the 5th pick either way, but he certainly doesn't seem to be a bust either. Colledge really came a long way this year, and is no longer the weakness on the oline. He looks like a solid starter going forward. Spitz also has been a valuable contributor. I think they'd prefer that Sitton take his RG spot, and have Spitz back up all three of the middle positions, but that isn't because Spitz is bad. He's just not dominant. Sitton could be. The jury is out on Blackmon at CB, but he does have talent as a returner, and has proven he can be a playmaker on Special teams. Good pick at 115. Johnny Jolly looked much better a year ago than this year. Not really sure why he regressed. Its unfortunate because he looked like a steal at 183. He certainly can be a rotation guy at minimum, and there is definitely starter potential there.

So 2005 brought a probowl Safety, a franchise QB a starting LB and a rotation guy on the Dline.

2006 brought a blue chipper in Jennings, a starting LB, at least one starting G, a good punt returner, and a rotation guy on the Dline.

Each of his first two classes look very good to me. I see part of the Packers problem being the poor drafts of Sherman. There are a total of 3 starters from four drafts between 2001-2004. Kampmann, Wells, and Barnett. TT did trade away Javon Walker and Corey Williams from those classes though. The veteran leadership that many Packer fans are looking for should be coming from those classes.

 
So there seems to be some contention about the talent that TT is bringing in via the draft. Honestly, I don't see the problem.
6-10 record not a problem after 13-3? One playoff appearance in 4 seasons not a problem? Or the rumor(we need to find that source) that since TT has been there he has the lowest percentage of starters that came from his drafts compared to other GMs over that period of time.
 
I would like Thompson to realize that his plan has in essence worked, but that there are limits to that plan. It is not weakness to change.
That is a great comment. He does appear to be very stupporn to show people his system works. He is correct that the way to build a team is through the draft. However, that doesn't mean you can't be flexible on how you handle free agency.I also thinks he tends to get too "cute" with this picks to try and find those hidden gems. I am not sure that has worked well for him so far.
I don't understand what you mean by cute I guess.
 
So there seems to be some contention about the talent that TT is bringing in via the draft. Honestly, I don't see the problem. I see part of the Packers problem being the poor drafts of Sherman. There are a total of 3 starters from four drafts between 2001-2004. Kampmann, Wells, and Barnett. TT did trade away Javon Walker and Corey Williams from those classes though. The veteran leadership that many Packer fans are looking for should be coming from those classes.
Enough of trying to blame Sherman at this point in Thompson's tenure with the Packers. Just as an FYI.....The 9 holdovers before TT got to GB are: receiver Donald Driver; tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher; cornerback Al Harris; ends Aaron Kampman, Cullen Jenkins; defensive tackle Colin Cole; linebacker Nick Barnett and center Scott Wells. It isn't Sherman's fault the team missed veteran leadership this year. That falls on Thompson.
 
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I would like Thompson to realize that his plan has in essence worked, but that there are limits to that plan. It is not weakness to change.
That is a great comment. He does appear to be very stupporn to show people his system works. He is correct that the way to build a team is through the draft. However, that doesn't mean you can't be flexible on how you handle free agency.I also thinks he tends to get too "cute" with this picks to try and find those hidden gems. I am not sure that has worked well for him so far.
I don't understand what you mean by cute I guess.
Not to speak for Phase of the Game, but for me it would be doing things so far against the norm as if he's trying to prove how smart he is. He typically takes players a round or two before most people expect them to go. Jordy Nelson is an example of that. Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier. Things like that for me would be an example of trying to get cute.
 
It's hard to argue the value the Packers got when Rodgers fell to them. From that standpoint, and the BPA philosophy, I see it as a very easy pick to make.

Many of the draft "experts" had been saying the Packers needed a heir to Favre for a couple of years already. I remember quite a few mocks with the Packers taking JP Losman in 2004, and in 2003 taking guys like Kyle Boller or Rex Grossman. The guys I watch the draft with all cheered when they all left the board before the Packers picked. Especially Rex to the Bears, because none of us wanted him.

