Coreyisarealboy versus Green Bay Packers' GM Ted Thompson
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by user Coreyisarealboy
I love the Green Bay Packers, and it is out of this love that a strong loathing for the team's GM, Ted Thompson, has grown. I do not like the Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions, or any other team that is playing my Packers on any given week for the simple fact that they are trying to add another notch to the Packers' loss column.
But above all of them stands Ted Thompson, who is probably more responsible than any of these teams for adding notches in the Packers' loss column. So it is because of this theory that I travel back in time to January 14, 2005 and replace Ted Thompson as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers.
Note: For trivial purposes I will not cover the signing of Safety Chonn Lacey on January 19, 2005. I hope that's OK with everyone.
- March 1, 2005 -- The Packers would've re-signed offensive linemen Mike Wahle and Grey Reugamer if I were in charge. We all know what kind of disarray this caused a few years later when the Packers were forced to start three rookies on their line. Instead, Thompson terminated their contracts, opting to re-sign kick returner Antonio Chatman and defensive end R-Kal Truluck and tender offers to backup quarterbacks Craig Nall and J.T. O'Sullivan. Not a single one of these men are still with the team. Possibly realizing his mistake, Thompson re-signs Reugamer 14 days later.
- March 10, 2005 -- The Packers would've re-signed Safety Darren Sharper, but Thompson terminated his contract in favor of rookie Nick Collins and Bengals castoff Mark Roman. My theory here is, if you're going to send a former Pro-Bowler packing, you better damn well have someone who can step in immediately and fill his shoes. Granted, Collins made the All-Rookie team and had a decent 2006 season, but Roman's time in Green Bay was a joke, and it's an even bigger joke when you think Thompson terminated Sharper's contract for him. Sharper signed with Minnesota and was selected to his third Pro Bowl in 2005.
- April 23, 2005 -- The Packers would've selected Jason Campbell with the 23rd pick in the NFL Draft instead of Aaron Rodgers. I can understand why Thompson selected Rodgers. He was supposed to go in the top 5 and fell into the lap of a team with an aging Hall of Fame quarterback who couldn't decide how long he wanted to stay in the game. But there is always a reason why they fall, and I really don't think it was simply because the other teams had no need to draft a quarterback. Thompson should've picked up on this.
- Nothing short of a miracle could've made the Packers a .500 team in 2005. It was doomed from the start. I know it wasn't Ted Thompson's fault that Ahman Green, Javon Walker, Najeh Davenport, Bubba Franks, Robert Ferguson and Brady Poppinga all spent time on injured reserve. Even the punter was placed on injured reserve. But this is why you fill your bench with adequate backups. However, if it weren't for the 2005 season, Thompson wouldn't have found his new starting running back, Noah Herron. So, thank God for that, and we'll discuss that in fuller detail later. I'll stop the sarcasm for the time being.
- January, 2006 -- A huge transition time in Packers' history as Thompson rightfully fires Mike Sherman. He then signs Mike McCarthy to replace him. Really? A first year coach coming from a team that finished with the same putrid 4-12 record your team had the previous season? Was Ray Rhodes not available for a second go-round? I still think the Packers should've made a run at Steve Mariucci, despite his poor record in Detroit, which, I think most of us will agree, was more of a reflection on the team itself than on Mariucci.
- March 6, 2006 -- Looking at the running back market in 2006, it was thin. But the Packers have dollars to spend and pass up the chance to do some damage in the free agent market by trying to sign Edgerrin James. Instead, Ahman Green is re-signed and runs for 1,059 yards and only five touchdowns. However, it left the door open for the next stop on our list.
- May 1, 2006 -- Although it helped the team and I think it was a good signing, Thompson overpaid tremendously for the services of Charles Woodson. His seven-year, $52 million contract made him the team's highest-paid cornerback from the No. 2 cornerback position. This eventually will cause the Packers to give No. 1 corner Al Harris an extension that includes over $7 million in guarantees and $4.5 million in incentives.
