Is it Thompson or is it Wolf?

[HardRightEdge]

TT cannot win with some people. He's terrible because he won't sign people, and when he signs people it isn't really him. I guess when you start with the conclusion, you find creative ways to get there regardless of the evidence.

What evidence?

 

[El Guapo]

That's a risky proposition though as the team would have been one injury away of having to start a completely inexperienced player. That hasn't worked out that well in the past at several positions that were perceived to have a lot of depth entering the season.

The NFL is all about risk, especially when you settle on your 53. You can't get to the top by playing it safe on all sides. You have to take calculated risks to get to the pinnacle, otherwise you stay somewhere just below.

 

[Dantés]

What evidence?

He's the general manager in charge of personnel decisions and the team is signing more free agents.

 

[HardRightEdge]

He's the general manager in charger of personnel decisions and the team is signing more free agents.

So, why THIS year?

 

[yooperpackfan]

He's the general manager in charger of personnel decisions and the team is signing more free agents.

I just don't see Thompson"s fingerprints on any of this.
Too much change of direction too fast.
Ted has proven over the years to be a plodder, letting weeknesses fester for years before he would take action.

 

[Dantés]

So, why THIS year?

The theory that I've posited is that as Rodgers gets older, he will be more willing to give up on the long term perceived upside of younger drafted players in favor of more instant impact free agents. And he also might worry less about having 100% cap flexibility in the long term in favor of handing out more money to veterans in the shorter term range.

Some of the beat writers have theorized that he views this season or the next two seasons as Super Bowl or bust years-- i.e. he thinks they're more ready than ever to make the push and he's willing to spend some money outside of his own players to augment that.

Both those theories are far, far more plausible than "TT must be getting supplanted behind the scenes." That idea just sounds like people have trashed TT for so long that they're unwilling or unable to give him some credit for loosening things up on the market.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I just don't see Thompson"s fingerprints on any of this.
Too much change of direction too fast.
Ted has proven over the years to be a plodder, letting weeknesses fester for years before he would take action.

Personally.......I am convinced that TT finally got the internet and he stumbled into this Forum and started reading and said to himself....."Now THOSE people know what they are talking about!"

 

[Mondio]

Like all things, i think it's a combination of things. Is Wolf having an effect on his decisions? Of course he is, just like every other person Ted keeps close to himself. He doesn't, and has never done any of this by himself. He obviously values Elliot's contributions or he wouldn't be promoted to where he is. BUT he does not make the decisions. I don't think it's even remotely likely that Ted has become just a name in this organization and he's been replaced by someone else behind the scenes. There is nothing about this organization that lends itself to operating in that manner. Sounds like something they'd do in Detroit or something. Any organization doing that is an organization that's a mess, and GB has been everything but that in the past decade. They are professional thru and thru and up front in their dealings. Players may have their opinions, but one constant I've always heard in the past 10 years is, with GB, they're up front with how they're dealing with you. I highly doubt they treat the GM or any of the staff any differently.

A team has to go thru ebb's flows, changes in rosters. I'm pretty sure Ted knows this. He's not oblivious to how these things work. I don't think he see's the next 2 years as do or die either, because none of this offseason's moves have been all or nothing moves. Instead of signing our own guys who got pretty good deals, he signed a few others, but the money and contracts weren't crazy, just different. We've had more change over in roster, but then we absolutely had to. and like all years in the past, we have strengths and weaknesses. These new guys haven't fixed it all, just like sticking with what we had didn't fix everything either. It's the nature of the beast.

He's always picked up guys he thought could help when it made sense. This year there were a few more, but then we lost more than usual too.

 

[gbgary]

Thompson definitely deserves credit for making some aggressive moves over the past few months as in the end he's the one making the final decision.

i would only count the last two weeks or so as aggressive (brooks, odom, dial). everything else was passive-aggressive hole plugging. pretty much a talent wash for less dollars.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

A team has to go thru ebb's flows, changes in rosters. I'm pretty sure Ted knows this. He's not oblivious to how these things work. I don't think he see's the next 2 years as do or die either, because none of this offseason's moves have been all or nothing moves. Instead of signing our own guys who got pretty good deals, he signed a few others, but the money and contracts weren't crazy, just different. We've had more change over in roster, but then we absolutely had to. and like all years in the past, we have strengths and weaknesses. These new guys haven't fixed it all, just like sticking with what we had didn't fix everything either. It's the nature of the beast.

