http://www.packersnews.com/sto...ers-heart/349607001/
Really good Article on Russ Ball. In the cold world of modern day business negotiations, he goes about his job at a high level while maintaining personal integrity. Glad he's on our side.
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Some scribe mentioned Ball as being an insider favorite for GM. Interesting combo if true: cap guy and GM?
Thereās a reason they republished this article from May. Scoop? Just sayinā...
Just who I want running my team...a bean counter.
I don't see Ball as the GM, unless the deal is that someone else (like a Wolf, Gutenkunst, or even Thompson 
) had the final say on personnel.
The other thing that I think would be a negative for Ball, he is 58 years old. He'll be 59 in August. He very likely would be looking to retirement in 5-7 years, from today.
Fandame posted:Some scribe mentioned Ball as being an insider favorite for GM. Interesting combo if true: cap guy and GM?
Ball sure doesn't fit the typical criteria for GM material.
Ted is Executive VP, General Manager and Director of Football operations. Maybe they blend Ball's and Teds previous responsibilities and elevate the titles of Wolf, Gutekunst, or Highsmith ??
Hungry58posted:The other thing that I think would be a negative for Ball, he is 58 years old. He'll be 59 in August. He very likely would be looking to retirement in 5-7 years, from today.
Stop thinking like a 58 year old. So he wins a Super Bowl or 2 and retires 
Younger GMs are more common.
Younger GM
Young DC
Young ST coach
NEW TAPE!
I fear if itās Ball weāll get more of the same olā vanilla Teddy stuff
I think one reason for the Packers consistent success since the 1990's is salary cap management. They understand cap philosophies very well, are skilled negotiators, and have kept our cap in very good shape.
Although they work with personnel acquisition very closely, I don't know that those skills translate into being a 'football' GM.
Pro football talk is now saying Ball may have the inside track and says heās not really a āfootball guyā, if they give it to him Iām sure theyāll end up losing both Gutekunst and Wolf. If thatās the case look for us to backtrack right back to the 70s and 80s
Well, you wanted change.
YooperPackfan posted:Pro football talk is now saying Ball may have the inside track......
Media is filled with speculation and another report out there says it's Gutekunst.
I'm quite confident the changes we are making will lead us to a path of failure, as we clearly are now deviating from the path of success. 
YooperPackfan posted:Pro football talk is now saying Ball may have the inside track and says heās not really a āfootball guyā, if they give it to him Iām sure theyāll end up losing both Gutekunst and Wolf. If thatās the case look for us to backtrack right back to the 70s and 80s
Problem #1: It's Pure ****ing Trash
Problem #2: You believe a single word those idiots say.
I wouldn't be shocked if Ball was named the GM.
There are younger GMs in the NFL. Ryan Pace was 37 when the Bears hired him and Howie Roseman was under 40 when he became the Eagles GM. But Wolf is only 35. Have to think there will be some people in the organization that will think he is too inexperienced. I don't think he's had another job outside of Green Bay and has been almost exclusively focused on pro personnel during his time here, and needless to say the Packers haven't made many big pro personnel splashes outside of re-signing their own players.
Gutekunst is a pure college scout. Went into college scouting less than 2 years after graduating and did that job for nearly 15 years. Got bumped to Director of College Scouting and was given a fancier title later (probably to keep him in Green Bay) but it sounds like this is still his area of focus. However, will the decision-makers see him as too much of a Ted Thompson? There are also those rumors out there that Thompson was relying more heavily on assistant coaches rather than the scouts when drafting, and that does not reflect well on the college scouting department.
Highsmith has almost the same resume as Gutekunst in that he was a college scout for 13 years. When Dorsey left the Packers, Gutekunst and Highsmith were the two logical individuals to get that position and it went to Gutekunst. Highsmith was then given the title of Senior Personnel Executive. I wouldn't pretend to know the politics involved here, but it doesn't seem like Highsmith would be the strongest candidate for the GM position based on this.
