Packers Getting Left Behind By Elite -McGinn

[SpursNBucks]

I thought this was a good article. I started a thread on exactly what he gets into with the article. Nice to see WI media show a little NY/Chicago "Big City" Balls and challenge the Packers a little.

Some exerts from the article:

I started a thread on the idea that - hey, maybe Ted should be using ALL the tools in his tool box, and not just relying on the Draft. (a few posters couldn't believe anyone would call out dear TT!)
On Ted not using anything, but the Draft: "They have no pro department up there," an executive in personnel said. "Ted does some good things in drafting but they don't do (expletive) in personnel.

"Ted has shut it down lately. They've gone stone cold. They have not been utilizing all the markets. Now it's caught up to him."

John Schneider, Dave Gettleman and Trent Baalke, the personnel-oriented GMs in Seattle, Carolina and San Francisco, have their teams among the final four in the NFC partly because of their veteran additions.
If Thompson trusts himself, pro personnel director Eliot Wolf and others in the building, he'll resume activity in free agency and seek bargain-priced or market-priced veterans to augment the draft.

As one scout put it, "You start at 8-8 when you have a franchise quarterback."


On the backup QB situation: Last year, Thompson went blithely along with McCarthy on the idea that Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman were capable backups when everyone in America knew that they weren't. Given Vince Young's mental limitations, his signing Aug. 5 made no sense, either.

If Thompson hadn't dawdled for a week before bringing back Matt Flynn, the Packers might have gone 2-0 against the Giants and Vikings instead of 0-1-1.

On the O-Line: Thompson made another mistake when he didn't sign another center after Greg Van Roten was done for the season Sept. 30. When Evan Dietrich-Smith couldn't play an entire game, at least two changes in the line had to be made and the offense fell apart against the Eagles and Lions.

On Signing Burnett to Big$ Thompson's decision to give Morgan Burnett a big-money extension in mid-July and then watch him perform like a free agent should have rocked the franchise's draft-and-develop model.

[trwi7]

Packers can win without Aaron Rodgers - McGinn

[rilamann]

As one scout put it, "You start at 8-8 when you have a franchise quarterback."

This.


The way I see it the NFL is basically structured so that every team goes 8-8 and when you have the best player in the league at the most important position in the game of football you're already a leg up on everyone else.


TT and McCarthy better get off Aaron Rodgers' coattail and start earning their money.

3 seasons of terrible defense and 1 playoff win in 3 seasons when you can boast a quarterback the caliber of Aaron Rodgers is not getting it done on their part.

[eagle13]

I support the wise calculated use of FA and trades. However - Bulaga - Sherrod - Perry - Hayward - Neal - Worthy - Tretter - Franklin - to be fair injuries are the MAJOR PART of what derailed the draft & develop. Worthy was the only poor selection. Perry, Neal & Sherrod have really been thwarted by missing the develop part.

IF 95% of the injured return 100% and this year's rookies participate in 90% of camp and the overall team stay 92% healthy - we'll be right there w/ everyone else.

[MickeyDavis]

Yeah McGinn isn't always right but much of his article here is spot on.

All this stuff about finishing strong and overcoming adversity has to stop.

The Packers didn't finish strong. They were on their home field in their kind of weather and in ideal position to beat a powerful foe in the playoff opener. Then they blew it in the last six minutes.

They also didn't overcome adversity. The Packers lose their starting quarterback for the first time in 21 years and are proud of going 2-5-1 against a soft schedule (five at home) without him?

Let's be clear about something else. The NFC North championship was more about the Detroit Lions pulling a colossal fold than the Green Bay Packers doing anything wonderful.

From the sound of things, the Packers — aside from a tweak here and a tweak there — plan to keep on operating the way they always have under Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers.

In case they missed it, pro football has moved on since the Packers' lone Super Bowl in their eight seasons as partners.

[Ayt]

Packers can win without Aaron Rodgers - McGinn

Brutal.

[crkone]

I can't take McGinn seriously anymore after his "Packers can still compete" article. Injuries derailed the season.

[Jollay]

I think TT will revisit free agency this year, looking for a Pickett/Woodson-type impact. Doesn't even have to be half that impact to help a decent amount.

Hopefully we are beyond the it is a toss-up when we play the Niners mentality that some people told us was actually the case last year. Even if there were only a one in three chance of us beating them per matchup, the odds of us losing four times in a row to them are roughly 20%.

