Thompson's Backup Strategy Suffers From "Favre Hangover"

It's been 21 years, 1 month, and 2 weeks since a Packers' backup quarterback has made a meaningful start. Ted Thompson has rolled the dice for years that that streak would continue indefinitely. Today, the Pack will start a washed-up veteran with no training camp experience and Thompson has no one to blame but himself.

On September 27, 1992, Brett Favre made his first start as a Green Bay Packer. The next week, he made his second start. And, from that point in time on, the Green Bay Packers never needed a backup quarterback to make a significant start in a game until...well, today.

21 years, 1 month, 2 weeks. It's the kind of streak that can make you take having a starting quarterback week-in and week-out for granted. Moreover, its something that can make you overlook the position and focus your draft picks and salary cap on other areas of the team. After all, if you don't really NEED a backup quarterback for over twenty years, what could go wrong?

Frankly, I blame it on the Favre Hangover. No, not the ones that he likely nursed over the first half of his career, but the one that Ted Thompson inherited when he took over as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers. You have to remember that Ron Wolf hired Thompson as a scout for the team right at the same time he made the trade for Favre in '92. Thompson was a front office witness for the first 120 starts of The Streak.

And in Thompson's formative years working in the front office of an NFL team, he first watched Wolf invest draft picks in some quality backups for Favre. Certainly, Mark Brunnell and Ty Detmer were good enough in Favre's early years to even warrant consideration to enter the game when the untamed Favre was misfiring. Both went on to start for other teams. But after those two, Wolf began a revolving door of has-been veterans and draft pick fliers that, with the exception of Matt Hasselback, were excellent clipboard holders and never remotely a viable threat to challenge Favre's starting position.

Of course, guys like Doug Pederson, Steve Bono, and Jim McMahon were solid team guys to have on the team, but when Favre needed to leave a game early, their performances made Holmgren more than ready to welcome back Favre the following week.

During the Sherman Era as GM, the confidence that Favre would make every start grew, with Pederson serving as Favre's only backup from 2001-2004.

When Thompson returned in 2005, The Streak was well over 200 games with no end in sight. One of Thompson's first moves as the new GM of the Green Bay Packers was to draft a first rounder named Aaron Rodgers, who then served the next three seasons behind Favre.

But, let's be clear on this. Rodgers was never brought in as a backup. He was brought in as the heir apparent for an aging starter. One could imagine that Thompson even hoped Favre would retire following the miserable 2005 season and Rodgers would enter alongside the restructuring of the team around new coach Mike McCarthy in 2006.

When Favre finally left the team following the 2007 season, Rodgers' days as a backup were over. However, the pattern of just having "a guy" backing up the starter was just beginning.

Thompson, to his credit, did draft two quarterbacks in the 2008 Draft, but most observers were skeptical of third-round pick Brian Brohm as it was made. Brohm had no ability to move in the pocket and didn't project as an NFL starter. A flyer pick on a kid from LSU, Matt Flynn, ended up being the backup for a few seasons, but he was a rag-armed risk to put on the field for several seasons.

At the end of the 2011 season, when Flynn started the season finale in a meaningless game surrounded by backups, he threw six touchdown passes in what could best be described as an Arena League game played on an NFL field. That game led us (and the rest of the NFL) to believe that Thompson had truly hit a late-round gem.  But his subsequent failures with the Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills underscore the sobering fact that Flynn is truly little more than a seventh-round pick with a rag arm.

Unfortunately, Flynn's success in that one game also convinced Thompson that he was a gem-finder at the backup quarterback position, placing his cards on the arms of undrafted Graham Harrell and 2012 seventh-rounder BJ Coleman. After all, Flynn had "developed" in his four seasons as a backup to Rodgers. Certainly, one of these two would eventually develop too, right?

But therein lies the problem. Projects, prospects, and "guys you hope develop" are the ones you stick on the practice squad. Thompson has had projects backing up Rodgers since he became a starter, and--perhaps thanks to his own formative years learning that backup quarterbacks will never be used--figured it was all okay.

