Ted Thompson Steps Down as General Manager of the Packers

I was blown away by the news and it didn't look like that I was the only one. Before I digress into the strange and sudden timing of it, first and foremost it has to be said that Ted Thompson has been one of the best ever for the Green Bay Packers.

Through 13 seasons with the #Packers as GM, Ted Thompson:
-Finished with a 125-82-1 record
-Brought in Mike McCarthy
-Drafted Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Clay Matthews, Mike Daniels, etc.
-1 Super Bowl title
-8 straight playoff appearances

— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) January 2, 2018

That's the short list. He has been amazing.

But the reason why this is happening now, suddenly after the season, is the bigger story. At first, I couldn't write anything it because if this was just a football move, an overreaction to the first losing season in almost a decade, it was terrible. There had to be more to it and Bob McGinn had the details.

Last month, Thompson was just gazing into space hardly mindful why he was attending a meeting of team executives, the source said.
The incident was one of several in the last six months that called into question Thompson’s fitness for performing such demanding work. It also opened the Packers to embarrassment for having a man with apparent health and focusing issues directing their football operation.

The entire article should be read, here's the screen shot from December 23rd that he mentioned in the article.

when the 'nog is too strong pic.twitter.com/FbcYOtXzbK

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) December 24, 2017

Team President Mark Murphy was quick to dismiss Bob McGinn's report that the Board of Directors forced him to remove Thompson. That part involving the Board of Directors seemed unlikely, it hasn't had a strong hand in regard to on-field decisions since the 1950s when Vince Lombardi ended their meddling.

But then Murphy says this change began over a year ago which seems unlikely given how it surprised almost everyone. I'm guessing the truth is somewhere in the middle. Thompson isn't himself anymore, though the board didn't officially force Murphy to act, and there was not going to be no good way to do to fire/demote him based on what he's done for the team while avoiding any discussion about his health.

I'm not sure how this is going to unfold but it's already gotten a little messy with Alonzo Highsmith leaving quickly for Cleveland after 19 years in Green Bay. It's going to be an attractive job, a winning franchise with a future Hall of Fame quarterback. I'd be happy with an internal replacement but it's worthwhile reaching out across the league to see who might be interested.

Rodgers a Fan of McCarthy's New Extension

Unsurprisingly, Packers QB Mike McCarthy is a fan of Mike McCarthy's new extension. 

"It'd be something to play with the same team your entire career, and then also start for the same coach," Rodgers said Tuesday on his weekly ESPN Milwaukee radio show, via The Green Bay Press Gazette. "And, if Ted [Thompson] was able to stick around, have the same general manager. That'd be something right there. I think that would definitely speak to consistency there."

Rodgers, since he became the team's starter, has never been coached by anybody else. So yeah, his reaction here isn't that unusual, but still, it's news. We might as well here about it.

Packers Won't Look to Add Another Offensive Lineman

In an article published earlier today by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein, Packers GM Ted Thompson revealed that the team isn't looking to add another offensive lineman in the wake of Don Barclay's injury.

"Not really," Thompson said. "We'll see. There's all kinds of turns and stops in terms of our roster. I think we have 15 total OL on our roster. We tried to acquire as many big men as we could in the off-season. We'll see."

Last season, interestingly, Barclay started fourteen games for the Pack, possibly making him a tough guy to replace.

Nonetheless, Thompson apparently isn't too concerned about his absence, an act that seems to imply confidence in whoever will take his spot. 

McCarthy Extension Could Come Soon

After team GM Ted Thompson was signed to a multi-year extention earlier today, another one for Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy could be right around the corner, ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports. 

Apparently, Thompson considers getting McCarthy to a new deal before his current one ends after 2015 a "top priority," something not surprising since McCarthy just got a street named after him. 

In other words, it's probably just a matter of time until the man who has been with the team since 2006 gets locked up, although whether or not things will happen this offseason is obviously still unknown.

Packers Extend GM Ted Thompson For Multiple Years

It's been a big week for extensions, first WR Jordy Nelson, and now GM Ted Thompson. The terms weren't initially disclosed, but I doubt it's unreasonable.