- April 30 and 31, 2006 -- This day becomes the highlight of Thompson's career in Green Bay thus far. Although drafting A.J. Hawk may have been a no-brainer, drafting Greg Jennings and Daryn Colledge in the later rounds turned out to be genius. I can honestly say that this couldn't have been done better and was followed by a short series of genius moves by Thompson: the release of cornerback Ahmad Carroll and punter B.J. Sander.
- September 11, 2006 -- Sandwiched in between those moves was a real head-scratcher: Thompson signs Koren Robinson, who is two weeks removed from a high speed chase that got him released from the Vikings. He plays in four games for the Packers before being suspended by the league for the remainder of the season. In February of 2007, he is sentenced to 90 days in jail for the incident, and is thankful Thompson decided to pay for his jail time. In my opinion, this move causes Thompson to not pull the trigger on the Randy Moss trade, which will be discussed later.
- March 7, 2007 -- Fullback William Henderson would've been re-signed by the Packers. However, Thompson releases him. Henderson is arguably one of the best fullbacks in the league, and could've helped out the dynamite duo of Noah Herron and Vernand Morency. Instead, the Packers will likely start Brandon Miree, who has precisely zero rushes in the NFL, but has caught nine passes, so he's got that going for him.
- March 14, 2007 -- Noah Herron is re-signed by the Packers. Of all the running backs in the free agent market this year, we're really going to stick with the Morency/Herron duo? You know, Ted, the Jets traded just a second round pick for Thomas Jones. You mean to tell me, we can't swing a trade like that to get a veteran back? I'm sure we're really not sticking with Morency and Herron. The draft is nearing, we'll get a running back in the first or second round...
- April 28 and 29, 2007 -- Whereas the 2006 Draft was one of the best days in Thompson's tenure in Green Bay, surely the 2007 Draft has to be one of the worst. The Packers needs, ordered by my priority, were this: 1. Running back, 2. Tight end, 3. Wide receiver. With Marshawn Lynch gone, a running back in the first round was unlikely, Kenny Irons was projected to be a mid-second round pick, the Packers could wait to get him. So, that leaves the probability of tight end Greg Olsen or wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Robert Meachum. Thompson selects Justin Harrell, a defensive tackle who spent almost the entire 2006 season on the bench with a torn biceps, with the pick. Harrell has still not practiced with the team because they are being cautious with his return. Then, as if to pour sugar in the collective gas tanks of Packer fans everywhere, Thompson trades the Packers' second round pick with Irons still on the board. He went two selections later to the Bengals. Greg Olsen, who would've been a Packer if it were up to me, was eventually drafted by, of all teams, the Bears with the 31st pick. Please remove my skin and cover me in salt and lemon juice.
To add to this, we found out that all the rumors of Randy Moss being traded to Green Bay could've come to fruition had Thompson done nothing more than say, "Yes." Instead, he passed on the possibility to acquire one of the best wide receivers in the past decade for just a fourth-round pick. This subsequently led to Brett Favre's completely justified tirade on how he wanted to be traded.
I say it was justified because Favre is nearing the end of his career and, like John Elway did at the end of his career, is sticking around to try and win a Super Bowl, and his GM is doing nothing to help that out. It's not like he can stick Rodgers in at quarterback and expect to see the same success as the team sees with Favre behind center.
I don't want to hear about rebuilding. It's the Packers, the best franchise in the history of pro football. It's Titletown USA. Twelve World Championships. The Packers should never rebuild.
As the GM, my philosophy is that you have to make your team as successful as possible, year in and year out. In my mind, Ted Thompson has not done his job. He has passed up on several opportunities that could've saved the Packers from being one of the worst teams in the league, and I feel that this year they will take a step backward from last year's 8-8 record. The team's running backs have a total of 891 yards rushing in the league, and they are entering a system where the offensive coordinator has been replaced each of the last two seasons.
As we near another football season, I fear that I will have nothing more to do than sit and think that a monkey could've done a better job at being the general manager of the Green Bay Packers than Ted Thompson.
