I kinda liked Ted's approach better

[PikeBadger]

Well, Favre did come close to a second title - closer than Rodgers has come.
Ted had some success culminating in 2010, and he should get credit for that, but more recently he hadn't been doing so well.

Neither were McCarthy’s DC or his decision to play for overtime in Arizona, or Bostick’s muff on the Seattle on-side kick. At least 3 lost SB appearance opportunities.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Neither were McCarthy’s DC or his decision to play for overtime in Arizona, or Bostick’s muff on the Seattle on-side kick. At least 3 lost SB appearance opportunities.

I agree on the Seahawks game. Even if the Packers defeat Arizona in 2015 (remember that game was played in the Divisional round) there's no guarantee the team would have won the NFCCG at Carolina the next week. What's the third one you're talking about???

 

[GleefulGary]

The stupidity of the other 23 teams who got to pick ahead of us?
TT gets credit for grabbing him when he fell to us though.
Kind of the same way he got Woodson - fell in his lap.

1) Packer fans at the time were pissed we took Rodgers. Now we say it was the obvious move? Hindsight is fun.

2) Nobody else wanted Woodson and he hadn't played well recently. That was not an obvious, or slam dunk move in any shape or form.

 

[sschind]

It's ridiculous to not give Thompson credit for drafting Rodgers or signing Woodson in free agency.

Unless giving him credit would work against you in a "Ted is incompetent" argument. Then it makes perfect sense not to give him credit

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Unless giving him credit would work against you in a "Ted is incompetent" argument. Then it makes perfect sense not to give him credit

Just to clarify, I don't consider Thompson an incompetent general manager by any means. But he made his share of mistakes, especially over the past few years, resulting in the Packers currently lacking talent at several positions.

 

[Mondio]

There is a long, long ways from incompetent, to a really good guy that has made a few mistakes. and then, some were bad choices, some had bad misfortune and some just didn't work out. He didn't use FA a lot, but then FA never really burned us either. He put the team together for legitimate super bowl runs at 2 different times, and both should have been for multiple years. We can play the FA game and say he should have done this or that, that's fine. Just keep in mind that if those choices worked out like say Sam Shields, our runs would have been shorter and our options more limited as well. Nothing is guaranteed. but acting like a guy who's been respected by his peers as nothing short of a great evaluator of football talent was just lucky and otherwise incompetent is rather silly at best. and unlike most other teams and situations, he stepped down leaving this team with options and a reasonable chance at high success rather than the cut and gut most teams in transition face.

 

[sschind]

Just to clarify, I don't consider Thompson an incompetent general manager by any means. But he made his share of mistakes, especially over the past few years, resulting in the Packers currently lacking talent at several positions.

I was actually agreeing with you. I wasn't talking about your post I was talking about rmontro who said Woodson and Rodgers fell into his lap. I was saying that if you wanted to make a case for Ted being incompetent it would make sense to not give him credit for Rodgers and Woodson

I used the term incompetent because someone said no one called him that and I'm pretty sure some people have.

 

[McKnowledge]

The Packers won a SB with the talent primarily assembled by TT. Let's not try and change his legacy.

True. (Max Kellerman voice) However...

An AR led team should have 3 Super Bowls by now.

TT rested on his laurels. Sayonara!!!

 

[PikeBadger]

I agree on the Seahawks game. Even if the Packers defeat Arizona in 2015 (remember that game was played in the Divisional round) there's no guarantee the team would have won the NFCCG at Carolina the next week. What's the third one you're talking about???

The Defensive coordinator held us back in the 2011 season as he had the same players as the 2010 season. The entire stretch from 2011-2016 was arguably mishandled by the DC especially since average players on our Defense like Hyde and Hayward immediately became pro bowl players as soon as they left town. It turns out they were scouted well but poorly utilized.

 

[GleefulGary]

Just to clarify, I don't consider Thompson an incompetent general manager by any means. But he made his share of mistakes, especially over the past few years, resulting in the Packers currently lacking talent at several positions.

Has there even been a GM that hasn't made his share of mistakes?

TT was, overall, a better than average GM at minimum.

I'm not saying this to you Wimm (just to clarify) but there are too many people here who think TT sucks. I wish Ted would've done some things differently too, but he still built a SB team, and that is a very difficult accomplishment.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Since TT is still a consultant, I'd kinda like to know what if anything his input was on the moves they have made.

 

[SoonerPack]

I could wake up in the morning jump on the old internet and catch up on all the Packers free agent activity in 10 minutes and be off doing more important things. Now it take me an hour just to read all the comments on one released player not to mention the ones the new GM has signed.

Ted may not have done much for the Packers but my productivity was a heck of a lot higher when he was in charge.

This is brilliant man! The last few nights my wife has been on me like a rat on a Cheeto because I am constantly hitting refresh and jumping back and forth between here and Bleacher Report. I years past I would have the initial "we are going to do something...we ain't doing squat" deal which lasted about 2 hours. Fantastic post and know you are not alone my friend.

 

[OldSchool101]

I went thru every emotion yesterday. Happiness for the Graham signing, depressed about Jordy, confused about what we paid Graham, over joyed for what we got Mo for. My wife says I need therapy.

I can relate. I was reading about the cutting of Randall for Kizer and woke my wife up by accident by my reaction. She sat up and said “what’s wrong?! ”.

 

[Mondio]

I can relate. I was reading about the cutting of Randall for Kizer and woke my wife up by accident by my reaction. She sat up and said “what’s wrong?! ”.

EVERYTHING! or NOTHING! it's all perspective

 

[NelsonsLongCatch]

I could wake up in the morning jump on the old internet and catch up on all the Packers free agent activity in 10 minutes and be off doing more important things. Now it take me an hour just to read all the comments on one released player not to mention the ones the new GM has signed.

Ted may not have done much for the Packers but my productivity was a heck of a lot higher when he was in charge.

The Packers front office has to be super pissed that they need to work the first 3 weeks of free agency. Probably got some sweet vacation deals while everybody else was working.

 

[rmontro]

I was actually agreeing with you. I wasn't talking about your post I was talking about rmontro who said Woodson and Rodgers fell into his lap. I was saying that if you wanted to make a case for Ted being incompetent it would make sense to not give him credit for Rodgers and Woodson

And I said he deserves credit for Rodgers and Woodson. But I also believe they fell in his lap, there was a certain amount of luck to them falling to us. But he gets credit for taking advantage of it.

I also don't think Ted was incompetent. I think he was a good GM, just overrated by some. If the Packers would have just gotten rid of Capers and let Ted run out his contract, I'm sure I would have been fine with it. But it was time to try a new approach.

 

[Dblbogey]

So TT didn't put a team together that won a SB? (Sorry, had to do it)

Packers had a record of 125 - 82 under TT. TT drafted Rodgers when the Packers needed help everywhere except quarterback.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

The Defensive coordinator held us back in the 2011 season as he had the same players as the 2010 season. The entire stretch from 2011-2016 was arguably mishandled by the DC especially since average players on our Defense like Hyde and Hayward immediately became pro bowl players as soon as they left town. It turns out they were scouted well but poorly utilized.

The Packers lost two important pieces on defense in 2011 in Cullen Jenkins and most importantly Nick Collins for good in the second game of the season. While it was impossible for Thompson to adequately replace an All-Pro free safety during that season it inexplicably took him three years to even give it a serious try.

If it's true that Capers completely mishandled the defense for seven seasons Thompson should be criticized for allowing McCarthy to hold on to the defensive coordinator.