#Packers sign General Manager Ted Thompson to new contract. Read more: http://t.co/6gU5YKFmGO pic.twitter.com/lvreAP48nz
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 30, 2014

I'm just surprised that he's agreed to an extension. The last time he signed an extension after their Super Bowl win, it sounded like he wasn't sure how much longer he'd work. He could probably retire if he wanted to. At some point, traveling all over the country and watching hours of film to scout players is going to lose its appeal. Former GM Ron Wolf retired in 2001 at age 63, Thompson is currently 61, and Wolf did not miss working those long hours. Though it would be hard to leave such a promising team right now.

Locking Up Thompson "a top priority" for Packers

In an article recently published by ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, Packers President Mark Murphy interestingly told reporters that re-signing General Manager Ted Thompson is "a top priority."

"It's a top priority," Murphy said earlier today. "I think Ted's been instrumental obviously in the run we've had. So that is a real priority."

Currently, Thompson's contract is set to expire after the 2016 draft, meaning that getting him on an extension soon is a must if the Pack are serious about keeping him, as the 61 year-old has stressed multiple times this offseason that he doesn't want to retire anytime soon. 

Packers Complete Rookie Class With Signings of Rodgers, Adams

The Packers have finally signed soon-to-be rookies Richard Rodgers and Davante Adams, team General Manager Ted Thompson announced today. 

The deals, whose details have not yet been released, complete the Pack's 2014 first year player class, as each of their nine 2014 draft picks are now under contract.

Rodgers, as we all know by now, spent the last three seasons as a Tight End at Cal, catching a solid 59 passes for 896 yards.

During that same time, Adams was a Wide Receiver down at Fresno State, where he also did pretty well, collecting 233 receptions including 38 for touchdowns.

Thompson Not Planning On Retiring Soon

When somebody reaches their 60s in the football business, retirement usually isn't far away.

Packers GM Ted Thompson, 61, has been asked about that multiple times this offseason, yet continues to ignore it.

As of now, Thompson has just two years left on his current contract, although, according to team President Mark Murphy, Green Bay's happy with him and wants to have him back.

The two seem to agree on that. 

“I’m just getting started,” Thompson told reporters at a recent news conference at Lambeau Field. “No, I feel pretty good.”

Since Thompson took over Green Bay's GM position in 2005, the Packers have done pretty well on the field, compiling an 86-57-1 record while also winning 4 NFC North Titles, 2 Wild Card Spots, and 1 Super Bowl. 

The Pack haven't always been dominant during those nine years, as they did have 4-12, 8-8, and 6-10 seasons mixed in with all those successes, but still, it seems obvious that what Thompson's doing in the league's smallest city is working. That doesn't guarantee that anything will continue this way, but if the guy still thinks he can do the job well then I see no reason why the team shouldn't keep him. 

Murphy: Packers will sign Thompson to extension before McCarthy

I guess all that talk from earlier this offseason was wrong.

Despite the recent rumors circulating about the duo's future, the Packers are apparently not planning to sign Head Coach Mike McCarthy to an extension until they do the same with General Manager Ted Thompson, team President Mark Murphy recently told NFL.com Around the League's Gregg Rosenthal.

"The way we're structured, football reports through Ted," Murphy said. "And then everything reports up through me, so the first step would be to extend Ted, then he would in turn enter in an extension for Mike." 

A few weeks ago, sources were reporting that the Pack wanted to sign McCarthy to a new deal, although now that seems unlikely, especially since Thompson has just two years left on his current contract.

This news also likely destroys the rumor that current Seahawks GM John Schneider will succeed TT in the near future, although really, that probably doesn't matter.

Still, I'd imagine this report sets us up for a boring offseason, especially since it already seems that Green Bay signed their big Free Agent (Julius Peppers) back in March. That doesn't guarantee anything, but considering Thompson's track record it's probably the more likely scenario.

Packers considering signing TE Colt Lyerla

The Packers are considering signing former Oregon TE Colt Lyerla, CSN Northwest's Aaron Fentress reports. 

Lyerla, a 2012 Fiesta Bowl Champion with a recent arrest on his record, worked out for the team earlier this week, apparently making a strong impression. 

According to Fentress, the Pack have previously done research on the undrafted youngster, a big reason why they gave him the chance they did.

“We did a lot of work on Colt,” Green Bay GM Ted Thompson said yesterday. “He’s very talented. We interviewed him at the combine. He’s made some mistakes. We felt he was worth bringing in and taking a look at.”

