Ted Gutekunst And His Disrespect For Guards

Glancing at the Packers depth chart (however, I had to go to Ourlads.com because the new and improved Packers.com no longer posts a depth chart), I noticed (although I already knew) Lane Taylor and Justin McCray are listed as the starting guards. This got me thinking about how much disrespect former (and maybe current by proxy) General Manager Ted Thompson (BG: “He’s one of the best evaluators that has ever done this,”) had and has for the guard position and the offensive line in general.

When Ted Thompson, the greatest general manager in the history of the game according to his lapboy Brian Gutekunst, took over the Packers he inherited an excellent offensive line that included future Packer Hall of Fame inductees left tackle Chad Clifton and right guard Marco Rivera and left guard Mike Wahle, who would be make All-Pro that season as well as a possible future Packer Hall of Famer Mark Tauscher at right tackle (if Elijah Pitts is in the Packer Hall Tauscher should be).

The absolute 1st thing Ted Thompson did was let Rivera go in free agency (only the beginning of his practice when Pro Bowl and All-Pro players want the money they deserve) and then cut Wahle and starting center Grey Ruegamer gutting the interior of the offensive line. Ruegamer was re-signed later to cheaper contract, but Mike Flanagan, who had been on injured reserve in 2004 because of knee tendinitis, came back to start at center.

Wahle signed with the Panthers and became All-Pro and Rivera signed with the Cowboys and ended up hurting his back in a workout and that limited his post Packers time to just 2 years. Wahle spent 3 years with the Panthers and 1 with the Seahawks.

Two weeks later Ted Thompson signed his first unrestricted free agents guards Adrian Klemm from the Patriots and Matt O’Dwyer from the Bucs. Both were a disaster.

O’Dwyer was a brilliant signing (NOT). He was a 10-year veteran (good), who had been a 4-year starter with the Jets followed by being a 4-year starter with the Bengals. However, he was hurt in 2003 playing in the 1st 4 games with 1 start before spending the final 12 games on injured reserve. He was let go and signed by the Bucs in 2004, but he started the season on the PUP list and was active for only 4 games. Thompson, the greatest front office person in the history of the NFL, cut him in training camp leaving the right guard spot open which was eventually taken over by Ted Thompson’s last draft pick of his inaugural draft class, 7th round, 246th pick taken, Will Whitticker.

Klemm was his 1st brilliant signing (NOT). He started the season at left guard, but was benched after 8 games and was replaced by center Scott Wells (another practice of Ted Thompson using players playing out of their natural positions). Wells moved back to center in 2006 and started for the next 7 years earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2011 before he was let go when he wanted Pro Bowl money. (See I told you so).

Klemm was a 2nd round draft pick by the Patriots who was often injured during his 5-year Patriots career. He started on the PUP list playing in the final 5 games starting the last 4 at right tackle as a rookie. The next year he was on the team for the first 8 games, but was inactive for 5 before ending up on injured reserve. He was active for the entire 2002 season, but made only 3 starts at right tackle because of injuries. 2003 was a wash. He began the season as the starting right tackle, but after 3 games went on injured reserve. 2004 was also a wash. He lasted only 2 games, which he didn’t start, before again ending up on injured reserve.

While O’Dwyer at least had a track record of being a functional starter starting 105 of 122 games in 10 seasons, Klemm was a bust to begin with managing to be on the active roster for only 29 games out of 80 games with 10 starts while starting his career on the PUP list and ending up on injured reserve 3 of his last 4 seasons before become a footnote as Ted Thompson’s 1st ever unrestricted free agent signing (Reggie White, Charles Woodson, Sean Jones, Keith Jackson he ain’t).

Whitticker started 14 of 15 games and is kind of famous for selling his jersey number 79 to Ryan Pickett the next season for $10,000. He took over #78 and was cut during training camp. The Dolphins signed him and after 2 inactive games cut him. The next year the Redskins signed him and cut him with an injury settlement.

Back to Ted Thompson, the greatest general manager in the history of the game, and his disrespect for guards. The next year rookie #2 draft pick Daryn Colledge took over for Wells at left guard and was a starter for 5 seasons before being let go as a unrestricted free agent, where he signed and started for the Cardinals for next 3 seasons and 1 more with the Dolphins. Side note to Colledge was he had to slide to left tackle in 2006 and 2008 because of injuries, which hurt his reputation with the Packer Backers.

At right guard rookie #6th pick Tony Moll and rookie #3 pick Jason Spitz took over from Whitticker in 2006, but was moved to left guard when Clifton was hurt and Colledge moved to left tackle as well and was back at right guard when Moll moved to right tackle when Tauscher was hurt. Spitz was back at left guard in 2007, but he was moved to center when Wells was hurt and split time at left guard with Colledge. Junius Coston replaced Spitz, but he was benched and Moll took over.

2008 Moll and Colledge were the starters at guard and Spitz beat out Wells at center, but Colledge again had to move to left tackle causing Spitz to move to left guard and Wells taking over at center. Moll remained at right guard until Spitz took over late in the season. Colledge also started at right tackle when Tauscher was injured.

Once again Thompson inherited an excellent offensive line put together by Mike Sherman and Ron Wolf and after blowing it up it took 4 years to rebuilt it.

