Is This John Schneider Criticizing Ted Thompson?
The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl and that makes general manager John Schneider hot shit. He’s especially hot with the Green Bay boys hanging out at the scouting combine this week.
That’s because Schneider is a Green Bay boy himself. He’s from the area and worked in the Green Bay Packers personnel department before getting the gig in Seattle.
So naturally, because they have nothing better to do, the local beat guys are asking Schneider about the Packers. Specifically, how do they get a bomb-ass defense like you have?
“It wouldn’t be very hard, I don’t think,” Schneider said. “Just [get] more speed. It’s just about having guys that are willing to teach and play young players, and [the Packers] have that. They have a young team. They have good teachers.”
So let’s dissect that. One, Schneider praises the Packers coaching staff saying they can teach and that they’re willing and also good at doing so. Two, it isn’t stated implicitly, but the implication is the Packers haven’t been getting the right kind of players. Three, it’s not very hard to get the right kind of players, unless, apparently, you’re Packers general manager Ted Thompson.
First of all, let’s just get this out of the way. Schneider is correct and it’s not debatable — the Packers haven’t been getting the right kind of players on defense. If they were, their defense wouldn’t be the reason they lose in the playoffs every year.
Although we doubt it was intended that way, the statement is more or less a shot at Thompson.
Basically, you’ve got everything except the right players. And who’s job is it to get the right players? The general manager.
This brings us back around to a couple points.
First, we’ve posed the question before. Has Thompson’s perceived success as a general manager been largely due to his team? We’re talking about guys like Schneider, John Dorsey and Reggie McKenzie. Dorsey is now the GM in Kansas City and McKenzie holds the same job in Oakland.
Second, those three guys we just mentioned are often referred to as Ted Thompson protégés. In fact, like Thompson himself, they’re Ron Wolf protégés.
We’re going to take it back to Sesame Street for a moment. Three of these things belong together. Three of these things are kind of the same.
Do you know which? It’s Schneider, Dorsey and McKenzie, who build their teams like Wolf built the 1990s Packers powerhouse — through every means possible. Yes, we’re talking about free agency and trades, not just the draft. Those first two things are foreign concepts in Green Bay.
It’s odd because Thompson came up under Wolf too. For some reason, he doesn’t operate like his mentor. Or any of his contemporaries, for that matter.
Live by the draft, die by the draft!
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We lost in the playoffs by 3 and could only score 20 points, hell, we only had 10 points through 3 quarters! How is that the defense “being the reason they lose in the playoffs every year.”
Uh, because prior to the playoff game last year they gave up an average of 44 points a game in their playoff losses in the aaron rodgers era. And they could have won last year had the defense made a stop when it most counted. They didnt.
44 points per game, eh? Bit o’ an embellishment don’t ha think?
Also, cherry-picking at it’s finest. I mean let’s just ignore the the Super bowl tun altogether and the most recent Playoff game and the game vs. the Vikings and the fact that the O gave up the final 7 vs. AZ and that Ross gifted the Niners the ball at the 1 and that we fumbled twice deep on our own territory vs. NYG.
and we lost by 3…so, ultimately their offense outscored our offense and the defense didn’t make a play when it mattered most.
Picks not players
I don’t see how this is a dig at Thompson. Sure you can try and twist it as much as you want but it sounds like a pretty text book fluff answer to me. That doesn’t mean we should try and patch the secondary with defensive linemen.
We also didn’t lose in 2011 because of our defense.
Anyway, this was actually a compliment by Scheider, of course.
This statement doesn’t imply any of the things suggested by this article.
The 2010 draft was the best TT ever had, and Schneider was already gone. 2013 appears to have been a great draft, and none of those guys were there.
Lastly, I guarantee TT will sign more free agents this offseason than any of those guys (though some will be former Packers).
Did Monty write this article? If so I finally have to join the other naysayers in asking why the hell he is running a Packer site? Dude Monty, look up the following: Team win prctg: Green Bay vs. Seattle 1990 to 2013. Playoff Apperances: Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle 1990 to 2013. Super Bowls won: Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle. My God do I really have to continue……………?>
Actually 44 points a game, shockingly, isn’t an embellishment.
51 points allowed to Arizona, 37 allowed to the Giants, 45 allowed to San Fran last year.
So that’s 133 points in 3 games, and the offense put up 45, 20, and 31.
Your offense averages 32 ppg, but your defense gives up 44.5 ppg?
Oh God.
Look at my second comment. Actually it is a slight embellishment, they didn’t give up the lat 7 to AZ and SF had the ball at their 1-yard line to start a drive; (119-126)/3 = 40-42, still incredibly awful. However, he excluded the 10-pt. Minisoda game, CHI, ATL, Philly, Pitt, and the last SF game: (248-255)/9 = 27.5-28.3. Not fantastic, but not awful.
I think Ted should call Schneider out at the combine.
I’d love to see video of these two throwing down. I bet there would be some girly. head-down, windmill punching.
You’re reading far to much into Schneider’s comment. If anything, he was complimentary to the coaching staff (MM hired by TT) and said they need more speed. Everybody knows that. They also need a new defensive coordinator and to undo three of TT’s mistakes, the resigning of Tt favorite Hawk (a pile-jumper) Burnett and Brad Jones.