Ted Thompson - We stuck with the board

[woodbuck27]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/258774501.html

Thompson: We stuck with the board

By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel

May 10, 2014

" •(WR) Saw as a very deep class. All three days we tried to go toward quality. It's definitely the way the board worked out. We stuck with the board.

•(Linebackers) We're good with our linebackers.

•(Needs) I don't know. I didn't go in trying to address need. We don't do that. If perception is we relieved a need, that's fine. That's not how we view our team.

•(Defense) Always trying to get better. Improve what you have. We went in wanting to make our team better and obviously defense is part of that. "

[red]

well then, we know why our defense continues to suck. TT thinks the two guys in the middle of it are just fine

[Just Jeff]

well then, we know why our defense continues to suck. TT thinks the two guys in the middle of it are just fine

That's about as ridiculous as saying that last year he was fine with coleman and harell. I know his face is unable to move, but did he say that with a straight face?

[mraynrand]

That's about as ridiculous as saying that last year he was fine with coleman and harell. I know his face is unable to move, but did he say that with a straight face?

yes, and he didn't blink. I'm telling' ya, TT would clean up the joint in a poker game.

[Just Jeff]

yes, and he didn't blink. I'm telling' ya, TT would clean up the joint in a poker game.

Gambling and drinking? I think you may be referring to another person named Ted Thompson.

[mraynrand]

Gambling and drinking? I think you may be referring to another person named Ted Thompson.

In a land of drunks, the sober man is king. Except Russia.

[Pugger]

well then, we know why our defense continues to suck. TT thinks the two guys in the middle of it are just fine

I suspect when our turn came up each time there wasn't an ILB on the board of value worth taking. Maybe Bradford will move inside?

[red]

I suspect when our turn came up each time there wasn't an ILB on the board of value worth taking. Maybe Bradford will move inside?

that would make a ton of sense, but our GM and head coach seem to thing he's just another OLB

[pbmax]

What do you expect the GM to say after a draft where he didn't like his ILB choices? We're terrible and hope to improve?

Taking the press conference for an actual evaluation of a player is dubious at best.

[Fritz]

Once
Shazier and Mosley were gone, the pickings were apparently mighty slim for everyone.

And if TT was dying for Shazier or Mosley, he probably could've traded his second and first and gotten one of them. He must've thought he didn't need either one that badly.

I'm curious as to what Sam Barrington can do.

[Pugger]

I truly don't think this was the best class of ILBers so this could be why he didn't trade up for Shazier or Mosley. Frankly IMO safety was a bigger hole that we needed to fill rather than ILB. If we can get better play from the D line and the secondary it we might be able to go with what we have inside there.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/258774501.html

Thompson: We stuck with the board

By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel

May 10, 2014

" •(WR) Saw as a very deep class. All three days we tried to go toward quality. It's definitely the way the board worked out. We stuck with the board.

•(Linebackers) We're good with our linebackers.

•(Needs) I don't know. I didn't go in trying to address need. We don't do that. If perception is we relieved a need, that's fine. That's not how we view our team.

•(Defense) Always trying to get better. Improve what you have. We went in wanting to make our team better and obviously defense is part of that. "

TT reached here ! If that was the best TT's Draft Board afforded him. His Draft Board was poorly constructed. That would account for how poorly TT has drafted in his time as the Packers GM.

TE Richard Rodgers certainly appears to be "a reach" (GRADE 5.22) and see information available on him on the internet. Richard Rodgers was expected to be a Rd. 5-6 pick.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/richard-rodgers?id=2543569

Weaknesses TE Richard Rodgers: Tight hips. Average speed and suddenness -- dull in/out of breaks and struggles to separate vs. more explosive safeties. Unrefined route runner. Straightlinish after the catch. Started just 11 games in three seasons.

Add this...he had "ONLY" ONE (1) TD in his last season of College ball. What could TT have possibly seen in this fella to make him reach for him at Pick #98 overall or as his 3rd Rd. Compensatory pick? There were too many better skilled /productive/experienced and overall talented prospects available for Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers with this high draft pic. It's never a good thing to reach so much for a prospect.

TE Richard Rodgers Draft Projection = Rounds 5-6

TT and the Green Bay Packers reached with this pick.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:3

He looks pretty good here but this was a reach and NOT BPA. This was TT picking for need.

TT was graded below a "C" when he selected Center Corey Linsley with Pick #161 overall in Round 5 who was Graded @ 5.1 by NFL.Com.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:5

Weaknesses:

Center prospect Corey Linsley:

Has short arms. More strong than explosive -- doesn't roll his hips and blow nose tackles off the ball. Falls off blocks when he bends at the waist. Pedestrian foot athlete -- slow to cut off linebackers, labors to pull and lacks lateral quickness to recover when beaten. Stressed by quicker rushers. Tied for the lightest offensive lineman at the combine.

Draft Projection >>> Round 7-Priority free agent NOT a Round Five Draft Pick and as such Ted Thompson "reached again" and as I saw it his second reach and not BPA but pick for need in his 2014 draft.

Generally and overall it has to be very clear that TT drafted for need in this latest draft...he didn't pick BPA.

Overall TT drafted very well and "the Green Bay Packers overall Draft Grade" reflects that as a fact and compared to the rest of the NFL teams arguably led the class in the 2014 Draft.

[pbmax]

That would account for how poorly TT has drafted in his time as the Packers GM.

Facts and context. please. Tel me why you think Thompson has drafted poorly AND provide context that other GMs do substantially better over non-trivial lengths of time. Because I think your hypothesis is weak and unsupported.

You would get more traction from arguing that by eschewing free agency (by choice or not), he has harmed his own performance in relying so much on the draft and develop method.

[woodbuck27]

I truly don't think this was the best class of ILBers so this could be why he didn't trade up for Shazier or Mosley. Frankly IMO safety was a bigger hole that we needed to fill rather than ILB. If we can get better play from the D line and the secondary it we might be able to go with what we have inside there.

TT drafted a prospect that might be an upgrade or will certainly push the 2013 roster ILB's to improve or lose their job as a Green Bay Packer.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/profiles/carl--bradford?id=2543552

We also have *** maturing prospects brought in last season:

http://www.packers.com/team/depth-chart.html

ILB Depth Chart - Green Bay Packers:

LILB ... A.J. Hawk - *** Jamari Lattimore - Victor Aiyewa

MLB ... Brad Jones - *** Jamari Lattimore - Victor Aiyewa

[mraynrand]

No good GM drafts exclusively for BPA. IF he did, you'd see teams draft 6 WRs or something. Teams draft for need and BPA, so that if they want a particular O-lineman and TE, they might pick the guys they have rated the highest at those positions at a particular round, thinking that they next time they pick,they might not have a guy available there. That's crazy, some say, but I say that you CANNOT load up depth at say, DL, even if that is BPA, because you know that you just can't keep them all come cut down day. The TE and 'Center' made sense for TT's board because he wanted to get another interior lineman and TE prospect. They might not work out, but the picks made sense according to how they organized their board, relative to roster (need) and BPA.