A Bloggers Reaction: Is Ted Thompson Closing Green Bay’s Window?

[Smeefers]

That is exactly the problem right now. The salary cap has been fairly flat since 2009, but QB salaries have escalated significantly.

I believe that may be in part due to the rookie salary wage scale. Those prices have dropped dramatically.

[Smeefers]

I think the window is wide open, and it will be for years. Think about it for a moment. Let's just say we picked up SJ. Everyone, and I mean everyone, would shut the hell up about him not taking an FA's. There would be a collective sigh all through this stinkin board. For one guy. Is one guy really going to change the outcome of our season that much? Could we account for say, 3 more wins because SJ showed up? Hell no, but there's no way people would be talking about our window closing.

As long as we can get to the playoffs, our window is open for the super bowl. Remember the last time we won it? We had something like 84 players injured or out. To get to the super bowl and win it, it takes skill, talent and luck. The most important of those factors is luck. Look at the Giants beating the Patriots. Were they really the better team on the field or did they just get lucky? How good last year would we of been if we hadn't suffered all those injuries?

Our team isn't getting worse. This is a prevailing theme and I don't understand it. Having the same guys you had last year does not make you a worse team, in fact, many people would say that having that consistency is actually a good thing. Now you add that we're going to get half a dozen more guys added to the team through the draft, one of them likely a play maker and add that the mass amount of younger talent we have on the team is maturing and getting better and I say our team is improving. This team, as is, is just as good as the team that won us a super bowl.

[red]

i see a lot of people saying "we just need to get to the playoffs and anything can happen"

the last two years we made the playoffs we didn't just lose, we got the absolute shit kicked out of us, we were not in the same class as the teams that beat us. the giants have destroyed us like 4 times in a row, the 49ers beat us pretty bad both times they played us last year. i don't know if the giants have done anything, but the 49ers are clearly trying to improve an already good team in the off season by picking up guys

also, this years super bowl featured two teams without elite QB's (flacco is not elite even though he's payed like it) but great overall teams

[red]

as for the idea of trading a-rod

maybe. maybe if we still had a guy like flynn as a backup, and if our overall team was better.

i think theres two ways you can have a great team. a great overall team with an ok QB (san fran, ravens), or a team with an ok team and a great QB (like us)

you trade a-rod and what are we left with? a shitty, average at best defense. a horrible o-line, and no running back. we would not be a playoff team at this point without a-rod

as for trade value and you guys saying there might not be a ditka out there that would give up the world for him. hey, seattle just gave up a first, second and third for migrane boy harvin. someone would be dumb enough to give up the world for a-rod. not that we should do it

[pbmax]

Maybe it is time to start looking at the QB a little bit more like they do other positions. Be willing to pay the QB well, but if he wants the moon and the stars, get what you can for him. This will require some advance planning by having an alternative on hand. I'm not saying that the best QBs shouldn't be the highest paid on the team, but should he make twice as much or more than your Pro Bowl players at other positions?

I have said for a few years that WR salaries were out of line, and I think there is some indication in this off season that teams are starting to rethink how much a WR should be paid, especially one going after his 3rd contract or more. Eventually they may have to realize that a QB, no matter how good he is, really can't be paid more than about 10-12% of the salary cap, or it cripples the ability of the team to have decent players at too many other positions.

There is apparently a lot of talk in the League about how teams are either "colluding", "resetting" or "failing to understand" the value of slot receivers.

Opinion is divided about why Wallace got so much money but Welker and Amendola were held well below franchise level. Some think the slot receivers have always been underpaid, others this TEs such as Hernandez in NE make them obsolete and the old guard seems to think slot receivers grow on trees in the draft.

[pbmax]

Its a good problem to have. Because every year there are teams that would give their eye teeth to have a Pro Bowl QB and a shot, year after year to make the playoffs.

Its very easy to say, run and play defense and you can have nice things as well. But the number of playoff teams that fit that description each year is 2 or less.

The best is to have the QB on the cheap like Wilson, CK, RGIII or Luck. But that usually happens to just one team a year.

[King Friday]

Belichick is always working the system to keep the team in the hunt. Can't stand him or them though... always root against them.

The majority of guys who step up and help the Patriots today are YOUNG GUYS who have been drafted by the Patriots and coached properly to fill in effectively when injury/free agency leaves a hole. The majority of their FA pickups in recent years that would count for the people in here (high profile, first week of FA pickups) have been abject failures...such as Chad Johnson, Haynesworth and the aforementioned Thomas. The best free agent pickups made during the Belichick tenure in New England were from a decade ago...Harrison, Vrabel. They have still made good pickups under the radar recently, just as Thompson does...like Woodhead.

