Cory's Corner: Thompson Wasn't Wolf, But Still Great

It still baffles me that there people that cannot stand former Packers general manager Ted Thompson. 

Green Bay’s 13-year GM was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame on Saturday night — and rightfully so. Thompson was very good at getting diamonds in the rough and he had a very successful run with eight straight playoff seasons. 

Thompson was an outstanding Packers GM. The Packers were 125-82-1 during the regular season and 10-8 in the playoffs during his time in the big chair. 

But is Thompson the best Packers general manager? No way. That honor goes to Ron Wolf, simply because Wolf had to build up the current Packers success from nothing. Before Wolf was the Packers GM in 1992, Green Bay had two playoff appearances dating back to 1968. And Wolf got things going quickly by signing the franchise’s biggest free agent in his second year on the job — Reggie White. 

Don’t get me wrong, I think what Thompson did was incredible. He had the courage to draft Aaron Rodgers at 24. Many say that Rodgers fell to the Packers in 2005, which wouldn’t be wrong, but let’s not forget that Brett Favre wasn’t waffling yet either. Thompson made a pick that he knew wouldn’t be popular but would set the franchise up for the future and is still paying dividends to this day. 

Even though Thompson was tasked with picking up the pieces following the four-year Mike Sherman debacle, the groundwork from Wolf was still in place. 

But that doesn’t mean that Thompson didn’t have his issues. The entire Favre-Rodgers drama was enough to make anyone’s head spin and he made the right choice by going with the young upstart over the fading veteran. And yes, Thompson has been exposed in the first round with Justin Harrell (2007), Derek Sherrod (2011), Nick Perry (2012), Datone Jones (2013) and Damarious Randall (2015). Wolf also had first round misses. Don’t forget about Terrell Buckley (1992), Ross Verba (1997) and Antuan Edwards (1999). 

Thompson owned the fourth round with guys like David Bakhtiari and Mike Daniels — two guys that will one day join Thompson in the Packers Hall of Fame. Thompson amazingly even got Corey Linsley in the sixth round. 

Thompson will always get criticized because his Packers didn’t win more. That’s a fair criticism — especially in 2009 when Green Bay was top 7 in offensive and defensive points and yards. Not even the championship team of 2010 was that complete. 

But Thompson has been great and his legacy deserves to be remembered. You can nitpick about what could’ve been or might’ve been, but under Thompson the Packers notched eight double-digit winning seasons in 13 years. That’s pretty special for a week-to-week league. 

 

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__________________________

Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn

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3 points
 

Comments (85)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Coldworld's picture

May 07, 2019 at 06:48 am

Time will help people appreciate TT when he was operating at full intensity.

The latter part of his reign leaves too many current issues in the forefront of people’s minds. That makes it hard for people to appreciate his impact before that.

Appreciation is not helped by the perhaps understandable reticence on the part of the team to explain what was going on after around 2014, but it seems clear that TT was increasingly not the driving force. That clouds his legacy today because we are still digging out from the mistakes of that era.

4 points
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Rak43's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:04 pm

Ted was fantastic his first 6 to 7 years on the job making tough decision to form a Championship caliber roster. But as good as he was his first 6-7 years he was just as bad over the final half of his career. I never have and never will give him too much credit for drafting AR. After all he had a 36 year old QB who kept waffling on retirement and the best QB prospect in the draft fell right into his lap at 24 thanks to McCarthy's preference for Alex Smith. Ted never even scouted Rodgers, it wasn't until Mike Mayock mocked Rodgers to GB the week before the draft and broke down how and why it could happen that Ted realized that Rodgers could get to him. He was out thought and guided by Mayock. If Ted thought AR was going to be special he would've traded up for him like he did CM3 and Spriggs, right? But Ted had no clue, he just knew he was going to have to find a replacement for Favre soon and a Gem fell in his lap out of the sky. He rolled the dice and got LUCKY not risking anything more than a late first rounder for a chance to get Favre's replacement. Once again, Ted has admitted he never even scouted Rodgers or brought him in for a visit because he thought there would be absolutely no way Rodgers would fall to 24.
To sum up TT time in GB to me is like if I married your Sister for 13 years and treated her like a queen for the first half our marriage and had a beautiful child [our SB] but then mentally emotionally destroyed her the last half the marriage. After the divorce would you be telling people how great a husband I was and how I deserved to be on your family's wall of fame?
To me he was well above average the first half of his time in GB and below average over the second half. Put both halves together and it equals average for his entire time in GB. Ask yourself this! Do you think an average GM could win at least one SB in 13 year with Favre and Rodgers as his QB's? How many do you think Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese would've won? How about Schneider and Carroll or Casserly and Gibbs with these two Hof QB's?

