""TED THOMPSON SIGNED WHO ""

[Bretsky]

http://www.620wtmj.com/sports/billmichaels/87245987.html


Interesting blog; way anti homer. I can't say I agree with it anymore.

But it would be fair to point out that two years ago this is how I felt about Ted Thompson. We were so devoid of talent in year one he had to take a couple swings in free agency and he did. But after that for the most part he's taken a check swing, or decided not to swing hard if at all in free agency.

I've listened to several of the media outlets in Green Bay while I stayed up there recently. They had a neat Packer roundtable in a half hour show. Others have the same tone.

I don't agree with the tone of the above article yet and I know most in here will bash it to shreads and point out logical reasons why many of his points are not sound.....such as.........does anybody even want to consider Julius Peppers for remotely near what he was paid ????

On the other hand, it's fair to note that there are several members of the media who would embrace the above article.

When TT wins a Super Bowl with his style he will prove them wrong........that's what I think will eventually occur with the foundation he's building

or

Maybe I'm wrong and he never wins a title.....and the tone is more accurate than I believe it to be.

Now let the article bashing begin :!: :lol:

[Zool]

Worse than the articles is the same cookie cutter idiotic statements in the comments section below the article. I guess anyone with a keyboard, an opinion and internet access is now an expert at building a pro football franchise.

[Lurker64]

It's a bad FA class, and we're a talented team. Really, the only thing that would be reasonable for us to do is to dig through the refuse to try to find a bargain or a diamond. There's no reason to give Thompson crap for signing an obscure player. Maybe he'll work out and maybe he won't, but we didn't have to get much to get him and he'll definitely add more to our return game than if we sat on our hands.

The real action in this FA period will be the pushing and shoving with RFAs anyway, and that might in earnest in a week or two. Remember, free agency doesn't end until after the draft, and how many guys who have been signed by anybody at this point would have improved this team markedly?

[packrulz]

Bill Michaels is a moron, Pickett and Woodson were FA's. Ron Wolf used to get arena players, TT is just turning over every stone scouting for FA's. Dillon might turn out to be a hell of a punt returner.

[sheepshead]

Worse than the articles is the same cookie cutter idiotic statements in the comments section below the article. I guess anyone with a keyboard, an opinion and internet access is now an expert at building a pro football franchise.

Now?

[Bretsky]

Bill Michaels is a moron, Pickett and Woodson were FA's. Ron Wolf used to get arena players, TT is just turning over every stone scouting for FA's. Dillon might turn out to be a hell of a punt returner.


It's silly to criticize anybody for anything after one week.

Playing devil's advocate.......we had horrible horrible talent when TT signed Woodson, and Pickett.

The writers often throw darts at TT because now that we have our base, they want him to sign a free agent or two to put us over the top. They take pot shots for his aversion to free agence but what I noted is their engrained view. And it's not just Michaels from the media who thinks like this.

[Bretsky]

Packer Insider just did a preview of the best UFA's out there. It truly was a sad bunch after the top four or five players. Right now it looks like a bunch of what we already have, Mark Tauscher, and some RB's that can probably help us some.

Come on TT, just sign Tauscher already :!:

[swede]

TT makes the job of sports journalists pretty hard with his slow motion management style. A Magic 8 Ball interview generates more interesting quotes than Teddy does. I think this explains the hostility.

I like listening to Unit most of the time, but to suggest that TT is terrified of free agency is carelessly misrepresentational.

(Perhaps I meant to say misrepresentationalistic.)

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode when George finesses the purchase of a highly sought after suit that looked great but "whooshed" when he walked? TT doesn't want to spend YOUR Packer money on sexy free agents that end up "whooshing" when they play.

[Scott Campbell]

I approve of Ted's methodology, but his way will only be "right" if he bets on the right players.


Bill Michaels is an idiot for trying to make a big deal out of signing some bottom of the roster chum. It's a non event.

[Joemailman]

In comparing the Bears approach to the Packers approach, Michaels misses the obvious difference: The Bears needed to be active in free agency because they don't have picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft. The reason they don't is because they traded those picks for guys who were going to get them "over the top". Well, Cutler threw 26 INT's, and Gaines Adams, even before his death, had never been an impact player. The "over the top" approach seldom puts a team in the Super Bowl. Even after Ron Wolf traded for Favre and signed Reggie White, it took the Packers several years to get to the Super Bowl. Michaels made a tired old argument that I suppose people will keep making until the Packers win the Super Bowl. And I suspect that will happen before the Bears get there.

[vince]

I would say that this is a dumb, ill-informed article, but Michaels has taken pro-Thompson positions in the past too. This is nothing more than a calculated attempt to stir the pot and produce clicks and readers when there isn't anything compelling to report.

[Fritz]

Joe, I don't know if you meant it to be so, but this is some funny shizz:

"Gaines Adams, even before his death, had never been an impact player."

[RashanGary]

TT makes the job of sports journalists pretty hard with his slow motion management style. A Magic 8 Ball interview generates more interesting quotes than Teddy does. I think this explains the hostility.
.

Interesting point, one not brought up very often.



As to the story, there is a make believe impression that teams run around waiving the magic free agent wand, and poof, they're over the top.

The problem is, it rarely, if ever, happens. Teams, the good ones, are built from the ground up. Free agency is a part of all teams, including the Packers, but less is usually more when it comes to this area of building a team if history has anything to say about it.

Clay Matthews, Greg Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins. . .

These are difference makers, all found in the draft, all looking to be Packers for several years. Ted's proven he can add these difference makers consistently through the draft. There may even be a few more that emerge from past drafts that haven't fully developed.


What these articles and opinions like these fail to address is that the Packers are accumulating both playmakers and good football players. They're not only accumulating them, but they're keeping them and paying them. Over time, that money continues to be spent and there is no wall in sight for us running out of room to keep signing them. What we have now is just the base and it's really good. Going forward, it's going to be everythign we have, plus more and more playmakers, more and more good players.

Saying, "he's sitting on the money" or, "they're not adding playmakers" is just ridiculous. Where the Packers have gone over the last 4 years is one of the biggest turnarounds in the NFL. Where they look to be going is one of the brightest in the NFL. Sitting around saying the Packers haven't won a SB is no more legit than the idiot pundits bashing Brees for not winning a SB. It was obviously going the right way, it just hadn't happened yet. Using the, "it hasn't happened yet" argument to support an entire page of garbage adn make believe is ridiculous. It's just not sound evidence. It has to be accompanied by other stronger evidence to really be taken seriously, and with what TEd has done and is doing, everything pionts the other way. That's my beef with this opinion. It takes one piece of evidence, ignores everythign else and bam, it's supposed to be taken seriously.

[RashanGary]

How does Ted Thompsons approach compare to recent SB winners?
How does Ted Thomspons approach compare to recent mulit-SB winners?
Is Ted finding playmakers?
Is the team plateauing, or could it be continuing to rise?
Is Ted signing veteran players or most go to stay young?