Similar situation on draft day 2005. I know when the Packers were on the clock and Rodgers was still on the board, the entire room of guys I was watching with all felt like it was going to happen, although none of us wanted it to. We were mostly cheering for defense, but we mainly wanted someone who could help now. Favre's window for getting back to a Super Bowl seemed to be closing, and a 1st round QB was low on many fans' lists.

Was Rodgers the BPA? Yes. No brainer? Debatable, but I won't argue against it. Popular? Not a chance.

 
I would like Thompson to realize that his plan has in essence worked, but that there are limits to that plan. It is not weakness to change.
That is a great comment. He does appear to be very stupporn to show people his system works. He is correct that the way to build a team is through the draft. However, that doesn't mean you can't be flexible on how you handle free agency.I also thinks he tends to get too "cute" with this picks to try and find those hidden gems. I am not sure that has worked well for him so far.
I don't understand what you mean by cute I guess.
Not to speak for Phase of the Game, but for me it would be doing things so far against the norm as if he's trying to prove how smart he is. He typically takes players a round or two before most people expect them to go. Jordy Nelson is an example of that. Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier. Things like that for me would be an example of trying to get cute.
:goodposting: and some of the reaches he makes with the small college guys in the later rounds.
 
Whether or not it was an "easy" pick, you still have to evaluate the guy correctly, and they did. Plenty of "no brainer" picks have shown "no talent" once they hit the field.

 
So there seems to be some contention about the talent that TT is bringing in via the draft. Honestly, I don't see the problem.
6-10 record not a problem after 13-3? One playoff appearance in 4 seasons not a problem? Or the rumor(we need to find that source) that since TT has been there he has the lowest percentage of starters that came from his drafts compared to other GMs over that period of time.
I was talking about his draft picks specifically, because they were being called into question. However, this concept of lowest percentage of starters is crap too. Of course he's going to be low on that list. He takes more players than most other GMs. Its his strategy. There are going to be X number of hits and X number of misses on everyones draft. The more numbers you can take the better your chances. Jimmy Johnson perfected it in the 90s with Dallas. However, I truly believe the Packers were snake bit this year. Do they need to improve? Unquestionably. However, bad years happen to the best of coaches and GMs. Even immediately after good or great seasons. Bill Parcells regarded as one of the best of all time. 1986 NYG: 14-21987 NYG: 6-91994 NEP: 10-61995 NEP: 6-101998 NYJ: 12-41999 NYJ: 8-82003 DAL: 10-62004 DAL: 6-10Four times he went from very good/excellent winning records to a losing record in one season. It happens. What really matters is how TT and McCarthy react to this bad season, and how they perform going forward.
 
Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier.
Justin Harrell is my new Aaron Rodgers.Although I didn't like the Rodgers pick at the time for other reasons, he had potential and I let him prove me wrong before I'd join any bust arguments after he started off very slow in 2005 and 2006. It took until the preseason of his 3rd year to do so, and now Harrell enters the same time frame. I do see potential in Harrell, and I'm not going to jump on the Bust Bus yet. Before he got hurt he was being hyped like former Tenn alumni John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. Mel Kiper had him #16 on his big board, and Pat Kirwan even stated he could go as high as #15 to Pitt. There were also few post draft rumors stating Harrell was high on the lists of Pitt (#15), Den (#17), Cincy (#18) and Ten (#19). Being rumors, who knows... [edit: I need to remember where I heard/read this. I may be mistaking Harrell with Timmons, and that is who Den and Cincy really wanted] I do know that it is now make-or-break time for Harrell with me. I've given him his injury passes, and now it's time to perform. I realize that I may be showing up to the party late on Harrell, but if I gave Rodgers three seasons, I'll give Harrell the same.Well see...
 