That last part may be true, as the ex-Duck undoubtedly has potential, but still, the debate on whether or not the risk of signing him is worth taking is there.

As I said in the post I did about Lyerla Saturday, the prospect can be irresponsible off the field, so I guess the Packers just have to decide if they think he's worth it. In my opinion, he probably is, as people who do dumb stuff usually don't mess up twice, but again, you can never be too sure. He could always take a turn for the worst. 

Packers Continue Signing Draft Picks; Get WR Jared Abbrederis and Center Corey Linsley on Contracts

The Green Bay Packers, in their continuing hurry to sign all of their 2014 draft picks, have gotten WR Jared Abbrederis and Center Corey Linsley on contracts, team GM Ted Thompson announced last night. 

The duo, products of Wisconsin and Ohio State, respectively, were each taken by Green Bay in Saturday's fifth round.

During their times at those Big Ten schools, each put up pretty good numbers, as Abbrederis collected 202 receptions for 3,140 yards and Linsley helped the Buckeyes break multiple school records with 87 touchdowns and 637 points last season. 

Later on at the combine, the two's success continued. There, Linsley, a 296 lb, 6'3" Offensive Lineman, reached 27 inches on the vertical jump, while Abbrederis ran the 40 yard Dash in just 4.50 seconds.

Interestingly, Abbrederis is the first Badger to be taken by the Packers since 2001, when OL Bill Ferrario was drafted in the fourth round. The four-year college star is also the first Wisconsin rookie to head up to Green Bay under Ted Thompson, making him signing today very likable.

As for Linsley, him being acquired is also very intriguing, as he is well known for his ability to control rushing defenders.

Seahawks GM Schneider could end up succeeding Packers Thompson

Seahawks GM John Schneider could end up succeeding the Packers Ted Thompson when the latter retires, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Bob McGinn reports. Schneider, a De Pere, Wisconsin native, was with Green Bay for 8 seasons from 2002-2009, first as a Special Assistant and then later as the club's Director of Football Operations.

In 2010, Schneider was hired by Seattle to his current position where, as we all know, he's done pretty well, helping the Seahawks make 3 playoff appearances (2 NFC West Titles) and win their first ever Super Bowl last year.

According to McGinn, Schneider even considers the Packers GM position his "dream job," meaning that it's likely he won't pass up the spot if it's offered to him.

Still, right now this whole idea is just a possibility, so we have to make sure not to get too ahead of ourselves with it. Thompson's current contract doesn't end until the conclusion of the 2016 Draft, and in that time a lot of stuff could happen. Who knows? Maybe Schneider grows in the Northwest and ends up deciding to stay. From what I've read that's unlikely, but it, along with Thompson just signing a new deal, is still plausible.

Packers GM Thompson sees "no evidence of any decline" in Peppers' play

Packers GM Ted Thompson sees "no evidence of any decline" in DE Julius Peppers' play, the 61-year old recently told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tyler Dunne. Peppers, an 8-time Pro Bowler, signed a 3-year, $30 million deal with Green Bay March 15, officially ending his time as a rival. 

"Well, 34 is not so old," Thompson said. "Not for some of us. There’s no evidence of any decline in his play, in our opinion. He still has the same athletic traits that he had coming out. He’s had a remarkable history in the NFL in terms of durability. We’re looking forward to it. I think he is, too."

During his four seasons in Chicago, Peppers averaged a solid 35 annual tackles, a slight decline from the 39 he averaged during his time with the Panthers from 2002-2009. Technically something not so great, but still, considering that Green Bay's two main DEs in 2014, Johnny Jolly and B.J. Raji, collected just 21 and 17 tackles respectively this guy is definitely an upgrade. 

And remember, it's not like the Packers need a perfect defense to win this year. They already have arguably the league's best offense, so, in my opinion, a defense ranked somewhere in the middle of the league would be more than enough to help them collect 13+ victories. 

Thompson "would like" to have Sam Shields back

For the second time in a week, a major man in the Packers Organization has come out saying that he wants a soon-to-be free agent back. 

“Sam (Shields) is one of the fellas we’d like to have back,” Packers GM Ted Thompson recently said in an article on Packers.com.

You may remember Head Coach Mike McCarthy saying something similar to that about B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett last week, so yea, I'm not sure I can trust what Thompson's saying here. I mean, he might actually wanna keep Shields, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't just say this kinda stuff about everybody.