7 points
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GBPDAN1's picture

May 08, 2019 at 07:44 am

He belongs in the PHOF for the SB he brought to GB. However, I just can't shake off the fact that there should have been 2 more SBs with Rodgers. Ted wasn't good the second half of his tenure. Horrible drafting, reluctant to supplement the roster with FA, bad personal moves, let MM and DC stay to long.

0 points
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dobber's picture

May 08, 2019 at 08:56 am

TT failed to adapt with the league after the new CBA came into place in 2011. As FA became increasingly available and important in team-building (and the league embraced it more and more) with the changes in rookie salary structure that pushed more money into the veteran pool, TT doubled down on the draft and UDFAs.

Is this any kind of definitive or heavily researched take on how he managed the team? No...but if you look at TTs effectiveness and the strength of the roster, the issues all seems to coincide with the start of the new CBA.

2 points
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KnockTheSnotOutOfYou's picture

May 07, 2019 at 06:52 am

TT belongs in the PHOF!

However, we all know TT did not use all the tools in his toolbox to create a dynasty. He dropped the ball and did not keep up with the times handicapping the team while Bilichick had it figured out. If TT used FA what could have been? Frustrating!

-1 points
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RCPackerFan's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:04 am

Thompson was a really good GM. We should appreciate what he did for us. When he first came in he turned the entire team around. He added a lot of talent and had enough talent to win the Super Bowl.

In his very first draft he drafted 2 should have been hall of famers with his first 2 picks. Rodgers and Nick Collins. Unfortunately Collins suffered a career ending injury, but he was on his way towards becoming a Hall of Fame level of player. He also brought in Charles Woodson who many at the time really didn't even want. Woodson then turned his career around in GB and became a Hall of Fame player.Thompson added a lot of really good players throughout the years.

In the end Thompson's career just about Mirrors Wolf's career. Both added Hall of Fame level QB's. Both added a Hall of Fame Defensive player. They each had teams win 1 super bowl and were close to in others.

Hopefully Gutekunst is next in line!

5 points
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D.D.Driver's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:09 pm

They were both great GMs and I agree that in some ways they are mirror images of each other. What's interesting is many of the criticisms of Thompson are true of Wolf. For example, we all know it was a mistake to let Heyward walk. But it was even worse for Wolf to let Bryce Paup walk and then immediately watch Paup become the **DPOY for the Bills**. But this was an era when expectations were low and there weren't 10,000 sports blogs ripping every wrong move. So we tend to gloss over the warts on Wolf's resume.

At the end of the day, both GMs acquired HOF QBs, anchored the defense with a HOF free agent acquisition, and won a single SB.

(As an aside, can you *imagine* the blog reaction in 2019 of letting a player leave in FA and then watching him become DPOY?!)

8 points
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Rossonero's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:21 am

Much respect is due to Ted. I don't know if anyone saw his Packers HOF induction ceremony, but he got a loud ovation after his speech. You can find it on YouTube.

Did Ted frustrate me? Sure, especially his drafts in later years.

However, he made some fantastic choices as others and Corey noted. I'm grateful he was on our side and made the painful, but necessary choice to switch from Favre to Rodgers. He was quiet, unassuming and humble. He liked showing his cards about as much as he liked free agency, but when he did sign someone, he made some big splashes with Woodson and Peppers.

6 points
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Dzehren's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:27 am

TT was excellent at finding WR’s In the early rounds and offensive lineman in the later rounds. TT had an eye for those position groups.

5 points
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jeremyjjbrown's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:34 am

When I think of TT I just try to remember that 2010 team.

TT had his ups and downs, but he brought a decade of beating the Bears so he did his job.

4 points
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Roadrunner23's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:41 am

Ted Thompson "the frugal old White-hair" should be commended for the job he did. He kept the Packers in contention and drafted well up until the last few years when his health seemed to be an issue.

Mark Murphy should have stepped in several years earlier to relieve him of his duties as GM when it was obvious to most that Ted was no longer able to handle the big chair. This led to a couple of horrible drafts that left the Packers bereft of depth in many positions.

The frustrating part as fans was the fact that Thompson was painfully shy and had an aversion to the media and of course his stubborn refusal to sign key free agents in his later years as GM.

All in all it was a very good run and he should be remembered as an upstanding gentleman and one of the better GM's the Packers have had (not the best) and one that always kept the Packers best interests in mind. He left the Packers in good hands financially as well as in the front office. Ted Thompsaon is well deserving of the honor of being in the Packer HOF.

Thanks Ted

2 points
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Handsback's picture

May 07, 2019 at 07:47 am

TT had a very dry sense of humor that I enjoyed. I think he used it to mask his lack of comfort when being interviewed. His last few years weren't as good as it should have been and he has been criticized and even demoted for it. None of that takes away his eye for talent and his early years of drafting. While Green Bay was picking in the high 20s, he still managed to find a few nuggets, but at the end not enough.
Hope he can live out the rest of life in peace.