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Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier.
Justin Harrell is my new Aaron Rodgers.Although I didn't like the Rodgers pick at the time for other reasons, he had potential and I let him prove me wrong before I'd join any bust arguments after he started off very slow in 2005 and 2006. It took until the preseason of his 3rd year to do so, and now Harrell enters the same time frame. I do see potential in Harrell, and I'm not going to jump on the Bust Bus yet. Before he got hurt he was being hyped like former Tenn alumni John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. Mel Kiper had him #16 on his big board, and Pat Kirwan even stated he could go as high as #15 to Pitt. There were also few post draft rumors stating Harrell was high on the lists of Pitt (#15), Den (#17), Cincy (#18) and Ten (#19). Being rumors, who knows... I do know that it is now make-or-break time for Harrell with me. I've given him his injury passes, and now it's time to perform. I realize that I may be showing up to the party late on Harrell, but if I gave Rodgers three seasons, I'll give Harrell the same.Well see...
Agreed. However, Rodgers never really had much of a chance behind Favre. The Packers were desperate for help at DT this season, and Harrell let them down. I think it had a lot to do with being out of shape coming in to this season. He has to get his act together this offseason, and start training like a professional. Season three is his make or break year with the Packers.
 
On the drive home tonight, I heard a segment from an interview with Jennings on his contract situation.

To paraphrase:

"I'm hear to play football, and that is what I intend to do."

"I'll take care of the football part, and let the business side works itself out"

"I'm not one of those guys that will hold out... 99% chance it doesn't happen."

It went something like that anyway. If anyone else heard it please correct me if I missed anything or am wrong.

 
What really matters is how TT and McCarthy react to this bad season, and how they perform going forward.
I agree, and I'll give them 2009. But I can't guarantee 2010 if the Packers have another sub-par season.
:lmao:
Absolutely agree. Next year is make or break for Harrell, and if he produces it will be like signing a FA and getting somebody we didn't have since he hasn't helped at all his first two years. I can easily see the D line returning to form with a couple nice draft picks and/or a nice FA pickup. I'm already excited for the draft.
 
On the drive home tonight, I heard a segment from an interview with Jennings on his contract situation.

To paraphrase:

"I'm hear to play football, and that is what I intend to do."

"I'll take care of the football part, and let the business side works itself out"

"I'm not one of those guys that will hold out... 99% chance it doesn't happen."

It went something like that anyway. If anyone else heard it please correct me if I missed anything or am wrong.
Green Bay - After enduring a drama-filled offseason and a disappointing 2008 campaign, Green Bay Packers fans apparently won't have to worry about Greg Jennings' contract situation becoming messy.The wide receiver said Monday that he almost certainly would not hold out in hopes of getting a new deal to replace his current contract, which expires after the '09 season.

"If it comes down to it, I'm not a type that wants to hold out," Jennings said. "Now, if that comes to happening, I'm not going to sit here and say I won't do it but I'm about 99.9% sure that I won't be doing any of that. That's just not me. But, again, you never know what happens."

Jennings is set to make $530,000 base salary next season, the final year of the deal he signed after being a second-round pick in the '06 draft. That makes him a huge bargain after catching 80 passes for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

The Packers, who went through the Brett Favre saga and contentious contract negotiations with running back Ryan Grant last summer, could lock up Jennings now or risk him becoming a free agent in '10 if an extension isn't in place by the start of next season.

"Here's my deal: I don't really believe in becoming or being a distraction," said Jennings, who halted any talks this season for that reason. "I most certainly and most definitely don't want it to linger into another season or anything like that. If I did have to wait, then I would definitely wait it out. Then that's when it becomes tough because the testing of the market is out there."

Jennings said he and his family wanted to remain in Green Bay.

"It's not all about the money; we like it here, (it's) close to home for me; actually it's the perfect situation for myself," said the native of Kalamazoo, Mich. "We don't want to leave at all.

