RIP Ted Thompson

[Joemailman]

NFL rosters turn over pretty fast. Yet several years after he was replaced as GM, the list of current players he acquired is pretty impressive:

Davante Adams
Kenny Clark
Mason Crosby
David Bakhtiari
Aaron Jones
Kevin King
Corey Linsley
Dean Lowry
Aaron Rodgers
Jamaal Williams

[HarveyWallbangers]

RIP TT

[KYPack]

Nice, sweet comments from James Jones.

Hang with 'em TT.

I imagine you are walking around in the big draft room in the sky with that shy look on your face.

[Joemailman]

[Joemailman]

One thing that should not be overlooked is the extent that Ted Thompson stuck his neck out in the spring/summer of 2008 for Aaron Rodgers. Many vilified him for it. When it led to a Super Bowl title a couple years later, nobody had more of a right to say "I told you so" than Ted. But he did just the opposite. He refused to take much credit saying "We just did what Ron Wolf taught us to do". Pure class. Turns out he was a good teacher too. Rest well Ted.

[George Cumby]

^ 2008, you mean?

[Teamcheez1]

Sad news. RIP TT, you personify the great Packer tradition.

[George Cumby]

One of my favorite moments was the shit eating grin he had when he announced drafting Jordy Nelson.

[Joemailman]

^ 2008, you mean?

Yep. Fixed. Thanks.

[esoxx]

Thanks Ted

[call_me_ishmael]

Mike McCarthy with a really nice statement.

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/mike-mccarthy-statement-on-loss-of-ted-thompson

[MadScientist]

68 isn't old by today's standards, but he led a good life, and was a huge factor in the Packers wining it all.

[Fritz]

NFL rosters turn over pretty fast. Yet several years after he was replaced as GM, the list of current players he acquired is pretty impressive:

Davante Adams
Kenny Clark
Mason Crosby
David Bakhtiari
Aaron Jones
Kevin King
Corey Linsley
Dean Lowry
Aaron Rodgers
Jamaal Williams

I've been thinking about this. These guys are most of the core of this year's team. A real tribute to Ted. While he did seem to slip those last four or five years, he really did bring this team many, many years of glory. Probably his loyalty to MM was one of his biggest mistakes. Funny - he wasn't afraid to let players walk if he thought it was time, but it was clear after 2016 that MM's offense had gotten old and stale, and the defense was very loose, yet TT did not make a move. I wonder if he became paralyzed by his disorder.

I also thought he was a good person, just a fair, good, kind person. Not the kind of eat-em-up rah-rah go-getter changing-the-culture kind of guy who is in favor now, but a real talent evaluator who was looking down the road. Thanks in part to him, the Packers were set up to have years like they did last year and this year. His work lives on.

[RashanGary]

Well said, fritz. He did a tough job, really well, and never went out of his way to hurt anyone. Such a solid guy. Murphy has now taken on some of that top end responsibility. It takes a skilled communication tactician to take on the venom of jaded players and media members. TT did everything except PR at the highest level. Best team in the NFC for over a decade. And unlike NE, our team has done it the right way with loyalty and goodness for the players and fans

[GB-Brandon]

With Ted Thompson its simple. As far as a “Football Guy” he was an amazing talent evaluator. He consistently built a core of talent through the draft. The idea was to develop this talent in house with the “Green Bay Packer Culture” and get the most out of these players and then lock them up long term on team friendly deals before their rookie deals expired. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t but he didn’t waver and that’s for sure.

In the 2010ish days he was just amazing with the ability to rely on the draft with a few select FA moves and he built a masterpiece but as many have posted we got snake bit with devastating career ending injuries to Nick Collins and J Finley along with Raji retiring early. Even Desmond Bishop tearing his hamstring was a tough break. Then Sam Shields and concussions. The list goes on. The attrition was coming at a faster rate then Thompson could “Draft And Develop” and that’s where the frustration set in with fans and the inability to fill holes immediately using free agency. We became a “light roster” with a generational talented QB that carried the franchise for a few years. Thompson however was able to rebuild the roster acquiring Julius Peppers and making some good moves in the draft having the team ready to make another big run in 2014 and Mike McCarthy completely blew it and choked it away in the NFC Champ Game so I don’t put that on Thompson.

I believe that loss just fried the whole circuit board and the front office and the coaching never really fully recovered!!!!

Not much longer from that point Thompson’s health issues started to become visible. Nobody really knew what was going on and we all know what happened pretty much from there.

So here we are now. @ Lambeau NFC Champ Game with Yet another reason to win. This is a must win for the Green Bay Packer Organization. A loss would be absolutely devastating!!!!