4 points
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johngalt's picture

May 07, 2019 at 09:08 am

The language we use today has a tendency to be toward the extreme-the first paragraph illustrates this. I thought that overall- TT did a good job. His earlier years were by far his best. I do think it was time for him to go though, but I wouldn’t say I couldn’t stand him. He seemed super knowledgeable, and focused, but also stubborn and distant. Not sure why people would go “top shelf” and say they can’t stand him. That’s a bit extreme. It’s also not hard to understand why this guy could be so frustrating at times.

4 points
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cuervo's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:08 am

Wolf and TT operated in two completely different environments with different free agent rules, practice rules, etc. The worst thing Wolf ever did was making Sherman the coach and GM.....something that is seemingly glossed over when discussing his resume and is still baffling to this day. (I have my own opinion of why and it's not flattering)

We've been lucky to have Wolf, TT, and now Gute. When you see how some other teams GM's operate, makes you realize just how lucky we've been.

5 points
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ILPackerBacker's picture

May 07, 2019 at 12:35 pm

except this didn't happen

just like most of the teddites fail to see how one person bailed out years of terrible roster management, a total lack of free agent use outside call outs by HOF qbs and a vivid inability to tell which NFL calibeer players were worth keeping

He was just a college scout

-5 points
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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 08:50 am

Woodson, Picket, Peppers, Cook

3 points
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Johnblood27's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:27 pm

Wolf didn't give Sherman the GM role.

That was Bob Harlan.

A mistake which Harlan fixed by hiring TT.

TT's great years came under the Harlan watch.

Under MMurphy not so much. Hmmmmmm???

2 points
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GoldenRetriever's picture

May 07, 2019 at 11:09 pm

And don’t forget that Wolf hired Ray Rhodes as HC to replace Mike Holmgren. Not a brilliant choice.

3 points
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Lare's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:12 am

As Ted said himself, I think he was a lot better as a scout than he was as a GM. He and McCarthy were blessed with some pretty good QBs throughout their tenure in Green Bay and the debate will always be whether they should have won more Super Bowls during that time than they did.

Having lived as a Packers fan during the 70s and 80s I think we're all a little spoiled with all the success over the last 15 years or so. That was due to the efforts of a number of people in the Packers organization including Thompson & McCarthy.

3 points
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Johnblood27's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:30 pm

BOB HARLAN.

Bob Harlan has been the second most important man in the history of the GBP behind only Earl "Curly" Lambeau.

Not even Lombardi did as much for the GBP franchise as Bob Harlan did.

Pick up a copy of the book "Green and Golden Moments" to relive a historically factual account of the making of the "modern era" GBP franchise, all under the guidance of one Bob Harlan.

3 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:38 pm

If you called his office he would chat with you ,if he had the time. The sherman move was his only major black mark. He gave the keys to the car to both his GMs.

0 points
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Spock's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:49 am

"It still baffles me that there people that cannot stand former Packers general manager Ted Thompson." I don't believe this over-the-top statement. What baffles ME is your headline: "Thompson Wasn't Wolf, But Still Great". The man was just voted into the Packers hall of fame and this headline, with it's "disclaimer", stating the Wolf is better than Thompson argument doesn't belong here today. I think most, if not all, Packers fans probably agree with this comment but why put it in at all? TT stands on his own merits and rehashing the Wolf/TT comparison NOW seems IMHO to be a bit tacky. Just my two cents. One wonders if the MM coached teams hadn't made the playoff mistakes that prevented the Packers from going to another Super Bowl whether the perception of TT wouldn't be a lot different. He DID provide the personnel (his job) and it was Coaching (and player mistakes) -not drafting- that resulted in those losses. Could he have done better? Sure, but I'm damn proud we had him at the helm for the early days! Congratulations to him for a well deserved honor.

6 points
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fastmoving's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:07 pm

you also can take Corys Headline "he was no Wolf" as that he did things his own way. another way than Wolf.
And Im not so sure if Wolf was "better". All stats say "No". Different, but not better if you ask me.
TT wasnt kind of way more shy than Wolf and that must not be a bad thing.

1 points
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Spock's picture

May 08, 2019 at 06:42 am

fastmoving,
You put that "Better" than me! I agree with "Different" -and equally as successful GM's. Well stated.

0 points
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4thand1's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:51 am

In the end draft and develop and lack of FA signings did TT in.

-3 points
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Leatherhead's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:59 pm

In the end, draft and develop and not making big mistakes in free agency got us to the championship game 4 times in 10 years.