This article is so incomplete, I don't think anyone can take it seriously. I take that piece of evidence, "Packers not winning a SB yet" and compare it to Rodgers not having a winning season after his first season in the NFL. . . Funny how that evidence that was being used as stand alone proof suddenly vanishes. If you build an arguement out of straw and straw alone, that is what will happen.

Now, if you take some sticks, maybe find good overhang that provides shelter and maybe use that straw as a bed, yeah, you mgiht be able to survive the night. Be a resourcefull thinker. Look outside the one building material you have and use several to make on big picture idea. When people do that, they tend to be pro Thompson. They tend not to sound so stupid.

[retailguy]

TT makes the job of sports journalists pretty hard with his slow motion management style. A Magic 8 Ball interview generates more interesting quotes than Teddy does. I think this explains the hostility.
.
Interesting point, one not brought up very often.


WHAT? I bring this up all the time. I talk about Ted's lack of skills for his role, besides personnel all the time.

I'll be the first to tell you that even I don't agree with everything in that article, but all I've read here is the typical, grab one sentence and use that the bash the whole article type of bullshit analysis that you guys always do. Cynicism is easy, real thoughtful probing analysis isn't.

He has some inflammatory junk in there, which is undeserved, but some of that article is damn fair.

Ted's free pass with the media is over. They are damn tired of getting misled and bullshitted all the time. These articles are going to appear with increased frequency, most likely. That's not good for the Packers. Not at all. That's one area where Ron Wolf was a far better "total" GM than Ted is. He got that. He gave the media enough information to maintain relationships. Ted doesn't. He laughs right at them.

If he acquires talent sufficient to win a Super Bowl, and does, he can probably continue to stick his fingers in the media's eye, but if he doesn't?... Well, I'd suspect that this vitriole will continue until the media has sufficiently tarred and feathered him, and run him out of town. Really, when it gets right down to it, isn't that "stance" with the media pretty stupid?

The really sad part is that Ted is a great evaluator of talent. His relationship with the media doesn't have to be this way. Not at all. The media should be in a position right now where they love him. You got the occasional negative article about Wolf, but far more of them backed some crazy decision he made. Today, every crazy decision is on full display. It's backwards.

Justin, when you finish bowing at the feet of the master, could you find ONE thing in that article that is reasonable and well thought out? I'd really like to see what you come up with.

[Tony Oday]

What team has "gone over the top" with these FA signings? When has a team EVER won just because they made these splashes? What a joke. Peppers is OVERPAID...I bet he doesnt even play 12 games this year because of injury. What else is out there? Really. I mean LT or Westbrook? Do we need an aging former star in the backfield to make you happy? What this team needs is a SS and there wasn't one decent enough to sign yet. Lets go position by position:

QB- AR, enough said, not many are better in the WHOLE NFL much less the FA pool

HB- Grant and B Jack- Grant as it stands now is better than LT and Westbrook but I think they would be good at the right price here to back up grant and have a change of pace back

FB- We have our battering rams

WR- Jennings, Jones, Driver, Nelson- Who do you want here? T.O.?! please. This is a talented WR corp that needs to correct some things late, the drops, but we have size speed and talent here

TE- Finley and Lee. Finley may be a super freaking star and Lee is a nice Vet backup

OL- Signed the TOP FA in Chad Clifton and we will draft his successor, I would like Tauch back but I think Ted basically said to him, find a contract and let us match it, I actually am one of the few Pack fans that likes Wells at Center, and Lang, Colledge and Barbre have starting experience but need to gel to stick...who would you have signed here?

DL- Pickett signed and locked up, BJ Raji showed flashes, Jenkins, Jolly to solid starters...who would have put us over the top here?

LB- Hawk solid if not unspectacular, Barnett solid as well, CM keep up what he did last year and look the F out, Jones played well in a rookie campaign and we have Pops as a backup with Chillar...heck we could have Hawk as a backup with Chillar as a starter! Nothing in FA that "puts us over the top" here.

CB- Woodson = Stud, Tramon solid in what he did needs time to develop into a shut down corner and I think that will be this year. Harris- injured but damn if anyone can come back from that at his age it is him. Bell Bush and Underwood...yuck...FA class that could come in and start over Woodson or Tramon...nobody.

Saftey- Collins will be locked up, Bigby and Martin...well time to shit or get off the pot basically, we need an upgrade here but what was the "over the top" FA here?

Punter- this could be a FA signing but well its a freaking punter

Kicker- I am one of his detractors but Crosby isn't as bad as I thought. I love Rackers but Crosby actually looks better...he just needs a different coach maybe. agian nothing out there that really is a huge upgrade



Basically there was nothing in this FA class that would have made our team markedly better.

[vince]

The media will not run Ted Thompson out of town. Articles such as these are sometimes interesting to read and discuss, but are generally not persuasive, particularly when they fly in the face of the bottom-line results on the field. People will latch onto and emphasize that which is consistent with what they already perceive and mostly ignore or bash that which isn't.

The media just undermines their own credibility with the majority of fans when they continue to criticize with unintelligent and inaccurate pot stirring of what is clearly a young, rising playoff-caliber team. That doesn't by any means mean that they are above all criticism, but criticisms better have some meat to support them or they will be dismissed - and perhaps ridiculed - by the overwhelming majority.

The professional media has bowed to the times I guess by entering the fray of unreviewed, amateurish opinion-based blogs, bypassing the ethic of objective press altogether. They get readers and clicks short-term, but they undermine their own credibility and contribute to their own demise over the long-term.

Not winning is what influences people's perceptions, and will be what runs Ted Thompson out of town if it occurs to a great enough extent before he retires or otherwise quits first - not the media.

[RashanGary]

The media will not run Ted Thompson out of town. Articles such as these are sometimes interesting to read and discuss, but are generally not persuasive, particularly when the generally fly in the face of the bottom-line results on the field. People will latch onto and emphasize that which is consistent with what they already perceive and mostly ignore or bash that which isn't.

Not winning will influence people's perceptions, and will be what runs Ted Thompson out of town if it occurs to a great enough extent before he retires or otherwise quits first.

Not to mention, if you conducted a poll of Packer fans on the job of Ted Thompson (and we've done it here in the past), nobody thinks like Retailguy. Well, almost nobody.

The media is angry at Ted for not talking to them. They lash out, but they're doing a horrible job getting through and even if they did, like Vince said, Thompson controls his own destiny. If we win, he stays. Simple as that.

[cheesner]

TT makes the job of sports journalists pretty hard with his slow motion management style. A Magic 8 Ball interview generates more interesting quotes than Teddy does. I think this explains the hostility.
.
Interesting point, one not brought up very often.


WHAT? I bring this up all the time. I talk about Ted's lack of skills for his role, besides personnel all the time.

I'll be the first to tell you that even I don't agree with everything in that article, but all I've read here is the typical, grab one sentence and use that the bash the whole article type of bullshit analysis that you guys always do. Cynicism is easy, real thoughtful probing analysis isn't.

He has some inflammatory junk in there, which is undeserved, but some of that article is damn fair.