We're never going to need them anyway.

But reality set in not last Sunday, but in this training camp, when it was clear that any progress Harrell had made was lost, and Coleman hadn't taken any steps forward from his shaky training camp last year.

Thompson wasted time with Vince Young, bringing in the washed-up and ill-fitting quarterback for an extended tryout. Thompson looked like the successful career woman at her ten-year class reunion who saw the former high school quarterback that had always spurned her--now fat, unemployed, and trying to relive his glory days. The Young experiment had all the markings of an unrequited love that, thankfully, never worked out...but we just had to make sure.

In the end, Thompson cut all three quarterback by the end of training camp, a bizarre move for a general manager who has been honored as one of the NFL's best and a head coach who had the reputation as a quarterback guru. The subsequent signing of Seneca Wallace had all the fingerprints of the mid-90's signings of other washed-up has-beens like McMahon, Bono, and Pederson.

Except, after 21 years, the chickens have come home to roost, and Thompson is the one who has to step forward and accept his failure to properly address the backup position. It's a critical juncture in the season, with the Packers on track for just a 10-6 record with Rodgers starting every game thus far.

The question you might pose to me might be "who should the Packers have signed, then?" My answer to that is "someone who would have been able to do the job". Wallace might end up being a decent fill-in for these games without Rodgers, but he should never have been in the position to be the #2 quarterback without the benefit of a full training camp, nor should he only have been running the scout teams and not taking any snaps with the #1's.

Wallace is now forced to cram the playbook and try and get in sync with the rest of the offense, something that he wouldn't have had to do if Thompson wasn't wasting time with the Three Stooges in training camp.

Let me be clear: I have a lot of respect for Ted Thompson. He's built a team capable of winning a Super Bowl (and they did) and it says a lot when only three players on the active roster ever served any time with another NFL team. He's built a perennial contender from the ground up, and the talent on this roster is almost completely homegrown. I am not calling for his head or thinking we'd be better off with someone else in his chair.

But every player, coach, and front office person in this organization is, in Mike McCarthy's own words, held to the standard of "accountability and availability". When it comes to properly handling the backup quarterback position, Thompson fell asleep at the wheel after Rodgers took over the starting job. The mess the Packers find themselves in right now falls squarely at the feet of the general manager.

Let's hope that over the rest of Rodgers' career, Thompson no longer looks at the backup position as "some guy that will never have to start a game". Maybe that was true when Favre was here.

Not anymore.

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C.D. Angeli is a lifelong Packer fan and feature writer at CheeseheadTV.  He is the co-host of the weekly Packers podcast Cheesehead Radio and is the good cop running PackersTalk.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TundraVision. He'll be at the game today cheering for his team and supporting our veterans. 

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Comments (52)

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bkshimada's picture

November 09, 2013 at 09:38 pm

Completely agree with you CD. I think TT's done a great job building this team. His draft and develop system has worked extremely well. The only problem is that he didn't do the same with the quarterback position, hence the predicament we're in now. He did it for every other position, so why not for the most important position?

Side note: I do think Flynn is injured though and that's why he's been on the QB merry-go-round this year. But that's just my personal opinion.

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Ryan's picture

November 09, 2013 at 09:40 pm

These are all very good points. One minor nitpick: the Patriots game that Matt Flynn started in 2010 when Aaron Rodgers had a concussion was a significant one. The only reason the Packers controlled their own destiny after that was because the Giants had stupidly punted Desean Jackson at the end of a game they had essentially won earlier in the day.

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tundravision's picture

November 09, 2013 at 09:45 pm

You're actually totally correct. That game was important but his interception and game-ending sack (ever so reminiscent of Seneca last week) made it kind of a failure.

It also messed up my cool calculation of years, months, and weeks. :)

More importantly, though...we all knew AR was likely only out for a week, two at the worst. This is still more indefinite and the reins are being handed over for an extended period of time.