4 points
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porupack's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:53 am

Good for the GB HOF ceremony to respect TT, despite the growing critics (me included) in the latter part of his career.
Nice job Cory to mention his contributions and respectfully noting the shortcomings.

Finding diamonds in the rough was as much about increasing the chances; 'number of at-bats', but trading down, or acquiring comp picks. It was a sound strategy (and he mastered the number of chances with some impressive results at times), but the weakness in trading down is fewer chances at high probability prospects.
The perception is that TT had a lower than average success rate in first 2 rounds and higher than average success in finding diamonds in 4th -6th round and UDFA. Seems about right, but difficult to make a compelling case either way based on any stats pro or against TT. In the end...its probably just a person's bias.

He deserves credit.

1 points
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Since'61's picture

May 07, 2019 at 09:23 am

Overall TT was an excellent GM for the Packers, especially from 2005 - 2011. In some respects he was a victim of his own success (8 consecutive playoff appearances) because this resulted in having late first round picks for nearly every season.

His trade ups were not always great either trading up for Spriggs and Hundley come to mind. Entire draft classes are gone from the 2012 - 2015 seasons leaving the Packers with few veterans to form a core for the current season(s). Releasing Cullen Jenkins, Hayward and Hyde weakened the defense at the respective times. He left positions (Safety, TE, ILB, CB, RB) with second and third level players for far too long.

TTs reluctance to utilize FAs while leaving cap space on the table was always disappointing to me. 8 straight playoffs is nice but in how many of those seasons would an experienced FA or 2 made a difference in playoff seeding possibly resulting in another One or two SB appearance and another one or two Lombardi trophies?

TT deserves the Packers HOF but will he join Ron Wolf, who was already an NFL legend before he arrived in GB, in the NFL HOF? Wolf was part of 3 SB winning teams, TT just one. Time will tell. Thanks, Since ‘61

1 points
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D.D.Driver's picture

May 07, 2019 at 03:07 pm

"Releasing Cullen Jenkins, Hayward and Hyde weakened the defense at the respective times."

Did Thompson *release* any of these players?

"8 straight playoffs is nice but in how many of those seasons would an experienced FA or 2 made a difference in playoff seeding possibly resulting in another One or two SB appearance and another one or two Lombardi trophies?"

Nobody knows. Signing Reggie White and Sean Jones and Santana Dotson et al. resulted in how many Super Bowl wins?

3 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:42 pm

Yes, Thompson did not resign these players who went on to probowl seasons. They had the money. It was the start of his misses like selecting a basketball player with a two pick.

0 points
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Leatherhead's picture

May 07, 2019 at 10:33 am

Thompson was better, and more successful, than the guy he replaced. My personal opinion is that won’t be true of Gutekunst.

-3 points
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Demon's picture

May 07, 2019 at 11:32 am

If you meant that Thompson was better than Mike Sherman I would agree with you Old School. If you are referring to Ron Wolfe. No way!

Wolfe took a team that was pretty much a laughing stock and built a champion. Players didnt want to play there and coaches didnt want to coach there either. He laid the foundation in scouting and player procurement that TT followed. I dont see that its even close. Ron Wolfe was not only better, he was much better.

Someone said that the big mistake Wolfe made was hiring Mike Sherman as coach and GM. Wolfe hired Sherman as coach. It was Bob Harlan that gave Sherman coach and GM duties.
The biggest mistake was hiring Ray Rhodes as coach. However he also realized it wasnt a good fit and removed him after one season.

If for no other reason , Wolfe was more successful due to his team appearing in 1 more superbowl. Albeit a loss.

1 points
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Leatherhead's picture

May 07, 2019 at 11:39 am

Thompson replaced Sherman.

Lambeau. Lombardi. Wolf. Thompson. In that order, imo.

0 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:44 pm

Jack Vainisi was the guy who scouted and picked Lombardi's great players.

1 points
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Leatherhead's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:03 am

Vainisi was instrumental, no doubt. But he died in 1960.

1 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

May 07, 2019 at 11:13 am

TT was considered a very good GM for the first half of his tenure when the draft success he had made the team we believed would be a dynasty with the 2011 SB victory.. His failure to make the needed FA acquisition and failure to retain certain players undid all that was believed to and forced Packer fans to accept Divisional Championships as success and even more disturbing was doing so while having the assumed best QB of all time emerging.

If most would admit that since that SB win and the following season where that 15-1 team had us celebrating a back to back SB wins which ended abruptly with a one and done ass kicking that had the team looking like the Sherman era dolts, everything TT did had fans scratching their heads but blindly chanting the famous ' IN TED WE TRUST ' mantra like the well brainwashed blind optimist most became and seen slowly but surely the team of a new dynasty fall further and further away from any semblance of that dream, which proved to become a nightmarish ' REALITY.'

