Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agency

[tromadz]

I want a 3-way with Ted and Aaron:

The Washington Redskins chose a good year to sit out free agency. Chicago, the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers also refrained from signing a single UFA from another team during the first 11 days of the signing period. Those teams might rank among the true "winners" of this free-agent season, simply by avoiding costly mistakes.
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What's funny is we signed more people this year so far than all of last year. lol.

 

[cheesey]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

So far TT hasn't done anything to make me feel he doesn't know what he's doing.
I have faith that he will keep building a strong team here, without putting us in cap hell.

 

[yooperfan]

At the risk of Ted losing his head and doing something really dumb between now and training camp, I think he has proved his genious once again when it comes to freeagency.

 

[RainX]

Ted seems to be taking a similar approach like he did in '06 with going after the second-tier FAs like Chillar, Smith, and Perry. That's not to say guys like Woodson and Pickett haven't made a pretty big impact since signing with GB, but the Rams weren't really trying to hard to retain Pickett once he hit FA in '06 and Woodson was coming off a stretch of injury years that sidelined him quite a bit and wasn't highly sought after by other teams.

Playing the waiting game with these guys might pan out because it doesn't seem like they've rushed out to sign with other squads as of yet either. Barnett seems to like Chillar from their Pac-10 days and Smith seems like a guy who could be a valuable reserve DE who probably will give Montgomery and Hunter a run for their reserve spots. Perry also seems like someone who could come in and make a difference if healthy.

Now, I don't think we should go out and break the bank on trying to get these guys, but it would be nice to see at least one or two of them sign, if for anything, adding some quality depth to the roster.

 

[Vince_Favre]

Does being a genius mean not making the Superbowl this year but having plenty of cap money?

Because I don't think that's so genius. You use free agency to put your team over the top once they are close, like Ron Wolf did, by filling holes.

This team lost to the Giants last year because of their youth and inexperience, and to a man, they failed.

I don't know how genius that is either.

Right now, Thompson's teams are 25-23. Just a little over .500.

If they don't have a winning season this year, he's still .500.

Don't seem so ingenius to me.

 

[tromadz]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

Does being a genius mean not making the Superbowl this year but having plenty of cap money?

Because I don't think that's so genius. You use free agency to put your team over the top once they are close, like Ron Wolf did, by filling holes.

This team lost to the Giants last year because of their youth and inexperience, and to a man, they failed.

I don't know how genius that is either.

Right now, Thompson's teams are 25-23. Just a little over .500.

If they don't have a winning season this year, he's still .500.

Don't seem so ingenius to me.

:sniffs you to try and detect familiar scent:

This team lost to the Giants last year because of their youth and inexperience, and to a man, they failed.

Brett Favre and Al Harris are young and inexperienced?



I like you.

 

[Packnic]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

Does being a genius mean not making the Superbowl this year but having plenty of cap money?

Because I don't think that's so genius. You use free agency to put your team over the top once they are close, like Ron Wolf did, by filling holes.

This team lost to the Giants last year because of their youth and inexperience, and to a man, they failed.

I don't know how genius that is either.

Right now, Thompson's teams are 25-23. Just a little over .500.

If they don't have a winning season this year, he's still .500.

Don't seem so ingenius to me.

can i get an IP check.

anyway think about free agency for a minute. just sit down and think.

heres what happens in Free Agency and some how people think this is the way to make your team better.

Team A has Player A. He has been a solid player and has built his name around the league. good right.?
Regardless of Player A's name recognition, Team A decides that Player A isn't good enough to keep around. Or Team A decides that regardless of how good Player A might be, his contract would hurt the team more than Player A's services would help. Player A is then released to Free Agency!!!

Are you getting this?

So why does it make any good sense for Team B to go out and sign Player A. Especially when Team A released him and no team or person knows Player A better than Team A. Its like a major movie producer going out and getting Pauly Shore to play its lead role in a comedy. Sure hes gonna get your name in the paper, but he wont get you box office gold. However people in Hollywood will continue to put Pauly Shore in things.

heres a correlation for you.
Hollywood is retarded - Free Agency is like Hollywood - therefore - Free Agency is retarded.

When you beg TT to go out and spend money in free agency you are asking him to over pay for some other teams trash. You are asking him to be irresponsible with YOUR franchise's money. and your asking him to go against everything we've seen work.


