Griffith signs with Raiders

[Charles Woodson]

Nobody said we shouldn't sign anyone. I'm merely asking whether we need to riot every time someone signs someone?

And the Bears GM didn't sign anyone yet. He only built a team that was in the Superbowl a month ago. Is he an idiot? I mean, it's obviously a race, right?

No the thing thats different is that we have more spots to fill than they do. Do they need a RB, TE, FB, WR, Nickel corner, and Saftey? i dont think so. I mean come on, they were in the SB they did something right. Were we in the SB? NO

[gureski]

tt brought him in, tood his time, jerked the guy around and watched him walk out and sign with another team

And how do you know that Thompson jerked the guy around? Where do you get off assuming that the Packers didn't make a real effort to get Griffith?

Share the details that you have, why don't you. We'd all love to hear them. I doubt you have any deatails on how this went down right now though. My bet is that you're not really interested in knowing the details though. In your mind, you already know Thompson was at fault.

See the reason Thompson is at fault is because he had the resources. Thompson could have easily signed him, he has the money. The reason why he didnt offer him a contract like one that oakland offered him is beyond me.

How do you know he didn't? This is what I'm talking about. YOu're blaming Thompson before you even know what happened.

[Charles Woodson]

Yeah, we need another CB and just today word was leaked that the Packers are looking at Tory James. Looks like the team is looking at nickel backs. Does it have to be your guy for Thompson to be viewed as trying?

The packers have "looked into" a few guys already. Have any of them signed? nope. What makes you think that we are getting Tory James.

[Bossman641]

So let me get this straight. We should go out and sign no one? Every other GM in the league is signing people EXCEPT for Ted Thompson. So I guess because Thompson works for the Packers, he is the one who knows everything. Everyone else is wrong. There are some players that were out there that could have helped the Packers.

1. Justin Griffith - PERFECT FIT HERE, TT let him go.
2. Randy McMichael - This team BADLY needs a pass catching TE. We have NO depth behind the blocking Franks. We basically have NO pass catching TEs.
3. Roderick Hood - This team needs a nickel back in the worst way. Not only could he be the 3rd corner, but he may even be the answer in a year or two when Harris' play starts to slip. Not to mention he returns kicks!
4. ANY OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKER. Your telling me that isnt one guy (or wasn't) that could have helped the Packers put some points up? Stallworth? Bennett? McMichaels? Even Stevens could help!

Just because we don't agree with the GM of the Green Bay Packers doesn't make us fair weather fans or stupid. It is fairly obvious that the Packers have HUGE holes on both sides of the ball that can't all be filled via the draft. Now can TT fix this team. Sure. But he is going to have to do some wheeling and dealing and start closing some f-ing deals!

Nobody said we shouldn't sign anyone. I'm merely asking whether we need to riot every time someone signs someone?

And the Bears GM didn't sign anyone yet. He only built a team that was in the Superbowl a month ago. Is he an idiot? I mean, it's obviously a race, right?

The thing about your comments is that it's as if you feel you really know what is happening internally with the Packers. Reading you, I'm led to think that you KNOW exactly what is going on and disagree with the strategy. Maybe you do have inside info but if you don't than you need to realize that you're acting like a raging fanatic. You're saying all these things yet you don't know for sure if it's true. You're even coming off as if you know more then Thompson! It's as if you've lost touch with reality. They are there. We aren't. We're fans. IT's their life and job.

On the players you mention, sure...Griffith would've been nice but we don't know what happened yet. Why be so enraged at THompson and willing to point the finger when you don't know what happened?

McMichael sucks. I told you before. His stats are misleading. He's a fancy Bubba Franks. I'm not kidding. I've seen the statistical breakdown of McMichael created by the football scientist. He's not what you think he was. Stevens is the guy to hope for.

Yeah, we need another CB and just today word was leaked that the Packers are looking at Tory James. Looks like the team is looking at nickel backs. Does it have to be your guy for Thompson to be viewed as trying?