TT undid all he achieved after that SB win and the erased all fear of that 15-1 team the moment after that playoff loss to the Giants and we'v been looking up ever since.Sure, some will point out the 2014 playoff fiasco against Seattle as a team that would have won if it didn't lose, but there's usually a spike of adrenaline in all who fight before death arrives and death arrived for GB that game. Still, the blind optimist chanted ' In Ted We Trust ' but it was met with opposition which proved to be right.

The awarding and accepting of HOF placement is losing some of it's luster via the diluting of what truly is great. TT won a SB so placing him in the Packer HOF seems appropriate but having won only one SB with what the entire NFL league believed to be the dynasty of the decade, to become if one has the nerve to say it aloud, the joke of the decade just above the actual jokes of the league and only because of expectations were met better than the other jokers.

With respect to Thompson, he would not be honored this way but would be talked about only when memory dictates that one season be mentioned, since he really only gave you one of what should have been many great ones. The fact is the team succeeded, if success in the word, more in spite of him than because of him and perhaps some of the tarnish placed on McCarthy and even Capers could be removed and placed more on TT because of what he did and didn't do for the team but to the team.

-4 points
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Since'61's picture

May 07, 2019 at 12:09 pm

Taryn, a spot on post as usual on your part. Given TTs deteriorating health after 2014 I must wonder why Murphy did not move Ted aside after the 2015 season and/or definetly after 2016. Or why TT did not step down in his own. He was clearly having trouble with his press conferences from 2015 on.

Murphy allowed him to remain as GM to the detriment of the team and to TTs health.

As for MM he did the best he could with an increasingly inferior and injured roster which a declining TT provided him with. Someday, somehow Murphy should be held accountable for his 3 years of dallying with "Titletown" while his football team declined into mediocrity. of all the characters who played a part only Murphy remains. Why should that be? Thanks, Since '61

3 points
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ILPackerBacker's picture

May 07, 2019 at 12:13 pm

Why wasn't thompson accountable for his health and how it affected his job?

0 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:47 pm

No excuses for McCarthy. He was given SB level rosters and he did not get the job done.

-3 points
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Since'61's picture

May 07, 2019 at 09:16 pm

Besides 2010 and 2014 when did MM have an SB level roster? Even in 2010 Rodgers played nearly perfectly in the 6-0 SB run.

The 2014 team was probably MMs best team. But again they were a player or 2 short especially on the defense. Even then if Rodgers is 100% healthy in the NFCCG the Packers win that game. However if TT dipped into FA the Packers win another game or 2 during the regular season and they play at home against Seattle.

MM had his flaws no doubt but he had only one, maybe 2 SB rosters at the most (2010 & 2014). Since starting 2015 at 6-0 the Packers regular season record is 27-30-1. Even including the 6-0 the Packers are 33-30-1 over their last 4 seasons. Not exactly a dominating SB team. 2012 & 2013 were injury plagued seasons and 2011 we had an all-time offense with a very bad defense. Thanks, Since '61

0 points
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flackcatcher's picture

May 09, 2019 at 04:43 pm

'61, Murphy's actions since 2014 are open to question since Thompson himself told Murphy it was time for him to go in 2016.( and to be honest, it was Ted who push Murphy to begin the GM search in 2015.) TT was above all else extremely loyal to the organization. What we do not know is why Murphy kept Thompson on when Ted himself thought fresh blood was needed. The Greed Bay packers above all, is a tightly controlled organization, but what happen last year was amazing, and not in a good way for Mark Murphy. Ted Thompson was a great GM, we fans will see his greatness as time rolls by.

0 points
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Samson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:30 pm

Hate to say it, but, take away AR & TT would have never had a long "GM Career" in GB. .... TT did make some good choices but his aversion to tapping the FA market was completely unacceptable. --- The last two losing seasons are on TT & MM.

Thanks to both TT & MM for their service but .......for me, I'm thrilled that Gute & MLF are now running the show.

0 points
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dobber's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:34 pm

Who knows? The ARod pick changes everything, and before ARod played any meaningful snaps, they had a 13-3 season. So hard to predict what roster construction might have looked like absent #12.

1 points
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Samson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 01:42 pm

Your glass is more than 1/2 full if you have the QB position being manned by a future HOFer. --- If an NFL team has a rotating list of starting QBs, the chances of success are greatly diminished.

That 13-3 season was also a HOF QB. --- The regime of TT/MM blew it big-time.

1 points
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PeteK's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:54 pm

How many SB did Brees win?

0 points
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dobber's picture

May 07, 2019 at 06:52 pm

Their half-full glass last year amounted to 6-9-1.

2 points
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D.D.Driver's picture

May 07, 2019 at 03:17 pm

But its not just the Rodgers "pick." It was having the guts to move on from Favre. I'm not sure many other GMs would have have the stones. And, then Thompson gave Rodgers a big extension in Rodgers first year as a starter, which was widely second-guessed as way too premature.

