An unbiased look at Thompson's job.

[retailguy]

So...a TT thread just turned into a football thread? This is unprecedented!!! Yet a pleasant surprise. Baltimore does have a very good defense, but are they starting to age a bit?

They have a good mix; many solid veterans still playing at Pro Bowl Levels

Tampa overachieved when they got older too. Then they got OLD.

[Deputy Nutz]

I drafted the Packers defense in the 9th round and I got Brandon Jackson some where in there and I also took Mason Crosby in the 14th

[PackerBlues]

WOW, take a couple hours off to play BF2, and look what happens to my Thompson thread.

Guess I should have stuck around and gotten bashed a little more.

[Fritz]

Am I the only one that feels a little weird talking about the Packers having a good defense? It's been a long, long time since "good" and "Packer defense" could be imagined together.

[PackerBlues]

Am I the only one that feels a little weird talking about the Packers having a good defense? It's been a long, long time since "good" and "Packer defense" could be imagined together.

Ah, it hasn't been that long Fritz. Sometime before the pick up of Jamal "To Small" Reynolds.........K, it was a while ago. I wouldn't say it feels weird though, I would say it feels good. :P

During the 1995 and 1996 seasons, I was stationed in SanDiego. It was hard to catch a Packer game out there, (especially when I got stuck going on deployment on the Nimitz for a couple weeks at a time) but I still managed to stay caught up on my Packer news, and I knew that the team was special. I had so many friends that were from other states in my squadron, and naturally, they were fans of other teams. Every week, that one of their teams played the Packers, that person would start talkin smack. I couldnt help but to smirk, cause I just knew their team didnt have a chance against our Packers. The Pack lost a few games those years, usually against teams they should have kicked the tar out of. It was a fun time. I don't think we can quite compare this years Packers to the '96 Packers just yet, but I do think that they are going to be very fun to watch again, and they are not far off.

[GBRulz]

Am I the only one that feels a little weird talking about the Packers having a good defense? It's been a long, long time since "good" and "Packer defense" could be imagined together.

What's been a long time is "good special teams" and Packers in the same sentence! Let's hope that changes this year!!

[Zool]

Am I the only one that feels a little weird talking about the Packers having a good defense? It's been a long, long time since "good" and "Packer defense" could be imagined together.

What's been a long time is "good special teams" and Packers in the same sentence! Let's hope that changes this year!!

Seems to me its been about the same length of time actually. Its been the Favre show since '98, and its about time he gets some help from the other 2 parts of the game.

[The Leaper]

You're talking about what pick??? 60ish??? I can't remember what pick Jackson was, but a 2nd rounder this year should yield you 2nd round talent at some position. Since Jackson hasn't played like a 2nd rounder, one of two things seems to be true, 1) TT misevaluated Jackson, or 2) he panicked and reached for him. Either way, TT has created a bit of mess at RB which looks eerily similar to his '05 patchwork OL fiasco.

It is WAY too early to start labeling Jackson as someone playing way below their draft status Wist. To be honest, neither Lynch or AP has looked any better than Jackson in preseason...and they were both top picks. To be honest, few rookie RBs this year looked great in preseason...it was a thin year at that position. You also have to consider that many teams run a vanilla offense in preseason (counters, draws are rare) that allows the defense to have a marked advantage in terms of stopping the run.

Thompson was screwed by Green's injury. It forced him to give Green a one year deal, which allowed someone like Houston to throw stupid money at him this offseason. I'm sure Thompson would have preferred to have Green still playing in Green Bay, but he can't control stupid GMs who vastly overspend on aging vets like Ahman.

Throw in the thin draft at RB and thin FA crop, and there wasn't much of an option for Thompson at RB. People who are heaping on Thompson for not doing anything refuse to recognize that there weren't many options available to him outside of trading a bunch of draft picks for Turner...who isn't any more durable than Morency or Jackson and currently is injured.

[Packnut]

D

Am I the only one that feels a little weird talking about the Packers having a good defense? It's been a long, long time since "good" and "Packer defense" could be imagined together.

They had better be more than good, I've drafted them in all 8 of my fantasy leagues.

[Partial]

Everyone will always have something to bitch about. If it isn't the running back situation it is the tight end position, and before that it was the defense, and before that it was the offensive line.

Building a team isn't like playing fantasy football or Madden.

Blah blah blah, no matter how you want to cover it or paint it, it is the same fucking story with Packerblues. Blah Blah Blah.

What about the defensive line? On Paper, and lets face it thats all we have to look at right now regardless of position, the Packers have one of the strongest d-lines in the game. You can ask any NFL personal in the game and they will tell you that a solid defensive line from top to bottom is the key to a strong defense and also a key cog to your football team.

What about Linebacker? agreed that the unit lacks depth, but the Packers had scraps at that position three years ago and Thompson has rebuilt the position to one of the tops in the league.

