PI-Season to test Thompsons Convictions

[Joemailman]

For some of those positions it will take several years to see how they pan out. WR's, in particular, need at least 2 years before they can successfully learn a complicated pro offensive scheme.

Sometimes. Javon Walker didn't become a productive player until the second half of his second season. Jennings on the other hand seemed to pick things up more quickly.

[prsnfoto]

Hmmmm.
Doesn't every GM get judged on the draft picks he makes?
Or is Thompson the only one?
Just asking.....

Would you rather have us judge him on his free agent signings this year

Might have to hang him high then. I was thinking about this last night as i watched the Brewers play and what an impact Suppan has had for them he is a winner and a great clubhouse presence the young guys are amazed at his vigor in batting practice. Let me say I know there is a difference between football and BB but Suppan is no Reggie White and yet he has had a huge impact in this early season as our young guys from within continue to develop into stars. But ask any TT lover on this board and they will tell you he is wasting a roster spot for a young guy because as you know ONE guy can't win you a SB only guys you draft can do that.

[RashanGary]

But ask any TT lover on this board and they will tell you he is wasting a roster spot for a young guy because as you know ONE guy can't win you a SB only guys you draft can do that.

I don't remember any Thompson supporter saying that, ever.

I'm a huge Thompson supporter and I was happy with the Supan signing.

Also, I've never heard a TT supporter say that they would never want a free agent. Acctually, one of Thompsons best moves since being GM was a FA move with Woodson. The Brewers are acctually pretty on par with what Thompson is doing and they seem pretty successfull.

[prsnfoto]

But ask any TT lover on this board and they will tell you he is wasting a roster spot for a young guy because as you know ONE guy can't win you a SB only guys you draft can do that.

I don't remember any Thompson supporter saying that, ever.

I'm a huge Thompson supporter and I was happy with the Supan signing.

Also, I've never heard a TT supporter say that they would never want a free agent. Acctually, one of Thompsons best moves since being GM was a FA move with Woodson. The Brewers are acctually pretty on par with what Thompson is doing and they seem pretty successfull.

I was being somewhat harsh but all you need to do is refer to any thread about Moss,Keyshawn, or the scores of TE,Safeties,FB and RB's to hear the excuses, he's a prick,he's too old, he is just a guy, blah blah blah.And many have said the don't want to give a young guy's roster spot to a vet. I can understand TT methods but i have said from the start you need a mix of both and I think the one thing all the huge supporters forget is that once Favre is done it will probably be another 3 years of suckness unless another Brees type guy falls into our laps or Rodgers surprises.

[LaFours]

I'm of the opinion that Green Bay needs a GM who is highly proficient in the draft process. Time and again we have heard about Free Agents who wouldn't consider GB simply because of its geographical location. Now i'm not saying every Free Agent out there is going to make a decision based upon the location of the franchises pursuing his services, but when you are able to admit that this has been a roadblock for our franchise and will continue to be from time to time, it becomes apparent that our GM will have to use the draft as his primary tool to build up the franchise. Until we have some special mojo happening on the field, Free Agents aren't going to think of GB as their first option, that is unless you throw a ton of money their way, but then we're back to digging our salary cap grave...just my opinion.

[Patler]

What many "TT supporters", including myself, have said is that to build a winning team that will be more than a one or two year wonder, you first need to build a strong base, THEN go after specific FAs to push it over the top, perhaps even overpaying for those key FAs.

That is exactly the position the Brewers were in this past off season, a very strong, talented and youthful roster that needed another quality starter and could benefit from a strong veteran leader. The Brewers probably overpaid for Suppan, a career .500 pitcher who never won more than 16 games in a season and who's 5 highest win seasons are 16, 16, 13, 12 and 10. But that's OK, he could be a key to the season.

The Packers are not yet at that point. They could be next off season, or the year after. In the mean time, I'm happy to see them be a bit more cautious, fill a few immediate gaps like they did with Pickett and Woodson last year, improve the roster through the draft, and go for broke when they get closer than they are now.

People tend to overlook the need to reserve cap space to resign your own young players, and the Packers now have a lot of them. The signings of Franks, Wells, Kampman, Jenkins and Barnett with 2005, 2006 and 2007 salary cap money is no different than signing someone else's FA. These guys would have been among the more interesting FAs at the time they would have hit the market. Williams is still hanging out there.

Next off season appears to be a window during which the Packers will again have a lot of cap room, but may not have a lot of their own players to re-sign (a legacy from the last couple Sherman drafts). It could be the optimal time to go after outside FAs, before Tauscher's and Clifton's contracts run out and and before the rookie contracts of TT's draft picks run out.

[RashanGary]

All SB teams need legit playmakers.

Green, Favre, Walker for one year, Sharper when he was in his prime...

We were pretty close at one time.