Frankly, I find the whole Thompson-Just-Got-Lucky-With-Rodgers to be complete fake news.

2006: Thompson is an arrogant idiot for letting a first ballot HOF QB leave.
2019: Thompson was just "lucky" that Rodgers fell in his lap.

**Rolls Eyes**

3 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

May 07, 2019 at 03:57 pm

TT made a gutsy call with Favre and no doubt that TT had to have somebody screaming in his ear to take Rodgers who may have seen the writing on the wall in regards to both favre and Rodgers. TT had some awesome picks in the early drafts and nobody can deny it but what isn't deniable is what he failed to get us over the full tenor as GM.

It's what he failed to do after the 2012 season to maintain what was achieved in 2010-11 seasons with one ending in a SB and another a 15-1 one and done team that came back flat after a 3 week hiatus...a mistake that proved more detrimental then many accept.

If one believes that any of the success after those seasons came because of Rodgers then one must accept the fact that TT was the flat head screwdriver trying to tighten up a star head screw and stripped it.

TT by virtue of having a SB victory gets him in the PHOF, but winning only one with the QB he had all those years can be used as easily against placing in the PHOF for robbing us of what could have been a NE type decade and possibly 4 more SB wins.

Thankfully the TT era is over and hopefully the Gute/LaFleur New Culture Era is better and quickly because time, no matter how much one denies it, is running out on Rodgers. If we are to believe in this new era, Rodgers and LaFleur need to make a statement this season, one that speaks aloud that the Pack is Back...taking names and kicking ass to a SB victory in the second season and not later than sooner.

-1 points
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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 08:36 am

Marino-0 , Favre-1, Brees-1, Manning -2 (with Denver 143 yds, Miller MVP) a great QB does not guarantee SB wins.

1 points
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Archie's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:35 am

Letting MM and Dom Capers stay so longer was part of TT's undoing as well. That and a lot missed high draft picks, increasingly so as he lost his top scouting department people. The man was stubborn to a fault, letting valuable players leave and not replacing them through the draft or free agency, always saying we like who we got. There was never any sense of urgency. Finally time ran out on him, then on Capers, then on MM. The only guy left standing is AR. Can the new front office brains resurrect AR's career? I like the way they have started. We have a real DC now and he has a young and hungry defense loaded with talent. That's something TT was unable to do once he lost Collins and Woodson. Now we turn our attention to offense. First thing he does is get two Gs and a 3rd one comes back on his own. Throw in a TE and RB that look to be partial solutions going forward. He doesn't know yet how his young WRs will develop so he gave them another year to show what they are capable of. At pick 44 there must not have been an OT he liked better than Jenkins so he took the G. Maybe Taylor will play OT if Bulaga goes down. Maybe Spriggs will look like a different guy in this offense. Next draft he will add a top player at both OT and WR. In three years he will have rebuilt the team around AR and plug all the holes. After that, it's the coaches and the guys on the field who will determine their own fate.

This being the first year for the new offense scheme and HC, maybe we don't fire right away. But by season's end, we will and there will be great anticipation for 2020 season. If Rodgers gets back to the SB, it will 2020 and/or 2021. By 2022 he will be approaching 40 and unless Gutey has turned the Pack into a machine, it will be time to spend a R1 pick on a QB.

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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:50 pm

He selected Brian Brohm in the second round, so would indicate the type of guy he would bring in as QB. Flynn beat him out.

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Johnblood27's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:43 pm

Mike Sherman coached teams were not Dolts.

Mike Sherman was a pretty good coach, not so much as a GM.

Other than losing control of Favre in his last season as coach Sherman did an admirable job for the GBP.

Lets not get stoopid here.

There have been many factual errors in the diatribe written in this comments section concerning who did what when and who was responsible for what at which time.

It pains me to see Packer "fans" so out of touch with the reality of the history of their favorite team.

BTW, Derrick Sherrod was not a 1st round bust. He sustained a very serious injury that precluded him from achieving his potential as an NFL football player. I have said it before and I will say it again here. It was all Marshall Newhouse's fault. The guy that barreled into Sherrods legs from behind was a missed assignment from the other side of the line where Newhouse was supposed to block him. The guy came tearing around the edge and dove after the QB who stepped up and the guy went flying into the back of Sherrods legs while he was indeed blocking his man.

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TarynsEyes's picture

May 07, 2019 at 05:02 pm

Sherman won 3 Division Titles, one second place and one no playoffs and was ousted in the playoffs in wildcard games twice and Division rounds twice with a HOF QB. Thankfully the Division was still just a stepping stone as like under TT with Rodgers otherwise, even those Division Titles and playoff games may have been fewer. Nothing like having a guaranteed 5-6 wins in the pocket each season.

