Better GM...Thompson or Wolf

[Deputy Nutz]

Flynn isn't so bad. It's too early to compare him apples to apples with Hasselbeck, though I think his ceiling could be every bit as high. I can state with absolute certainty however that we do not have a Craig Nall backing up AR. He's somewhere inbetween the two right now.

Having said that, and answering to Woody's post, if we were to lose AR to injury I absolutely would think that would have a great deal of bearing on the job TT has done as our GM. And I think it would be extremely favorable for him. While a GM cannot control injuries, he will be held accountable for plan B. And while plan B is never preferred, our plan B is one of the best in the league. So I think Thompson would be given high marks from his peers and most fans should the unthinkable happen and we're forced to go to plan B.

Well Wolf, Sherman, and Thompson have been lucky in regard to injury to their starting QB. Over the past 19 years the Packers have started exactly 4 QBs. Majik, Favre, Rodgers, Flynn. You can't really compare that to any other franchise in terms of minimal QBs for maximum amount of Starts. Maybe Indy while Manning has been at the helm. When you have reliable starts from your QB it makes it easier to win ball games week in and week out. The GM has nothing to do with that, it is luck.

[Smeefers]

While it may never be in Holmgren's class, I see McCarthy having some of the same success with his assistants. I think there are several coaches on the team that will eventually be coordinators or head coaches elsewhere.

With that, time will tell. I would say Winston Moss is a product of MM. I wouldn't say Whitt, Greene or Perry are though. Those two are linked directly to Capers.

[Deputy Nutz]

I'm going TT.

Wolf sold out, won one, came close in another and then was never truly top notch before or since.


I think this TT assembled team is going to be at the top a lot longer and has a great chance to win another title in the next couple years. They're great now, and unlike the Wolf teams, they're only getting better.

Wolf took over as GM when the two greatest Dynasties in the NFL were in the game. The Dallas Cowboys, and the San Francisco 49ers who won 5 Championships combine in the 90s. Wolf missed the playoffs twice and failed only once to win a playoff game in a season as GM. Three NFC Championship games, two NFC titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one win. Building a franchise from the ashes is hardly calling a GM a sell out.

He didn't have the time or learning curve that Thompson has had. Harlan brought Wolf in to win and win now. The Packer franchise was on thin ice, losing interest in the current generation, sure the Packers still had the attention of our grandfathers and fathers who remembered the Lombardi years, but I was more interested in watching the game of the week verse tuning into the Packers. The Packers were losing their fan base and income to compete, similar to what is taking place currently in Buffalo. The early 90s was a completely different playing field with the onset of free agency then it is today, next to Jerry Jones Wolf did the next best job of building a franchise using the capabilities of free agency.

[Patler]

With that, time will tell. I would say Winston Moss is a product of MM. I wouldn't say Whitt, Greene or Perry are though. Those two are linked directly to Capers.

What does Capers have to do with Joe Whitt? MM hired Whitt the year before he hired Capers. Before that Whitt was in Atlanta, and before that he was in college. I don't think Whitt had any exposure to Capers until Capers came to the Packers. MM had the foresight to keep Whitt when he otherwise purged the defensive staff, long before he decided on Capers as his new DC.

[Smeefers]

I suppose I could be wrong about whitt. I thought I heard somewhere that he played in the 3-4 and him and capers were pretty tight. Fine. Now I actually have to do some stupid research...

Okay, I was wrong. He didn't play in a 3-4 and MM did pull Whitt in as a quality control coach. I would like to say in my defense that it was only after Capers came to town that he moved over to CB coach. He's actually had quite an impressive career. It's worth a read checking out what he's done over at packers.com.

[Patler]

Smeefers:

FYI, Darren Perry is the guy who played in the 3-4 and had a background coaching it as well. He played two years under Capers in Pittsburgh, but is more tied to Dick LeBeau than he is Capers. Lebeau was his position coach for his first 3 seasons and the DC for his next two. He got his first coaching job from LeBeau when LeBeau was a HC of the Bengals, and later coached under LeBeau in Pittsburgh.

[Brandon494]

Smeefers:

FYI, Darren Perry is the guy who played in the 3-4 and had a background coaching it as well. He played two years under Capers in Pittsburgh, but is more tied to Dick LeBeau than he is Capers. Lebeau was his position coach for his first 3 seasons and the DC for his next two. He got his first coaching job from LeBeau when LeBeau was a HC of the Bengals, and later coached under LeBeau in Pittsburgh.

