Ted Thompson's best move as Packers GM

[mraynrand]

The one thing we absolutely know is that TT won't give up a pick unless he thinks he's getting something better in return. And I agree with him that Luncheon Mints wasn't worth it.

[Patler]

The non-trade for Lynch worked out, but I still think it would have been a good idea to get him. At the time that he was available, it had become apparent that BJack wasn't going to cut it as a feature back, and there was no way anyone knew Starks was going to break out.

Don't forget that after a good game against SF, he did nothing in Detoit, then didn't have a carry against NE or NYG. Against the Giants, Jackson got the carries through the game, and Nance was used at the end to run out the clock. In week 17, Starks got the ball only 5 times.

Yes, he's been playing well since then, but I think it would be quite a stretch to say they were counting on him.

Sure, we didn't know, but Thompson had a feeling:

“I knew that he had a couple pretty good practices in a rookie mini-camp before he pulled a hamstring. Then he kept re-injuring during rehab all through the summer,” Packers executive vice president, general manager & director of football operations Ted Thompson said during Tuesday’s media day.

“We were hoping to get him in a preseason game but we couldn’t get him well. That was our only recourse. Once we were able to start practicing him he looked good. He was doing card plays against his own team but he looked good. He looked like if we needed a back-up in the stretch he was a better option than anyone that was on our emergency board. It was my contention, our best bet was to move him to the 53 (man roster) when that time expired and if he helped us down the stretch that would be a plus. There was no one else in our opinion on the emergency board that could help us the way he could," Thompson added.

Somewhat like jettisoning Favre in favor of the unproven Rodgers. Though he had seen little of him in person, TT felt Starks was a better answer than others, apparently including Lynch. Face it, for most of these players on other teams, the GM knows only what he sees on film. Other than the calibre of the competition, its not much different than what he knows about a college player.

[HarveyWallbangers]

It all comes down to what you thought of the team at the time. Were we playing well enough to go to the playoffs, but missing a critical piece? Or was the season a write-off because of injuries. If you thought we had a shot at the playoffs, he certainly seemed to be an upgrade over what we had on the field at the time.

The problem with that thinking, of course, is that it can lead you to thinking we should also have traded for a TE to plug a hole when Finley went down, and OLB when Brad Jones went down, a safety when Burnett went down, and on and on and on. You dig a hole pretty quick.

Seemed being the operative word. IMHO, if he was an upgrade, it wasn't enough of one to make a huge difference or worth giving up a third round pick for. I felt that at the time and feel that way even more now.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I can't believe people are still harping about Lynch. He did nothing outside of one run in the playoffs. Wasn't worth a 3rd then, isn't worth one now and would not have done anything to improve this team, IMO.

[Patler]

So no, it was not one of Thompson's five best. But it might've been one of Thompson's five best non-moves, if there could be such a category.

Sure there can!

Other great non-moves by TT:

1. Not trading Wells last year. Even some writers said it "had" to be done when Spitz was named starter. Apparently TT shopped him a little, but didn't like what he was offered in return, so kept him. Just a few weeks later Wells was starting, and hasn't let go of the job since.

2. Not trading Hawk. Another move many called for. "Hawk for Lynch" was even mentioned in the papers as a done deal. When Hawk didn't play a down on defense in game #1, he looked like so much extra baggage.

Any others?

[Fritz]

Thank you for saving this thread, Patler! (and me, too)

Other non-moves:

Not signing Igor Olshansky when the Pack went to the 3-4.

Not upping his trade offer for Randy Moss.

[Guiness]

Sure there can!

Other great non-moves by TT:

1. Not trading Wells last year. Even some writers said it "had" to be done when Spitz was named starter. Apparently TT shopped him a little, but didn't like what he was offered in return, so kept him. Just a few weeks later Wells was starting, and hasn't let go of the job since.

2. Not trading Hawk. Another move many called for. "Hawk for Lynch" was even mentioned in the papers as a done deal. When Hawk didn't play a down on defense in game #1, he looked like so much extra baggage.