Jennings' agent, Eugene Parker, likely will use Bernard Berrian's contract with the Minnesota Vikings as a baseline. Berrian signed a six-year deal with the team as a free agent for $42 million with $16 million in guaranteed money.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/36864679.html

 
On the drive home tonight, I heard a segment from an interview with Jennings on his contract situation. To paraphrase: "I'm hear to play football, and that is what I intend to do." "I'll take care of the football part, and let the business side works itself out""I'm not one of those guys that will hold out... 99% chance it doesn't happen."It went something like that anyway. If anyone else heard it please correct me if I missed anything or am wrong.
Jennings' agent, Eugene Parker, likely will use Bernard Berrian's contract with the Minnesota Vikings as a baseline. Berrian signed a six-year deal with the team as a free agent for $42 million with $16 million in guaranteed money.
I'd gladly pay that for Jennings..I really wish TT would take care of this now..
 
Thanks Phase! I missed that when I was scanning articles earlier today.

A deal similar to Berrian's would work for me.

 
To say Rodgers was a no brainer is the same as saying Hawk was a no brainer to me. Both were great picks at the time and so far one has been a success while the other has dissapointed (not to call him a bust). In my mind you either give credit to Thompson for picking Rodgers or take away blame for Thompson on the Hawk pick.

 
Can't say I'm surprised. If Thompson's draft record was stronger, I could understand his position. But he hasn't drafted well, he appears too stubborn to pursue other avenues to acquire premium talent and his teams (other than 2007) haven't been very good. I can't figure this guy out at all. I hope things get better next year but if they don't, I hope he's bounced out of town because thus far his approach has not been a success. As bad as things got under Sherman, he only had one losing season. The guy was a horrible GM but thus far the team has been worse under Thompson. One great season isn't enough to wipe away the stench of two bad seasons and one mediocre year.
IMO...you underrate his drafting just a bit.Sherman also rode some of Favre's better years....drove the team into cap trouble...and overpaid for over the hill vets and bad players.Thompson is not perfect by any means. He does struggle in areas of the draft and other things...but IMO, his drafting has not been the issue.
 
thus far, Thompson's drafts haven't been very good.
Where do you rank Thompson's drafting vs. the rest of the league's over the past couple years? Are you telling me you don't think he's at least in the top half? Any credit for possibly drafting a franchise QB?
I don't give TT much credit for drafting Rodgers. I think it is more luck of the draw than anything that Rodgers fell into TT's lap, and any GM in the Packers situation (not knowing how much longer Favre would be around, with no viable backup at the time) would have taken Rodgers there.
:hot: Completely agree..TT had to make that pick..
Yet plenty of people blasted him for that pick.Thought he should have done more that could help the team right then.I know Matt Roth's name was brought up alot.And some in the other Favre threads argued that picking him even helped push Favre out the door.
 
I am not at all surprised that a brand new GM didn't want to say he was drafting Brett Favre's replacement.
I knew this would be your next post. If you knew the situation of the team and the team's needs back then, then you would agree that a QB most likely would have been the last thing on Thompson's agenda. That's like saying next year TT needs to grab a WR at the 9th pick.
I disagree to a point.The situation of the team was the star QB had started contemplating retirement and at some point they had to deal with that.
 
Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier.
Justin Harrell is my new Aaron Rodgers.Although I didn't like the Rodgers pick at the time for other reasons, he had potential and I let him prove me wrong before I'd join any bust arguments after he started off very slow in 2005 and 2006. It took until the preseason of his 3rd year to do so, and now Harrell enters the same time frame. I do see potential in Harrell, and I'm not going to jump on the Bust Bus yet. Before he got hurt he was being hyped like former Tenn alumni John Henderson and Albert Haynesworth. Mel Kiper had him #16 on his big board, and Pat Kirwan even stated he could go as high as #15 to Pitt. There were also few post draft rumors stating Harrell was high on the lists of Pitt (#15), Den (#17), Cincy (#18) and Ten (#19). Being rumors, who knows... [edit: I need to remember where I heard/read this. I may be mistaking Harrell with Timmons, and that is who Den and Cincy really wanted] I do know that it is now make-or-break time for Harrell with me. I've given him his injury passes, and now it's time to perform. I realize that I may be showing up to the party late on Harrell, but if I gave Rodgers three seasons, I'll give Harrell the same.Well see...
IIRC Denver admitted they wanted him and moved up to take a player right after that pick.Agree that he has to show something this year.His injury history is a concern...but when healthy, in college, the guy was a beast.I thought TT would go defense that year, but did not expect Harrell. Expected a DB in that draft.
 