To claim the Patriots have considerably improved their team in recent years through high profile FAs is ignorant. They haven't. The last one who gave them a considerable boost was probably Seau...which was 7 or 8 years ago. Most of the recent free agents that have offered something to the Patriots have only been able to provide service for a year or two at most, due to their advanced age. Do you really suggest we sign a bunch of 34 year olds that will be over the hill in 2 years? How does that extend our window any?

The guys signed in the first week of free agency are almost always overpaid. You are damaging your team by signing them most of the time. Thompson sat on his hands last year in free agency, then helped the roster in the draft by adding guys who should help this team considerably over the next 3-6 years...Perry, Hayward, McMillian, Manning. To me, having those cheap young guys on the roster is far more valuable than some aging relic who USED to be a great player and now isn't...which is why he is in free agency in the first place.

[woodbuck27]

2012 NFL Team Stat's Offense:

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/byteam?group=Offense&cat=Total&conference=NFL&year=season_2012&sort=1130&old_category=Total&old_group=Defense

2012 NFL Team Stat's Defense:

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/byteam?group=Defense&cat=Total&conference=NFL&year=season_2012&sort=530&old_category=Total&old_group=Offense

I've looked at ** the eight teams that were still in the hunt for the Super Bowl last season from the 'Divisional Round'... forward. Going into the playoffs last season. The team least likely to win the Super Bowl, based on team balance' in offense and defense was the team that won it all. . . the Baltimore Ravens.

** http://www.fbschedules.com/nfl/nfl-p...s-schedule.php

Based in the same analysis. Three teams had better balance on 'O' and 'D' in the NFC than the Green Bay Packers...and in this order: Seattle, Atlanta and San Francisco. In the AFC both Denver and New England statistically had better balance than the Green Bay Packers.

Thus it's fair to say that such analysis places these five teams ahead of the Green Bay Packers as leaders to win the Super Bowl next season. It's also fair to say that all five of these teams have been busy in the off season or re-loading to ensure a solid run for Super Bowl XLVIII.

It's also fair to speculate that based on the results last season. The Green Bay Packers will get the nod as NFCN Champions in 2013. I agree with those here that point out that once in the playoff's anything can happen. I agree that if adversity treats our team more tenderly. Overall we'll likely see some improvement next season; that more experience hopefully means improved play from the younger guys.

We have more proof now of 'get in and any team can win'. Recent Super Bowl wins by the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers certainly support that. How many of you really believed that the Baltimore Ravens had a real shot last year?

It's also to be noted that of those seven playoff and Super Bowl games. Four of them were decided by a margin of four points or less. The match-ups were very close. In the other three games certainly not so much. Unfortunately one of those games was Green Bay @ San Francisco. In that game our weakness was exposed. We simply couldn't keep up with a team as strong as San Francisco. That team was built to win. That team will be heavily favoured to win the NFC next season and appear in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Winning a Super Bowl.

How did the Baltimore Ravens get it done? What were the intangibles that enabled that Super Bowl win?

I believe that became possible because of a wonderful play by Ray Rice in San Diego and that certainly well spiced with 'good luck'. Baltimore is a fortunate team that has a solid one-two punch at QB and RB. Add that to a change in offensive vision with a new offensive co-ordinator late in the season. With an inspired QB desiring a solid result in his contract year. Maybe the biggest reason and again from an individual standpoint. The outstanding play of Anquan Boldin and Jacoby Jones. Finally mix in the internal leadership of Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs for good measure. Then one more necessary point. The Baltimore Ravens have a very competent Head Coach.

Trade Aaron Rodgers!?

To analyze that prospect is over the top moot because he's obviously the face of the Packers franchise. How Ted Thompson handles his next contract will go a long ways to determining any prospectus of the Green Bay Packers and Super Bowls.

IMO the most important man for the Green Bay Packers isn't Aaron Rodgers. It's clearly and entirely based on the competence and growth of Ted Thompson.

Will the Green bay Packers win the Super Bowl next season? They have a chance to do so 'of course'. It's very clear right now that five other NFL teams have had a better chance since before the playoffs last season. For those five teams. .. their margin of chance has increased over the Green Bay Packers because of their off season activities.

This isn't one of those 'less is more things' in terms of any discussion of the next Super Bowl and the Green Bay Packers. When the food is on the table. You had better get to the table before it's all gone.