Ted's free pass with the media is over. They are damn tired of getting misled and bullshitted all the time. These articles are going to appear with increased frequency, most likely. That's not good for the Packers. Not at all. That's one area where Ron Wolf was a far better "total" GM than Ted is. He got that. He gave the media enough information to maintain relationships. Ted doesn't. He laughs right at them.

If he acquires talent sufficient to win a Super Bowl, and does, he can probably continue to stick his fingers in the media's eye, but if he doesn't?... Well, I'd suspect that this vitriole will continue until the media has sufficiently tarred and feathered him, and run him out of town. Really, when it gets right down to it, isn't that "stance" with the media pretty stupid?

The really sad part is that Ted is a great evaluator of talent. His relationship with the media doesn't have to be this way. Not at all. The media should be in a position right now where they love him. You got the occasional negative article about Wolf, but far more of them backed some crazy decision he made. Today, every crazy decision is on full display. It's backwards.

Justin, when you finish bowing at the feet of the master, could you find ONE thing in that article that is reasonable and well thought out? I'd really like to see what you come up with.
One of the problems with articles, such as this one, is that if you put in even one stupid comment, the entire piece is looked at with skepticism. The entire basis of this article seems to rely on the idea that Thompson made this move as a way of making the Packers an elite team. That is ridiculous, which should be fairly obvious. Therefore, after the first paragraph, I have the feeling that the author is a fool. The rest of the article does nothing to dismiss this notion.

My interpretation of this 'story' is that the author despises Thompson for some reason and will use every piece of evidence to reach this conclusion. That is extremely poor journalism.

Humorously, as you say "Cynicism is easy, real thoughtful probing analysis isn't." describes this journalism to a tee. If there is anything 'thoughful', let alone 'probing analysis', I can't seem to find it. The writing is just a collection of slanted comments that would merit a "D" for even a first year journalism major.

[RashanGary]

And it's strange, when we get a Tramon Williams, Donald Lee, John Jolly (late pick), Ryan Grant, John Kuhn, Spencer Havner ho-hum type of move, the Ted haters cut the jokes, but some of these guys pan out. SB rosters year after year are loaded with these types of signings, even at starting positions.

Strange to make a joke of it. Seems like the guy has no clue about that aspect of the NFL. Whether the article is objective or not is really the last of the concerns. Like Cheesner said, it's the pure idiocy from the get-go and then throughout that ruins it.

[Scott Campbell]

The media will not run Ted Thompson out of town. Articles such as these are sometimes interesting to read and discuss, but are generally not persuasive, particularly when the generally fly in the face of the bottom-line results on the field. People will latch onto and emphasize that which is consistent with what they already perceive and mostly ignore or bash that which isn't.

Not winning will influence people's perceptions, and will be what runs Ted Thompson out of town if it occurs to a great enough extent before he retires or otherwise quits first.

Not to mention, if you conducted a poll of Packer fans on the job of Ted Thompson (and we've done it here in the past), nobody thinks like Retailguy. Well, almost nobody.




I disagree with you on this. There are a lot of people that hate Ted, and for a variety of reasons. The second half of the season quieted most of them, but there still out there just waiting for the next misstep.

[Fritz]

I find it interesting that Thompson's critics often point to Ron Wolf's relationship to the media as an example of one that should be modeled.

Yet Ron Wolf manipulated the media -and rather well. Like most or maybe all GM's, he misled them about which players he liked. He expressed his disappointment after the Denver SB loss with the infamous "fart in the wind" comment - yet how is that a better answer than saying, like Thompson has before, that a loss is disappointing?

Because Wolf gladly lied to the media - and I stress here that I wouldn't expect him to give away who the Packers wanted and all that - that makes him a darling of the media, I guess.

Wolf has also used the media to burnish his own image, post-career. He's said that the Reynolds pick was Sherman's choice, but Wolf's name was still on the door.

I suppose if you're in the media and you like being bullshitted regularly, then Ron Wolf would be a great guy to interview.

I'm not saying Ron Wolf is bad or evil. I just don't think that Thompson needs to be a b.s.er in order to be respected in Green Bay, by media or fans.

[Scott Campbell]

Ted's no quote factory - I'll give you that.

[retailguy]

I find it interesting that Thompson's critics often point to Ron Wolf's relationship to the media as an example of one that should be modeled.

Yet Ron Wolf manipulated the media -and rather well. Like most or maybe all GM's, he misled them about which players he liked. He expressed his disappointment after the Denver SB loss with the infamous "fart in the wind" comment - yet how is that a better answer than saying, like Thompson has before, that a loss is disappointing?

Because Wolf gladly lied to the media - and I stress here that I wouldn't expect him to give away who the Packers wanted and all that - that makes him a darling of the media, I guess.

Wolf has also used the media to burnish his own image, post-career. He's said that the Reynolds pick was Sherman's choice, but Wolf's name was still on the door.

I suppose if you're in the media and you like being bullshitted regularly, then Ron Wolf would be a great guy to interview.

I'm not saying Ron Wolf is bad or evil. I just don't think that Thompson needs to be a b.s.er in order to be respected in Green Bay, by media or fans.


Fritz, I think you partially missed my point. Wolf didn't always lie to the media. He didn't always refuse to give information. Did he mislead? Sure. But he gave good interviews too. He gave the journalists something to write about besides "no comment".

He did build relationships with them, and yes, he knew how to use them. But, occasionally he fed them accurate information too. It was give and take.

For the record, I didn't say that Ted should "model himself after Wolf", I said that Wolf better understood the media, it's needs, and how it works. He used that to his advantage and did so in a manner that benefited him, the team, AND the media.

It isn't that way anymore. And I believe that's to the teams detriment, and to a certain extent, Ted's too.

[vince]

Here's a recent interview where Ted was pretty talkative about how they approach the combine, Ryan Pickett, the evolution of the tight end position, the offensive line, and more.

Feb. 26: Sirius NFL Radio with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt (http://www.packers.com/multimedia/audio/recent/)

The reporter gave him proper respect as an NFL GM and actually asked probing and appropriate rather than offensive questions that didn't elicit defensive or dismissive one-word responses from Ted. Imagine that. Ted's not the most colorful guy, granted, but his responses to the press are as much a product of the interviewer in most cases as the interviewee.

[Lurker64]

I think the old school style of GM where half of the statements out of your mouth are plausible lies intended to mislead others has gone out of style simply because it's now significantly more difficult to avoid being called on your misleading statements and half-truths in the modern era of a 24 hour sports news cycle and the internet.

You don't see a lot of other notable GMs giving much to the media in terms of juicy information. Your Scott Pioli's, Ozzie Newsomes Bill Parcells,, and Bill Polians are pretty tight lipped too. I think the key difference is that the modern Green Bay sports media industry pretty much "grew up"with Ron Wolf as his tenure coincided with the return of the Packers to prominence, and thus come to expect his style to be the norm. It's not, and it's certainly far from the norm now.