He's always picked up guys he thought could help when it made sense. This year there were a few more, but then we lost more than usual too.

Those were my thoughts as well. Last season a few guys didn't quite bring their game up, then we lost quite a few guys to free agency. TT reacted with more FA signings than normal to start and then hoped the rest of the roster would pan out with draft and development of the younger guys. Once the preseason wound down and he still saw a shortage of talent at OLB and the DL, he made some good moves. I hope he has a more positive outlook about the OL depth than I do and if he doesn't, he is doing whatever he can to improve it now, before it becomes an absolute immediate need.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

Like all things, i think it's a combination of things. Is Wolf having an effect on his decisions? Of course he is, just like every other person Ted keeps close to himself. He doesn't, and has never done any of this by himself. He obviously values Elliot's contributions or he wouldn't be promoted to where he is. BUT he does not make the decisions. I don't think it's even remotely likely that Ted has become just a name in this organization and he's been replaced by someone else behind the scenes. There is nothing about this organization that lends itself to operating in that manner. Sounds like something they'd do in Detroit or something. Any organization doing that is an organization that's a mess, and GB has been everything but that in the past decade. They are professional thru and thru and up front in their dealings. Players may have their opinions, but one constant I've always heard in the past 10 years is, with GB, they're up front with how they're dealing with you. I highly doubt they treat the GM or any of the staff any differently.

A team has to go thru ebb's flows, changes in rosters. I'm pretty sure Ted knows this. He's not oblivious to how these things work. I don't think he see's the next 2 years as do or die either, because none of this offseason's moves have been all or nothing moves. Instead of signing our own guys who got pretty good deals, he signed a few others, but the money and contracts weren't crazy, just different. We've had more change over in roster, but then we absolutely had to. and like all years in the past, we have strengths and weaknesses. These new guys haven't fixed it all, just like sticking with what we had didn't fix everything either. It's the nature of the beast.

He's always picked up guys he thought could help when it made sense. This year there were a few more, but then we lost more than usual too.

I agree. I also think that not cutting down to the 75 before going to the 53 had an impact. More players available at once. It didn't hurt that SF changed their defensive scheme.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The theory that I've posited is that as Rodgers gets older, he will be more willing to give up on the long term perceived upside of younger drafted players in favor of more instant impact free agents. And he also might worry less about having 100% cap flexibility in the long term in favor of handing out more money to veterans in the shorter term range.

Some of the beat writers have theorized that he views this season or the next two seasons as Super Bowl or bust years-- i.e. he thinks they're more ready than ever to make the push and he's willing to spend some money outside of his own players to augment that.

Both those theories are far, far more plausible than "TT must be getting supplanted behind the scenes." That idea just sounds like people have trashed TT for so long that they're unwilling or unable to give him some credit for loosening things up on the market.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Well, Rodgers is only 33 yeatrs old, not 38. So, that theory is not plausible.

The other theories are more plausible. First, Thompson is getting heat. I posit that possibility because that should be the case. Second, Wolf spent a few recent years in pro personnel, scouting and scouting opposition players to no avail. I believe those scouting reports were put to use.

Old dogs do not learn new tricks without a push and some help.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Personally.......I am convinced that TT finally got the internet and he stumbled into this Forum and started reading and said to himself....."Now THOSE people know what they are talking about!"

Well, consider how many of us have espoused plugging holes with moderately priced free agents lo these many years. So....

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well, consider how many of us have espoused plugging holes with moderately priced free agents lo these many years. So....

Which is why my statement is a win win for both sides of the Teddy debate....LOL......tongue in cheek for the TT supporters and "reality" for those thinking he was doing it all wrong.

 

[Dantés]

Well, Rodgers is only 33 yeatrs old, not 38. So, that theory is not plausible.

The other theories are more plausible. First, Thompson is getting heat. I posit that possibility because that should be the case. Second, Wolf spent a few recent years in pro personnel, scouting and scouting opposition players to no avail. I believe those scouting reports were put to use.

Old dogs do not learn new tricks without a push and some help.

It's not plausible because he isn't 38? We just take it for granted now that quarterbacks won't decline until they're 40?

It's perfectly reasonable to think that Thompson might be looking at the strength of the roster overall coupled with the age of his elite quarterback and decide that now is the time to strike and push a little harder for a ring.

Wolf has been on the pro personnel side since 2008 and took it over as director in 2012. If that's supposed to be the reason why TT has signed a few more guys, why didn't it start years ago?

