Favre, Thompson, Rogers. The End.

[PackerBlues]

I was reading another post by Woodbuck which made me think about the division in these forums. Different people with different points of view, and different opinions.

Favre lovers, Favre Haters. Teddy Lovers, Teddy haters. Rogers lovers, Rogers haters. All of the Bashers, lol.

I agree with Woodbuck in the fact that "Hate" is to strong of a word to use for the way that most people actually feel about any one of these guys. Perhaps "love" is too.


Favre has been with us as our starting QB in GB for 16 seasons. Personally, I know that I am loyal to Brett Favre to a fault. (Which is kind of funny, because I was pissed when Favre took over for the Majik man) I know that Favre may have slowed a little in reading the Defense. I know that Favre might not be as agile as a younger QB. We have all, always known that Favre is a gunslinger, and that he will try to thread the needle if he thinks he can do it, no matter what the coverage.
The thing is, I do not care about all of that, because in my opinion, with the right people around him, I still feel that Brett Favre is every bit as good of a QB as Manning or Brees, or Brady.........if not better.

Aaron Rogers is entering his third season in GB. To me, he is just one more of Favre's back-ups. According to wikipedia, since Favre started in GB, 178 other QB's have started in the NFL, and 11 of them were back-ups to Favre at one time. Why should I feel anything more for Aaron Rogers than I did for any of the other guys that played as Favre's back up? Hey, I liked Marc Brunell and Aaron Brooks, but I didn't want to see them take Favre's job away from him. As far as I am concerned, Teddy could cut Rogers tomorrow, and I could care less, as long as Thompson has another guy in mind to take Rogers place........as the back up QB. We have not needed much from a back-up QB for over 16 years now, and I have seen enough from Rogers to know that he is already a serviceable backup, beyond that, I dont care. Simply put, when Favre retires, I will be his replacements biggest cheerleader (if he proves worthy in a regular season game, lol), but his back-up, is just his back-up. Thats it, thats all.


Ted Thompson has got everyone confused. He keeps saying that he wants to win now, but does not do a whole lot to prove it. I am sure that everyone is really happy with Thompsons draft picks. ( maybe not everyone, lol ) Thompson passes up proven veteran talent in free agency while proclaiming that his way, is to build young, through the draft.
We the fans, are left to decide if Teds way is the best way.

I have already said that I am loyal to Favre, so it should be no big suprise, that I am pissed at Thompson for not putting more effort into improving our Offense. What I see, is more of Teds ego ruining what might have been.
Ted had a 10 year career playing LB for the Houston Oilers. Is it just an ironic coincidence then that Thompson put more effort into improving GB's LB core and the DT position than any other position of pressing need?

(For those of you who just have not thought about that, having a good core of big DT's, allows your LB's to move more freely, and to therefore, make more plays. Is Ted trying to relive his LB days in Houston?)

Is this where Thompsons team building skills end, at the LB position? There were so many different ways that this team could have been improved. I am not saying that Thompsons way is wrong, the team is improved in that area quite well, but when I look at the ironic coincidence mentioned above, it does not take much of a leap of faith, or to much assumption, to think that Thompson ignored the fact that he had a Hall of Fame QB in Brett Favre, a Pro Bowler of a WR in Donald Driver, and a Pro Bowl RB in Ahman Green to build around, and yet he instead chose to concentrate on improving the LB and DT positions.
Even when our team was already strong in the DT position, Thompson used a first round pick on Justin Harrell. To Thompson, tweaking an already strong position, DT, was more important than improving any other part of the team that needed improving. Irregardless as to weather or not Harrell proves to be a deserving starter, the team was already strong in that posittion and weak at so many others.
I see what Thompson had a hand in building in Seattle, but my guess is that Holmgrem had a large input as to how Seattle's Offense was built. Who do we have in GB to compliment Thompson like Holmgren did in Seattle?

[Packnut]

Thompson

The facts support my opinion that Thompson is a defensive orientated GM. That is where his strength lies. When it comes to offense, he just sadly does'nt have a clue. From his famous quote of "guards are a dime a dozen" to his clueless approach to our TE position, to his stupidity in the Walker fiasco, to his "we're comfortable with Morency as our #1 back" foolishness.