Thompson is actually a cut above guys like Pioli/Belichick when it comes to dealing with the media. Thompson is a tremendously honest person and he doesn't want to lie to the media, however he doesn't want to give any information that would hurt his team or his ability to do his job. So unlike a Belichick or a Pioli he will deal, somewhat amicably from his perspective, with the media until he's put in a position where his alternatives are "tip his hand" or "clam up" in which case he'll always choose the latter.

Eventually (and this may take a while), the media will get used to the way Ted does business, as the guy who succeeds Ted, and the guy who succeeds the guy who succeeds Ted won't be any more forthcoming with company secrets.

[retailguy]

:D We'll have to agree to disagree lurker. The more things change, the more they stay the same....

[Fritz]

The mystery to me is that apparently the media preferred being misled and used by the supposedly amicable Wolf to being treated honestly by Thompson.

[RashanGary]

Nice find on that interview, Vince. I didn't realize that was out there. Sounds like he was really high on Clay. That's interesting. Said he considered him with the 9th pick (WOW).

And you're right, Vince, the way that interviewer talked to Ted, he really opened up there, was really personable and almost chatty. I think he's got a good relationship with Gil Brandt, so maybe that helps.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Atari Bigby stumbled around on the practice squad and then moved up. Several examples of players not drafted have been coached up.

Many of these guys just need some good coaching because of lack of experience or coming from small schools or the level of competition is higher at the NFL.

The other thing is Ted likes to see guys earn their roster spots. He does not seem to like players that feel entitled and not work. Younger players work harder to get the big contract. Ted like them young and hungry.

The experience of Ahman Green in Houston is typical. Many free agents get their big contract before retiting. Daniel Snyder has spent the fans money this way many times.

Ted when he has been in free agency has spent wisely. Pickett's contract was about equal to Flanagans when he left the Packers. He will pay when he needs to pay as with Clifton and Woodson.


Writers have not much to write about in a Ted Thompson offseason. Especialy without NFL Europe games to watch the prospects. What they ought to do is fluff pieces on say the Packers receptionists, funny stories from the ticket sales people, a photo gallery of the grounds crew working, Follow the the football game video guy around for a day and discuss how much film the Packers are watching on prospects(without too much detail).

If they wanted better stuff they could do some investigative reporting on the plumbing at Lambeau and their waste water system. How they avoid frozen pipe bursts etc.

These reporters are rather lazy and want to be handed a story instead of going out and getting one.

[pbmax]

Wolf also gets a free pass because (as Bob McGinn says in his book) that he taught folks in Wisconsin what a winning franchise looked like. I assume Bob meant people not old enough to know the Lombardi teams or pay attention to other franchises. He was first on the scene to turn this around and hired other very capable people. Like Rodgers replacing Favre, Thompson suffers by comparison.

Retailguy may be right that Thompson is going to see more articles like this, but this is neither new nor representative. Thompson got lambasted all during the 2008 season by the beat guys and columnists after a stretch of remarkably evenhanded reporting about Favre-a-Palooza during the off-season and camp. I know many will not see the local coverage this way, but I was stunned that it was not as pro-Favre as the national stuff. In a way, Thompson benefited from Favre blowing off the local guys for years.

Michaels is a poor representative. He gets credit from me for actually watching the game and players (not just the ball) but he regularly fails to place any of his observations in context. Whether it is a question of scheme, responsibility or failure elsewhere, Michaels returns to his favorite whipping boys regardless of the actual cause. You will never his from him that this offensive line can run block. You will only hear about pass blocking failures and lack of big gainers. There is no sense of proportion in his critique.

But Thompson will regularly get dismissed by the idiots, including the twin combo of thumb twiddlers Bedard and Silverstein. They had all but registered a site for Thompson must go after Clifton was on a plane bound for Washington. McGinn at least starts with acknowledging the upswing in talent. Silverstard simply spends other people's money fast on poor choices, and like preseason picks, are never called to account for the dumber of their suggestions.

RG also has a point, one that has some echoes in Brandt's lone criticism of Thompson so far. By failing to engage people and having difficult conversations early, problems get exacerbated. Not to the point of catastrophe, but to the point of distraction.

But the largest factor is the Super Bowl win. Wolf has one, Polian has one, Thompson does not. Until he gets one, no one will believe you can do it this way. There has also been a failure of anyone writing for the papers to connect the reason Wolf left (Salary Cap) with the way Thompson operates differently than his mentor. Once teams stopped losing good players because they could not budget, it became much harder for Wolf to find talent through that channel. If not for his outstanding 2000 draft class, he would have left a pretty mediocre team behind.

[MJZiggy]

Why is the media now required to take a combative tone? TT can sign who he wants. Michaels admits that TT's won the NFCN and taken teams to the NFCC game, yet insists that if Thompson doesn't sign free agents we'll be wild card and out in the playoffs? He suggests that you cannot get to a Super Bowl unless you sign big name free agents and that is simply not true. Michaels's criticisms are unfounded and outdated. A lot of people shared his beliefs as B said he once did, but Thompson has put together a solid team doing it his way. Are there weaknesses? Sure, but every team has them. The difference is that unless there are several injuries to one unit, they are not catastrophic holes. If Michaels wants to write about something, maybe he should talk about who this kid is rather than whining about the fact that he's here. Huh. Useful information. Whatever would we do with that. Actual journalism is toast, isn't it?

[Gunakor]

The media loving Thompson for telling the truth isn't going to win any football games. The media hating Thompson for being so vague isn't going to lose any. The media doesn't play football. The media isn't even an afterthought where winning and losing and roster building is concerned. So who the hell cares how Ted treats them? I hate the media just as much as I hate armchair GM's that think it's their right to know what's going on behind closed doors.

I think Ted should be unconcerned with the media. I don't blame the media for trying to get truths out of Thompson, I mean that's their job after all, but I don't think Thompson owes them anything. In fact, I'd rather Thompson give them nothing at all. No deceptions, no truths, no quotes, nothing at all. A bunch of "no comment" answers is all I want from him. I hope when Thompson passes the words "No Comment" are etched into his gravestone for all eternity. I'd be much more concerned if he were spilling the beans rather than being as vague as humanly possible. The truth is nobody's business but his.

[Fred's Slacks]

Maybe I'm missing something but I really don't see how their relationship with the media will have any effect on how they build their roster or play on sunday.

[swede]

The media loving Thompson for telling the truth isn't going to win any football games. The media hating Thompson for being so vague isn't going to lose any. The media doesn't play football. The media isn't even an afterthought where winning and losing and roster building is concerned. So who the hell cares how Ted treats them? I hate the media just as much as I hate armchair GM's that think it's their right to know what's going on behind closed doors.

I think Ted should be unconcerned with the media. I don't blame the media for trying to get truths out of Thompson, I mean that's their job after all, but I don't think Thompson owes them anything. In fact, I'd rather Thompson give them nothing at all. No deceptions, no truths, no quotes, nothing at all. A bunch of "no comment" answers is all I want from him. I hope when Thompson passes the words "No Comment" are etched into his gravestone for all eternity. I'd be much more concerned if he were spilling the beans rather than being as vague as humanly possible. The truth is nobody's business but his.

