Better GM...Thompson or Wolf

[Smeefers]

(1) Who do you anticipate following this path?
(2) I don't find any basis to agree with this. Did TT hire Capers, coach up McAdoo, Bennett, etc, or was it McCarthy and his structure?

(And this following is not a shot at you; it's just a generalization of which I've been reminded lately.) I think people are selling McCarthy short. He just won a SuperBowl with 15 players on IR including his stud TE and starting RB. He also gave the Patriots a run for their money with a backup QB having no real live-action experience besides the game the week previous. Yes, he has a good GM to work with, but he's nothing to sneeze at himself...

1 I can see Winston Moss, Kevin Green and Darren Perry. Moss is already being considered for HC positions. Green and Perry could both go on to be DC's and who knows in the future. Well, then there's the power house of Shawn Slocum. That man is going to coach the entire NFL one day!
2 I think TT brought in an already good coach in Capers and Tragovac and brought in a darn good rookie coach in Kevin Green.

I'm not trying to snub McCarthy, but it's coming off that way. I just don't think he's as much of a teacher to coaches as Holmgren was. I also don't think he'll spawn as many HC's as MH did.

Bah, I've tried to explain myself ten times and keep erasing it. I guess it's just a feeling and I can't give you solid concrete reasons for a gut instinct.

[Smidgeon]

I guess I'm asking how you know it was TT who brought in Capers and Trgovac instead of M3 bringing them in?

Also, from ESPN's "Best Franchise in Sports" piece (out of 122 total teams):

The Packers also ranked fourth overall in “bang for the buck,” and fifth overall in the categories “coaching” and “ownership.”

[Zool]

What White did for the Packers is he became the Packers leader in recruiting guys to play on defense. Santana Dotson was a top 5 defensive tackle, Sean Jones was a top ten defensive end and both said that the reason they came to Green Bay was to play with Reggie White. White had a huge impact on players around the league.

God told Reggie to go to GB. Shouldn't God be given the credit for the resurgence?

[mraynrand]

God told Reggie to go to GB. Shouldn't God be given the credit for the resurgence?

And everything else, really.

[Bretsky]

Holmgren's coaching tree is amazing. You're going to see the same thing with McCarthy and I honestly don't know if you can give the credit to McCarthy like people give the credit to Holmgren. I think the Credit will more fall with TT on this coaching crew. I think with Holmgren he was more the leader and McCarthy is more a man among peers.

MM (or TT if you pass the coaches to him) also has a tree of bad hires....aka...fires as asst coaches as well as a group over very good ones recently.

[bobblehead]

As far as their play on the field, taking charge in critical situations, etc. I'm not sure that White did much more for the Packers than Woodson has. The aspect of White that was so key was changing the image of the team to one that top players will go to willingly. Of course, the situations surrounding their free agent status were totally different. Everyone wanted White, no one wanted Woodson. But in the end their impacts on the field were very similar.

Signing Pickett was similar to signing Sean Jones, with similar impacts on the team.

As for all the other FA signings by Wolf, TT had as many free agents with similar impacts, but his other free agents just had somewhat different backgrounds. The TT free agents of Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Charlie Peprah, Howard Green, Frank Zombo, Eric Walden, John Kuhn, etc. have been just as key as the ones you mentioned that Wolf signed, maybe even more so when you think about what Williams and Shields meant to the defense.

In my book, a free agent is a free agent whether he is a well-known veteran, a lesser known veteran or an unknown inexperienced player. He is an available unsigned player that any team can sign, and TT has picked some good ones who played key roles on a Super Bowl Champion.

Close but not quite. I think a FA that you don't pay big bucks for and hasn't proven to be a stud NFL player is a much better signing than say, Andre Rison who has a ton of talent and is a locker room cancer. Just my opinion.

[bobblehead]

God told Reggie to go to GB. Shouldn't God be given the credit for the resurgence?

God often is drawn to the highest bidder. Thats why Bill Gates is going to heaven.

[woodbuck27]

Notwithstanding sharpe's cautions against projecting the future, I think Thompson will ultimately prove to be a better GM, so I guess that means I think he's a better GM now. All the pieces appear to be there, and that's really the GM's job. Now it's up to the players and coaches. Thompson's strong convictions and ability to stick to his guns in the face of strong criticism and pressure have been very impressive IMO.

Realistically, I'd say Sherrod effectively manning the left side for the next decade will go a long way toward completing Thompson's legacy. Rodgers having a shortened career or not fulfilling his promise as a premier QB due to getting hit too much would obviously drop Thompson's stock.

TT cannot control injuries. If we were to lose Aaron Rodgers in the next season would that have a bearing on the job he's managed so far as our GM? Having raised that question. Isn't it too early to judge TT's career in Green Bay Vs Wolf's?

[Scott Campbell]

TT cannot control injuries. If we were to lose Aaron Rodgers in the next season would that have a bearing on the job he's managed so far as our GM? Having raised that question. Isn't it too early to judge TT's career in Green Bay Vs Wolf's?

No.

[Deputy Nutz]

9 seasons 6 season. no, both are the longest tenured GMs in the last 20 years.

[Fritz]

It'll be fun to see what the Packers can do in the next two years, before MM decides he needs to have more say in player personnel or Thompson decides he wants to have an actual private life.

[ThunderDan]

TT cannot control injuries. If we were to lose Aaron Rodgers in the next season would that have a bearing on the job he's managed so far as our GM? Having raised that question. Isn't it too early to judge TT's career in Green Bay Vs Wolf's?

It depends if we have a Hasselback on the bench behind ARod or a Craig Nall.

[MJZiggy]

It'll be fun to see what the Packers can do in the next two years, before Thompson decides he wants to have an actual private life.

HA! This is his private life. I just hope he doesn't burn out...

[Joemailman]

It'll be fun to see what the Packers can do in the next two years, before MM decides he needs to have more say in player personnel or Thompson decides he wants to have an actual private life.

As long as TT is here, I don't think MM will want more say. I think he has quite a bit of input now, but doesn't have to deal with the headaches a GM does. If TT leaves, he'll probably take over as GM and bring Favre in to coach.

[Gunakor]

It depends if we have a Hasselback on the bench behind ARod or a Craig Nall.

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.