Any others?

Those are big ones for sure. Hawk for Lynch was something brought up a few times in the original thread that talked about him being available (which I can't find now) but where would we be without him?

Seems to me there's been talk about replacing Wells every year since he's been here, but he's done yeoman's work there.

Other good non-moves? Standing pat with two QB's on the roster, trusting that Flynn could do the job if needed. He's done that two years in a row now. Many said he should bring in a vet to back up Rodgers. That extra roster spot allowed us to keep another player that might otherwise have been picked up by another team, most likely a guy like Crabtree (4th TE coming out of camp...).

[Guiness]

Thank you for saving this thread, Patler! (and me, too)

Other non-moves:

Not signing Igor Olshansky when the Pack went to the 3-4.

Not upping his trade offer for Randy Moss.

Igor! Forgot about him. I take it he hasn't played very well?

Which time are you talking about with Moss??? I guess you could say 'both'.

[Patler]

Other good non-moves? Standing pat with two QB's on the roster, trusting that Flynn could do the job if needed. He's done that two years in a row now. Many said he should bring in a vet to back up Rodgers. That extra roster spot allowed us to keep another player that might otherwise have been picked up by another team, most likely a guy like Crabtree (4th TE coming out of camp...).

That's another good one.

[Smidgeon]

Those are big ones for sure. Hawk for Lynch was something brought up a few times in the original thread that talked about him being available (which I can't find now) but where would we be without him?

Seems to me there's been talk about replacing Wells every year since he's been here, but he's done yeoman's work there.

Other good non-moves? Standing pat with two QB's on the roster, trusting that Flynn could do the job if needed. He's done that two years in a row now. Many said he should bring in a vet to back up Rodgers. That extra roster spot allowed us to keep another player that might otherwise have been picked up by another team, most likely a guy like Crabtree (4th TE coming out of camp...).

Wasn't Crabtree the fifth TE out of camp after Finley, Quarless, Lee, and Havner?

[retailguy]

Not sure why people seem to feel the need to attack me the last few days. I'm not a blind homer. I'm generally an optimist, but I'm not afraid to say when I feel Thompson has made a mistake (like drafting Aaron Rodgers, not signing some FAs). I'm not afraid to call out McCarthy's poor play calling when it costs us a game. I'm not afraid to call out a player for having a bad game. I just feel like you can do those things without saying McCarthy or Thompson is a buffoon or genius (depending on the outcome). I feel like I'm pretty guarded and grounded. When you were wrongly hawking Mike Hawkins or correctly hawking Sam Shields, I took a wait and see approach. When some call James Jones a playmaker with Pro Bowl potential while others call him a spaz for messing up so much, I tend to take the middle view that he's a solid player that makes mistakes and is pretty comparable to Jordy Nelson.

Harv, I've met you, and you've met me. I know you, know you bleed green and gold and you know I do as well.

That being said, I believe that I could have written the above paragraph as something that I believe about me, and you'd have been critical of what I said.

What you've summarized is what has happened to this forum in the past year or so. It has finally happened to you. Not so much fun to have everything you post taken out of context and criticized, is it? It is why I don't post much anymore. I still read and think about what I read, but disagreeing just isn't worth it much anymore.

[Patler]

Wasn't Crabtree the fifth TE out of camp after Finley, Quarless, Lee, and Havner?

No, Havner was cut and signed with Detroit. He played there for the first month or so, including against the Packers. He got hurt and was released by Detroit, and re-signed with GB. A couple weeks after that he was hurt again and sent to IR.

[Smidgeon]

No, Havner was cut and signed with Detroit. He played there for the first month or so, including against the Packers. He got hurt and was released by Detroit, and re-signed with GB. A couple weeks after that he was hurt again and sent to IR.

I know that part. I just didn't remember at which stage he was cut.

[sheepshead]

Ted and David Byrne

And you may find yourself, managing a Superbowl team, and you may ask yourself MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE

[Fritz]

Ted's sister???