Aaron Rodgers was one of the most hated draft picks that I can remember, he is still a back up until Favre retires but he has improved and very few are now grumbling about Favre's replacement.

The secondary was weakened in 2005 and the Packers only had one starting caliber player in Al Harris and up and coming rookie Nick Collins. The Packers still have a ? at safety but Thompson did something that very few thought he was going to do and that was to go out and sign Chuck Woodson. Now some of you scoff at that signing, but he went out payed big buck for a player that has produced. He cut Ahmad Carroll and got rid of the dead weight.

The offensive line was a shell when Thompson allowed Wahle and Rivera go to free agency, and replaced them with walk throughs, but he spent a number of high picks in order to straighten out the line and although young, the line is on the upswing to being on the top line in the league.

Thompson had contact issues with Walker but took a stand and went after young high draft picks to try to solidify the depth at receiver behind Driver. Driver has been rewarded two years in a row for his hard work. Thompson has spent three first day picks the last three years on receivers along with a number of others in the second day. He brought in troubled but yet dynamic receiver in Koren Robinson, but his suspension kept him from contributing for the Packers.

now the two positions that Thompson is currently working to improve, Tight End and Running back.

Thompson, a two years ago gave Franks a huge contract. Money speaks, it is tough to look at that contract and release Franks knowing the cap hit your going to take. Donald Lee has been up and down in Green Bay, but yet Thompson has not used significant draft picks or free agents to improve this position. And yes other than Franks remarkable turn around in Pre-season many in the media and fans of the organization are still scratching our heads at what Thompson was thinking for this position in 2007. If this position hurts this team in 2007 Ted Thompson will be held directly responsible.

Running back Ted Thompson believes that Vernand Morency is a capable starter in the NFL, but realized that he may not be an every down work horse type back, and he entered the draft and spent a 2nd round pick on Brandon Jackson, and a 7th rounder on Wynn. Thompson did not seek any veteran players to compete with the younger backs. Regardless of what some think, Thompson has addressed the loss of Green, with younger talent, although unproven at this point. Running back is important position, but many teams have decided to go with younger talent rather than the more expensive veteran free agents. The Colts in 2006 made a decision to allow Edgrin James go who was the most productive back in the NFL, and go with a younger draft pick as his replacement. It is now common practice, and Green's time in Green Bay was up. The bottom line is that Thompson has had to deal with injuries to two out of his top three backs, and he has made adjustments with a trade and a waiver wire pickup, as I said earlier these moves weren't breakthrough deals but deals that needed to be done to stabilize the roster.

I think this post should be read by all.

TT F'd up the Walker situation. Having Javon Walker here would leave us with less cap room for people to bitch and one of the best receiving corps in the league.

Thats about the only thing I blame him for because I didn't see a whole lot of players that I would have wanted to pay big bucks to. The day than Leonard Davis takes home 17 mil guaranteed is absolutely ridiculous.

[Partial]

Green is gone, I see you can't let it go, but just for the sake, if not Green, who would you have had the Packers sign to fill the hole at running back? Travis Henry? He couldn't cut it in two different places, each spot teams brought in younger replacements for him.

Why do guys like you always point directly to Travis Henry as if he were the only FA RB available? Is it because he is the only guy that fits your limited argument on the issue?

To answer your question, and to point out that there were in fact (contrary to what you would like everyone to believe) other options.

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2007/nfl/freeagentsRB.html

Michael Turner, RFA, San Diego Chargers
Turner takes a beating and keeps going. Turner isn’t well known to the general public, but the kid has talent. He gets a handful of carries behind Ladainian Tomlinson and has maximized those carries, averaging six yards per carry in his short career. He carried just 80 times this season, but it was a career high for Turner, and he was still able to crack the 500 yard-mark with a pair of touchdowns. With his strong running style and production in San Diego this season, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see Turner sign elsewhere—but the Chargers may look to keep their dangerous rushing combo together.

Dominic Rhodes, UFA, Indianapolis Colts
Rhodes’ performance throughout the season was not as impressive as some speculated it might be, after he was given a chance to earn more carries with the departure of Edgerrin James. He carried 187 times for just 641 yards on the season, and rookie Joseph Addai was the more impressive runner on the roster. Rhodes was able to find the endzone five times by being a power back type for the team, but did not catch the attention of many. Super Bowl XLI may have changed that. With 113 yards on the ground—his largest rushing total since 2001—and a score, Rhodes was arguably the best player on the field in the biggest game of the season. Indianapolis may look to keep him, but he may be the target of a few teams looking to take a chance on a back that stepped it up when he needed to most.

Chris Brown, UFA, Tennessee Titans
Brown might wind up back in Tennessee when all is said and done, but there could be interest from teams looking for a decent backup or desperate for a starter with some experience under his belt. A team might like to use Brown in a running back by committee scenario, but his 41 carries for less than four yards per carry in 2006 hurt his stock. His upright running style might make him an appealing change of pace back, but it is also a weakness at times. He did rush for over 1,000 yards in just 11 games during the 2004 season, but Brown’s health is a concern. In his three seasons, he’s never played in all 16 games.