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jannes bjornson's picture

May 07, 2019 at 08:52 pm

Sherman went from the pros to the high school league on a downward spiral. Terrible coach. Now he's working the circuit in the Canadian League.

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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 08:38 am

Texas A & M

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Leatherhead's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:06 am

I remember when people said Favre was worth 5 wins all by himself. Then we went 4-12.

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ILPackerBacker's picture

May 07, 2019 at 12:15 pm

Truer words were never spoken?
From the mouths of babes?
Pretty much everything?

It still baffles me that ...

Matches up well with Thompson saying "I am just a scout" because that equally insightful, brilliant and accurate. thompson was just a scout. He had no business trying to be a GM and no business around existing NFL players.

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Leatherhead's picture

May 07, 2019 at 02:02 pm

That probably explains why his peers voted him Executive of the Year.

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Johnblood27's picture

May 07, 2019 at 04:47 pm

you missed the L between the L and the P.

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PeteK's picture

May 07, 2019 at 05:02 pm

Besides White , what other free agents did Wolf sign. Tread lightly with free agency. Even when his health was deteriorating he had a very good 2017 draft Clark ,Fackrel, Martinez, Lowry. Put that in your pipe TT haters. It's absurd that we're even debating how great he was. Some of you just don't pay attention to what goes on around the league.

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D.D.Driver's picture

May 07, 2019 at 05:15 pm

Sean Jones, Eugene Robinson, Mike Prior, Santana Dotson. He definitely had some good pick ups.

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Johnblood27's picture

May 07, 2019 at 11:55 pm

Bruce Wilkenson, Dorsey Levens, Keith Jackson, Andre Rison...

Wolf was not afraid to roll the dice

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D.D.Driver's picture

May 08, 2019 at 06:50 am

Not to be pedantic, but Levens was a draft pick, Jackson was a acquired in a trade for a second round pick, and Rison was a waiver wire claim.

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Leatherhead's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:07 am

Hardy Nickerson, Joe Johnson,...

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Johnblood27's picture

May 09, 2019 at 01:52 pm

Both Mike Sherman signings...

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Since'61's picture

May 08, 2019 at 08:55 am

In terms of paying attention the 4 players you mentioned were all drafted in 2016. That was the year TT traded up to get Spriggs. Kyle Murphy is gone already and Trevor Davis is hanging on.

The difference maker in the 2016 Draft class has been Kenny Clark. We added 3 pass rushers in this off season who will all play ahead of Fackrell.
Lowry is a rotational player and Martinez makes plenty of tackles but doesn't make a difference.

The difference between Wolf and TT is that Wolf used every approach to acquire better players to improve the team. Free Agency, trades, drafts, etc.. Remember he not only signed Reggie White he traded a #1 pick for Brett Favre. He also hired Mike Holmgren as Head Coach. Other posters have previously mentioned some of his other moves. Wolf's team from 1995 - 1998 would beat TTs team head to head and it wouldn't be a close game. In 1996 the Packers were #1 in offense and #1 on defense. They went 13-3 in '96 and '97. Most importantly Wolf took the Packers from obscurity and returned them to relevance again in the NFL.
Thanks, Since '61

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D.D.Driver's picture

May 08, 2019 at 10:13 am

Oh come on. They BOTH used all avenues: its just a question of how much of each avenue.

And you are looking at the 90s through rose colored glasses. If you held Wolf up to the same level of scrutiny as everyone rakes Thompson over coals, I'm not sure he would come out looking great. Wolf had Favre and arguably THE GREATEST DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF ALL TIME and came away with how many Super Bowls? That's right, just one.

Wolf let Paup (already a Pro Bowler) leave in free agency and then watched him become the NFL Defensive Player of the Year the very next season.

The only reason he hired Holmgren was because Parcels had health issues and didn't take the job. Then, Wolf hired Ray Rhodes and Mike Sherman. Then rode off in the sunset when the Packers were in decline. Ultimately leaving Thompson to clean up the mess five years later.

Every criticism you can make of Thompson is also true of Wolf. Nostalgia just won't permit you to remember.

People love to shit all over Thompson, but the cold hard fact is that the first offseason without him at the wheel the Packers got worse. That is just a cold hard (and uncomfortable) fact. In '17 the Packers were 7-9 while missing Rodgers most of the year. Last year the Packers were 6-9-1 and had Rodgers in the line up.

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dobber's picture

May 08, 2019 at 10:45 am

"People love to shit all over Thompson, but the cold hard fact is that the first offseason without him at the wheel the Packers got worse. "

2004 record 10-6 (Sherman's last season as GM)
2005 record 4-12 (TTs first season as GM)

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Leatherhead's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:11 am

That 4-12 record was largely because Favre was upset with the selection of Rodgers and proceeded to pout his way to 36 turnovers. 10 times we lost winnable games when Favre turned it over in the 4th quarter.