 

[Sky King]

TT engaged in very little in free agency early-on in his tenure. Nevertheless, he and his staff delivered a SB victory to punctuate the 2010 season. Left-handedly it may also have had a chilling effect upon rounding-out the future rosters with more experienced vets versus younger D&D types. Probably as a result of that SB victory TT stubbornly clung to his formula more rigidly in the subsequent post-championship seasons. Until proven otherwise, who wouldn't stay with what had worked that well? Except that subsequent opportunities for achieving more SB appearances, let alone victories, became increasingly more elusive. It took a while for his roster-building model's shortcomings to finally be admitted through deed though not through verbalization, at least not publicly.

Last season's drubbing by Atlanta in the playoffs seems to have finally exposed the shortcomings of TT's long-standing roster-building philosophy -- one of apparent over-reliance on D&D. Only this most recent failure made it embarrassingly obvious that a lack of veteran savvy and a few glaring voids that were allowed to exist all season long (within certain key position groups) may have contributed greatly towards falling short once again, injuries notwithstanding.

Getting the ultimate bang for the buck should be the goal, not getting the most bang for the fewest bucks. The latter only met success that one time back in 2010 and it has fallen short ever since. That season represented the anomaly as time has shown. It was time for change or at the least a significant readjustment. Nobody hands out a trophy for cap efficiency when such an effort falls short of winning championships.

It may have taken a while but TT seems to have finally had his epiphany. TT may be stubborn but he's not stupid. And the BOD and Murphy certainly could have expressed concern regarding the (former) status quo. TT's not deaf either. We don't know what we don't know about the possibility of external pressure having been applied or how much, if any. But we can all recognize that a change in the way TT has done business has occurred this season. There had to be reasons for that. It wouldn't be a stretch to attribute the change to a number of factors, including a bit of introspection on TT's part as well as any possible pressure brought from above. Synergy can be a wondrous thing.

The running questions to be answered this season are whether TT has acquired the right FA vets to best fit the team's roster needs and whether he has acquired enough depth to achieve a championship despite the inevitable injuries that still lie ahead. A few positions are looking shaky at the onset despite the changes that have occurred since last season. It may also help to settle the "lack of defensive talent vs. the Dom Capers defense is inherently bad" argument.

 

[Dantés]

I think the answer is that TT actually died at the end of last season, and the current GM of the Packers is an animatronic robot suit that Eliot Wolf is wearing around the facilities. That seems to be the most likely explanation.

 

[Candidate for Deletion]

I think the answer is that TT actually died at the end of last season, and the current GM of the Packers is an animatronic robot suit that Eliot Wolf the Younger is wearing around the facilities. That seems to be the most likely explanation.

FTFY

 

[gbgary]

Well, consider how many of us have espoused plugging holes with moderately priced free agents lo these many years. So....

never had a problem with him plugging holes (especially if they're upgrades, which seldom happens). just don't call it bold or out of character. giving up a two 1st round picks and a player for joey bosa next year would fit that bill.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Wolf has been on the pro personnel side since 2008 and took it over as director in 2012. If that's supposed to be the reason why TT has signed a few more guys, why didn't it start years ago?

Mentoring takes time. Then there's the nudge from guys upstairs. I have little doubt this roster has Wolf's influence imprinted on it. He has a title now that grants him the permission to pound the table over problems and solutions and while Thompson may have final say it is incumbent upon him to listen closely and consider the consequences of not doing so.

By the way, I'm sure McCarthy has gained increasing influence over defining needs and and how to fill them.

I would not be surprised if the next step a couple years down the road is a HC-GM relationship similar to Seattle and KC with Wolf in the GM chair.

 

[HardRightEdge]

...just don't call it bold or out of character...

It is bold and out of character in the world according to Ted Thomson.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Which is why my statement is a win win for both sides of the Teddy debate....LOL......tongue in cheek for the TT supporters and "reality" for those thinking he was doing it all wrong.

They can't both be wrong.

 

[HardRightEdge]

They can't both be wrong.

Pokerbrat -

Thanks for the "informative". I'm glad somebody else is making humorous use of the recommendation emojis, or whatever you call those things.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Pokerbrat -

Thanks for the "informative". I'm glad somebody else is making humorous use of the recommendation emojis, or whatever you call those things.

I'm still waiting for the beer swilling emoji....the coffee guy is my go to for a "tongue in cheek" remark, but I think the beer swiller emoji would give us a chance to toast a great post or......could be seen on the other spectrum I guess "WTF you drinking buddy?"