On the offensive playmakers front.....who do you think is really worth going after? Stallworth? Make me laugh. Moss is a playmaker and rumor has Thompson talking trade with Oakland. What else is there that you're dying to have? It's just not out there this year. When the talent isn't there you don't just buy buy buy what is there to make up for it. That's a waste. You don't just buy to buy. It has to be the right player. Be frustrated that the players aren't there this year, not at the GM.

I believe we can get at least one playmaker in the draft. I believe we can fill at least 2 holes, maybe 3 in the draft. Thompson has drafted 3 all rookie players in 2 drafts and multiple starters. Why doubt his drafting ability now and downplay his potential to get help in the draft?

As for Packer fans that disagree with the GM....that's fine. We all do at some time. The difference is that most fans give the guy the benefit of the doubt before calling for him to be fired. What happened tonight is that a guy was signed and before anyone knew any facts about what happened.....guys started ripping Ted Thompson and calling for him to be fired. That's not rationale.

Do you know how long it took Angelo to build that Bears team? The cornerstones came through about a 5 year drafting window after screwing up royally for many, many years.

Look at how the rest of the team came together.

LT John Tait - Signed as FA in 05
LG Ruben Brown - Signed as a FA in 04
RG Roberto Garza - Signed as a FA in 05
RT Fred Miller - Signed as a FA in 05
TE Desmond Clark - Signed as a FA in 03
WR Moose - Signed as a FA in 05
LE Ogunleye - Came over as a trade in 04
LB Hillenmeyer - Signed in 03

Yea, they've been inactive this offseason. They also have a lot less holes to fill and have less money. They need younger guys to eventually replace their aging players (especially their OL), but that's what you do. You use the draft to groom the young players. You don't go in with 7 picks and expect to come out with 4-5 instant starters. This is what we are banking on right now.

[retailguy]

The Bears ENTIRE offensive line with the exception of Olin Kruentz came from Free Agency.

BAD EXAMPLE. Very bad.

[ND72]

I'm personally very disappointed in not getting this guy here. I honestly felt he was very important. Evidently, Teddy didn't agree.

[swede]

Sorry Gureski,

I have been a loyal TT supporter, but watching Griffith go as cheaply as he did to a fvckwad team like the Raiders pisses me off.

I have not been asking TT to throw money at any FA whose agent phones. I do expect him to fill a few of the many holes on a team that he has GM'ed for almost three years now.

Hey, Teddy! BOOOOOO!

[retailguy]

Sorry Gureski,

I have been a loyal TT supporter, but watching Griffith go as cheaply as he did to a fvckwad team like the Raiders pisses me off.

I have not been asking TT to throw money at any FA whose agent phones. I do expect him to fill a few of the many holes on a team that he has GM'ed for almost three years now.

Hey, Teddy! BOOOOOO!

Welcome to the dark side. I've pm'ed you a negative RED light sabre.

Go in peace.

[Packnut]

Thompson

It's really mind-boggling that ANYONE defends Teddy's methods here. While other GM's were lining guys up for visits and stroking ego's, Thompson sat back and did NOTHING. He has not improved this team and anyone who says he has is a freaking idiot.

Thompson has no intention of winning this season or next. He could care less about Favre and that's a FACT. Don't you guys get it by now? Teddy is a DRAFT ADDICT. The draft is what floats his boat. He's gotta prove to everyone just how smart he is.

But some of you are so blinded that it's gonna take another 4-12 season before you open up your eyes. I suggest a few of you take a course in simple economics. Get over the whole -"that team really over-paid for that guy" shit and realize this is now the market. Several teams improved their roster and even a blind fool can't argue that fact. Sadly, the Green Bay Packers are worse off now than when the season ended. The Saints are better and so are the 49'ers.

Those who make excuses for Thompson do so out of blind faith. I saw lot's of that "blind faith" in the 70's and 80's. However there is a big difference between then and now. Back then, they did'nt have the cash the Packers do today and no one wanted to play in GB. Thompson has no excuses. There were guys out there who could help us NOW! He did'nt anticipate the feeding frenzy. He thought he could just sit back and wait. Well he was WRONG.

