“Big splashes in March don’t mean much,” Thompson said during a break in the NFL’s annual meetings Monday. “It doesn’t make sense to spend money if you don’t think you’re helping your team. It doesn’t make any sense. I could have made two or three big splashes and had everybody say, ‘Oooh, look how good he’s doing.’ But it wouldn’t have improved our team, in my opinion.”
"Big splashes in March don't mean much." So true. TT wisdom right there. "Patience, grasshoppers."
antooo posted:My guess is Ted died and Elliot is collecting his Social Security check.
Ted is the current version of "Mr. Ditto". ?
Per Rob D, this is correct. All recent signings were "street free agents" therefore do not go into comp. formula.
None of these recent signings count against the compensatory pick formula, do they? All technically "street" free agents?
— Justin (@WIguyinMN) September 5, 2017
Fandame posted:"Big splashes in March don't mean much." So true. TT wisdom right there. "Patience, grasshoppers."
That's actually a pretty dumb statement. March signings signal not only an attempt to improve your team, but also an area where you don't think the draft offers the best chance for improvement.
This year's draft was strong for edge players, corners and RBs, for example, but OL was very thin. Even decent O-line guys got snatched up pretty quickly on the market and numerous guys seemed to get overdrafted a little also.
Think TT is probably referring to the big-name (and expensive) signings that many fans seem to desire. Think it's just TT being uncharacteristically aggressive rather than the hand of Wolf guiding the process.
Herschel posted:Fandame posted:"Big splashes in March don't mean much." So true. TT wisdom right there. "Patience, grasshoppers."
That's actually a pretty dumb statement. March signings signal not only an attempt to improve your team, but also an area where you don't think the draft offers the best chance for improvement.
That's actually a pretty dumb statement. And accurate. Only it doesn't apply to Ted. The majority of opening FA weekend signings are exactly that. A SIGNAL of an attempt to improve your team.
The original point Ted was making is that you have no idea what your team/roster is going to look like come August in March.
packerboi posted:Per Rob D, this is correct. All recent signings were "street free agents" therefore do not go into comp. formula.
None of these recent signings count against the compensatory pick formula, do they? All technically "street" free agents?
— Justin (@WIguyinMN) September 5, 2017
The flip side. GB is going to pick up 4 comp picks in 2018. Projected to be a 3rd, a 5th, and two 7ths for Lang, Tretter, Lacy, Hyde, and Cook departing for new teams.
Pretty strong argument that the roster is better today than it was before FA started and the net result is Ted picking up four additional picks for his efforts.
Thompson has regularly opted for the street FA's, just mo-better out there this year.
Dial and Brooks will bring some nasty! We need some nasty.
ChilliJon posted:Herschel posted:Fandame posted:"Big splashes in March don't mean much." So true. TT wisdom right there. "Patience, grasshoppers."
That's actually a pretty dumb statement. March signings signal not only an attempt to improve your team, but also an area where you don't think the draft offers the best chance for improvement.
That's actually a pretty dumb statement. And accurate. Only it doesn't apply to Ted. The majority of opening FA weekend signings are exactly that. A SIGNAL of an attempt to improve your team.
The original point Ted was making is that you have no idea what your team/roster is going to look like come August in March.
I disagree. TT knows what the draft looks like, he even has a decent handle on next year's draft. He also has a good idea of who will be available and for what price. The guy plans in advance for everything.
Except for multiple injuries at 1 position. 
lovepack posted:Dial and Brooks will bring some nasty! We need some nasty.
Exactly what we've been missing for years and what we need which is guys on defense flying to the ball and making big hits. Defense is all about attitude and forcing your way on the offense . We've been too soft for a long time - I want to see some aggression and anger. I'm tired of teams like Atlanta and others last year walking all over our defense.
Herschel, I agree with you. Ted added seven players and it didn't cost him a thing other than cap space. The roster is better today than it was in March. In the process he picked up four comp picks. He planned for everything.
Only that's not what you started with. You inferred Ted should overspend in March to fill specific positions that looked weak in that specific position in the draft. You just left out everything that might be available after the draft. In the case of this year that should include a starting G that was available on the eve of the draft.
1,380 players hit the open market two days after the final pre season game. Ted planned for that. 20/20 says he planned for that a long time ago.