GO PACK GO !

[wist43]

The majority of guys who step up and help the Patriots today are YOUNG GUYS who have been drafted by the Patriots and coached properly to fill in effectively when injury/free agency leaves a hole. The majority of their FA pickups in recent years that would count for the people in here (high profile, first week of FA pickups) have been abject failures...such as Chad Johnson, Haynesworth and the aforementioned Thomas. The best free agent pickups made during the Belichick tenure in New England were from a decade ago...Harrison, Vrabel. They have still made good pickups under the radar recently, just as Thompson does...like Woodhead.

To claim the Patriots have considerably improved their team in recent years through high profile FAs is ignorant. They haven't. The last one who gave them a considerable boost was probably Seau...which was 7 or 8 years ago. Most of the recent free agents that have offered something to the Patriots have only been able to provide service for a year or two at most, due to their advanced age. Do you really suggest we sign a bunch of 34 year olds that will be over the hill in 2 years? How does that extend our window any?

The guys signed in the first week of free agency are almost always overpaid. You are damaging your team by signing them most of the time. Thompson sat on his hands last year in free agency, then helped the roster in the draft by adding guys who should help this team considerably over the next 3-6 years...Perry, Hayward, McMillian, Manning. To me, having those cheap young guys on the roster is far more valuable than some aging relic who USED to be a great player and now isn't...which is why he is in free agency in the first place.

I didn't comment on the success, or lack thereof, of NE's FA signings. As for GB, I haven't been saber rattling to sign anyone. There are a couple of guys out there I like, but we simply have too many holes to fill.

I don't think the Packers are a serious threat to the tougher, more physical teams in the NFC. SF smashed us in the face twice last year, and even though Seattle beat us on a fluke early in the year, by years end Seattle was a better team than the Packers. The Giants own us, and Washington with a healthy RG III is probably a better team than the Packers as well.

We're behind all those teams and have so many holes to fill that there's no way we can close the gap in one offseason - which brings the question back to, "is the window closing"?

[Pugger]

After reading this thread it appears we should fire TT, most of the coaches, trade Rodgers for a bunch of picks and start over seeing our window is almost closed.

[woodbuck27]

After reading this thread it appears we should fire TT, most of the coaches, trade Rodgers for a bunch of picks and start over seeing our window is almost closed.

Are you sure Pugger?

Maybe just take another day to think about it.

[Bretsky]

When somebody asks if a window is closing to me that means is a team losing its edge to be a perennial playoff team for some reason ? This same topic has also hit the media waves in NE

The Patriots have Hoody and Brady and they will be in contention every year. It's a near given they will make the playoffs
I would say the same thing for the Packers as they have one of the best if not the best QB's in the NFL and I do feel it's almost a given we make the playoffs nearly every year also. With that being said, one annual question we could be asking is whether our roster is better than it was 12 or 24 months ago. And if we are close, are we willing to take the chance to put this team over the top...knowing....if we make the wrong call it might hurt us long term as well.

I see this team as an annual playoff contender so I don't think our window is closing. AROD and Clay Matthews still have many many elite years left.
The same could have been said after we won our first SuperBowl under Favre. But we never seemed to supply more elite talent after GB won the big show in 96 and even through we had elite QB play for many more years we never won another.

Here is to hoping TT can do a better job doing that than Ron Wolf did

[Rutnstrut]

Making moves in free agency can be a gamble that could hurt the team in the future, but so can sitting on your hands (money) and making no moves. I will agree that after that first SB Wolf seemed content with a SB win and appearance the next year. But no one can argue that by all appearances TT isn't doing the same thing.

[woodbuck27]

Comment woodbuck27:

With accent on the word 'closing', NOT closed. See this threads title.

Imagine that today your a Baltimore Ravens fan.

How did Joe Flacco's huge contract affect your teams CAP and what may have played a key role in what remains of that organizations championship roster?

If you can find the time; read this. It's certainly such an outlook that sustains a large portion of Packer fans in regards to what Ted Thompson does or doesn't do:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/24/torrey-smith-in-ozzie-newsome-we-trust/

Torrey Smith: In Ozzie Newsome we trust

Posted by Josh Alper on March 24, 2013, 1:12 PM EDT

GO PACK GO !

[King Friday]

CLosing the window is what Atlanta is doing this year. If they don't win in the next year or two, they will have to scrap the team and start from scratch.

When you build through the draft, the window is always partially open...because whenever you hit a really good draft, you will be in a position to succeed for awhile.