What he said.

[Fritz]

Well, PB's right - it's about the winning a Super Bowl. Thompson gets the Pack to do that, and he'll get some love for a little while (until they don't win it the following year).

One does have to be somewhat aware of media relations. You can't just openly blister the guys with the pens and cameras, because the result could become a circus, which can be distracting.

I think perhaps Thompson needs a PR specialist to coach him up. Get his serious-level down. Open up his joke level. Be a little more fluid in the bullshit.

I don't see why the team doesn't bring in a special coach for him.

On another note, it seems that Thompson is going to or went to Alabama's pro day. Something about Thompson going to only the big schools' pro days so he can be unnoticed. I hope he brought his groucho marx glasses and mustache disguise.

[swede]

On another note, it seems that Thompson is going to or went to Alabama's pro day. Something about Thompson going to only the big schools' pro days so he can be unnoticed. I hope he brought his groucho marx glasses and mustache disguise.


I love little nuggets like this. Where in the World is Ted the Turtle? Isn't Alabama going to have 10+ players drafted this year? Which one does TT secretly covet in the dark places where he feels emotionally involved with the game?

And where is he going next?

Maybe you just call the Packers' offices and ask. They'd probably tell you where he is if you asked nicely.

Packer Front Office Secretary: Mr. Thompson is in California for USC's Pro Day.

Packcker Fan: Thanks.

Packer Front Office Secretary: You betcha.

[Fritz]

" TT secretly covet in the dark places..."

That creeped me out, Swede.

[swede]

That creeped me out, Swede.

I kind of shuddered when I wrote it. I tell myself that he doesn't spend any time decorating his office, so I think we're okay.

[pbmax]

Gun, while I understand your critique of the media, it is naive to think you can continue to operate that way and not be affected by the consequences. Fans want a rooting interest in the products they spend their disposable dollars on. Whether its NASCAR or football, people want to feel like they have a stake. The more reason you give them to believe, the more comfortable they will be spending on you. Or approving your bond measures to redevelop the area around Lambeau.

Courting the media is part of that deal. Its not perfect and they are not a completely representative sample of the people that read them. But the fact that they DO read them, imperfect though they are, should tell any member of the Packers how important it is. People actually pay money to READ about your football team. And to watch programming about your football team that doesn't even involve the actual game itself.

Now, it does not directly impact the field, the players or the coaches. But it does affect the business side of the equation.

Thompson can successfully construct a winning roster without deep public support for his approach. But the consequence for him is that support in the building will be lower than it would otherwise be. Mark Murphy is not tied to Thompson like Harlan would have been. They only share the Favre decision, and that one has passed without job loss.

It leaves him little room for error. Thus, when they miscalculate on the offensive line in 09, people are ready to call for his head immediately. It means that any incident on the field can become the sole prism through which success is judged. And that is a poor barometer.

Like the Steelers, Thompson must have frequent enough deep playoff runs to buy him credit to survive the poor years and bad decisions. Very few teams are as patient as the Steelers were with Cowher. The good news for Thompson is that the Packers might be on that short list.

[MJZiggy]

Courting the media is part of that deal. Its not perfect and they are not a completely representative sample of the people that read them. But the fact that they DO read them, imperfect though they are, should tell any member of the Packers how important it is. People actually pay money to READ about your football team. And to watch programming about your football team that doesn't even involve the actual game itself.



I was talking with a colleague today about political philosophy. He quoted an acquaintance of his who adopted his mentor's philosophy that if you give people ALL the information, they will, on their own, choose the truth as a rationale for just laying things out there. I said that philosophy is good as long as people have ALL the information. If not, they tend to believe what they are fed. My fear is that if Thompson can't court the media, that fans will only have what they are fed and will adopt ignorant attitudes. You see it all the time. The fear is when they try to put pressure on the organization as a result. Now that's never really worked for Detroit fans, but it's a distraction nonetheless when the media is more focused on fans with bags over their heads than the game at hand.

[Gunakor]

It leaves him little room for error. Thus, when they miscalculate on the offensive line in 09, people are ready to call for his head immediately. It means that any incident on the field can become the sole prism through which success is judged. And that is a poor barometer.

You think it would have been any different had they been more open about their plan for the OL back in March and April of '09? I think people would have been ready to call for his head anyways. It's not what he said or didn't say that got people all upset about it, it was the fact that the OL wasn't performing. Had the OL performed spectacularly last year nobody would care. So it really didn't have anything to do with Thompson's reluctance with the media. Any incident on the field can become the sole prism through which success is judged whether the GM is a babbling fountain of truth or quietly conducts his business away from the media.


Now, it does not directly impact the field, the players or the coaches. But it does affect the business side of the equation.


Thompson has won Executive of the Year 2 of the last 3 years. He's nearly completely turned over the old and overpaid roster he inherited and has built a team right on the cusp of being SB contenders for many years to come - all behind a veil of secrecy and deception. But by all means, Packer fans, bitch about his reluctance to speak with the media as a major downfall. Refuse to support the team simply because you don't know what's going to happen before it happens. Sell your tickets to me if you're too pissed off over Thompson's silence. I will just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show knowing that, even without knowing anything going on in Ted Thompson's mind, the team is in good hands. Silence is golden.

[sharpe1027]

If the media reporting is skewed because of TT's lack of media savy and it hurts the Packers, shouldn't we be angry with the media? I mean, sure TT could improve the situation, but can't the media just do their job without being spiteful because TT isn't sharing as much information as they are used to having?

MJZiggy,

I don't share your colleague's mentor's optimism. I would agree that people are more likely to be convinced of something if they believe that they came to the conclusion on their own. Still, even given all information, my experience is that none us truly puts aside our preexisting biases and are completely objective. Given the same set of information about any subject that has some emotional component, we will reach different "truths," and it can be very difficult to change our minds once we reach a conclusion.

[pbmax]

You think it would have been any different had they been more open about their plan for the OL back in March and April of '09? I think people would have been ready to call for his head anyways. It's not what he said or didn't say that got people all upset about it, it was the fact that the OL wasn't performing. Had the OL performed spectacularly last year nobody would care. So it really didn't have anything to do with Thompson's reluctance with the media. Any incident on the field can become the sole prism through which success is judged whether the GM is a babbling fountain of truth or quietly conducts his business away from the media.
Not exactly. The GM, or "sources" close to the GM can help to correct perception about the players involved. Why was Meredith not ready for the roster? In retrospect, could he have helped more than Colledge and let Lang work at RT? Left to their own devices, people are convinced that putting Meredith on the PS was a mistake. Same with letting Moll go for a safety to play special teams. There is a reason we are getting Jamon Meredith updates almost as frequently as Favre updates.



