TT eval

[LUKE23]

I think you need to take schedules, the additions for the Vikes and the losses for the Packers (Favre) all into account. I see the teams as very close. I don't expect a huge dropoff from losing Favre, but there will be some.

I'll stick with 10-6 for both teams. Boys 11-5, Saints 11-5, Seahawks 11-5, Eagles get the wild card at 9-7.

Lots of parity near the top this year in the NFC, IMO.

[eagle13]

Funny on how some guys who think TT has done everything right - are not confident Pack can even repeat as division champs much less improve. They're like - Pack is going perfectly. Change QBs = no problem / trade best interior pass rusher = no problem / count on fat injured inexperienced DT = no problem / do not powerfully address OL or CB or pass rush = no problem. Repeat as division champs = well you know blown calls & dropped passes... and our rival is better. Didn't TT improve us too? Heck we're one more year into the future. He was Exec of the Year!

TT has done excellent at getting team younger and massive cap room.
TT has definetly upgraded talent.
some say he has upgraded depth.

IF TT did soooo great we should be consistent winners.
Or will we be one season wonder that was masterfully built by TT and then perhaps damaged by TT.

I know many scream negative. I feel I'm trying to be objective.
so far TT rates a tentative A -.
When a GM takes the future strategy - it is sustained success that tells the real story.

[LUKE23]

All your arguments appear to be talking about things that haven't happened yet. Well, we shall see this season, won't we? And if you can find one person that has called TT perfect, please find a link, because I would like to see that myself.

[eagle13]

All your arguments appear to be talking about things that haven't happened yet. Well, we shall see this season, won't we? And if you can find one person that has called TT perfect, please find a link, because I would like to see that myself.

Were you talkiing to me? What arguments?

I give TT an A-
I pick Pack 9-7
I point out questions - not criticsmx.

OK Luke you say you don't call Tt perfect - name a couple of significant things you consider TT did wrong.
Same with anyone who says I'm critical or bashing.

[LUKE23]

I would have taken Reggie Nelson over Harrell (and said so before the draft)
I would have made sure the Moss deal got done (although in the end it really didn't hurt us much, still one of the top passing offenses)
Some issues of the Favre situation could have been handled better, but overall I think he made the right decision.
Not all of his draft picks have panned out.

I mean I don't get what you're trying to get at. All GM's make mistakes. That is why you take the entire body of work into account.

[Neusch23]

I believe in building through the draft, keeping young players, not over paying aging vets and making tough decisions on players in general....I am down with the Ron Wolf way of building a team and I think TT has been the closest to that.

Wolf, while the draft will always be important, got the bulk of his talent via Free agency, and trades. I wouldn't call him a bad drafter, but Thompson is much better. He is nothing like Wolf in being able to get players to come here.

I hope he brings us the same success, but so far this year, I think he has turned his back on the current vets to build for the future.

[xTitan]

I believe in building through the draft, keeping young players, not over paying aging vets and making tough decisions on players in general....I am down with the Ron Wolf way of building a team and I think TT has been the closest to that.

Wolf, while the draft will always be important, got the bulk of his talent via Free agency, and trades. I wouldn't call him a bad drafter, but Thompson is much better. He is nothing like Wolf in being able to get players to come here.

I hope he brings us the same success, but so far this year, I think he has turned his back on the current vets to build for the future.

I would like to address a couple things about Wolf in free agency, he landed the biggest fish of all in Reggie White, which as a result of that deal was able to land Jones and Jackson (trade). White is a once in a lifetime free agent, if the sames rules applied to free agency then that apply now, I doubt reggie would have been left on the market. I have also seen Santana Dotson's name mentioned as well, when GB got him he was not even starting any longer for Tampa, I think you could say aside from Reggie the signing of Woodson and Pickett were as good as any free agent signing by Wolf, unless I am forgetting someone. Wolf traded for Favre, Thompson drafted Rodgers....Thompson also has made an excellent deal, a huge steal if you will, by acquiring Grant. I think the core philosophies between Wolf and TT are very similiar but no 2 individuals are ever alike.

I disagree with the turning his back on the vets statement a well, just listening to Jason Wilde he said that Thompson will go with a younger player who has a higher ceiling all things being equal and to this point that appears to be very accurate.

[randy84]

A little confused about your post. First I don't know that trading for Favre and drafting Rogers are on the same level.

I would offer that Randy Moss was a once in a lifetime free agent also, that TT didn't pull the trigger on.

I am going to reserve judgement on Grant. I don't think 9 games as a starter are enough of a sample to draw a conclusion.

I don't think Pickett is even close to being Sean Jones. Woodson was at the same point in his career as Dotson.

I think that the big thing that makes me worry about TT's decision making ability is the fact that we have a QB that has a history of injury and TT decided to go with 2 rookie QBs to back him up.

I don't know any GM that would go into a season in which they were one game away from a S.B. the previous year, with a QB who has never started a game and 2 rookies backing him up.

Now I hope it will work out, but I would have felt better with Favre and Rodgers instead of Rodgers and Flynn.

[LUKE23]

1. Moss. Our passing game didn't suffer at all. We still had a top 3 passing game in the entire league, and shredded people.

2. We got Grant for a SIXTH ROUND PICK. It doesn't even matter if he only turns out to be an average starting RB, that is still a good deal. And he did lead the NFL in rushing in the second half, I think that is pretty hard to do unless you have some talent.