Now,

Hawk, Harrell, Jennings, Kampman, Woodson, Barnett, Favre, Driver


- If Favre has his body right he could still be a playmaker.
- Hawk stands a good chance to take a big second year leap
- Jennings showed enough promise where it's not out of the realm of possiblity that he be a probowl guy
- Driver probably has one or 2 more years to be a big time guy
- Woodson could still get 5 or 6 picks for 2 or 3 years
- Kampman has 5 good years left
- Harrell we just don't know but it will probably be year 2 that he breaks out
- With the tough line, Barnetts stregths could really shne

We have some guys that could be probowl guys. We just don't know yet.


We have a couple positions that look like possible holes. Safety, #3 CB, #3 WR, RB, FB, TE

We might be able to scratch a couple of those from the lest like #3 WR, RB, TE if Bubba looks like the Bubba of old instead of just old, ect...





It is possible that we go into next year and we have a lot more answers than questions. We have a couple young guys step up and make the probowl and maybe Harrell looks an off season away from exploding. There are too many risks right now to jsut take a blind shot and hope it all comes together but next year there might be enough answers wehre you can say "WE're just a patch here and a touch of improvement there away from being legit".

We'll see but everything seems to be going in the right direction. We just need to see this eyar play out and see how good some of these core guys are.

[RashanGary]

Nice point on the older core Patler. We have a group held over from Wolf that is just about ready to go over the hill. We might have 2 years left before we have to replace those guys. It might be a good time next year to take that last shot IF the new young core steps up and makes that possible.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm of the opinion that Green Bay needs a GM who is highly proficient in the draft process. Time and again we have heard about Free Agents who wouldn't consider GB simply because of its geographical location. Now i'm not saying every Free Agent out there is going to make a decision based upon the location of the franchises pursuing his services, but when you are able to admit that this has been a roadblock for our franchise and will continue to be from time to time, it becomes apparent that our GM will have to use the draft as his primary tool to build up the franchise. Until we have some special mojo happening on the field, Free Agents aren't going to think of GB as their first option, that is unless you throw a ton of money their way, but then we're back to digging our salary cap grave...just my opinion.

Good point. Seems we have to overspend for many already overpriced FAs just to get them to think about coming here. That will likely get worse after Favre leaves.

[MJZiggy]

Good point. Seems we have to overspend for many already overpriced FAs just to get them to think about coming here. That will likely get worse after Favre leaves.

Not if some winning starts happening in the meantime.

[Chester Marcol]

Good point. Seems we have to overspend for many already overpriced FAs just to get them to think about coming here. That will likely get worse after Favre leaves.

Not if some winning starts happening in the meantime.

And you need to go no further back than the Moss deal. If roles were reversed and it was the Pack on the brink of the SB last year, who do you think Moss would have been restructuring his pay for? Winning cures a lot of ills.

[PackerBlues]

What many "TT supporters", including myself, have said is that to build a winning team that will be more than a one or two year wonder, you first need to build a strong base, THEN go after specific FAs to push it over the top, perhaps even overpaying for those key FAs.

One could argue that Sherman already had that "strong base" in place, and he was going after specific FA's to push them over the top. heh heh....he may have even "over payed" a few "key FA's".

I of coarse am not about to argue that point though. I think its been gone over enough.

[HarveyWallbangers]

One could argue that Sherman already had that "strong base" in place

Only tank would argue that.

[mraynrand]

What many "TT supporters", including myself, have said is that to build a winning team that will be more than a one or two year wonder, you first need to build a strong base, THEN go after specific FAs to push it over the top, perhaps even overpaying for those key FAs.

People tend to overlook the need to reserve cap space to resign your own young players, and the Packers now have a lot of them. The signings of Franks, Wells, Kampman, Jenkins and Barnett with 2005, 2006 and 2007 salary cap money is no different than signing someone else's FA.

I think you make solid points.

What you need more than anything else is to be right about your draft picks. Look at the Packers over the past long term run of success. They only had a small handful of great players - Favre, White, Butler, Green, maybe Walker. All TT needs for success is to build a base of solid players with his draft depth and then either strike it rich - get some impact players - by having 2-3 draft picks emerge as top tier, all pro candidates (Hawk, for example).

About the FA/or trade route - that's the big question right? I don't really think in today's NFL, with the different tags, that you're going to get the great impact player with a FA signing. more likely you'll find experienced role players. If you're lucky - or skillfull in FA - you'll get a Rodney Harrison that can glue your team together. But that's as much coaching as anything else.

draft picks will have to emerge.

And if anyone cares, I don't really think TT has any hidden motive about Favre - I suspect he's happy Favre is around to guide the team through a down turn as he tries to rebuild the roster. My guess is that TT looked at the Packers in 2005 and figured there was no way he could begin to mortgage the future to put together an immediate winner and so stayed with his program. People seem to be so intense about their desire to see Favre get another ring (myself included) that they tend to overlook the realities of the roster. People also continue to forget (it seems to me) that TT was a rookie GM in 2005 - so he too has to learn the ropes, especially in figuring out to best use free agency.

[mraynrand]

One could argue that Sherman already had that "strong base" in place

Only tank would argue that.

I would argue that Sherman found some good guys, but sacrificed overall depth to do so.