Thompson has won Executive of the Year 2 of the last 3 years. He's nearly completely turned over the old and overpaid roster he inherited and has built a team right on the cusp of being SB contenders for many years to come - all behind a veil of secrecy and deception. But by all means, Packer fans, bitch about his reluctance to speak with the media as a major downfall. Refuse to support the team simply because you don't know what's going to happen before it happens. Sell your tickets to me if you're too pissed off over Thompson's silence. I will just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show knowing that, even without knowing anything going on in Ted Thompson's mind, the team is in good hands. Silence is golden.
No one has ever bought a jersey of the GM for winning GM of the year. Public confidence and pride is necessary. Of course it can be done without a PR campaign, but as I said the margin for error is smaller. You are simply making it more difficult on yourself.

When it comes to brass tacks, clearly he has succeeded, though I suspect they expected much better things in 08. And if I had to choose between better PR from the personnel dept versus Thompson, I would choose Thompson in a heartbeat. But there is no reason they can't have both. Its just a skill, one that we know he possesses if you listen to that radio interview.

[PlantPage55]

Here's a recent interview where Ted was pretty talkative about how they approach the combine, Ryan Pickett, the evolution of the tight end position, the offensive line, and more.

Feb. 26: Sirius NFL Radio with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt (http://www.packers.com/multimedia/audio/recent/)

The reporter gave him proper respect as an NFL GM and actually asked probing and appropriate rather than offensive questions that didn't elicit defensive or dismissive one-word responses from Ted. Imagine that. Ted's not the most colorful guy, granted, but his responses to the press are as much a product of the interviewer in most cases as the interviewee.

Exactly. Is it any wonder that TT gives Bedard hilariously bad answers, when all Bedard insists on doing is asking negative and, in some cases, rather insulting questions?

[Merlin]

Personally, I think keeping the media out of the Packers organization is the way to go. The only time Thompson should have opened his mouth and been truthful was during the whole Favre debacle. The media fed into that and split Packer fans right down the middle by speculating. Thompson is right for not speaking to the press much otherwise. The media is much to blame for anything Favre related, they take a little nugget and blow it out of proportion and for Favre, it's never-ending. I sure don't want our GM subject to that kind of media exposure (and biased reporting) or do I want him to be a Jerry Jones or Al Davis type.

It's Thompson's job to win football games, it isn't a popularity contest. Even though I despise some of his philosophies, that doesn't mean I want him to bow down and do what I want or what anyone else wants either. He has to be in charge and he has to have the courage of his convictions. Win, lose, or draw, Thompson shows zero emotion and to me, that's the way he should be. He doesn't take credit where it's due and he doesn't take blame where it's due, he continues to do what he believes is right and that is the biggest reason I have any respect for him. I know my ideas aren't always popular, right, or even in the ballpark, but at I do have he courage of my convictions and I respect anyone who does.

So the media can kiss my lily white ass as far as I am concerned.

[vince]

The GM, or "sources" close to the GM can help to correct perception about the players involved. Why was Meredith not ready for the roster? In retrospect, could he have helped more than Colledge and let Lang work at RT? Left to their own devices, people are convinced that putting Meredith on the PS was a mistake. Same with letting Moll go for a safety to play special teams. There is a reason we are getting Jamon Meredith updates almost as frequently as Favre updates.
In a universe or evolutionary period where Thompson could actually work with an objective press, you'd be right here, but unfortunately that doesn't exist today - at least with much of the press corps that covers the Packers. In this universe at this time, a number of members of the media will take whatever Thompson says and does and put a negative spin on it to undermine his position. The more he says, the more fodder they have for undermining him. Nothing Ted Thompson or 'sources close to Thompson" say or do will change that, so the best thing Ted can do, so long as that continues, is say as little as possible - and keep winning - so as to further undermine the credibility of the members of the press who are set on using him as a lightning rod to sell newspapers and web traffic.

[Scott Campbell]

Personally, I think keeping the media out of the Packers organization is the way to go. The only time Thompson should have opened his mouth and been truthful was during the whole Favre debacle. The media fed into that and split Packer fans right down the middle by speculating. Thompson is right for not speaking to the press much otherwise. The media is much to blame for anything Favre related, they take a little nugget and blow it out of proportion and for Favre, it's never-ending. I sure don't want our GM subject to that kind of media exposure (and biased reporting) or do I want him to be a Jerry Jones or Al Davis type.

It's Thompson's job to win football games, it isn't a popularity contest. Even though I despise some of his philosophies, that doesn't mean I want him to bow down and do what I want or what anyone else wants either. He has to be in charge and he has to have the courage of his convictions. Win, lose, or draw, Thompson shows zero emotion and to me, that's the way he should be. He doesn't take credit where it's due and he doesn't take blame where it's due, he continues to do what he believes is right and that is the biggest reason I have any respect for him. I know my ideas aren't always popular, right, or even in the ballpark, but at I do have he courage of my convictions and I respect anyone who does.

So the media can kiss my lily white ass as far as I am concerned.



Good post Merlin.

[Bretsky]

Always liked Bill Michaels, but perhaps we should invite him in here for a media mea culpa
yes, this might be the first thread I've ever bumped. and it's NOT to throw anything in anybody's face

Yes, I am very bored and have too much time tonight

[Lurker64]

It's amazing that when I go back and read old threads that people bumped, my takes always seem surprisingly reasonable. Does nobody ever bump the threads where I sound like an idiot, or is something wrong with me?

[MJZiggy]

It's amazing that when I go back and read old threads that people bumped, my takes always seem surprisingly reasonable. Does nobody ever bump the threads where I sound like an idiot, or is something wrong with me?

There's something to be said for an even keel.

[MadtownPacker]

It's amazing that when I go back and read old threads that people bumped, my takes always seem surprisingly reasonable. Does nobody ever bump the threads where I sound like an idiot, or is something wrong with me?
BUMP!

[Lurker64]

BUMP!

I think you have to wait for the thread to fall off the front page for it to count.

[MadtownPacker]

I think you have to wait for the thread to fall off the front page for it to count.
BUMP!!

[vince]

Nothing wrong with bumping threads. People being accountable for what they write is good policy.

That article is even funnier today. Reminds me of a recent quote to the media from Ted.

"Quite frankly, most people don't know what they're talking about."

Unfortunately, a lot of those guys are paid to offer their opinions.

[vince]

I'd say this article fits nicely here, and it corrects my slight misquote from above.

Good article for the most part, but one thing I take a bit of issue with is the article says that the criticism hasn't phased Thompson. It hasn't changed him, but I'm not sure I'd agree with the idea that it hasn't affected him.

We all remember when Thompson shut down, then got up and walked out in the middle of the ridiculous one-on-one interview by Greg Bedard. The ill-informed criticism gets to him. He's human. Thankfully, he stood strong in the face of it all and has come through with flying colors. Now, he handles the accolades with class and understated humility.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14631594/packers-thompson-can-now-fire-back-but-will-take-a-pass

Packers' Thompson can now fire back but will take a pass
By Pete Prisco
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Feb. 1, 2011

DALLAS -- It could have been his moment, his chance to fire back at the thousands of critics he's faced since jettisoning a certain Wrangler-wearing, cult-forming, iconic figure who was more revered in Wisconsin than even a good slice of homegrown cheese.