All I know is that the FACTS and NUMBERS speak for themselves. It's funny how the Thompson backers seldom if ever argue with facts. It's always blind loyalty filled with wishful thinking. I always thought this was suppossed to be about what is best for the Green Bay Packers, not what is easiest for Ted Thompson.

I do find it amusing that even the most loyal and blinded are starting to finally realize how truly screwed we are at the TE position. The reality is finally setting in that ain't no miracle gonna cure Bubba's drops. Lee is not a good enough receiver to forgive his lack of blocking skills. Alcorn is'nt even an option and Harris will be cut soon enough.

Yet let's not forget Teddy's "no one in free agency is better than the talent we have now" statement. Where is this talent at TE?

WE have 13 mill in cap space, yet there was'nt one TE FA better than what we have now?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Re: Thompson

All I know is that the FACTS and NUMBERS speak for themselves. It's funny how the Thompson backers seldom if ever argue with facts. It's always blind loyalty filled with wishful thinking.

I'm neither a Thompson lover/backer or hater. I try to analyze each situation differently. I wasn't a Sherman lover, so I don't feel the need to rip Thompson on almost every move. Nor was I a Sherman hater, so I don't praise Thompson for every move. Same with Favre and Rodgers or whatever other motives might be at play. To say something like this is just laughable and condescending, and I doubt it wins many people over. Seems to me, you need to look in the mirror when you make accusations like this. I'm not the one spewing the over-the-top hyperbole. Most of the others that are for or against Thompson's approach don't do it either. I know of a few that do, and those are the ones that are the most defensive when people challenge them. They are the ones that do the most complaining about "the other" group. Let's give folks a little credit here. Many of their arguments are just as valid as yours or mine.

Bottom line: I hope to hell that Thompson builds a championship caliber team--just like I hoped Sherman would. I'm not ready to write off his approach, and I don't think that makes me some kind of blind supporter of him.

[PackerBlues]

I think that as far as our offense goes, especially at TE, our best hope for this season is that we will see Ted make a trade, or that another team will cut someone worth picking up. Even then, it will take a while for any new acquisition to become familiar with our playbook.
The running back by committee does not bother me nearly as much as our trouble at TE. Our WR core also bothers me a great deal. Javon Walker was a #1 WR, and one hell of a weapon when combined with Donald Driver. Beyond that, he was young enough to still have a few more years in him when Donald eventually retires. I cannot fault Thompson for having to trade Walker, but it is the same situation to me as with the O-line in 2005.........He dismantled our O-line without having a plan in place to shore it up before the start of the regular season, and he traded Walker off without any plan in place for replacing him with comparable talent. After Driver, I see a lot of #2 and #3 receivers. None of the receivers would get my vote as a replacement for Driver should he get injured. So in a way, its not just RB by committee, after Driver, its also WR by committee.

[Joemailman]

The time to judge whether Thompson was right about the TE and RB positions will come later, not after 1 pre-season game. My sense is that the so-called TT supporters are perhaps a bit more patient than his detractors. He is into his 3rd season as GM. If he has made the right moves, we should start to see the benefits this year. If the team does not progress, I think most on here will judge him accordingly.

[BallHawk]

Greg Olsen would of looked good in Green and Gold, right about now.

[KYPack]

Re: Thompson

All I know is that the FACTS and NUMBERS speak for themselves. It's funny how the Thompson backers seldom if ever argue with facts. It's always blind loyalty filled with wishful thinking.

I'm neither a Thompson lover/backer or hater. I try to analyze each situation differently. I wasn't a Sherman lover, so I don't feel the need to rip Thompson on almost every move. Nor was I a Sherman hater, so I don't praise Thompson for every move. Same with Favre and Rodgers or whatever other motives might be at play. To say something like this is just laughable and condescending, and I doubt it wins many people over. Seems to me, you need to look in the mirror when you make accusations like this. I'm not the one spewing the over-the-top hyperbole. Most of the others that are for or against Thompson's approach don't do it either. I know of a few that do, and those are the ones that are the most defensive when people challenge them. They are the ones that do the most complaining about "the other" group. Let's give folks a little credit here. Many of their arguments are just as valid as yours or mine.

Bottom line: I hope to hell that Thompson builds a championship caliber team--just like I hoped Sherman would. I'm not ready to write off his approach, and I don't think that makes me some kind of blind supporter of him.

You can take Harvey's reply, chip it in granite, and make it double for me.