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Al's picture

November 09, 2013 at 10:00 pm

What are you complaining about? TT drafted the best QB in the game And then went on to draft a pretty good backup quarterback in Flynn and some bums. What are you going to do? You win some you lose some. Ill take his success over most every other team in the league. Wallace has played ONE game people!! It's a little early to hit the

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Al's picture

November 09, 2013 at 10:01 pm

What are you complaining about? TT drafted the best QB in the game And then went on to draft a pretty good backup quarterback in Flynn and some bums. What are you going to do? You win some you lose some. Ill take his success over most every other team in the league. Wallace has played ONE game people!! It's a little early to hit the panic button. TT may have hit another winner. Lets watch and find out.

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Jamie's picture

November 09, 2013 at 10:11 pm

This take is a bit desperate to find blame, when in actuality Thompson has followed a similar path at backup QB that Wolf blazed...this has nothing to do with Favre (or Rodgers) hangover.

Wolf had projects at backup QB as well, probably even moreso than Thompson, Wolf's just paid off. Thompson hasn't really had any pay off...though you could say Flynn, at least while in GB, was a hit.

This boils down to Thompson's struggle with pickin'em moreso than mismanagement, aside from the miscalculation when he didn't see Harrell and Coleman's ineptitude sooner this past offseason, thus it took him too long to bring in more competition. But who should he have signed, Hasselbeck? Word is he tried. Vince Young was a 'why not?' signing as much as anything, because Harrell and Coleman were so awful.

What you ignore here is the extremely poor state of the backup QB position league-wide. It's putrid...period.

You just gloss right over it...

Ted should have signed "someone who would be able to do the job."

Brilliant!!

Brilliantly convenient. The one guy he tried to sign was likely the only backup worth signing this past offseason.

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Longshanks's picture

November 09, 2013 at 11:25 pm

Excellent points Jamie!! Yes, Ted was after Hasselbeck but Indi got him on the phone and would not let him say no. As you said Hasselbeck was the only backup qb worthy guy out there that was a big time starter at one time. Wallace was the next.

Ted did the best he could with what garbage was out there. He even has Flynn back in the bullpen. I'd say he's doing a damn good job!! Ted won't hide either. If it doesn't work he will admit it.

Nobody is harder on themself than Ted Thompson. He eats and sleeps Packers football. Angeli has alot of nerve dissing a living legend acting like he's some schmuck asleep on the job that "didn't know" (like Obama).

Longshanks

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Stroh's picture

November 09, 2013 at 10:57 pm

Its no hangover from Favre or anything else. Its an organizational philosophy towards youth. With Harrell or Coleman not stepping forward this psst offseason Thompson was in a quandry and Wallace is the beneficiary for a year. I'm guessing Flynn will be back next year as Rodgers backup snd they'll spend a draft pick in the 4th or so to develop. They need a backup that is a better passer than Wallace. It seems Rodgers isn't going to be as durable as Favre was so Thompson will find a better backup than Favre mostly had. Flynn would seem the logical choice assuming his elbow checks out.

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Longshanks's picture

November 09, 2013 at 11:08 pm

Angeli, such a bullshit article. You act as though Ted Thompson is fucking Obama. Unlike Obama who never EVER admits to wrongdoing or accepting responsibility, Ted Thompson is the direct opposite. He does hold himself responsible. He even said so today in an interview I just read.

You'd be better off waiting to post this article for at least another two weeks. Cow42 even said something today about never betting against Ted Thompson. He's right!! He learned his lesson. So did most of Packerland. Ted Thompson doesn't need you to tell him that he needs to be held accountable for a problem that is only in your mind at the moment.

Let's see what Seneca does tomorrow. If he shines you might have to find the same hiding place that Nagler and Bob McGinn used last week. Good Lord!!