But as Ted Thompson basked in the moment, knowing the Green Bay Packers team he had built was on its way to the Super Bowl, he had none of that. For all those websites goading the public to fire Thompson, it was his chance to get even, his chance to say he was right and they were wrong.

The shots back never came.

That's not who Ted Thompson is as a man. It's certainly not who he is as the architect of a Packers team that is one victory away from being world champions.

"This is really gratifying to be able to get the Packers back to the Super Bowl," Thompson said.

It had to be in many more ways than he showed. Killing Thompson became a blood sport in Wisconsin when he traded Brett Favre in August 2008. The nastiness intensified when he balked at paying high-priced free agents, choosing to stay the course, his course, of building through the draft.

Yet Thompson never let any of it bother him -- or at least he didn't show it. Thompson doesn't show a lot of emotion anyway, if ever. When the Packers went up two scores on the Bears following B.J. Raji's interception in the NFC Championship Game, apparently sealing the game, Thompson did little more than just shake hands with those around him, others who seemed far more juiced than Thompson.

On to the next one. Ho-hum.

"The negatives or the positives don't really affect me," Thompson said. "Quite frankly, very few people know what they're talking about."

That's about as much of a shot as you'll get from Thompson. This former NFL linebacker -- about 50 pounds or so ago -- doesn't have the personality of a guy who used to tackle running backs for a living.

He's about as exciting as a stroll through a cheese factory.

To most NFL fans, he's simply the guy who ran Brett Favre out of town. They know the name, but few could pick him out of a lineup. Hint: He's tall, lean with a lot of grey hair. And you can usually find him in front of a tape machine or at a college workout somewhere. He doesn't like the spotlight. He might be the NFL's most private decision maker.

During media day Tuesday, a day when most general managers would bask in their success, Thompson stood behind a podium, away from the masses.

Asked about those who questioned him, he brushed it off.

"The NFL is a very interesting business," Thompson said. "It's very competitive, and there are a lot of difficult times you go through in my job. You just try to make honest decisions and then you look forward to the next thing because there's always a next thing."

That's truly who Ted Thompson is: A scout who has morphed into a heck of a general manager.

"Most people forget about Ted Thompson that he not only is a great general manager, he's an outstanding talent evaluator," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "He still gets out on the road the same number of weeks he always has. When he's looking at these players come draft time, you know he has a clear understanding about each and every player we are getting ready to draft.

"That's a great positive as a coach because you know he's picking the right kind of players and athletes -- someone you can fit into your program. That's what we're about. We're about drafting and developing players. It's worked. That's why we're here and we'll continue to do that."

It worked, but not without the criticism. Scan the Packers roster and you find a homegrown, young roster filled with potential stars. Of the starting 22 players for Sunday's game, 14 of them are 27 or younger. Of those 22, 18 are homegrown products with Thompson drafting 13 of them in the past five drafts.

There were many times when the fans pushed Thompson to do something aside from staying true to the draft. When Favre pushed Thompson to acquire Randy Moss in 2005, Thompson avoided it and ultimately led to the feud between the two. That move, as well as the drafting of Aaron Rodgers in 2005, are the two moves that led to the fraying of the relationship, leading to Favre being allowed to leave.

How sexy is it drafting a quarterback when a legend is still slinging it around pretty good?

Just this year, when starting running back Ryan Grant went down for the season, fans pushed Thompson to trade for Marshawn Lynch. He held true to his beliefs, obviously with the idea that unknown running back James Starks could be the answer at running back.

As the Packers struggled to run the football during the regular season, that strategy seemed to backfire. But Starks came alive in the playoffs and has been a big reason why the Packers won three consecutive road games to get to the Super Bowl.

"A lot of credit has to go to Ted Thompson and the personnel staff just the way that they're structured, their work ethic, the principles are in place," McCarthy said. "I don't know if there's another general manager that hits the road as much as Ted Thompson does. When you're in a personnel meeting prior to the draft and discussions are going around the table about a player you know when the final decision is made that Ted has probably had his eyes on him and definitely has done his due diligence. It's very impressive to watch now for five years and it's a big part of why we select the right people. We have to give our personnel department a lot of credit for our season."

One more thing: It might be time to shut down that Fire Ted Thompson site. After what Thompson has done, I'm not sure there is much of a market for that anymore.

[swede]

I sound like an idiot, or is something wrong with me?

+1

[RashanGary]

Some of my finer work, haha.

[Pugger]

Gun, while I understand your critique of the media, it is naive to think you can continue to operate that way and not be affected by the consequences. Fans want a rooting interest in the products they spend their disposable dollars on. Whether its NASCAR or football, people want to feel like they have a stake. The more reason you give them to believe, the more comfortable they will be spending on you. Or approving your bond measures to redevelop the area around Lambeau.

Courting the media is part of that deal. Its not perfect and they are not a completely representative sample of the people that read them. But the fact that they DO read them, imperfect though they are, should tell any member of the Packers how important it is. People actually pay money to READ about your football team. And to watch programming about your football team that doesn't even involve the actual game itself.

Now, it does not directly impact the field, the players or the coaches. But it does affect the business side of the equation.

Thompson can successfully construct a winning roster without deep public support for his approach. But the consequence for him is that support in the building will be lower than it would otherwise be. Mark Murphy is not tied to Thompson like Harlan would have been. They only share the Favre decision, and that one has passed without job loss.

It leaves him little room for error. Thus, when they miscalculate on the offensive line in 09, people are ready to call for his head immediately. It means that any incident on the field can become the sole prism through which success is judged. And that is a poor barometer.

Like the Steelers, Thompson must have frequent enough deep playoff runs to buy him credit to survive the poor years and bad decisions. Very few teams are as patient as the Steelers were with Cowher. The good news for Thompson is that the Packers might be on that short list.

I found it interesting re-reading your post where you mentioned the two teams with similar philosophies eventually played in SB 45. :grin:

[gbgary]

There's something to be said for an even keel.

i hate it when i encounter uneven keels.

[Tony Oday]

What team has "gone over the top" with these FA signings? When has a team EVER won just because they made these splashes? What a joke. Peppers is OVERPAID...I bet he doesnt even play 12 games this year because of injury. What else is out there? Really. I mean LT or Westbrook? Do we need an aging former star in the backfield to make you happy? What this team needs is a SS and there wasn't one decent enough to sign yet. Lets go position by position:

QB- AR, enough said, not many are better in the WHOLE NFL much less the FA pool

HB- Grant and B Jack- Grant as it stands now is better than LT and Westbrook but I think they would be good at the right price here to back up grant and have a change of pace back

FB- We have our battering rams

WR- Jennings, Jones, Driver, Nelson- Who do you want here? T.O.?! please. This is a talented WR corp that needs to correct some things late, the drops, but we have size speed and talent here

TE- Finley and Lee. Finley may be a super freaking star and Lee is a nice Vet backup

OL- Signed the TOP FA in Chad Clifton and we will draft his successor, I would like Tauch back but I think Ted basically said to him, find a contract and let us match it, I actually am one of the few Pack fans that likes Wells at Center, and Lang, Colledge and Barbre have starting experience but need to gel to stick...who would you have signed here?