Ted absolutely nailed down every critical comment that's ever been made about the perception of what he's failed to get right this year without changing a thing about how he goes about doing things.
- He signed street free agents to improve the roster.
- It cost him nothing other than short term cap space
- He has a really strong practice squad.
- He picked up four 2018 comp picks.
- He added a significant amount of speed to the defense
- He has four good running backs
- He's still got a young roster looking for bigger contracts.
If Elliott played a part in this then that's nothing but great news. I hope he did.
Looking at early FA in comparison to draft depth as the way to build a roster is totally shortsiding every means available to put a roster together. Ted did in fact plan for everything. So yes, you are right.
Pretty rare year with the number of players that left in Free Agency. I don't recall a year with this many contributing players leaving all at once : TJ Lang, JC Tretter, Eddie Lacy, Jared Cook, Julius Peppers, Datone Jones, and Micah Hyde....for the most part a significant makeup of last years roster. With that kind of exodus, Ted knows its going to be tough to fill all of the holes through the draft and UDFA alone. And because he wisely didn't overpay to keep guys like Lang, Lacy, or Hyde, he easily has the cap flexibility to be prudent with FA acquisitions.
To make the recent improvements through the draft, UDFA, and low cost UFA signings is really impressive....and as always with Ted, the Pack is still in good cap shape, has all of their draft picks, plus have 4 comp picks next year.
Damn Ted, we can't even bitch about the punter anymore.
Bennett counts against the comp pick formula. He was not cut by the Pats
Tom Silverstein with an excellent look at this year's FA signings and the GB roster.
So does Jahri Evans, but I still believe they qualify for the max of 4 comp picks.
Lost 7 players and signed 2 UFA.
Edit; Evans played all last year with the Saints but still under contract and later released . So only 1 UFA , but still at the max (4) for comp picks.
Evans was a street FA. Bennett knocked the comp picks down to two 7th rounders. Again. This is all projected but it's almost a certainty it's a 3rd, a 5th, and two 7ths next year.
ilcuqui posted:Tom Silverstein with an excellent look at this year's FA signings and the GB roster.
From the article, "the Packers will start the season with nine players age 30 or above, which is the most of any Thompson team in the McCarthy era. The average coming into this year was six and the previous high was seven (four times).
The average years of experience going into Seattle is 4.25 years. Only once – in 2010, the year the Packers won Super Bowl XLV — has it been over 4.0 (4.06). Thompson’s roster consistently has ranked in the bottom 10 in years of experience.
This change in form is a result of Thompson removing the handcuffs on his personnel department and letting them identify some tread-worn free agents who could fill important roles on the team. Unlike previous years, the annual roster turnover wasn’t limited to rookies and practice-squad players replacing veterans."
I still am thinking they bring in a vet OL, right after Game 1.
SteveLuke posted:ilcuqui posted:Tom Silverstein with an excellent look at this year's FA signings and the GB roster.
From the article, "the Packers will start the season with nine players age 30 or above, which is the most of any Thompson team in the McCarthy era. The average coming into this year was six and the previous high was seven (four times).
The average years of experience going into Seattle is 4.25 years. Only once – in 2010, the year the Packers won Super Bowl XLV — has it been over 4.0 (4.06). Thompson’s roster consistently has ranked in the bottom 10 in years of experience.
This change in form is a result of Thompson removing the handcuffs on his personnel department and letting them identify some tread-worn free agents who could fill important roles on the team. Unlike previous years, the annual roster turnover wasn’t limited to rookies and practice-squad players replacing veterans."
Hope this shift in age helps GB finally make the postseason.
Pretty radical stuff to go from 4.0 to 4.25 years of experience. 2 of the over 30 guys are the kicker and the long snapper.
SteveLuke is seeking a definitive reason why GB hasn't won a SB in six years. Maybe it's roster age. Maybe it's the need for more FA's. Maybe it's too many UDFA's. Maybe it's Ted.
Maybe winning a Super Bowl is really ****ing hard SteveLuke.
Unless you're in the AFC.
Seems like TT is making a run this year. Bennett (10 years), House (7), Kendrick (7), Francois (9), Brooks (11) and Dial (5) have a ton of experience, more than TT has ever signed in one offseason.