Longshanks

P.S. Brohm was projected a first round pick the year earlier. All Ted did was hedge his bet by picking up two and hoping one panned out. Flynn did. He did the same with Lacy and Franklin this year. Ted won both those bets!!

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jack in jersey city's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:09 am

correction: you meant to say george w. bush instead of obama

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Worldstab's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:04 am

What?! So we're calling Thompson a failure here, even before giving Wallace a chance to step up and show that he's a competent backup?

The tricky thing with backup qbs is you have a brief window when they have developed and are good enough to step in, but you can still afford to keep them as a backup. The Packers have been quite lucky in the past having backups that left to become starters, but given the poor state of QBs in the league today, these quarterbacks are harder to find.

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 07:50 am

He just might redeem himself and develop Wallace, you're right.

But we're in the position to have a washed-up quarterback who didn't even go through TC as our only backup. That's an abject mishandling of the position, no matter how you slice it. Anything positive Thompson and McCarthy are able to do from here are testaments to their skill and abilities, but you can't simply dismiss how we got to this point in the first place.

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Stroh's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:00 am

Backup QB are by definition washed up has been former starters OR very young inexperienced QB's. The NFL is a QB needy league and as soon as a young inexperience QB, such as Flynn shows any level of competency he becomes a valuable commodity in the NFL. The young inexperienced either washout completely of develop into competent system QB's.

Flynn's lack of success in other cities has more to do w/ the fact that they didn't fit their system to fit Flynn's abilities, and that teams desires to get younger QB's reps. Its not like Wilson or Pryor proved they were better passers. Even in Seattle it was a wash at QB in terms of passing except Wilson came in and energized others. He got the job due more to intangibles than he did passing ability. And Flynn is no slouch in intangibles either.

Bring him back now... or in the offseason. The Packers and McCarthy know how to game plan for his abilities and allow him to succeed. Assuming he's healthy in the offseason he is a much better backup alternative than Wallace.

Even at age 27 or 28 he is now a washed up career backup ideally suited for GB.

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Longshanks's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:21 am

"What?! So we’re calling Thompson a failure here,"

Well, apparently CD Angeli is!! Hey Angeli, I don't want to make you nervous but I am down on the ground floor here and there's people starting to gather with torches and pitch forks and they are calling out your name. Just thought you should know.

I saw one guy wearing an old Ted Thompson Houston Oiler jersey with his hair dyed jet white. I don't know man. I think this time you pushed it to a different level. You do realize Ted Thompson is a God in Green Bay right?

Longshanks

P.S. By the way, I didn't compare you to Obama. Read again. Get off Twitter and face our posts like Paul Ott Carruth does. He's like Bob Harlan. Answers every single one of them.

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 07:42 am

I respond to a lot of posters.

Not you. You lost my respect when you thought you thought misogyny was something cute and clever and would get a lot of laughs.

You didn't get any laughs. You were beyond rude and disrespectful.

Your comments? Not worth my time. Cow's got you beat.

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jack in jersey city's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:14 am

pay this guy no mind C.D. it was a very well-written arcticle and ted even came out this week and accepted full responsibility for the backup QB position:

"If something went wrong at the backup quarterback position, it's my fault," Thompson told USA Today on Friday. "It's not somebody else's fault. It's not even one of those quarterbacks' fault. I just didn't get it worked out right."

i think ted is a brilliant GM and think we're lucky to have him but he failed in this area. i'm sure it will be corrected this offseason though

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Longshanks's picture

November 10, 2013 at 03:49 pm

You should have listened to Longshanks Mr. Angelique. You made a fool out yourself yet again.

Looks like Ted Thompson did it again and he actually knows what the hell he's doing despite your whines.

Tolzein, the guy off everyone's radar turns out to be pretty fucking good. With a little seasoning and work he's probably a quality starter in this league.He's a step above Flynn, Wallace, Harrel, Coleman, Young and probably the aging Hasselbeck at this point.

It's one thing to rip on people but it's another thing to apologize and admit you were wrong Angelique. Will you do it? I doubt it.