Thompson has faults, and they are many. He's also made mistakes, but he's upgraded the roster and that's what I care about.

Don't we kinda need to wait and see if this plan works?

Why love Sherman, or rip Thompson?, all teams have screw-ups.

It looks to me that the general flow of talent is on the uptick. Let's see if it translates into victory.

[Spaulding]

The time to judge whether Thompson was right about the TE and RB positions will come later, not after 1 pre-season game. My sense is that the so-called TT supporters are perhaps a bit more patient than his detractors. He is into his 3rd season as GM. If he has made the right moves, we should start to see the benefits this year. If the team does not progress, I think most on here will judge him accordingly.

Dead on Joe.

It's not about Thompson's supposed secret motives, his supposed desire to push Favre to retirement, etc. - it's his belief in rebuilding through the draft and always taking the best players available in the draft skewed with an eye for need. Obviously in this past draft he took Harrell because he believe he was the best player available and well ahead of the players available for our need positions (RB, WR, TE, S). Do I agree with this? Not necessarily but I have to trust that he and the scouting staff know a hell of a lot more about player evaluation than I do and that taking Harrell was a better long term move than picking Greg Olsen/Reggie Nelson/Meachem/Bowe/etc. Do I think he's intending to relieve his glory days by drafting linemen clogging DT's to free up our LB's? Gimme a break.

As mentioned prior, it's all about patience. Some of us are blindly loyal, some are full of doom and gloom, some just don't give a damn how the team is formed as long as it produces on the field.

The 3rd year is the barometer and where most should pass judgement. This team should be markedly better than it was in 2005 and 2006 and if that doesn't happen then I wouldn't be surprised to see the pitchforks come out.

We're all entitled to our opinion but it's the posts by rational tempered individuals that suggest thoughts, provide facts that are insightful, etc. and not ones looking to push their agenda/propaganda on others that make this board worthwhile.

[Green Bud Packer]

Re: Favre, Thompson, Rogers. The End.

I know that Favre may have slowed a little in reading the Defense.

How do you know this? Most who actually do know say Favre reads d's better now than ever. As I rermember Detmer saying, Brett didn't even know what a dime "d" was his first couple of years.

[packrat]

TT is not brain dead on offense. The guards he drafted are looking good. The receivers he drafted look a lot better than Fergie. He has a better back up QB than Sherman ever found. The jury is out on the RB, though I'd like to see more options there. TE is a mess, which WILL get straightened out. Meanwhile, the defense which was a mess under Sherman (4th & 26, anyone?) is reaching the point where it allows us to win games when the offense is not hitting on all cylinders. The mere fact that defense seems to be getting priority is a compliment to him--defense wins games and when you look at Superbowl teams it is a lot easier to find winners where the defense bailed out a weak offense than it is to find teams with lousy defenses that pulled it out.

[Lurker64]

Greg Olsen would of looked good in Green and Gold, right about now.

Only if you want to see Favre in the hospital.

[Packnut]

Thompson

TT is not brain dead on offense. The guards he drafted are looking good. The receivers he drafted look a lot better than Fergie. He has a better back up QB than Sherman ever found. The jury is out on the RB, though I'd like to see more options there. TE is a mess, which WILL get straightened out. Meanwhile, the defense which was a mess under Sherman (4th & 26, anyone?) is reaching the point where it allows us to win games when the offense is not hitting on all cylinders. The mere fact that defense seems to be getting priority is a compliment to him--defense wins games and when you look at Superbowl teams it is a lot easier to find winners where the defense bailed out a weak offense than it is to find teams with lousy defenses that pulled it out.

See, it's more of the same-" The TE situation will get straightened out". Some of us don't believe in the wishful thinking/Thompson point of view. Some of us would actually like to see results on the field........

[Bretsky]

Greg Olsen would of looked good in Green and Gold, right about now.

So would that trade with Cleveland; we could have given up one of the picks and moved up to have Olsen, and had Cleveland and Green Bay's first round pick to boot next year

[RashanGary]

Thompson took over the team that Sherman built and the salary cap problems that Sherman created. He's coming into his third season and more and more it's his team as opposed to Shermans mess.

I'm looking forward to this year when the evidence can be used. I think we have a really good, young team. It should be a fun year to watch Packer football.

[BEARMAN]

Greg Olsen would of looked good in Green and Gold, right about now.

You can NOT have him, either !