I believe Darren Perry will make a great DC and would be my first choice if Capers left and we were to promote someone on the current staff.

[Patler]

I believe Darren Perry will make a great DC and would be my first choice if Capers left and we were to promote someone on the current staff.

He does seem to be headed that way.

[Smidgeon]

I believe Darren Perry will make a great DC and would be my first choice if Capers left and we were to promote someone on the current staff.

Agreed. I like the pedigree of Trgovac, but Perry would be my first choice too.

[KYPack]

Agreed. I like the pedigree of Trgovac, but Perry would be my first choice too.

It'd be Turgo's second DC gig. Any team that isn't looking at Darren Perry just ain't paying attention.

[bobblehead]

Well Wolf, Sherman, and Thompson have been lucky in regard to injury to their starting QB. Over the past 19 years the Packers have started exactly 4 QBs. Majik, Favre, Rodgers, Flynn. You can't really compare that to any other franchise in terms of minimal QBs for maximum amount of Starts. Maybe Indy while Manning has been at the helm. When you have reliable starts from your QB it makes it easier to win ball games week in and week out. The GM has nothing to do with that, it is luck.

I disagree with that last statement a little bit. Both TT and Wolf REALLY realized the importance of a quality LT and OL in general. Both struggled at times, but stuck with it. Also, both GM's hired coaches that believed in getting rid of the ball quickly. That helps QB's stay healthy as well. Some luck you help along. I agree there is a luck factor, but its tempered by decisions.

[Patler]

It'd be Turgo's second DC gig. Any team that isn't looking at Darren Perry just ain't paying attention.

...and he resigned from the one he had. He said it was taking more out of his personal life than he wanted to give because he was obsessed by it even when he was with his family. He might not ever want that again. Then again, maybe he just needed a break for a few years.

[RashanGary]

Wolf took over as GM when the two greatest Dynasties in the NFL were in the game. The Dallas Cowboys, and the San Francisco 49ers who won 5 Championships combine in the 90s. Wolf missed the playoffs twice and failed only once to win a playoff game in a season as GM. Three NFC Championship games, two NFC titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one win. Building a franchise from the ashes is hardly calling a GM a sell out.

Right now, Wolf has done more. But. . . . He came into a situation where a team had a TON of cap space. He went out, spent money like a wild man, got the right QB and right coach. . . . He was a great Packer GM.

Ted so far as two NFCC games, one SB win and three playoff appearances in 6 years. But. . . . The thing that might be most overlooked is how aged and cap stricken the Packers were when Thompson took over. Had he taken over the team Wolf did, he wouldn't have had to go backwards to square one. He would have already been there and been able to start building right away.

I see the argument for Wolf over Thompson right now. My gut tells me this Packer team has a lot of great success ahead of them. If I had to lay a bet, I'd lay it on Thompson being the more accomplished GM 5 years from now. No proof, just a feel for how things are going.

[Deputy Nutz]

Find me one offensive player Wolf landed that was a big name free agent? Honestly I consider three big free agent signings, White, Santana Dotson, and Sean Jones, these were players still in their prime, not over the hill like Seth Joyner, or Bruce Wilkerson.

I think some of his free agents signings have been blown out of proportion in comparison to all the talent that Wolf brought in through the draft and trades. Free agency isn't as valuable a tool in todays game as it was when it was first introduced in the early 90s.

I have yet to determine if Thompson is a better GM than Wolf. The future isn't written at this point for Thompson and Wolf's career as a Gm is over.

[Deputy Nutz]

I disagree with that last statement a little bit. Both TT and Wolf REALLY realized the importance of a quality LT and OL in general. Both struggled at times, but stuck with it. Also, both GM's hired coaches that believed in getting rid of the ball quickly. That helps QB's stay healthy as well. Some luck you help along. I agree there is a luck factor, but its tempered by decisions.

one season ago Rodgers was the most sacked QB in the NFL. Favre's best offensive line came under Sherman, the best offensive line the Packers had was under Sherman. Favre had to run for his life in the early stages of his career, Rodgers became a good scrambler because he was inexperienced like Favre, but also because he was getting hammered. Favre is the iron man of the NFL, and Rodgers is no slouch considering the punishment he took in his first two years as a starter.

A lot of what you mentioned is true, but isn't it true for most coaching staffs and GMs?