Lombardi's Den

Saturday Ted Thompson started the rebuilding of the Packers with the release of 3-time Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton with a year left on his contract. What is doubly worse about this transaction is that with one move Thompson not only made the Packers worse, but vastly improved the Packers most hated rival.

The Chicago Bears and their fans must be dancing in the streets after they rushed to sign Sitton to solve their biggest problem a leaky offensive line in general and a terrible guard situation in particular. This makes winning the North title much harder.

 

I Knew The Packers Were Stupid And This Proves It

The sad thing is the release of Sitton is just an extension of what's been happening the past two years as Packers General Manager Ted Thompson slips into senility. He seems to have forgotten that the clock is ticking on the Aaron Rodgers Era just like he did in the final years of Brett Favre.

 

The Packers have had arguably the finest two quarterbacks back-to-back in the modern era, but all we have to show for it during Thompson's 11 years at the helm is one Super Bowl appearance and trophy.

 

To be fair and balanced the Packers have made the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons and the last seven in a row, which the Trust in Tedders hang their hats on. But to have only one Super Bowl appearance is pitiful.

 

It's Simple. Keep The Cheapest Guy

When Thompson took over he inherited the last three seasons of Favre, so what did he do he immediately cut his two starting guards (Mike Wahl and Marco Rivera) for money reasons and his starting safety to boot (Darren Sharper).

 

The guard replacements (Adrian Klemm, Matt O'Dwyer, and Will Whitticker) were a disaster and the Packers slipped from division champion at 10-6 to last at 4-12. In fact, it took four seasons before the line settled and that was when Sitton took over at right guard.

 

Further more the Packers had made the playoffs for four straight seasons, but didn't return to the Super Bowl and the Packers management at that time thought that wasn't good enough so they fired General Manager Mike Sherman and hired Ted Thompson. And yet the current braintrust thinks seven straight playoff appearances and five years without a Super Bowl is GOOD ENOUGH. Definitely a different mindset in today's front office.

 

Saturday Thompson doubled down on his obsession with the Packers not spending money and being one of the youngest teams, year in and year out. In Thompson's addled mind there is always the goal building a team for the future instead of the more immediate goal of winning a Super Bowl now.

 

Last season proved a point as one missing starter (Jordy Nelson) unraveled one of the most potent offenses in the league. Just one missing starter. The rest of the offensive unit was intact and yet the unit slipped from top 10 to 23rd. Just one missing starter and now it's happening again.

 

Don't Smile T.J. You Are Next

It seems and I think I am right Thompson had decided to let both Sitton and T. J. Lang walk after this season just like he did in 2005 with Rivera and Wahl. However, it seems Thompson had a stroke yesterday and cut Sitton with one year left on his contract. Why?

 

Thompson told us why, "While these decisions are never easy, this was done with a focus on what is best for the team and the growth of the offensive line.”

 

To be fair there might be something else working here. Sitton is suffering from a bad back that bothered him last year and I thought at the time that Sitton's play had slipped last year. However, he came into camp 20 pounds lighter to take some of the pressure off that back.

 

Thompson may figure he is playing on borrowed time with only have a season or two left. But to cut him with one year left on his contract with no viable backup baffles me. You just don't cut a Pro Bowler without a talented backup on your roster. At least Wahl and Rivera were free agents that would have cost Thompson more to re-sign them.

 

Sadly, besides Rodgers, the one thing the experts have been saying about the 2016 Packers is they have one of the top 5 offensive lines led by Pro Bowl left guard Sitton. Last year the Packers had five Pro Bowl selections and Thompson has now cut two of them (Sitton and John Kuuuuuhhhn).

 

Lane Taylor Was Re-signed With A Big Raise

Also if you had watched how the backup offensive line has played you have to admit none are ready to start, especially the guards Lane Taylor, Lucas Patrick and Josh Walker. Walker was put on injured reserve with an injured knee, Patrick, who I thought actually played the best of the bunch even though he was playing with a club on his hand, was cut and Taylor is the last guard standing.

 

The pundits are scrambling to figure out what happens next. Some are saying they will have to move No. 2 pick Jason Spriggs to right tackle (he has played left tackle all camp), and then move Bryan Bulaga to left guard (where he has never played). How does any of this help this season?

 

Another scenario is moving Lang back to left guard, Bulaga to right guard and Spriggs to right tackle. Or maybe Don Barclay plays right guard.

 

They are also saying the starting center J. C. Tretter will end up at left guard when Corey Linsley returns from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. However, that is six weeks away at the earliest and nine weeks away at the most. Half the season will be gone before Linsley returns. How does that help now? I guess Spriggs could move to left guard, but again he has only played left tackle.

 

Now matter how this shakes out shuffling your offensive line a week before the season begins is not good. Not good at all. Since he was going to cut Sitton anyway why didn't he trade him before camp when he could have and have this process already worked out. Doing this now is complete malfeasance of duty. A fireable offense.

 

But here's what I think is going to happen and this was set up during the off-season. First, Sitton and Lang, for that matter, (some calling the best guard tandem in the league), knew they were gone after this season (Thompson told both he would not be negotiating new contracts with them) and he re-signed the undrafted free agent Taylor giving him a big raise to $1.1 million. So that means Thompson all along intended to have Taylor take over at left guard and I think that's what will happen. And I predict that will be a disaster.

 

The time is now to fire Thompson and bring someone, anyone, in who will make use of the last Rodgers years and bring one, two or three more Super Bowls before its too late. I will also predict the Packers will not win another Super Bowl as long as Thompson is General Manager.

 

Thompson's contract runs through 2018 and that is three more wasted years before someone takes over. The plan seems to be for Elliot Wolf to take over, but I feel he will be hired by someone else before Thompson retires if he does. CEO Mark Murphy stated he told Thompson he could remain as GM for as long as he wanted to. In the world of business that leaves no incentive to change anything you are doing. Another malfeasance of duty and a fireable offense.

 

Eleven years and only one Super Bowl appearance with the best quarterbacks in the game is not a good track record. Constantly building a team for three years down the road while ignoring the present is also not a good track record. Packer Backers deserve better.

 

The current Packer management needs to be changed. From the top to the bottom the Packers have settled into a complacency of being happy with JUST GOOD ENOUGH. Maybe the only silver lining in the release of Sitton is an uprising by the Packer Backers and if the season goes south the management might consider firing Thompson.

 

However with the Trust in Tedders firmly backing Thompson and harassing anyone who questions his decisions I doubt a change with happen since it's Murphy's decision and he is in full "bromance" mode with Thompson.

 

Like I've said, over and over and over again Packer Backers deserve better than sycophants and cautious leadership. Let's hope saner heads prevail and soon.