As far as the original post.

Tauscher could be back if he still wants to play and is willing to do it a bit cheaper. The injury may make the price come down.

Clifton is back at least for now. Hopefully his knees can rest up and he can do a bit more next year.

Driver is back...the speculation on him leaving is downright laughable.

Stock and Sanders should be gone.

McCarthy should be put on notice that he is on a very short leash next year.

Thompson, depending on how things go next year, could be on the way out. Ive said it before...if things just go awful, he will be gone. But IMO, he is tied more to Rodgers than McCarthy and may be given the chance to hire one more coach.

No big changes in schemes.

Needs...in no order...Oline, Dline, LB...DB.

Showcase the backup QBs in preseason and hope they look good enough to trade one of them. Though, hard to get full value for Brohm...so hopefully he is good enough to be the backup and they can get something out of Flynn.

WRs as everyone knows are set...but they have to pay Jennings. Whoever said don't give him a chunk of money is nuts IMO. Jones and Nelson are nice...but Jennings is a stud.

Colledge looked ok at RT (granted it was the Lions).

IMO, TT will do a bit more in FA this year (despite the quote...how many times does he say something only to do another...he just does not tip his hand often).

 
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As far as the original post.

Tauscher could be back if he still wants to play and is willing to do it a bit cheaper. The injury may make the price come down.

Clifton is back at least for now. Hopefully his knees can rest up and he can do a bit more next year.

Driver is back...the speculation on him leaving is downright laughable.

Stock and Sanders should be gone.

McCarthy should be put on notice that he is on a very short leash next year.

Thompson, depending on how things go next year, could be on the way out. Ive said it before...if things just go awful, he will be gone. But IMO, he is tied more to Rodgers than McCarthy and may be given the chance to hire one more coach.

No big changes in schemes.

Needs...in no order...Oline, Dline, LB...DB.

Showcase the backup QBs in preseason and hope they look good enough to trade one of them. Though, hard to get full value for Brohm...so hopefully he is good enough to be the backup and they can get something out of Flynn.

WRs as everyone knows are set...but they have to pay Jennings. Whoever said don't give him a chunk of money is nuts IMO. Jones and Nelson are nice...but Jennings is a stud.

Colledge looked ok at RT (granted it was the Lions).

IMO, TT will do a bit more in FA this year (despite the quote...how many times does he say something only to do another...he just does not tip his hand often).
These two need to do better but I don't agree they are on a short leash. I'd switch DB and LB in needs. I agree with OL and DL.

 
What is it that makes people believe Thompson will be more active in free agency this year?

I'm not saying it is impossible that he will do it, but I have not seen anything from Thompson in the time he has been with the team that has led me to believe that he will sign more than he has in the past. The Packers have gone into free agency with holes before, and have had bad records before, but he did not go the free agency route then, so why would he now?

 
What is it that makes people believe Thompson will be more active in free agency this year? I'm not saying it is impossible that he will do it, but I have not seen anything from Thompson in the time he has been with the team that has led me to believe that he will sign more than he has in the past. The Packers have gone into free agency with holes before, and have had bad records before, but he did not go the free agency route then, so why would he now?
Woodson and Pickett one year to be fair. He has shown that if there is a quality player that in on the right side of 30 he may go after him.
 