3. Pickett is a stud. Why is he being compared to Sean Jones? The point is that TT signed him in FA, and he was a high demand free agent.

4. If Rodgers does get hurt, it wouldn't matter who was signed as a vet. There are no vets good enough to lead us to the playoffs if Rodgers gets hurt for the entire season. If you can name one that could, by all means let me know.

[randy84]

Your right, Moss wouldn't have helped our passing game one bit.

I will reserve judgement on Grant until I see him play more games. I wouldn't take sixth round picks so lightly, Terrell Davis was a sixth round pick.

I could've compared Pickett to Dotson if you want. Either way Dotson and/or Sean Jones were way better than Pickett. As for being in high demand, if you consider two other teams interested in Pickett, then I guess he was in high demand.

The last thing that I said is that the Packers would have been better off with Favre and Rogers. Now if you want me to name some FA vets that have been in the playoffs, how about Culpepper, Leftwich, Trent Green, Todd Collins, Brian Griese, and Gus Frerotte just to name a few. All of these guys at least have playoff and starting experience.

[Neusch23]

You can't blame TT for Moss. he had the deal in place, the board would NOT sign off on it since majority ruled they didn't want him in our community. He isn't well liked as a person, and that out weighed everything he would have accoplished as a football player here.

Don't blame TT one bit for that.

[LUKE23]

So because Terrell Davis was a sixth round pick, that means the Grant trade could be a bad one? Ok buddy. Great logic.

Moss wouldn't have upgraded the passing offense that much from where it already was. Maybe from third or whatever to first, but we are still the same type of team last year.

Pickett has been a stud for us. It isn't debatable. Conveniently forget that we also signed Woodson, who has also been a stud. Both those guys are top 4 players on our defense.

None of those vets mentioned are good enough to lead a playoff team for a full season. Not a one.

[bucks59]

You can't blame TT for Moss. he had the deal in place, the board would NOT sign off on it since majority ruled they didn't want him in our community. He isn't well liked as a person, and that out weighed everything he would have accoplished as a football player here.

Don't blame TT one bit for that.

Have you heard anything from your sources if the board has regretted not agreeing to that trade? I think it worked out well for the Packers but I was just wondering.

[th87]

I think that the big thing that makes me worry about TT's decision making ability is the fact that we have a QB that has a history of injury and TT decided to go with 2 rookie QBs to back him up.

I don't know any GM that would go into a season in which they were one game away from a S.B. the previous year, with a QB who has never started a game and 2 rookies backing him up.

Don't you think he thought of all these scenarios? Maybe with him being an accomplished executive, he's planned something adequate to hedge for said scenarios.

[El Duderino]

I believe in building through the draft, keeping young players, not over paying aging vets and making tough decisions on players in general....I am down with the Ron Wolf way of building a team and I think TT has been the closest to that.

Wolf, while the draft will always be important, got the bulk of his talent via Free agency, and trades. I wouldn't call him a bad drafter, but Thompson is much better. He is nothing like Wolf in being able to get players to come here.

I hope he brings us the same success, but so far this year, I think he has turned his back on the current vets to build for the future.

I would like to address a couple things about Wolf in free agency, he landed the biggest fish of all in Reggie White, which as a result of that deal was able to land Jones and Jackson (trade). White is a once in a lifetime free agent, if the sames rules applied to free agency then that apply now, I doubt reggie would have been left on the market. I have also seen Santana Dotson's name mentioned as well, when GB got him he was not even starting any longer for Tampa, I think you could say aside from Reggie the signing of Woodson and Pickett were as good as any free agent signing by Wolf, unless I am forgetting someone. Wolf traded for Favre, Thompson drafted Rodgers....Thompson also has made an excellent deal, a huge steal if you will, by acquiring Grant. I think the core philosophies between Wolf and TT are very similiar but no 2 individuals are ever alike.

I disagree with the turning his back on the vets statement a well, just listening to Jason Wilde he said that Thompson will go with a younger player who has a higher ceiling all things being equal and to this point that appears to be very accurate.

I think Thompson overall has a much stronger affinity for young players than Wolf did.

As for free agency, i just have a hard time envisioning Wolf continually being near the top of the league in unused cap space.

That doesn't mean that Thompson can't be very successful like Wolf was, i just don't see much in similar philosophies between the two GM's.

[Jollay]

Marquand Manuel should be included in the initial signings of TT as well, right? Bust, but not too bad a contract if I recall.

TT is generally good, but he drives me crazy.

He was even lucky to get Ryan Pickett and Charles Woodson. Woodson was one of the last FAs signed, and we were extremely fortunate interest was minimal for some reason.

Pickett also visited Buffalo first, and we are extremely fortunate Buffalo for some reason didn't offer him a contract on his visit.

I can understand the original philosophy--build through the draft--I agree with it. But its gotten to the point now where we're going to have to cut too many of our picks. Again, I agree with the general premise of the competition for spots and so forth, but that should cease to an extent when you reach a certain point, when you have a team that has the core to contend.

That's when you go out and get the Sean Joneses. Which TT should be doing when we're this far under the cap and in theory so close to the Super Bowl.

But its not even a Sean Jones I want. How bout a backup vet QB or a 3rd CB?

[ReasonablySober]

He offered a deal to Culpepper before the draft and Dante turned it down. Who knows who he's spoken with.