• Articles
  • News
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Contact
Total Packers - Green Bay Packers Blogs and News
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
No Result
View All Result
Total Packers
No Result
View All Result

Packers Nearly Drafted T.J. Watt

Joseph Bonham by Joseph Bonham
October 26, 2018
in Uncategorized
7

It seemed to make all the sense in the world at the time. The Green Bay Packers would shore up their pass rush by taking Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt in the 2017 draft.

Instead, Ted Thompson decided to trade back to pick up an extra fourth-round pick and took cornerback Kevin King to open the second round. It’s hard to argue that the Packers didn’t fill a need in taking King. Their pass defense was atrocious in 2016.

However, the story is a bit more interesting than that. It seems pretty much everyone wanted to take Watt. Ted Thompson decided to go in another direction.

“Just about everyone was on board with Watt,” one source familiar with the Packers’ draft-room discussions said. “The only reservation was some people thought he was a one-year player [in college].”

Watt went to Pittsburgh at pick No. 30. He has six sacks this season. All four of the Packers outside linebackers have 7.5 combined.

The other interesting thing to come out in this story is what we had long suggested. That Thompson was losing it.

“Ted was one of the best in football at running a draft,” one longtime NFL personnel executive said. “But he wasn’t in the same mindset those last few years.”

That’s for sure. Thompson’s more recent drafts were some of his worse. There’s only one player remaining from his 2015 draft class — Ty Montgomery. The 2016 class was better, most notably for producing Kenny Clark and Blake Martinez. But it was also littered with guys like Jason Spriggs, Kyler Fackrell and Trevor Davis.

And as we’ve always said, it hard to employ the draft and develop philosophy when you don’t draft well. It was past time that Thompson was pushed out.

Tags: Green Bay PackersPittsburgh SteelersT.J. WattTed ThompsonTed Thompson
Previous Post

Aaron Rodgers: Important To Fix Relationship With Brett Favre

Next Post

Sam Shields Still Not Happy With Packers Release

Has Aaron Rodgers Put himself In the MVP Race?

Not If, …When

November 20, 2022
Brian Gutekunst with Ted Thompson

Is There Enough History to Compare Gutekunst, Wolf, and Thompson?

December 1, 2021
Former GM Ted Thompson Has Passed at 68

Former GM Ted Thompson Has Passed at 68

January 21, 2021
Brian Gutekunst with Ted Thompson

Brian Gutekunst vs. Ted Thompson: The First Three Draft Strategies

June 4, 2020
Next Post
Sam Shields

Sam Shields Still Not Happy With Packers Release

Comments 7

  1. Avatar for PF4L PF4L says:
    4 years ago

    I love you guys.

  2. Avatar for Mitch Anthony Mitch Anthony says:
    4 years ago

    They’ll be paying for this and others for a couple years to come.

    Gee Murph, thanks for being so kind and understanding to feeble Ted. Now go jump off the steep end of your damn sledding hill.

  3. Avatar for Howard Howard says:
    4 years ago

    And Murphy is still paying TT for all those mistakes. The 4th from last paragraph in the article referenced, addresses part of Murphy’s role or inaction in this mess.

    “Team president Mark Murphy bears as much responsibility for that as Thompson. Only Murphy knows why he didn’t force Thompson out sooner after it was obvious to those around the GM that he not only had lost his edge but also was in declining health.”

    FUBAR.

    I don’t think the team can waste more of Rodgers years, but the correct course last year, at a minimum, would have been to fire Murphy, and TT. Then hire a new President, and let him pick his new GM. Then let the new GM pick his head coach.

    It is also bothersome that no one could convince TT to pick Watt. It appears the only reservation was a one year player in college. No one including Gutekunst, MM, or any of the long term scouts could bring up in a convincing way that Clay Matthews was also only a one year starter? Both had very good NFL bloodlines. Watt was better in most stats in his final year and exceeded Matthews in almost every combine event result.

  4. Avatar for V V says:
    4 years ago

    This all was entirely predictable and frankly, sad.

  5. Avatar for Cheese Cheese says:
    4 years ago

    While I agree that not picking TJ Watt was totally stupid, maybe they thought that he was going to be Casey Matthews 2.0. Where is he now? More than likely out of the league.

  6. Avatar for Karen Dervetski Karen Dervetski says:
    4 years ago

    Our scout teams are terrible! Am I the only one smart enough to figure this out? As far as Thompson, on mute.

  7. Avatar for PF4L PF4L says:
    4 years ago

    “And as we’ve always said, it hard to employ the draft and develop philosophy when you don’t draft well. It was past time that Thompson was pushed out.” – Joseph Bonham

    Smfh…..except of course, for the fact that i’ve never seen any of your writers say that. That’s ok though, we all know who has actually said that over the years.

    I love you guys.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Total Packers - Green Bay Packers News and Rumors

Find It!

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • Packers Season Recap: Best NFL Highlights from Green Bay
  • Comparing The 2022 First Round Wide Receivers with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs
  • Look Into the Top 5 Favorites of This Season’s 2023 Super Bowl
  • Reviewing Gutekunst, the Packers Roster and Coaches: Where Did it All Go Wrong: The Preseason Decisions
  • Packers Fall Apart in 4th: Lose 20-16 to End Season
  • Packers vs Lions – Game Day: Week 18
  • Packers Make Statement: Pound Vikings 41-17
  • Packers vs Vikings – Game Day: Week 17
  • Packers vs Vikings: The Pack Needs to Save the Season
  • Packers Deliver Huge Present: 26-20 Over Dolphins
  • Packers Bring Rams; Mayfield Back to Earth 24-12
  • Packers vs Rams – Game Day: Week 15

Popular Tags

A.J. Hawk Aaron Rodgers Brett Favre Brian Gutekunst Bryan Bulaga Charles Woodson Chicago Bears Chicago Bears Clay Matthews Clay Matthews III Dallas Cowboys Davante Adams Detroit Lions Eddie Lacy fans Featured free agents game analysis Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers Greg Jennings injuries Jay Cutler Jermichael Finley Jordy Nelson Julius Peppers Mike McCarthy Mike McCarthy Minnesota Vikings Morgan Burnett New England Patriots New Orleans Saints NFL Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles predictions Randall Cobb Sam Shields San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks T.J. Lang Ted Thompson Ted Thompson Tramon Williams Ty Montgomery
No Result
View All Result
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Articles
  • News
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Terms of Use
  • Contact

© 2022 Total Packers -- This site is not affiliated with the Green Bay Packers or Packers.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Analysis
  • Packers News
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer

© 2022 Total Packers -- This site is not affiliated with the Green Bay Packers or Packers.com