Longshanks

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dawg's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:41 am

I agree TT should take some of the blame. BUT, We are told MM is a master at developing QB's and his QB school second to none!
Looks like schools out!
Flynn got lucky, Graham was a joke and Coleman was, well just Coleman, no moxie, for a better word,
I saw this coming when I was at training camp this summer, and when they threw in VY, I said to my wife--Hope Rodgers doesn't get hurt!
My bet is a high draft pick for a QB next spring is in order! Just sayin!

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 07:46 am

I don't think it has to be a high draft pick, but its going to be a guy with more than "project" status. I think you can bring in Flynn or Cassel-type for the short run, then look at a fifth rounder (maybe a supplementary pick) for a guy who translates well to the NFL...a game manager who may not have a rocket arm but plays smart.

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Stroh's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:07 am

"game manager who may not have a rocket arm but plays smart."

You just described Flynn! Even early in his career that fits Flynn perfectly.

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Matt Capelle's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:42 am

Seriously. Why rag on someone simply because you don't agree with their viewpoints? It seems like a pretty terrible way to spend your free time. So you don't agree with the article. Big deal. Throwing a fit on a comment board isn't exactly the more mature response. If you simply despise CDs writing (as you apparently do, since you attack everything he does) then go somewhere else for GB news and insight. I, for one, can't stand Vic Ketchman. Know how I solve that? I don't read his stuff. I'm not going to use an alias and anonymously attack someone for doing their job.

In regards to the article, I agree and disagree. TT has always addressed the backup QB position through the draft, trusting his own guys to get the job done in a pinch. Other GMs pursue veterans, such as Chicago has done with McCown - someone to get the team to survive the temporary absence of QB1. I'm not ready to give up on Wallace simply because of one bad performance after being thrown into a game he wasn't prepared for. If he stinks it up against PHI tomorrow, well...

Also, I think that we, as a fan base, need to stop treating Flynn as a diamond in the rough. Yes, we all thought he was going to be something after his performances against NE and DET. But the guy has bounced through three teams over the last two seasons. A former GB exec in Reggie McKenzie even let him go from OAK. I guarantee that a fan base doesn't known more about a players skills (or lack thereof) than four different GMs.

CDs is right. Nobody has put much thought into a backup QB, simply because Favre seemed indestructible. He also would force risky throws to avoid tacking a sack, which is the antithesis of AR. This injury will put more focus on the QB2, but I feel the focus was already there at the beginning of the season. My personal feelings? The team is strong enough to muster through without Aaron for the time being. Hopefully I'm not proved wrong.

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 07:48 am

Thanks for catching one of my major points, Matt. I think that last game against the Lions in 2011 fooled a lot of people, including the Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills.

Those of us putting all our hopes and dreams onto Flynn are going to be a little disappointed, I think.

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Jayme Snowden's picture

November 10, 2013 at 08:04 am

Matt,

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Being a passionate and largely knowledgeable fan base, as a group we are going to disagree. I do a radio show every Thursday night with CD and the intro to the show includes me flat out saying that I think CD is wrong. Just because you disagree with someone on one point, or a variety of points doesn't mean that they are the scum of the earth.

Like Matt, Vic isn't my style, so I don't read. There are some blogs/posts out there that I think are wrong more than they are right, that I think don't warrant my time or space on the internet. I don't read those. I don't comment on those. If they're not worth my time, I don't give it.

There are some writers who I disagree with part of the time. I read their work. I like getting the other perspectives. And when I disagree, I don't go to the comments to ridicule them, to make the discussion about how awesome I am, or to offend a large group of people. I go to discuss the topic, like adults.

The rest of this drama is just nonsensical and fluff, distracting from actually enjoying being fans.

And in regards to the actual topic of the post, I agree with Matt as well.