Correll Buckhalter, UFA, Philadelphia Eagles
With Brian Westbrook starting and Ryan Moats waiting in the wings, Buckhalter may look for an expanded role outside of Philadelphia. The third year running back was called upon for just 83 carries this season, his lowest total of his career. He averaged more than four yards per carry and some extra muscle for the Eagles’ run game. His potential combined with his adequate ability as a receiving back means that he could become a strong contributor for a team willing to use him more often.

Jamal Lewis, UFA, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens cut the former first round pick on the final day of February, but will make an attempt to re-sign the running back to a lesser contract. Even though Lewis had a poor 2005 outing, his 2006 effort was improved as he rushed for over 1,100 yards and found the end zone on five occasions. There may be a team or two willing to gamble on one of the few players in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. He will probably be overpaid, if he doesn’t re-sign with Baltimore. Still only 27, there may be some strong production left for Lewis.

Ron Dayne, UFA, Houston Texans
The former Heisman winner will be hard-pressed to find a team that can best utilize what Dayne brings to the field. He was able to average more than five yards per rush two seasons ago for Denver, and over four yards per rush this past season with Houston, but he isn’t the type of back that you can count on to carry the load all of the time. He has worked best in a committee approach to the backfield, making Dayne’s options somewhat limited based on where he can be effective. He may have to settle for being a spot player on a team with a clear number one.

T.J. Duckett, UFA, Washington Redskins
The running back has a visit scheduled with the Lions, and his age of just 26 means that teams will give him a look. He could fit well behind a quick and shifty back like he did behind Warrick Dunn in Atlanta, but he may not find the playing time he’s looking for at the moment. His talent isn’t that of a top back, and he shouldn’t expect to command much on the market. He is the two of a one-two punch at best.

Other Free Agent Running Backs
Najeh Davenport, UFA, Pittsburgh Steelers
Nick Goings, UFA, Carolina Panthers
Maurice Hicks, RFA, San Francisco 49ers
Patrick Pass, UFA, New England Patriots
B.J. Sams, RFA, Baltimore Ravens
Marcel Shipp, UFA, Arizona Cardinals
Antowain Smith, UFA, Houston Texans

Maybe a few of these guys would not have been a perfect fit, however, some of them would have easily have been an upgrade to what we thought we were going into the season with and what we are actually going into the season with now due to your injury excuse.

OMFG LOL. Seriously? That's your list?!?! Give me what we have over any of those guys except Turner. I think i'll pass on a 1st rounder for Turner as well considering he is extremely unproven. This guy has quickly become very overrated in league circles. If he was the second coming of jesus h Turner than someone would have dropped a first rounder for him.

[Partial]

...but with the college draft next year absolutely LOADED at RB, I can see why Thompson did what he did.

Thats an interesting point that I had not considered yet. Any big names that you can think of offhand that the Pack may have interest in?

1. Darren McFadden Arkansas
2. Steve Slaton West Virginia
3. Felix Jones Arkansas
4. Jonathan Stewart Oregon
5. Tashard Choice Georgia Tech
6. Ray Rice Rutgers
7. Mike Hart Michigan
8. Yvenson Bernard Oregon State
9. Ian Johnson Boise State
10. Ryan Torain Arizona State

All first day picks for sure. Lots and lots of talent next year. I think the QB from West Virginia is also going to enter the pro game as a back.

[Partial]

My Prince Albert itches. Is that normal?

This is what it sounds like, when a dove cries.

[Cheesehead Craig]

...but with the college draft next year absolutely LOADED at RB, I can see why Thompson did what he did.

Thats an interesting point that I had not considered yet. Any big names that you can think of offhand that the Pack may have interest in?

1. Darren McFadden Arkansas
2. Steve Slaton West Virginia
3. Felix Jones Arkansas
4. Jonathan Stewart Oregon
5. Tashard Choice Georgia Tech
6. Ray Rice Rutgers
7. Mike Hart Michigan
8. Yvenson Bernard Oregon State
9. Ian Johnson Boise State
10. Ryan Torain Arizona State

All first day picks for sure. Lots and lots of talent next year. I think the QB from West Virginia is also going to enter the pro game as a back.

Barring a disastrous season or a major trade up to the top 3, there's no shot at us getting McFadden. We have a better chance of getting his teammate, Felix Jones.

[Partial]

I think they'll do good for you. They should be a high pressure defense that causes turnovers and scores points. Jax is great too though. They are the best defense in the NFL in my opinion. If their offense wasn't so mediocre, they would look even better.

To me Baltimore is the best defense, followed by Da Bears. NE and SD a step below. Then a bunch of good defenses about the same in the next tier of six or so. I'd put GB in that group

I don't think NE is that high anymore. Their inside linebackers are getting old in a hurry. I don't especially like their secondary. I would swap Jax with NE.