Thompson unlikely to make any big signings this offseason

In an article recently published by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Packers GM Ted Thompson, like he does every year, basically said that, unless somebody begs the Pack to sign him, he won't make any big free agent acquisitions this offseason. 

"If an opportunity presents itself and it helps us be better, then yes," Thompson said. "But I think doing it for the sake of doing it is a waste of time and energy."

So yea, there it is again Packers fans. I wish it wasn't so, but it is true. This offseason, like every other one since 2006, is gonna suck.

Does Crosby want the Packers to make him earn his job again?

In an article recently published by ESPN Milwaukee, Packers Kicker Mason Crosby, who made a career best 89.2% of his field goal attempts this season, appeared to praise General Manager Ted Thompson's decision to sign another kicker during 2013 training camp, calling it motivation. 

“You know, it was definitely a positive. There was nothing negative about it,” Crosby said. “I think it drove me to compete with myself even more, compete with what I felt like I needed to do and just go out and really battle every day."

So yea, you hear him Thompson. Go get another kicker. 

Reaction: Dom Capers will likely return next season

Yesterday, Brandon wrote about something that I consider to be huge news: that Mike McCarthy apparently thinks Packers DC Dom Capers is an "outstanding" coach, meaning that Capers will likely return next season. Now I gotta say, I would love having Capers back. Yea, the defense sucked this year, but it wasn't his fault. It was obviously because of two things: injuries and bad players. I mean, Thompson's gotta sign somebody this offseason. He can't keep rolling out these backup idiots. 

One other thing: it is my personal belief that, had Rodgers stayed healthy, the Pack would've gone 14-2 this season. Seriously, look at who they lost or tied to without #12: the Bears, Eagles, Giants, Vikings, Lions, and Steelers? Now they wouldn't have lost any of those contests had Aaron played, don't you think?

Well, now Rodgers looks "ready to play"

No surprise here as the drama that is the Aaron Rodgers road to recovery changed again yesterday, when head coach Mike McCarthy told the media that, while the team is preparing Flynn to start in case he has to, Rodgers now appears to be "ready to play." All I can say is: of course he does. He's definitely healthy enough to compete right now, and we all know that the only reason he hasn't be cleared yet is because Ted Thompson's paranoia is a lot greater than his will to win. I mean, all week all I've heard is great things about #12, so I can't buy that he won't start this Sunday. I just can't. So, I'm predicting that Rodgers will be cleared to play this afternoon after his evaluation. At this moment, he's just too healthy to miss another game. 

Ted Thompson Talks About Free Agency

This isn't anything new, at least to me, but Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson spoke to reporters at the recent owners' meeting, and he does a good job of explaining exactly how the Packers proceed in free agency. From JS Online.com:

"I know (people) don't believe me, but we're always active in free agency," Thompson said during a break in the owners meetings Monday. "There have been a couple years here in a row that we haven't actually signed anybody.
"It doesn't mean we weren't active pursuing leads, trying to understand the market, doing all that. In the case of Jeff Saturday we were able to address a specific need that we felt like we needed to address because we were unable to sign Scott ( Wells)."

It's hard to notice because they don't (usually) end up signing anyone, but free agency is still part of their annual process. However, they've done such a good job of building the team (primarily through the draft) over the past few years that they don't have a big need to sign a particular free agent. The annual March free agent frenzy has been a sucker's game, and they've done well to avoid the high priced troubles.

Thinking more about Jeff Saturday, his signing had a perfect alignment of events to make it happen. The Packers had an immediate need to fill after Scott Wells left. Nick McDonald might have been the future, but he was bad last preseason, I understand why he was released, and it left them with no young successor waiting in the wings. Saturday still wanted to play, but he wanted a two-year deal when most teams probably viewed him as a one-year solution. And he's still good enough to start, so the Packers offered him starter's dollars when apparently no other team would. I can understand why no other team offered him a competitive contract, why shake up their center position for a one-year solution, but if there was another team seriously interested in him, it's likely the Packers would have been outbid.

Now the Packers can draft Saturday's replacement, give the rookie a year or two to develop (as they did recently with T.J. Lang), and give Saturday the opportunity to start for a couple more years. It's not what I was expecting a month ago, but it's seemed to work out for both sides.