I'm not sure if I'm to the point where CD is to say that it goes back to Favre. CD presented a good case though and it got me thinking. It doesn't sit well with me how the backup spot was handled this year. Felt very un-TT characteristic, fumbling through options. I think CD explained that time very well

Part of the reason we're in the situation is because people didn't develop. That's part on TT and part on MM. I brought up the question on CHRadio earlier this season - in recent time who has the quarterback school of MM produced besides Rodgers. Is Rodgers the rule or the exception? Is Brian Brohm the rule or the exception? Side note: Here's <a href="http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/brian-brohm?id=198" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Brohm's combine info</a> from nfl.com where they compare him to Drew Brees. And here is <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/19821-nfl-draft-matt-ryan-brian-brohm... target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bleacher Report</a> comparing Brohm to Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Chad Henne. Brohm was supposed to be good. He was projected to be good. He wasn't.

I don't think most teams have a solid backup QB plan, which is where I cut TT some slack. A handful of teams have serviceable backups, a handful don't have a solid starter so their backup is just as good as their starter. So I'm not sure if the situation that Green Bay is in is due to the league standard or to TT, my guess is a combination of both.

In a situation like Green Bay, when the starter is such a star, and in a league where good QBs are rare so when any backup in a good system shows promise he gets snatched up, we might always have a similar problem. The backup will always be a downgrade. But, especially this year, the backup should be better equipped. I think the Wallace type fits with the style of backup TT wanted after realizing Harrell wasn't going to happen, and Green Bay needs, a game manager who can hold down the fort. I wish we had that type for a longer period. These next couple of weeks will be interesting, seeing how Wallace develops this week with practice, seeing how the team responds. I pretty much despise being in this situation, but it's interesting at least. :)

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Vrog's picture

November 10, 2013 at 08:32 am

The voice of reason

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grbfrog's picture

November 13, 2013 at 09:50 am

I agree with your "this will be interesting" comment. We've lost I'm the playoffs the last two seasons by being too soft (so the story goes anyway). This year's team showed promise with our improved running and (at the time) tougher defense. When Rodgers was lost, I actually thought it could be a blessing as it would give the rest of the team a chance to define its toughness, which would serve us well in the playoffs. I think MM saw the same opportunity. I was interested to see how they would respond.

Unfortunately, while the running game continued to produce despite stacked defenses until the OL injuries, the defense vanished when they were needed most, very disappointing. But at least we know more about what this team is made of for better and for worse. With this new knowledge, can MM figure out a way to win anyway? It will be interesting again.

Go pack!

Cd- I always enjoy your articles, thank you for writing them. I'm not sure why people on this board throw around blanket baseless statements (the coaches suck, the players suck, etc.) without any need for a supporting argument but then your articles get cross examined like a doctoral dissertation. I guess that is because right or wrong you at least develop a thought out position, so take the critiques as a compliment!

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tundravision's picture

November 13, 2013 at 08:24 pm

grbfrog, much appreciated. Folks like you are why I keep writing. :)

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The TKstinator's picture

November 10, 2013 at 08:28 am

I totally agree with the part that stated a fan base doesn't know more about a player's skills than four different GM's. I myself have stated that notion in various iterations numerous times here. Glad to see it from another source.

Another idea fans have to understand is that draft and develop takes TIME. When a team invests in a player like Harrel or Coleman they have to allow time for him to develop. Of course hindsight is 20/20 but when a fan says "I knew ...... was never going to amount to anything" they are pegging the BS needle. I would also ASSUME that a QB probably takes more time to develop than any other position.

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:34 am

Totally correct. I would have a leg to stand on if I had questioned the pick as it was made

http://tundravision.blogspot.com/2008/04/2008-draft-day-one-reflections....

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:11 am

Wallace hasn't had the luxury of playing on a good team. TT and MM did their best to develope another QB. They did what they had to at this point, sign a back up with experience. Today will tell if they were right. If anyone in here thinks that Rodgers would have turned out as great as he is lying. Cut an MVP and a legend and replace him with another MVP and is even better. Ice water in his veins. I'll never bash TT, He brought a title back to GB, how soon people forget. By the way, last I checked the Packers are tied for 1st with a mash unit on the field.