DL- Pickett signed and locked up, BJ Raji showed flashes, Jenkins, Jolly to solid starters...who would have put us over the top here?

LB- Hawk solid if not unspectacular, Barnett solid as well, CM keep up what he did last year and look the F out, Jones played well in a rookie campaign and we have Pops as a backup with Chillar...heck we could have Hawk as a backup with Chillar as a starter! Nothing in FA that "puts us over the top" here.

CB- Woodson = Stud, Tramon solid in what he did needs time to develop into a shut down corner and I think that will be this year. Harris- injured but damn if anyone can come back from that at his age it is him. Bell Bush and Underwood...yuck...FA class that could come in and start over Woodson or Tramon...nobody.

Saftey- Collins will be locked up, Bigby and Martin...well time to shit or get off the pot basically, we need an upgrade here but what was the "over the top" FA here?

Punter- this could be a FA signing but well its a freaking punter

Kicker- I am one of his detractors but Crosby isn't as bad as I thought. I love Rackers but Crosby actually looks better...he just needs a different coach maybe. agian nothing out there that really is a huge upgrade



Basically there was nothing in this FA class that would have made our team markedly better.


I liked my take...damn Peppers for playing so many games!!! But one less than us ;)

[packerbacker1234]

I liked my take...damn Peppers for playing so many games!!! But one less than us ;)

Except Grant went down and LT actually had a pretty good season. Would of been nice to have him on our team.

Finley went down and Lee was practically 3rd string behind Quarless and Crabtree. Not that a FA would of helped.

That's nitpicking, and naturally we won the SB so who cares, but at least a veteran back would of gave us SOME help once grant went down. Of course no one thought grant would be done for the season after one quarter. Now we appear more set - Grant and Starks going one two in 2011. Grant is the starter I feel, but his carries will be lessened for starks, unless of course starks has a sophmore slump.

[Tony Oday]

Except Grant went down and LT actually had a pretty good season. Would of been nice to have him on our team.

Finley went down and Lee was practically 3rd string behind Quarless and Crabtree. Not that a FA would of helped.

That's nitpicking, and naturally we won the SB so who cares, but at least a veteran back would of gave us SOME help once grant went down. Of course no one thought grant would be done for the season after one quarter. Now we appear more set - Grant and Starks going one two in 2011. Grant is the starter I feel, but his carries will be lessened for starks, unless of course starks has a sophmore slump.


Oh I didnt say I was totally correct ;) I just liked my take...I also didnt say "hmmm is our team capable of populating an entire playoff team with our IR guys?" LT would have been cool but towards the end of the year he was less effective as a fantasy back for sure.

I also looked back and I guess I didnt like the Woodson signing and advocated Ty Law...wow...just wow.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Except Grant went down and LT actually had a pretty good season. Would of been nice to have him on our team.

Finley went down and Lee was practically 3rd string behind Quarless and Crabtree. Not that a FA would of helped.

That's nitpicking, and naturally we won the SB so who cares, but at least a veteran back would of gave us SOME help once grant went down. Of course no one thought grant would be done for the season after one quarter. Now we appear more set - Grant and Starks going one two in 2011. Grant is the starter I feel, but his carries will be lessened for starks, unless of course starks has a sophmore slump.

The problem is that in hindsight you can pick out the best FA signings and say we could have signed so and so, but not all of the guys that we could have signed worked out. It's easy to say it was a mistake not to sign so and so with hindsight. Chester Taylor was also a FA that looked like a good pickup for the Bears. He statistically had one of the worst rushing seasons in the history of the NFL, and he was either cut or will be cut by the Bears.

I think Thompson believes the swing and miss factor is too high on free agents for the cost associated with signing them. Cost/benefit ratio being too high.

[Fritz]

"A lot of credit has to go to Ted Thompson and the personnel staff just the way that they're structured, their work ethic, the principles are in place," McCarthy said. "I don't know if there's another general manager that hits the road as much as Ted Thompson does. When you're in a personnel meeting prior to the draft and discussions are going around the table about a player you know when the final decision is made that Ted has probably had his eyes on him and definitely has done his due diligence. It's very impressive to watch now for five years and it's a big part of why we select the right people."

Sure sounds like McCarthy is thrilled that Thompson goes on the road and scouts and scouts and scouts. He seems to love that. But that's understandable - when your job depends in large part on the quality of talent you're given, you'd like the guy making the final call to have really done the leg work and not just read the reports of others, like some general managers named Matt Millen seem to have done.

And now that TT has helped the team win a Super Bowl, he gets a pass until the first season they don't win the Super Bowl. And then it'll start up again - though perhaps not so loudly.

[mission]

And now that TT has helped the team win a Super Bowl, he gets a pass until the first season they don't win the Super Bowl. And then it'll start up again - though perhaps not so loudly.

You being serious? If it starts up again next year because we fall short then I'll seriously have to question the source of "noise".

It's pretty obvious TT is a top 3-4 GM in the NFL. If not the best.

[mraynrand]

when your job depends in large part on the quality of talent you're given, you'd like the guy making the final call to have really done the leg work and not just read the reports of others, like some general managers named Matt Millen seem to have done.

You're giving Millen too much credit. That guy made up his draft board from watching highlights on SportsCenter.

[Smidgeon]

I've been thinking about this for a while. Shouldn't the title of the thread be "Ted Thompson Signed Whom"? :|

[mraynrand]

I've been thinking about this for a while. Shouldn't the title of the thread be "Ted Thompson Signed Whom"? :|


I think you're right. Now explain why that Dr. Suess book shouldn't be "Horton hears a Whom"

[Freak Out]

Didn't Sherman draft a Heffalump once? Oh wait....that's Pooh.

[sharpe1027]

You're giving Millen too much credit. That guy made up his draft board from watching highlights on SportsCenter.

Probably still too much credit being given. More likely it was from either some obscure blog site or he got hot tips from Brent.

[Joemailman]

Hey, lay off Matt Millen, will ya? Sure, he could have drafted Aaron Rodgers instead of Mike Williams. But hey, he already had Joey Harrington. Why all the hate?

[MJZiggy]

Didn't Sherman draft a Heffalump once? Oh wait....that's Pooh.

Sherman drafted Davenport?

[Pugger]

Except Grant went down and LT actually had a pretty good season. Would of been nice to have him on our team.

Finley went down and Lee was practically 3rd string behind Quarless and Crabtree. Not that a FA would of helped.

That's nitpicking, and naturally we won the SB so who cares, but at least a veteran back would of gave us SOME help once grant went down. Of course no one thought grant would be done for the season after one quarter. Now we appear more set - Grant and Starks going one two in 2011. Grant is the starter I feel, but his carries will be lessened for starks, unless of course starks has a sophmore slump.

When LT was available RB wasn't a big need. RB only became a need when we lost Grant to IR. :sad: Fortunately we had Starks in reserve but he couldn't play right away.