On the drive home tonight, I heard a segment from an interview with Jennings on his contract situation. To paraphrase: "I'm hear to play football, and that is what I intend to do." "I'll take care of the football part, and let the business side works itself out""I'm not one of those guys that will hold out... 99% chance it doesn't happen."It went something like that anyway. If anyone else heard it please correct me if I missed anything or am wrong.
Jennings' agent, Eugene Parker, likely will use Bernard Berrian's contract with the Minnesota Vikings as a baseline. Berrian signed a six-year deal with the team as a free agent for $42 million with $16 million in guaranteed money.
I'd gladly pay that for Jennings..I really wish TT would take care of this now..
$42 million in Green Bay goes a long way in living a good life. Yes, $42 million anywhere would be a good life however, $42 million in Green Bay is a much nicer life than say New York or Miami or even Chicago.
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.

 
griz145389 said:
What is it that makes people believe Thompson will be more active in free agency this year? I'm not saying it is impossible that he will do it, but I have not seen anything from Thompson in the time he has been with the team that has led me to believe that he will sign more than he has in the past. The Packers have gone into free agency with holes before, and have had bad records before, but he did not go the free agency route then, so why would he now?
6-10..That's why..If we stink next year both TT and MM will be hanging by a thread..
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.
What is hilarious is that you fail to realize the article they are referencing is by Tom Silverstein, a long time beat writer that covers the Packers.
 
griz145389 said:
What is it that makes people believe Thompson will be more active in free agency this year? I'm not saying it is impossible that he will do it, but I have not seen anything from Thompson in the time he has been with the team that has led me to believe that he will sign more than he has in the past. The Packers have gone into free agency with holes before, and have had bad records before, but he did not go the free agency route then, so why would he now?
More holes and needs than in previous years...+ the cap room to do it.I don't think he will go big into it. But I think he will bring in more free agents than before.
 
sho nuff said:
Can't say I'm surprised. If Thompson's draft record was stronger, I could understand his position. But he hasn't drafted well, he appears too stubborn to pursue other avenues to acquire premium talent and his teams (other than 2007) haven't been very good. I can't figure this guy out at all. I hope things get better next year but if they don't, I hope he's bounced out of town because thus far his approach has not been a success. As bad as things got under Sherman, he only had one losing season. The guy was a horrible GM but thus far the team has been worse under Thompson. One great season isn't enough to wipe away the stench of two bad seasons and one mediocre year.
IMO...you underrate his drafting just a bit.Sherman also rode some of Favre's better years....drove the team into cap trouble...and overpaid for over the hill vets and bad players.Thompson is not perfect by any means. He does struggle in areas of the draft and other things...but IMO, his drafting has not been the issue.
I think his drafts have been average at best and again my point here is that when you are primarily (and almost exclusively) using the draft to acquire your best talent, then you need to be a helluva lot better than average. You need to be exceptional because you're not utilizing other means of improvement that are available to you. That's the choice Thompson has made. It's my hope he'll be much more flexible this offseason especially when it comes to pursuing proven major talent through free agency but again, I'm not confident he will be given his history with the team. And you'll get no argument that Sherman was a poor GM. I've acknowledged that repeatedly. However, his teams had a much higher winning percentage than Thompson's have so far. So while I believe Thompson is a superior GM the record simply doesn't support that point of view at the present time. That's yet another reason why Thompson deserves to be on the hot seat going into next season. I have no desire to fire him or McCarthy after this year. Both have earned a one-year reprieve given the success of 2007. But another year like this one and/or more regression and I hope both of them are shown the door.
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.
What is hilarious is that you fail to realize the article they are referencing is by Tom Silverstein, a long time beat writer that covers the Packers.
Its Silverstein opining on it...he does not claim he heard it might even happen..it was an OP-ED piece.
 