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Jamie's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:54 am

I keep re-reading thinking maybe I missed something, but instead the more times I read, the more I find this story borderline offensive to me as a Packer fan.

CD was just trying to be clever, trying waaaaaay too hard to connect cause/effect dots that shouldn't be connected for the sake of a clever story.

I just have a hard time believing someone that seemingly follows the Packers very closely would be so utterly disconnected.

JMO

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dawg's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:55 am

3rd round at best!

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dawg's picture

November 10, 2013 at 12:58 am

I'd be surprised at a second rd,

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dawg's picture

November 10, 2013 at 01:01 am

Maybe someone falls like Rodgers did?
And who would that be?

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 08:57 am

Well well well, another TT basher. When are people going let the professionals do their job. We are so lucky as fans to have TT a GM with guts. I remember a lot of people wanting TT out of town for saying no to a aging Favre. The salary cap won't allow for a high priced back up, and the Packers did everything under their power to develop draft picks. Its a draft and develop team. There are a lot of teams struggling with bad QB play in the nfl. No team can afford to lose an mvp and expect to keep winng. The whole team has to step up and play these next games like theres no tomorrow.

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tundravision's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:17 am

Guessing you didn't read the article all the way to the end. Know it's long. Give it a shot.

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:46 am

Sorry, guess I'm caught up in the frustration of this season and the promise it had. TT put together a hell of a team if they could keep them healthy.

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Al Katraz's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:26 am

I think Ted sucks. I think without Rogers to save this team each week, his foolish draft picks the past three years would show what a piece of work he is.
Sherrod was awful when he was healthy. Newhouse ditto. Datone Jones is part time and he is a number one pick. Perry did nothing last year and is starting, key word starting, to look fair but he was first round pick. Jerrel Worthy is a bust, another guy who did nothing before getting injured. Lacy is getting it done but not sure he wouldn't have been there in the third round.
The defense backs are thee worst in football period. The achiles heel of the packers.

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:44 am

I think your nuts. Funny the Packers seem to be picking at the bottom of each round. Would you rather they pick from the top? That would imply they suck every year and that would make you happy.

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Franklin Hillside's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:02 am

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4718859/the-value-of-ky...

Would you be in favor of, say, a Kyle Orton for 3 years, $10.5 million, and $5 million dollar signing bonus? Is that how you would prefer to manage the backup position?

You presented some interesting opinions above, CD. Respectfully, I think your casual use of "washed up" is projection and unwarranted without a much larger sample size.

Go, Pack. And go, Wallace. ;)

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:13 am

Dallas is 30 mil over the cap going into next year and if they cut Orton they'll be eating dead money in cap space.

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Morgan Mundane's picture

November 10, 2013 at 09:22 am

Good issue but the other problemo is, Ted bet on the cum so to speak with the O line. Why draft a qualtiy guy/s in the first two rounds to protect my franchise guy?
I have Bulaga coming back from hip surgery, Sherrod is ready to go, we have Newhouse so were good. We can get some cleanup people in the later rounds to develop.
Ya Ted how is that working for you. Those cleanup guys got your QB killed. The season may be lost. We did get a Datone Jones guy who may in a few years be average.

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denniseckersley's picture

November 10, 2013 at 10:08 am

The packers have always had really solid backup quarterbacks (Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, Craig Nall, Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn), so I don't really understand how you can insinuate that Favre's durability has caused Green Bay/Thompson to take the backup position for granted; they've almost always been prepared just in case. It wasn't really until last year that we were unprepared (and everyone knew that....obviously the front office tried several different things to fix the issue this offseason). It's just unfortunate that when our starting QB finally goes down, it's during a time when we're really unprepared at the backup position.