2009 Josh Sitton, who was a 2008 #2 pick, took over at right guard and became an All-Pro. He remained at right guard until he was moved to left guard in 2013 when he and All-Pro left guard T.J. Lang were switched. Sitton was suddenly released at the end of the 2016 training camp because he felt Ted Thompson, the greatest general manager in the history of profession sports, was wrecking the team and he was mad as hell and couldn’t take it any more, so Thompson without consultation with Head Coach Mike McCarthy or his lackey and chief ass kisser CEO Mark Murphy abruptly cut him. He signed with the Bears and insult to insult.

2013 Lang took over at right guard and remained there until he was let go in free agency after the 2016 season after he was named to the Pro Bowl. So instead of paying him Pro Bowl money Thompson, who is greatest sports executive in the history of sports, let him go in free agency and he signed with the Lions where he was named to the Pro Bowl again last year.

Last year former All-Pro and Saints Hall of Famer Jahri Evans was signed to replace Lang and while he was serviceable (he had more left in his tank than future Hall of Famer center Jeff Saturday who was benched at the end of the season a few years before) and missed the last 2 games last year. 2017 street free agent Justin McCray started the last 2 games at right guard. Evans was not re-signed and he hasn’t found another job.

McCray, who had never been active in the NFL prior to last year (spending time on the Titans practice squad in 2014 and in the Arena Football League in 2016 and was on the Tampa Bay Storm’s roster before being signed by Ted Thompson, the greatest human being in the history of history, last season in training camp.

McCray ended up being a jack of all trades starting 8 games last year (2 at left tackle, 2 at left guard, 2 at right tackle and the last 2 at right guard). He seems to have won the right guard job this season.

After Colledge left Lang took over at left guard, Sitton was left guard until he was cut and last year 2013 undrafted free agent Lane Taylor took over for Sitton and is the starter this year.

2 things about Ted Thompson, the lord and savior of the Packer Faithful, and his approach to guards in particular and the offensive line in general. Thompson, who is the end all and be all, short-sheets the line every year (he’s still in charge). He usually doesn’t have a backup tackle, which means if one goes down a guard or center has to move (like center JC Tretter had to do at left tackle in 2015 when David Bakhtiari went down or center Evan Dietrick-Smith did in 2012 when Lang was hurt at left guard or Colledge did in 2006 and 2008 when Clifton was hurt).

My opinion on that practice is instead of 1 position having issues because of an injury it causes 2 or more positions to have issues. I would rather a backup tackle take over at tackle instead of a starting guard taking over leaving replacements at both tackle and guard. Thompson and Murphy always talk about continuity, but what has continuity have to do with 2 positions having to find replacement starters instead of 1.

A good example of having the backup tackle take over for the injured starter came in 1996 when the Packers won their 1st Super Bowl since Lombardi. Packers Hall of Fame left tackle Ken Reuttgers was coming off a serious knee injury and started the season on the PUP list. After 4 games he returned, but after 4 games and 1 start he was placed on injured reserve and never played again.

3rd year player and former Steelers #5 pick Gary L. Brown opened at left tackle, but after Ruettgers returned and then went down No. 1 draft pick John Michels started the next 9 games before he got hurt. Finally former Raiders #2 pick Bruce Wilkerson (who was the Raider starter from 1988 to 1993), a pick up from the Jacksonville Jaguars, took over with 2 games left and was the starting left tackle in the Super Bowl.

The point I’m trying to make with Wilkerson and for that matter Michels and Brown was Mike Holmgren never once considered moving left guard Aaron Taylor or center Frankie Winters or right guard Adam Timmerman or right tackle Earl Dotson to take Ruettgers’ place. Ron Wolf had backup tackles ready to assume the role so just one position was affected. Ted Thompson rarely had an actual backup tackle ready preferring to move another starter or have backups who are jacks of all trades and masters of none.

2nd about Ted Thompson, the greatest of the greatest, he is absolutely the cheapest ass of all cheap asses. The Packers, who have had some of the greatest guard combos of all time (Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston, Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, as well as Gale Gillingham, Marco Rivera, Bill Lueck Ron Hallstrom), all draft picks.  The current starters this season are both undrafted free agents, not even late round draft picks. And both took over for All-Pro’s who were let go.

Going from the face of the Lombardi Packers Jerry Kramer (#4) and Fuzzy Thurston (#5 and a trade acquisition) leading the Power Sweep from 1959 to 1966; Kramer (#4) and Gale Gillingham (#1) from 1967 to 1968; Bill Lueck (#1) and Gillingham (#1) from 1969 to 1974; Mike Wahle (#2) and Marco Rivera (#6) from 2001 to 2004; and Josh Sitton (#4) and T.J. Lang (#4) from 2011 to 2015; to undrafted free agents Lane Taylor and Justin McCray is a big fall.

It seems to me that Ted Thompson, Brian Gutekunst’s mentor and man crush, who is running the Packers these days, is setting up the Packers for a big disappointment. Despite all the Larry McCarren load of rosy crap coming from the local kiss ass media I think the offensive line may be a liability this season, especially if either Bakhtiari or Bryan Bulaga or center Corey Linsley go down.