Thompson had the cash and the talent was out there to make 1 more run with Favre. That's what those of you who defend Teddy just don't get and it's sad. You think this slow and steady way stock-piling draft picks is the answer yet you fail to realize how every organization who loses their franchise QB has a hard time winning after he's gone. History does'nt lie.

This may come as a shock but the Brett Favre's don't come around every season. Thompson's legacy will be how he did'nt even try to win with Favre and that SHOULD be unforgivable for every Packer fan.........

[Bretsky]

He did'nt anticipate the feeding frenzy

Completely agree here

[Bretsky]

Q: janean of Cadott - It kind of drives me crazy when the JS columnists applaud Ted Thompson for not spending in free agency but fail to point out he is bringing back Favre at a high salary level but with no chance at winning the Superbowl because the Packers are not signing anyone of note to help Favre win. So, why did Thompson bring back Favre? Perhaps only to sell tickets.... It would have been better to be honest with the fans, and jettison the old warrior, right?

A: Cliff Christl - That's an excellent point. I wrote before last season that I thought Thompson should have traded Favre. I still think that. Now, it's too late. And it may turn out that by keeping Favre, Thompson will fail and get fired. I still think that's when the bottom might fall out: When Favre retires. And, by then, it might be time for a change of GMs. Then again, if the Packers had jettisoned Favre, as you've suggested, they might not be any better off and maybe even worse off. Why? Because I don't think Aaron Rodgers was ready to play as a rookie or last year. Maybe he's one of those quarterbacks who will benefit from sitting and learning for three, four years. Nobody knows. But that's an argument for keeping Favre. Plus, I think there's a difference between dumping Favre and say Green or Henderson. The Packers should be able to easily replace Green and Henderson. Backs capable of rushing for 1,059 yards are pretty much a dime a dozen now. You could replace Henderson with a fullback off the scrapheap. But it might take years for the Packers to find a quarterback even as good as the Favre of today, which is a good notch or two down from the Favre of the mid-1990s.

[Lurker64]

It would have been nice to sign Griffith, but sometimes a guy would rather live in California than Wisconsin. But other than him, there hasn't really been a guy on the market that I think would really improve our team noticeably beyond the guys who are already on the roster. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this is just an abyssmal free agent class, and you're not really going to find anything here no matter how much money you throw at the problem.

Of all the signings that have been made thus far, if the Packers had made all of them my reaction, universally, would have been "meh." I don't fault Thompson for passing up "meh" guys.

[Bretsky]

It would have been nice to sign Griffith, but sometimes a guy would rather live in California than Wisconsin. But other than him, there hasn't really been a guy on the market that I think would really improve our team noticeably beyond the guys who are already on the roster. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this is just an abyssmal free agent class, and you're not really going to find anything here no matter how much money you throw at the problem.

Of all the signings that have been made thus far, if the Packers had made all of them my reaction, universally, would have been "meh." I don't fault Thompson for passing up "meh" guys.

It's a weak free agency class; I'll give you that. Last year is the true year when he dropped the ball by not going nuts in that market. He could have signed two more very good players and still inked Woodson to a more traditional contract.

That being said, while the class is weak, there are tons of players that could help this squad.

I don't know that any of us can use the terms "overpaid" because this is a new market; but I could list a load of free agents that would upgrade our roster.

Hamlin, Grant, Thomas, Bennett, McMichael, Graham, Hood....many more

No, not a lot of stars, but definitely improvements.



B

[HarveyWallbangers]

Let's look at this purely from a market concept. Mughelli got 3 million a year in Atlanta. If this guy couldn't get $2 million a year from anyone then maybe there is something wrong that hasn't been publicized yet?

Or perhaps it could be that only a few teams run the ZBS and look for FBs like Griffith. The ones that do run the scheme have FBs they like (e.g. Kyle Johnson in Denver).

[esoxx]

It would have been nice to sign Griffith, but sometimes a guy would rather live in California than Wisconsin.

And you know this how?