sho nuff said:
Can't say I'm surprised. If Thompson's draft record was stronger, I could understand his position. But he hasn't drafted well, he appears too stubborn to pursue other avenues to acquire premium talent and his teams (other than 2007) haven't been very good. I can't figure this guy out at all. I hope things get better next year but if they don't, I hope he's bounced out of town because thus far his approach has not been a success. As bad as things got under Sherman, he only had one losing season. The guy was a horrible GM but thus far the team has been worse under Thompson. One great season isn't enough to wipe away the stench of two bad seasons and one mediocre year.
IMO...you underrate his drafting just a bit.Sherman also rode some of Favre's better years....drove the team into cap trouble...and overpaid for over the hill vets and bad players.Thompson is not perfect by any means. He does struggle in areas of the draft and other things...but IMO, his drafting has not been the issue.
I think his drafts have been average at best and again my point here is that when you are primarily (and almost exclusively) using the draft to acquire your best talent, then you need to be a helluva lot better than average. You need to be exceptional because you're not utilizing other means of improvement that are available to you. That's the choice Thompson has made. It's my hope he'll be much more flexible this offseason especially when it comes to pursuing proven major talent through free agency but again, I'm not confident he will be given his history with the team. And you'll get no argument that Sherman was a poor GM. I've acknowledged that repeatedly. However, his teams had a much higher winning percentage than Thompson's have so far. So while I believe Thompson is a superior GM the record simply doesn't support that point of view at the present time. That's yet another reason why Thompson deserves to be on the hot seat going into next season. I have no desire to fire him or McCarthy after this year. Both have earned a one-year reprieve given the success of 2007. But another year like this one and/or more regression and I hope both of them are shown the door.
And I agree with this.They will not be "on the hot seat" now...but need to produce this year for sure.And agree that he needs to be better in the draft too. Especially on the Oline. So far he has been a big failure there (even though they end up playing OK...not as bad as some lines...but not the dominant line we once had).
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.
What is hilarious is that you fail to realize the article they are referencing is by Tom Silverstein, a long time beat writer that covers the Packers.
Its Silverstein opining on it...he does not claim he heard it might even happen..it was an OP-ED piece.
The guy is much closer to the Packers than any of us. The point is that this is not a true statement.........."The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor."
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.
What is hilarious is that you fail to realize the article they are referencing is by Tom Silverstein, a long time beat writer that covers the Packers.
Its Silverstein opining on it...he does not claim he heard it might even happen..it was an OP-ED piece.
The guy is much closer to the Packers than any of us. The point is that this is not a true statement.........."The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor."
Yes he is closer than anyone...and you are right, that statement is not true...as its not even a rmor yet..its a man opinining what could happen. Not even that he heard anything about it...just that it could happen based on Jennings play.
 
Driver will re negotiate.
Why? They re-did his deal two years in a row. (2005 & 2006) Driver isn't going anywhere. The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor.
It has been brought up as a possibility by the media that covers that Packers. I don't think it will happen but don't sit there and state there is zero substance to it.and before you go screaming for a link like the uniformed TT supporters do......

http://packerchatters.com/op-ed/view.php?id=5734
Wow - hostile much? And linking to PackerChatters is hilarious. Thanks, I needed that.

Driver isn't going anywhere.
What is hilarious is that you fail to realize the article they are referencing is by Tom Silverstein, a long time beat writer that covers the Packers.
Its Silverstein opining on it...he does not claim he heard it might even happen..it was an OP-ED piece.
The guy is much closer to the Packers than any of us. The point is that this is not a true statement.........."The thought that he could be cut or traded was made up by fans who don't like Thompson. There is absolutely ZERO substance to this rumor."
Yes he is closer than anyone...and you are right, that statement is not true...as its not even a rmor yet..its a man opinining what could happen. Not even that he heard anything about it...just that it could happen based on Jennings play.
If you follow the Packers you know darn well it has been speculated by the fans and the media that Driver may not be with the team next season and not just by people that don't like Thompson. You should know that sho. I think Driver will be back next season.
 
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Umm...OK, so now you just made that statement true...there is a rumor...and thus far there is no substance to it.

Opinions of fans and media does not mean a rumor has any substance.

Thus far, the only thing posted has been people wondering what might happen, not anybody saying they have heard it even could happen.

You are making other people's point here.

And yes, I agree he will be back next season.