So I definitely think there is an opening for Ball to get the GM spot. Ball is obviously an administrator and not a scout. But it does sound like Ball is extremely well liked and respected by pretty much everybody in organization and that goes a long, long way when decisions like this are made. If Thompson has any sway, which might be questionable, there is a good chance that Ball would be the leader because it sounds like Thompson was closer to Ball than anybody else.
Bottom line is that we don't know how any of these guys will operate if they are named the GM. But if I'm in the room when Ball interviews, and he says stuff like: "coaches coach" "the pro scouts scout the pro players" "college scouts scout the amateur players" "personnel guys look for opportunities to improve the team" "I'll watch the cap and administrate...if there is a conflict somewhere in the organization then I'll be the person that sorts that out and makes the final decision"...if that's his approach then I wouldn't have any problem with him being the GM. Personally I'd probably prefer Gutekunst with the little information I have but there are negatives associated with him as well.
Will be very interesting to not only see who gets this job but also how all the positions under the new GM will be re-structured.
Itās interesting that the four internal candidates are all very different. Ball is a former S&C coach turned front office executive with his focus mainly on contracts and the cap. Heās also the oldest of the group. Gutekunst has some Wisconsin connections and brings the strong college scouting background. Highsmith is a former NFL player, which is a different perspective, and has a strong college scouting background. Wolf is from GB and is a pure front office guy mainly focused on pro personnel.
If theyāre looking for a change up from Ted I donāt think Gutekunst is the direction they want. Ball would be a big departure from TT from a scouting perspective, but he would be similar in that there would possibly be a focus on the cap. Wolf would probably be a good mix of TT and RW, but would we lose veteran Front Office guys who donāt want to work for a 35 yr that has less than 15 years experience, has never endured the grind of scouting, and is not a former player? Highsmith would be an interesting and unexpected choice, I think he would be similar to Reggie McKenzie (former player and scout), possibly taking more risks than TT would.
Texans are expected to interview Gutenkunst for their GM.
dont need a damn search firm to figure out who is the best candidate tho.
Ball has an impressive variety of experience in the football ranks, and was successful at each. Pretty impressive as to how some pretty high level football folks view him.
āGuys like Russ save head coaches. I mean, they just save them.ā
Russ Ball = The Fixer
Russ Ball was labeled by most as a cap manager and contract negotiator. Admittedly, I bought into that narrative. But based upon the more in-depth articles I've been reading recently, it appears that he is a much more well-rounded individual when it comes to football knowledge and experience.
That JSOnline article mentions how Ball recognized that the knock against him (i.e., a potential weakness) was a purported inability to evaluate and recognize talent. So what did he do? He's apparently made that a point of emphasis over the past 5-6 years, during which he's spent more time observing practice, attending the NFL scouting combine on the field, having direct contact with players, and staying involved in personnel and draft meetings. I appreciate that desire and commitment to improve.
It seems like nearly everyone he's ever interacted with in the football community holds him in high regard.
After looking into the option more, I'm much more intrigued with Russ Ball. With the right people around him--and everything I've read suggests that he'll surround himself with talent--I think he can succeed as the Packers' GM.
Not that it means anything but my daughter is friends with Russ Ball's daughter. They belong to our church and Russ and his wife regularly serve communion. They are a very, very, nice family. Twice now my daughter has been invited by Russ' daughter to Packer games and got to sit in Murphy's box both times. (I hate her )_
Is your daughter married?
TOTALLY KIDDING! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!
DH13 posted:Is your daughter married?
TOTALLY KIDDING! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!
She's 20 so you wouldn't have to worry about that. 
Lambeau Lobo posted:That JSOnline article mentions how Ball recognized that the knock against him (i.e., a potential weakness) was a purported inability to evaluate and recognize talent. So what did he do? He's apparently made that a point of emphasis over the past 5-6 years, during which he's spent more time observing practice, attending the NFL scouting combine on the field, having direct contact with players, and staying involved in personnel and draft meetings. I appreciate that desire and commitment to improve.
I'm much more intrigued with Russ Ball. With the right people around him--and everything I've read suggests that he'll surround himself with talent--I think he can succeed as the Packers' GM.
So a JS Online article "floats" some info about Russ Ball "being improved" on his "potential weaknesses."