And that's not even talking about other teams that are ascending rapidly. We need to get better, and it can't be a fourth round draft pick brought in to give competition to Burnett and Jennings that will do it next year.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

It is going to be an uphill fight in the NFC until Wilson, Kaep, and even Cam get their big money contracts. Having elite QB play at the cost of next to nothing is the biggest competitive advantage a team can have in the NFL.

[Kerb Hohl]

Question: Not a perfect example because of injury, Boldin was so huge for the team since they had no WRs early on.

That said, take Harvin and Avril away from Seattle and Boldin away from SF.

I have a strong guess that both are still playing this weekend, maybe next.

Right strategy, poor execution/luck lately. I'm cool with a modest FA pickup but good lord the signings are overrated.

[Kerb Hohl]

On the more critical side of things, I keep saying it, but they should draft 9 defensive players, make sure a safety is high in that mix, and/or sign one.

[paulpressey25]

I can't take McGinn seriously anymore after his "Packers can still compete" article. Injuries derailed the season.

I like McGinn a lot, but yeah, that article really was bad news. When that hit, I had two thoughts.

a) Why are you tempting fate like this?

b) No way can Seneca Wallace lead this team to 12-4

So if you grant him a mulligan after that lunacy, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. Injuries to guys other than Rodgers helped kill the season but at the same time, Ted has a narrowing window here with Rodgers, and he's got to seek out some veteran help next year.

[LUKE23]

The most simplistic way to put this I that if Rodgers and Matthews don't go down, we win 12 games, win at least one playoff game, and this article isn't written.

We had the most injuries in the league, including the best player in the league missing 7 games, still won the division, and took SF to the last minute. SF could win the SB.

We are fine as long as Rodgers plays at a high level. With his and Matthews cap numbers, we don't have the luxury of going after big money FA.

[LUKE23]

What S, ILB, or DL are you going to give big money to, and which FA are you going to let walk as a result?

[chuckleslove]

Personal pet peeve but I get sick of people saying TT doesn't sign free agents. He just prefers to sign the ones already on the team and in the system over ones that other teams are letting walk.

[PkrsBcksGphsMqt]

Personal pet peeve but I get sick of people saying TT doesn't sign free agents. He just prefers to sign the ones already on the team and in the system over ones that other teams are letting walk.

Yep, it's amazing how few impact players we have lost to free agency because of TT's masterful cap management. Cullen Jenkins is really the only major player we have lost to free agency. I can't even think of who the second most impactful player would be. Nick Barnett? (who was awful)

[rilamann]

It's a good article but me personally I'm more optimistc going into the 2014 season than I was a year ago going into the 2013 season.

I think our offense has a chance to be better than ever and our defense has a good chance to be better next season.

[chuckleslove]

Also put me on board for an all defensive draft, maybe draft a TE somewhere. Sign Quarless on the cheap and maybe keep James Jones on a bargain and our offense is going to improve just by getting Bulaga at RT and another offseason for Bakhtiari, throw JC Tretter in the mix as a potential starter at C and our offense is not only good but it is stacked at nearly every position.

Need something to help us at Safety and need someone to either develop or be drafted to be a stud on the front 7.

Then all we need is a year where our team doesn't get crippled, we had an abnormal number of broken bones this year, I know some question the strength and conditioning coaches but we didn't lose a lot of guys to hamstring injuries this year or anything like that, seemed like everyone was breaking a bone.

[th87]

Bones can also be training dependent.

Also, I'd hold back on offensive spending. If JJ's cheap, then bring him back, but let him go otherwise. The only money that should be spent on offense are for Rodgers, Cobb, Nelson, and your three best OL. The rest could probably be cycled through the draft.

The majority of the money should be spent on defense, as it appears that you need better pieces to make it work.

[paulpressey25]

What S, ILB, or DL are you going to give big money to, and which FA are you going to let walk as a result?

I don't know because I don't spend the time you guys do on other team's personnel. I just know that for the Super Bowl run in 1996, Wolf went out and got Desmond Howard, Don Beebe and traded for Eugene Robinson. All of those guys were critical, but inexpensive vets that filled large holes.

It again comes down to making sure people define the discussion we are having here. Few are saying fire TT or he's a bad GM. But, on the standard of making the Super Bowl, he's got to find some other avenues for improvement next year at key positions, versus simply drafting another 12-14 young guys.