However, the huge strides we've made in the running game (and at the RB position) compensate well for our vulnerability at backup QB. If we had a strong backup QB with our poor rushing attacks from years past, I don't know if we'd be better off than we are now.

And without Cobb, Finley, Bulaga, and a healthier Jones, I'm not sure even the best backup QB in the league could succeed in our offense. Just because Rodgers can cover up these injuries, doesn't mean anyone else can, especially a backup.

So no, I don't really blame our current situation on Ted Thompson.

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UP-Packer's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:33 am

CD has hit the nail on the head. And there's nothing wrong with directing the responsibility toward the person who has the responsibility ----TT.

Personally, I'd love to know what Mac's true feelings are about the back-up QB spot. If Mac were calling the personnel moves for the Pack, I doubt we'd be on our 4th QB half-way through the season. (Harrell, BJ, Vince, Wallace)

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UP-Packer's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:35 am

Colt would sure look good coming out of the tunnel in G&amp;G today.

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4thand1's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:42 am

Then why has no one else looked at Colt? Because he sucks , that's why. I hope Rodgers gets really involved on the sidelines today.

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UP-Packer's picture

November 10, 2013 at 11:55 am

Do you even have a clue?

Colt McCoy is the back-up QB for the '49'ers. He has been since April. --- Why do you think GB ended up with Wallace &amp; Tolzien?

Try again.

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larry valdes's picture

November 10, 2013 at 02:51 pm

The problems is not only the back up qb the worst is the defence last week they couldn't hold the beaars back up and this week the secondary is a shame every new that we needed a safety help but Thompson refuse to sign any body.

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larry valdes's picture

November 10, 2013 at 07:18 pm

The problem goes a lot fader than a back up qb the defense is terrible last game. Against the bears we were up and we couldn't hold them and today the tackle was terrible and matweus playing with one hand and being hold and the one who didn't see it was the refere 5 feet from the play .

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Pack66's picture

November 11, 2013 at 01:58 pm

Hey, face it. Tee Tee should sign Favre if you want to win, but he won't. Last time I checked, backup QB was a part of the team and to try and argue that TT has no culpability in it is laughable, and quite a bit sycophantic.

The Packers won one SB with Thompson and Rodgers, and that's going to be it.

Favre wouldn't left the game with such a minor injury that the soft Arod has..

I'm going to enjoy watching the Pack crash and burn the rest of the year and miss the SB again, and all of the tee tee wee wee apologists will climb out of the wood work. Expect this trend to happen year after year after year...

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

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pooch's picture

November 11, 2013 at 05:01 pm

I would say problem is coaching not draft picks,i mean really,the defense was putrid,are our defensive coaches that bad? Those 3 pass plays were inexcusable and perry (db coach) or who ever needs to be held accountable.D line other than Jones could only apply pressure?? I sat and watched and all I could say is were the fu-- ing is the pressure. Think this falls more on defense,remember Minnesota scored late defense couldn't close,bears and now Eagles,Cinnic To???

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Longshanks's picture

November 12, 2013 at 02:47 am

"When it comes to properly handling the backup quarterback position, Thompson fell asleep at the wheel after Rodgers took over the starting job. The mess the Packers find themselves in right now falls squarely at the feet of the general manager."

What mess Angeli? The Packers have now the best backup situation in all of football with Tolzein and Flynn.

I think you owe everyone an apology for jumping the gun with this article. I told you that you should have waited. You mess with the bull and you'll get the horns!! That's what you get for insulting me and Ted Thompson!!

Longshanks

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Mel's picture

November 12, 2013 at 09:42 am

What is a guy to do. Cause clearly TT is picking only the crappiest QBs cause yes every team other then the packers has a great QB and a solid backup right... Wrong.. look across the border in minnesota three qbs and none can play. Jags. Bills, the list goes on and on. The only reason McCown looks any good for the bears is he had an hour to throw agianst us.. A couple teams have backups who can get the job done but majority of the league have a starter and average at best after that..

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