Well color me convinced
Murphy is going to royally screw this up if he gives Russ Ball 100% Executive power like TT had.
I'm liking Murphy less & less...I believe this entire process is going to define him & he'll be gone if he screws this up.
Meanwhile our favorite team will not only make it's triumphant return to the 80's. We will lose our All-Time great QB too.
I see Rodgers in Jacksonville or Cleveland in 2019 if Murphy blows this.
They could always trade him for a gazzilion draft picks.
Boris,
I agree - JSOnline revisited that article for a reason. I would not be surpirsed if someone inside the organization was involved. I also wonder if the original article was written at the request of someone in 1265. I've heard suggestions that the Thompson-to-Ball transition plan has been in place for months. If that is the case, having a good article on the successor published during the prior season would be a good PR move.
Nevertheless, I think Ball is a better candidate than we're giving him credit for, and I think the Packers could definitely be successful under his leadership. If they go with Ball, the key may be keeping Wolf or Gutenkunst in Green Bay. It's up to Murphy to make that happen. He has to sell Wolf and/or Gutenkunst on the structure and process.
Could be easier keeping Wolf with the idea that he gets a little more seasoning at the right hand of a $$ guy, considering his age. Tougher sell on Gute.
Lambeau Lobo posted:Russ Ball was labeled by most as a cap manager and contract negotiator. Admittedly, I bought into that narrative. But based upon the more in-depth articles I've been reading recently, it appears that he is a much more well-rounded individual when it comes to football knowledge and experience.
That JSOnline article mentions how Ball recognized that the knock against him (i.e., a potential weakness) was a purported inability to evaluate and recognize talent. So what did he do? He's apparently made that a point of emphasis over the past 5-6 years, during which he's spent more time observing practice, attending the NFL scouting combine on the field, having direct contact with players, and staying involved in personnel and draft meetings. I appreciate that desire and commitment to improve.
It seems like nearly everyone he's ever interacted with in the football community holds him in high regard.
After looking into the option more, I'm much more intrigued with Russ Ball. With the right people around him--and everything I've read suggests that he'll surround himself with talent--I think he can succeed as the Packers' GM.
Tagging along and being an observer doesn't replace being out in the field scouting and evaluating players.
DH13 posted:Is your daughter married?
Al? Is that you?
kcpuck posted:Not that it means anything but my daughter is friends with Russ Ball's daughter. They belong to our church and Russ and his wife regularly serve communion. They are a very, very, nice family. Twice now my daughter has been invited by Russ' daughter to Packer games and got to sit in Murphy's box both times. (I hate her
)_
We just found our inside info on what's going at 1265. Another Squirrelpee.
YooperPackfan posted:Pro football talk is now saying Ball may have the inside track and says heās not really a āfootball guyā, if they give it to him Iām sure theyāll end up losing both Gutekunst and Wolf. If thatās the case look for us to backtrack right back to the 70s and 80s
I guarantee you this team will not backtrack to the dark days of that era. Back then you had the board running the team and the few football people they had were incompetent because no one wanted to work for the Packers. Now? I guarantee you this job is seen as a plumb job and this franchise even though it is in flux right now truly is a model NFL franchise.
True, but sadly if Murphy f**ks this up, Rodgers will be 35 or 36 before the correction could be made/in place. The need for a minimal road-bump at this time is apparent, which to me is why there is such a strong sense of Ball being the guy.
From the way outside looking in perspective, Gutenkunst or Wolf make more sense because they satisfy the current continuity/minimal road-bump need, and with their age(s) give the organization longer term options. The likely downside with each is their limited exposure outside the GBP organization.
Obviously I'm a Wolf guy, he's been doing this longer than Arrigo - that has to mean something.
It resonates with me to want a GM that has very strong player skill assessment knowledge.
Hungry5 posted:Obviously I'm a Wolf guy, he's been doing this longer than Arrigo - that has to mean something.
Hope that guy starts hanging out at x4
espn radio in Milwaukee saying MM not happy should Russ Ball be hired. Even suggesting an outside shot he could quit.
(Also Rodgers not psyched with Ball as well.)
ESPN Radio must've read the McGinn story.
