For the most part NFL free agency has come and gone and once again Green Bay Packers’ general manager Ted Thompson snoozed through it. The Packers are once again doomed to mediocrity in 2016 and many online NFL sportsbooks are starting to show that in their odds for the Packers winning Super Bowl LI.
The Packers won Super Bowls 32 and 45 largely due to free agent acquisitions Reggie White and Charles Woodson, respectively, but Thompson is too dense to realize that and completely dismisses one of the best ways to improve a team, especially one that only needs a little help overcome their mediocrity. The malaise days of Thompson continue and so will the playoff disappointments, if that is, the Packers even make the playoffs in 2016. I have my doubts that they will.
The Packers have a huge need at tight end but made no attempt at the Chargers’ Ladarius Green, who signed with Pittsburgh for a modest $5 million a year. The Packers desperately needed a third down back and could have had Matt Forte for a song. Lack of speed at receiver was a huge problem last year and Travis Benjamin could have been had for a mere pittance by today’s standards. Desperately wanting to move inside linebacker Clay Matthews back outside, the Packers could have had Danny Trevathan, who wanted to come to Green Bay, but instead Thompson watched him go to arch rival Chicago. Smooth move Exlax.
It is hard to understand how someone in Thompson’s position can continue to be in his position when he refuses to help his team improve. Thompson wasn’t even in the office on first of free agency. Nope, he was out at some noname pro day scouting instead of doing his job in Green Bay. If you want to be a scout, be a scout, let somebody else run the team. Somebody that uses all avenues available to improve their teams.
Mark Murphy hinted at the scouting combine that he knows how long Thompson plans to continue working and who his successor will be. So in other words, he knows how much longer the Packers will have no chance to win another Super Bowl. One can only hope that the one to succeed Thompson is Elliot Wolf, who hopefully will be like his dad and take a chance every now and then.
The elder Wolf, Ron, recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame had the guts to sign White. He also signed guys like Sean Jones, Santana Dotson and sent a second round pick to Miami for tight end Keith Jackson. Each and every one was a key part of the Packers’ back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in the mid 90s. Did Wolf have some misses, you bet, but his successes far outweighed them.
Now with Aaron Rodgers turning 33 this year the Packers are on the verge of wasting another Hall of Fame quarterback’s career. It will be a crying shame if all the Packers get out of Favre and Rodgers is two lousy Super Bowls. The Patriots have been to six Super Bowls since 2001 alone. How sad.
Pop a top for another year of woulda’ coulda’ shoulda.