I don't care what Barnwell says. Check the bios for these guys. They got their starts and earned their chops under Wolf long before TT took the reins. When TT says, "we're just doing what Ron Wolf taught
us", that's not just false modesty.
Barnwell obliquely makes this point, contradicting himself somewhat by saying, "Reggie McKenzie (Oakland) and John Schneider (Seattle)
emanating from the same Green Bay scouting department that birthed Thompson. That department,
under the auspices of legendary personnel man Ron Wolf...."
McKenzie started in scouting with Wolf in 1994 only two years after TT started in scouting...11 years under Wolf before TT took the reins. Enough said there.
Dorsey started in scouting with Wolf in 1991, a year before TT. He was Director of Player Personnel in Seattle for Holmgren as far back as 1999.
Schneider got his start in scouting over 20 years ago. He spent about 10 years working for Wolf polishing his trade, then went off to Cleveland. By the time he came back to the Packers he was already an established, well regarded personnel man. While Schneider is much younger than TT, he started in scouting in 1993 at age 22,
one year after TT.
TT didn't get started until 1992 at age 39.
All of these guys are TT's
professional contemporaries, not his products.
TT doesn't have a tree yet. Ironically, the highest guy on his sapling is Eliot Wolf. Other than Ball, you have to go down to the area scout level to find a player personnel guy that TT has hired.
TT's mentoring legacy will eventually reside with some of the guys who are currently in the personnel department, not the guys who have already left. Even then, most of the guys who were recently promoted up to the front office from the scouting ranks were Wolf hires.