There are of course exceptions to every rule, but this is true for the majority of Free Agency. and obviously all the quality franchises around the NFL know it.

 

[tromadz]

Packnic, don't waste your time on HIM. Don't get worked up so early in the morning!

 

[Tiger]

Packnic, don't waste your time on HIM. Don't get worked up so early in the morning!

it kinda comes down to whether you value one Superbowl appearance over a decade of success. :-?

 

[Vince_Favre]

The first time that Aaron Rodgers gets waffled because Colledge whiffs on his block or gets out and out beat because Ted Thompson doesn't believe in using free agency to to sign some veteran o-line help, then get back to me on this.

Favre covered up alot of holes on this team over the years. I think it's unfair and naive to assume that Rodgers is going to be able to just step in and do the same thing.

I guess if someone disagrees with the universal belief that Thompson is a genius around here, he is attacked on this forum.

I guess New England didn't upgrade their team Packnic, and go 18-0 by signing other team's trash, as you put it. Maybe their GM should be run out of town for wasting their franchise's money.

Signing a veteran 0-lineman who is an upgrade to what we have now is outrageous, right?

I guess Wolf was outrageous when he went out and signed the Packers all those FA's that won them the SB too, right?

 

[bigfog]

More cap money = more money to resign players on this team that are really good.

 

[tromadz]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

Favre covered up alot of holes on this team over the years. I think it's unfair and naive to assume that Rodgers is going to be able to just step in and do the same thing.

Have you watched any of the games Rodgers played in? Because he scrambles and moves very well(when the line fails or when he holds the ball too long. Did I just criticize Rodgers?!?! Call the papers!)

The first time that Aaron Rodgers gets waffled because Colledge whiffs on his block get back to me on this.

Why? You won't be around.

More cap money = more money to resign players on this team that are really good.

Yep. That's why Driver,Barnett, and Kampman are still in Green Bay. But that doesn't count, bigfog.

 

[Vince_Favre]

I'll be here.

I've been here since 1967. Can you say that?

I don't even know what you're talking about.

 

[tromadz]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

I'll be here.

I've been here since 1967. Can you say that?

No, I can't. I'm 23 years old. Congratulations on being conceived before me. You are the winner!

 

[Vince_Favre]

Yes!

 

[bigfog]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

More cap money = more money to resign players on this team that are really good.

Yep. That's why Driver,Barnett, and Kampman are still in Green Bay. But that doesn't count, bigfog.[/quote]

I sorta wish they would have made some sort of push to try to bring Briggs in. Briggs, Barnett and Hawk - that would have been incredible. But, I guess we're stuck with Poppinga for a while longer.

 

[Pack93z]

Here is the key to making this all work.. MM and staff seem to be able to take the pieces and coach them up to fit within the scheme. It doesn't seem to matter if the guy is a rookie or a 16 year vet... the staff tailors the gameplan to our strengths..

Call Ted a genius or not, we seem to be able to make the pieces jell and work.. so keep chugging on that path.

Point to the Giants game all you want, weather and running into a hot team caused that moreso than anything.. look at how bad the Pats line played in the SB.. compare it to our game in the Championship game.. we outplayed the Pats line.. which is saying something.. the Giants to me were locked in. We got beat in all phases of the game.. no free agent signing was going to change that.. IMO.

 

[Pack93z]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

More cap money = more money to resign players on this team that are really good.

Yep. That's why Driver,Barnett, and Kampman are still in Green Bay. But that doesn't count, bigfog.

I sorta wish they would have made some sort of push to try to bring Briggs in. Briggs, Barnett and Hawk - that would have been incredible. But, I guess we're stuck with Poppinga for a while longer.

The biggest area on needing improvement is the interior Oline.. whether it is from within, the draft of free agency.. we need to get consistent play there first.. then I agree with the Sam and secondary depth.. A counter punch to Grant would be nice, especially in the recieving game.

 

[spardo62]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

The first time that Aaron Rodgers gets waffled because Colledge whiffs on his block or gets out and out beat because Ted Thompson doesn't believe in using free agency to to sign some veteran o-line help, then get back to me on this.