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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 12:55 pm

It's a difficult debate because their careers were very similar. They both started by getting the HOF QB.

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jannes bjornson's picture

May 08, 2019 at 05:39 pm

It didn't help with two probowl guards being shipped out by Ted.

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Leatherhead's picture

May 09, 2019 at 02:36 pm

Two guards we couldn't afford anymore because we were so tight against the cap. Wahle was due $10 million; Rivera signed with the Cowboys for $9 million.

That was the last time we had to watch good players leave because we couldn't afford to resign them. But that's where we're at again, now.

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D.D.Driver's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:25 am

Salary cap hell, my man. Salary cap hell. The Packers had to let go two starting offensive linemen and Darren Sharper just to squeeze under the cap. Apples and oranges. Gute took over a team that was in good cap condition and only missed the playoffs because the HOF QB was injured. There was no reason '18 couldn't have been a bounce back season. (In fact, the smart money in Vegas predicted that the 2018 would be a bounce back season....)

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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 01:04 pm

They did play the Rams and Pats in close games. However, after those early losses and some injuries the chickens came home to roost in the relationship between AR and MM. Forward we march with the makings of a very good defense. I haven't felt that way about our Packers D for a long time.

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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 01:20 pm

Since 61,Martinez, Lowry , and Fackrell would be scooped up quickly if they were free agents.

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Since'61's picture

May 08, 2019 at 04:00 pm

We’ll find out soon enough. Thanks, Since ‘61

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Johnblood27's picture

May 09, 2019 at 01:56 pm

...and MM will have a job before his feet leave 1265...

lol

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Leatherhead's picture

May 09, 2019 at 02:24 pm

Exactly. People love to trash our talent but virtually every player on our roster would be quickly signed by another team. Translation= these guys are legitimate NFL players in the opinion of the professionals who do this for a living and get paid for their judgements.

We are happy because we went out and spent money on free agents. Now we're going to see good players leaving the team because we can't afford them, because that's the flip side of free agency. And of course, some of the FAs we sign will be disappointments to people, like Jimmy Graham was this year to some.

Coins have two sides. They don't always come up heads.

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Archie's picture

May 08, 2019 at 09:06 am

TT lost me when he took AJ Hawk with the 5th overall pick in the draft. You had to be blind not to see where the NFL game was headed and how Hawk would be a dinosaur in that world. They guy was so limited athletically and it was on display for all he world to see at his Combine workout. The guy lacked the speed & fluidity to play in space and he certainly wasn't a tough take on the guy coming at him type. He was drafted 5 rounds too high. I could go on about another couple of dozed bone-head picks e.g., Brian Brohm but why bother. Bottom-line, Ted was way too inconsistent at finding talent. Of course his desperate effort to trade the Aaron Rodgers pick is a major stain on his record but proof that even a blind squirrel will find the nut every now and again.

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PeteK's picture

May 08, 2019 at 01:10 pm

He must be out of his mind then. You must of read through his draft picks as if you were reading a comic bk. LOl

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Leatherhead's picture

May 08, 2019 at 11:15 am

Yeah, Hawk sucked so bad he became our all time leading tackler. We should have taken Ernie Sims instead.

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jannes bjornson's picture

May 08, 2019 at 05:43 pm

You can have hawk, I'll stay with the guy Ted should have taken, Ngata, a Six time Allpro, 9 times pro bowler. The forums were on fire that day.

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Leatherhead's picture

May 09, 2019 at 04:12 pm

Yeah, hindsight is always 20/20. I remember the talk about Ngata was that he might have a problem with his motor. I remember the overwhelming sentiment that we NEEDED a linebacker.

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IceBowl's picture

May 10, 2019 at 07:28 pm

We seem to have some different opinions here.

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IceBowl's picture

May 09, 2019 at 04:06 pm

TT did the GBP Proud!!!

Show me a GM that doesn't miss on picks, and especially FA's. Some of you talk about FA's as guarantees. Look at how many FA's fail or are age related health risks. (Joe Johnson).

TT drafted 12 Pro Bowl players, and picked up 3 more as free agents. That's 15. Not bad in 13 years.

And some almost dismiss his drafting of ARod. Give me a break. That was epic!! A rookie GM, Favre still playing well, and other team needs. How many GM's draft QB's in the 1st rnd. that flop? MANY. A very gutsy call at the time, and then directing the GBP through the Favre retirement/not retirement drama. He did an excellent job in an almost impossible spot.

Perfect?? No. But if you can find the GBP a perfect GM, let us know.

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