ChilliJon posted:SteveLuke is seeking a definitive reason why GB hasn't won a SB in six years. Maybe it's roster age. Maybe it's the need for more FA's. Maybe it's too many UDFA's. Maybe it's Ted.
Maybe winning a Super Bowl is really ****ing hard SteveLuke.
Unless you're in the AFC.
Don't know why some are so determined to deny undeniable facts like the Pack (1) signed a lot more veteran free agents this year than in years past and, consequently, (2) is no longer one of the youngest teams in the NFL in 2017.
I am fully on board with Ted's new and different approach.
After all, even if the team does not reach the Super Bowl this year after adding all these new veterans they will finish no worse than they have the past six years when, as Silverstein put it, "the annual roster turnover was[] limited to rookies and practice-squad players replacing veterans."
CUPackFan posted:Seems like TT is making a run this year. Bennett (10 years), House (7), Kendrick (7), Francois (9), Brooks (11) and Dial (5) have a ton of experience, more than TT has ever signed in one offseason.
Free agency is the price paid for drafting poorly. I am still a big TT fan, but he's taken too many gambles in the draft the last few years and they haven't worked out. Look at where we have signed the most FA's: TE and DL. He's had busts like Thornton, Rodgers, etc. There have also been better deals in FA this year compared to other years, I feel like he got fair deals (on both sides) for all of these players. That wouldn't have been true the last few years. There were no TEs of Bennett's caliber that weren't trying to cash in, same with DL like Francois. Other than Bennett, he just added fair prices stopgaps. I think the issues drafting are a result of all the personnel side turnover, we lost 3 great personnel guys which had a ripple effect through the scouting and personnel departments. Great regional or area scouts moved up and we aren't finding those Sam Shields or Josh Sittons anymore. Despite his issues I was really hoping we would add Scot McGloughlan to the scouting department, he has a great eye for talent.
I Think the key point made is that the depth drop off from starter to back up isn't nearly as steep as it has been. Plus last year's lumps for guys like Gunter or Brice are this year's improvement for those guys as backups.
But for the offense, giving Rodgers skill position players that are championship caliber is the biggest boom.
Packers Podcast: Ted Thompson's free agent shopping spree (.mp3)
Interesting discussion from Cohen and Silverstein.
ilcuqui posted:I still am thinking they bring in a vet OL, right after Game 1.
I hope so because Spriggs play is making me pine for Barclay.
Grave Digger posted:CUPackFan posted:Seems like TT is making a run this year. Bennett (10 years), House (7), Kendrick (7), Francois (9), Brooks (11) and Dial (5) have a ton of experience, more than TT has ever signed in one offseason.
Despite his issues I was really hoping we would add Scot McGloughlan to the scouting department, he has a great eye for talent.
Not sure an alcoholic is very reliable.
Ted's hand was forced a bit because normally he would count on rookies a la Biegel and M. Adams. I doubt Brooks would have been signed if Biegel was healthy. They haven't given up on Fackrell - it's too soon. Dial is a bit more questionable given he's unlike any DL that was on the roster.
Henry posted:Not sure an alcoholic is very reliable.
True, but he knows talent when he sees it, sober or drunk. He doesn't even need the other 49 drunks to agree.
50k Club posted:They haven't given up on Fackrell - it's too soon.
Think they've largely given up on him contributing much to the pass rush this season. Really think TT knows the offense is loaded and wanted to bring the defense up to speed as much as possible.
Fackrell better be aware he's on his last leg. If next pre-season he's wasting a spot like he is this year, he'll be gone...
Grave Digger posted:Henry posted:Not sure an alcoholic is very reliable.
True, but he knows talent when he sees it, sober or drunk. He doesn't even need the other 49 drunks to agree.
That is efficiency if I've ever heard it.
SteveLuke posted:...the Pack (1) signed a lot more veteran free agents this year than in years past ...
I am fully on board with Ted's new and different approach.
The Pack lost a lot more veteran free agents this year than in years past.
Unique year.
Seven significant veterans were lost to FA. Glad Ted did not over pay to keep them.
Ted had to replace them...you do not replace 7 contributing veterans through the draft and UDFA alone ...from all appearances he added quality experience at a better price.
Signing more name guys makes it appear that Thompson signed more. GB signs their fair share every year, though typically it's their own. As Packdog noted, they lost/let more go this past off-season.
10th youngest is still quite young.