 
I would like Thompson to realize that his plan has in essence worked, but that there are limits to that plan. It is not weakness to change.
That is a great comment. He does appear to be very stupporn to show people his system works. He is correct that the way to build a team is through the draft. However, that doesn't mean you can't be flexible on how you handle free agency.I also thinks he tends to get too "cute" with this picks to try and find those hidden gems. I am not sure that has worked well for him so far.
I don't understand what you mean by cute I guess.
Not to speak for Phase of the Game, but for me it would be doing things so far against the norm as if he's trying to prove how smart he is. He typically takes players a round or two before most people expect them to go. Jordy Nelson is an example of that. Justin Harrell was a guy most of the draft boards I saw had going late first/early second. Thompson took him much earlier. Things like that for me would be an example of trying to get cute.
:goodposting: and some of the reaches he makes with the small college guys in the later rounds.
Kind of like how the Titans got cute by selecting Johnson this year when he wasn't supposed to go that high? Seriously, do you really want a GM that does what Kiper and McShay think he is going to do? I mean Jennings was rated as a 5th rounder by most outlets and he came in ready to start. Sure he missed on Harrell, but is 12 pick early really that much of a reach? It is an inexact science to saw the least.I agree he needs to do better. A cute pick to me would be selecting Ferguson over Chambers or Buckley over Vincent simply because the entire state is screaming at the TV for you to pick the Wisconsin guy. According to the "cute" logic, Thompson should have stayed put and selected Chad Jackson instead of trading back and taking Greg Jennings.
 
Not to harp on this for too long, but... replacing Favre was supposed to be impossible, and now that Thompson and his staff have done it as well as anyone could have possibly hoped or imagined, some of you guys are writing it off as luck. This baffles me. Rodgers was drafted specifically to start at QB for the Packers one day. It's not like you can plan to trade a 1st round player down the road for value. So yeah, I think Thompson's regime absolutely deserves credit for correctly evaluating Rodgers' talent (which is what you want your GM to do!).
The point is TT's draft plan wasn't to draft a QB with his 1st round pick, but with arguably the best QB in the draft falling all the way into the 20's, it was a no brainer for TT to make the pick.
I think the jury is still out on Thompson's drafts so far in Green Bay, with a few clear hits and a few clear misses, but its a bit funny to hear people saying Aaron Rodgers was a "no brainer" for Thompson in his first Packer draft and with an iron-man 3 time MVP as his starter.
If you follow the Packers like you claim you do then you would remember how EVERY expert stated it was a no brainer for Thompson to take Rodgers after he fell to them. Seriously, you can't deny that. I really do think you must be related to Thompson.
:lmao:
So Thompson gets ripped for his bad picks but gets no credit for Rodgers because that pick was a "no-brainer"? Can I assume you and other Thompson-bashers would be cutting him slack on this pick had Rodgers failed? Of course you wouldn't, nor would he expect or deserve to be let off easy. What about the 23 teams who passed on Rodgers in that draft, including the Bears, Lions and Vikings (twice)? And what difference does it make that "EVERY expert" felt it was a good pick at the time - do you think Ted Thompson cares what Kiper, Maycock or other sports journalists think? Thompson had joined the Packers a few months before that draft, and before his first training camp started he had jettisoned Whale, Rivera and Sharper and used a #1 on Favre's successor. I just think the guy has huge balls and is extremely principled and I like that in a leader.Its always difficult to have to admit you were wrong on something. There are several fans on this board who were heavily invested in the belief that Thompson made a big mistake with Favre this summer, including one clown who repeatedly referred to it as, "the biggest mistake in the history of sports." I understand that it is difficult to be proven so utterly, unequivocally, stunningly wrong on a position you've taken, but I think its best at this point to recognize that Thompson made a very difficult, unpopular decision that was in retrospect clearly in the team's best interests. Everyone agrees that Thompson and McCarthy will be on the hot seat next season and, if they fail to improve in the W-L category, will either be fired or will be on a very tight leash going forward. I don't think anyone has a problem with that concept.
 

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