Aaron Rodgers might be in a group of four with that stance. Him, Mark Murphy, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy.
There are a lot of different ways you can look at this one. A lot of people use the phrase, “the Green Bay Packers are wasting Aaron Rodgers’ prime.”
Because how can you have just one Super Bowl title when that guy is your quarterback? A once-in-a-generation-talent.
I look at it this way. The Packers’ organization, through being overly thrifty and non-participants in free agency, haven’t surrounded Rodgers with enough talent often enough. The overall philosophy — draft and develop — only works when you’re able to hit on a high percentage of your draft picks.
That’s the only way a team that drafts and develops can acquire as much talent as a team who uses all methods of player acquisition. And like every other general manager in the league, Ted Thompson hits on probably 50 percent of his picks.
Regardless, I wouldn’t say the Packers embrace mediocrity. That’s the wrong word. The Detroit Lions are mediocre. I’d say the Packers embrace “good enough.”
Making the playoffs is good enough.
“Of course you hear about it,” Rodgers said. “I get asked about it, I got asked about it last week—this idea that the Packers embrace mediocrity. I think what we’ve done the last eight years`making the playoffs, there’s only a couple other teams that have ever done that. New England, actually, currently is on the same streak as us, making the playoff for eight straight years. That’s tough to do, especially with the parity of this league and how they pair up division champions each year to play each other in the same conference. We’ve sustained success, we just haven’t sustained it on the top level. We haven’t won more than one Super Bowl. We’ve also been to three NFC championship games and none of them at home. So that’s how we look at it. We’ve got to get one of those at home, because we are tough to beat at home.
“I don’t feel like our window is closing here. I feel like this window is going to be open for a while. And in order for some of that stuff to go away, the outside noise, we’re going to have to win another Super Bowl. It would be disappointing if we were only able to win one in my time here. Hopefully we can get one of those done.”
Yes, hopefully.
Rodgers certainly has enough years left in his prime to win multiple titles. It most definitely would suck if he didn’t win more than one — for him, his legacy, his teammates, the organization and fans.
The question is, will the Packers bother to surround him with enough talent? It seems like they’ve at least tried to do that this year, for a change.
Although there was a lot of talent that walked out the door in free agency, the Packers did add Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendricks, Jahri Evans, Davon House and Ricky Jean Francois. They invested heavily in defense — their constant Achilles heel — in the draft, using their first four picks on defenders.
Things definitely look nice on paper, but time will tell if the investment was enough.
Having $18 million or so in cap space isn’t doing all you can to help Aaron Rodgers
The “company line” is that money is earmarked to extend current players contracts. Unfortunately, more times than not, when he extends, he overpays.
That excuse is getting as old as his failed defensive draft picks.
Or doesn’t extend the right people “Lang or Tretter” cough cough.
Yea…..The point i’ve brought up in the past, he’ll pay up and players underperform, but he’ll get rid of players that have actually earned their money. Being a Packer fan while this clown show continues is maddening.
Are we sure whatever is ailing Ted Thompson isn’t contagious? Anyone checked Rodgers for a concussion since training camp started? In all seriousness though, the Patriots play in the AFC East so seemingly almost always have 6 wins right out of the gate. Yes, I know they don’t always go 6-0, it only seems like they do.
Meanwhile the Packers are playing hide the sausage with their rivals in the NFC North. Sure, the Packers have come out on top more often than not, but you can’t honestly look at all 3 North teams and pencil in 6 wins. Somehow there will usually be a couple games the Packers have to fight to win. Look at 2015 and losing at home to all 3 division rivals. When is the last time the Patriots went 3-3 against their division? The difference is since these streaks started, which team has been better capitalizing on their opportunities?
Rodgers is good at toeing the company line. But there is no way except being delusional one can look at the Packers the last 8 seasons and say they aren’t mediocre. Mediocrity is settling for good enough, and as they have proven year after year, they are more than willing to stick with the status quo. And I will respectfully disagree with Rodgers, there is no more home field advantage playing at Lambeau Field during the playoffs. As I stated in a different thread not too long ago, the Packers are 5-5 at home beginning with the loss to Atlanta and Mike Vick in the playoffs. It doesn’t get anymore mediocre than that. That sterling .500 winning percentage at home in the playoffs ought to indicate the Lambeau mystique is long gone and has been for some time.
Probably the worst thing that could happen was winning the Superbowl in 2010. Blasphemous of me to say, I know. Yet that single solitary victory set forth the chain of events leading to the shitshow we’ve been blessed with ever since. Why do you think McCarthy wants to coach another 12 years? He probably thinks that’s how much longer he can ride out the Rodgers train. Plus, as a highly successful NFL head coach, all he has to do is make the playoffs every year and he is golden.
I don’t think anyone in the Packers organization want’s mediocrity. That’s average, and dead average rarely get’s you in the playoffs.
Although today Ted may have trouble beating a 12 year old in checkers. He’s smart enough to know that with Rodgers, a couple offensive playmakers, getting into the playoffs isn’t exactly a huge feat. Especially in our division. But Ted’s idea of success is making the playoffs, and there’s no reason Murphy won’t agree with anything Ted says.
Rodgers seems rather soft on this issue. It’s possibly because he was sitting on the sidelines during all the Favre drama, and he decided back then he wouldn’t be that guy.
Monty and i disagree on what we believe is surrounding Rodgers with enough talent. What you gave up and what we got in free agency to me is a wash, maybe a slight improvement, time will tell. Yes, Ted used his 1st four picks on defense. What does that mean? Based on Ted’s history of drafting defense, it doesn’t mean jack shit. This i love…”looks good on paper”. You have no proven corners, you have a weak D-line, you lost a pro-bowler on the 0 line, 2 if you count last season, special teams is an annual mess. And god forbid we have injuries in any of those area’s.
The reporters can sing the praises of Dean Lowry, Clark, Rollins, King, etc until they’re blue in the face, it doesn’t mean shit right now.
Sound harsh? That’s what 6 straight seasons of no changes to fix the same ol bullshit does to some fans. Just watch?…Yes, i’ll watch, and when the Packers win the NFCCG, earning their ticket to the Super Bowl, I’ll be the 1st to eat crow.
Complacency is the word you’re looking for. The entire staff knows no one is going to get fired for wasting the career of one of the better quarterbacks in the pass-centric Flag Football era. It meshes well with the rest of the state of Wisconsin, and resonates with its fan base.
Detroit is mediocre, Green Bay is complacent.
Ooh ya, we’re preeety good, we made the playofffs a lot, eh?