Here’s a potential scenario some Green Bay Packers fans will love. Ian Rapoport has suggested that Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson may step aside after the season.
It’s the very scenario — and for the very reason — we’ve discussed on the podcast several times. Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf has been in demand around the league as a general manager candidate. The Packers have blocked him from interviewing for any of those openings and have repeatedly promoted him.
There’s nowhere else for Wolf to go in Green Bay other than into the GM seat. No doubt, he’ll again be in demand for any general manager openings that are available.
In other words, the Packers need to do something with Wolf soon.
GM Ted Thompson is under contract through 2018, but this could be the year he steps aside and becomes a senior scouting adviser. If Green Bay has success in the playoffs, that possibility increases. There are a few reasons why: First of all, Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf is coveted and he’ll have opportunities to interview as a GM elsewhere. The organization could risk losing him if he’s not promoted. Second of all, CEO Mark Murphy still hasn’t hired his own guy, and he’s been around the organization much more this year as he studies things from the inside. There are plenty of talented people in the Packers front office — VP Russ Ball, Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst and Senior Personnel Executive Alonzo Highsmith among them. And this could be the year Thompson steps aside to make way for them.
Thompson giving up the general manager job would be music to the ears of many Packers fans. While the Packers have been undeniably successful during Thompson’s tenure, his build-exclusively-through-the-draft strategy is tiring to a lot of people.
Thompson hasn’t made meaningful free agent moves since 2006, with the exception of signing Julius Peppers in 2014. If you want to get technical, Peppers wasn’t even a free agent signing, since he was released by the Chicago Bears.
Regardless, Thompson has made just three major signings in 12 years on the job — Peppers, and Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett back in 2006.
Meanwhile, we watch so-called Thompson protégées like John Schneider and Reggie McKenzie use all means available to them to build their rosters.
Obviously, I fall into the camp who would love to see Thompson go. Frankly, I feel a change has been overdue.
But then, when just making the playoffs is good enough, Thompson is the type of general manager who is good enough. And that being said, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers just stuck to the status quo.
That seems to be what Mark Murphy is best at.
This was a article Thur. from Greg Bedard.
Rapoport is a hack.
The problem is I don’t necessarily trust Wolf either. While Howard Green wasn’t a major signing, his pressure on Roethlisburger in the super bowl led to the Nick Collins pick six, which was a very key play. Ultimately, the best way to build a team is the way Ted has done it. Big free agent signings rarely work well. However Ted simply has not been very effective in the draft for like six years now? First round picks have been misses, with Nick Perry being the best one. Bahktiari was a nice find as was Mike Daniels. But there is just too much inconsistency and major busts.
I don’t disagree with you about Wolf. And Ron wasn’t great on his 1st round picks either. Guys like Terrell Buckley, George Teague, Aaron Taylor (was the Wolf equivalent to Derek Sherrod or Justin Harrell, reader’s choice), John Michels, Antuan Edwards, Bubba Franks and Jamal Reynolds. Wayne Simmons, Craig Newsome, Ross Verba and Vonnie Holiday are the rest. A veritable who’s who of 1st rounders. Hard to believe A.J. Hawk had a longer Packer career than any of those guys drafted by Wolf.
Thompson has seemingly hit with more of his 1st rounders, although not by much. Rodgers is the only home run 1st rounder for either GM, and arguably Matthews before his girly hamstrings started taking their toll. Thompson seems pretty decent with his 2nd rounders, while Wolf seemed to hit pretty good with his 3rd rounders.
That being said, the junior Wolf better be able to make everyone forget about Thompson, Schneider, McKenzie, Dorsey and of course his old man, or it could get real ugly, real quick like around here. Especially since the elder Wolf gifted the Packers with Mike Sherman the GM, and the resulting outstanding free agents like Joe Johnson that came with Sherman the GM. How many blunders like that would be permitted before the masses called for the head of the young son? Does Rodgers have that kind of time left in his career to allow another guy to learn on the job, much like McCarthy has been doing these last 11 years?
Free at last, free at last; thank god almighty we might be free at last.
Great. The wingnut with the change.org petition is going to think he’s beginning to influence things.
lol
“While the Packers have been undeniably successful during Thompson’s tenure, his build-exclusively-through-the-draft strategy is tiring to a lot of people.”
This statement proves it won’t matter who the GM is because if they don’t win the Super Bowl every year fans will demand they be fired. I can’t think of another industry where fans get tired of being highly successful. Sure beats being highly unsuccessful.
Ass-hat’s mom, maybe because your used to the “highly unsuccessful” you’d be glad to just make it to the playoffs. I don’t know a single football fan who at the beginning of the season says, “gee I hope we make it to the playoffs”. Even Bears fans thought at the beginning of some seasons, “We’re going to the Super Bowl!”.
Aiming for only making it to the playoffs, is like going out with a hot slut hoping to get to second base, when every other fuckhead knows that you could’ve fucked her brains out without leaving the driveway. It’s Super Bowl or bust EVERY GOD DAMNED SEASON MOM!! And since the Packers have one of the BEST QB’s in the league, we should’ve seen more Patriots vs Packers Super Bowls instead of just fucking one. We don’t NEED to win the Super Bowl every year, but like the fucking Patriots, we’ve should have been to more. THAT’S WHY TT NEEDS TO GO MOM!! Now shut the fuck up and go cook me some brauts while I go fuck this hot slut.
Now that`s telling em.