Favre covered up alot of holes on this team over the years. I think it's unfair and naive to assume that Rodgers is going to be able to just step in and do the same thing.

I guess if someone disagrees with the universal belief that Thompson is a genius around here, he is attacked on this forum.

I guess New England didn't upgrade their team Packnic, and go 18-0 by signing other team's trash, as you put it. Maybe their GM should be run out of town for wasting their franchise's money.

Signing a veteran 0-lineman who is an upgrade to what we have now is outrageous, right?

I guess Wolf was outrageous when he went out and signed the Packers all those FA's that won them the SB too, right?

I think the point you are missing is that teams have gotten very good at managing the cap and structuring deals that will enable them to keep players they want - the guys hitting FA are either old, injured, declining or average to above average. Sure sometimes you can hit a HR on a guy like this, but more often than not you end up getting burned and following this path year after year is chasing fools gold.

Also, Ron Wolf was not a big proponent of FA either, although he did use is judiciously to build some depth on the team and then to put the team over the top. The financial picture throughout the league and the ability of teams to manage player contracts and their financial situation was much different 10-15 years ago. This led to more impact players in their prime being on the open market than you see today.

 

[bigfog]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

The biggest area on needing improvement is the interior Oline.. whether it is from within, the draft of free agency.. we need to get consistent play there first.. then I agree with the Sam and secondary depth.. A counter punch to Grant would be nice, especially in the recieving game.

I'm holding out for Jonathan Stewart from Oregon. Could you imagine? That's a guy who can make holes and speed down the field.

 

[Vince_Favre]

Here is the key to making this all work.. MM and staff seem to be able to take the pieces and coach them up to fit within the scheme. It doesn't seem to matter if the guy is a rookie or a 16 year vet... the staff tailors the gameplan to our strengths..

Call Ted a genius or not, we seem to be able to make the pieces jell and work.. so keep chugging on that path.

Point to the Giants game all you want, weather and running into a hot team caused that moreso than anything.. look at how bad the Pats line played in the SB.. compare it to our game in the Championship game.. we outplayed the Pats line.. which is saying something.. the Giants to me were locked in. We got beat in all phases of the game.. no free agent signing was going to change that.. IMO.

I agree to a certain extent, Pack93, but when you're close, you have to use free agency to improve your team. You have to admit, there were some holes last year.

The Giants D blew up our line over and over again on screen plays, running game, and it could be argued that on a fast track, there would have been more sacks as well. Those kind of field conditions favor the offensive line. Look what happened in Dallas, for instance, with the o-line.

But, that's water under the bridge.

I do think Thompson needs to improve the line through FA, though.

 

[Pack93z]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

The biggest area on needing improvement is the interior Oline.. whether it is from within, the draft of free agency.. we need to get consistent play there first.. then I agree with the Sam and secondary depth.. A counter punch to Grant would be nice, especially in the recieving game.

I'm holding out for Jonathan Stewart from Oregon. Could you imagine? That's a guy who can make holes and speed down the field.

Ray Rice or Mendenhall for me please.. dang there are some backs comming out this year.. Stewart would be cool..

Back to topic.. MM is a genius in development..

 

[Krazygangsta]

Drafting is the key to success

 

[bigfog]

Re: Ted Thompson a genius for not overspending in free agenc

Ray Rice or Mendenhall for me please.. dang there are some backs comming out this year.. Stewart would be cool..

Back to topic.. MM is a genius in development..

Yes, TT and MM are really what this team needed. Coming off Sherman's tenure as GM, they've made the moves to improve. No Joe Johnson's here.

 

[Pack93z]

I do think Thompson needs to improve the line through FA, though.

Oh I agree, I am still critical of Colledge's overall performance.. but really whom in FA would have come in an solidified the position at a reasonable value?

Faneca.. the Jets will be kicking themselves for that contract.. the market was too rich early on. Wahle maybe.. the guards from Indy possibly..

But I won't pass judgement until after the draft and going into summer.. then maybe I might say I wish that we would have picked up a guard.. but too early yet..

Plus maybe Spitz grows a bit and Coston takes another step. Don't forget the roadgrader we have in Palmer if he can stay healthy.. or Barbre... Colledge needs to be kicked outside were playing high won't hurt him as badly and he can play a little without reading the gap pickups..