Is It Time for Green Bay Packers' GM Ted Thompson to Go?

Ted Thompson has a difficult job amidst much controversy and fan scrutiny. I know, because I am one of his greatest skeptics.

When you're the GM of a team like the Green Bay Packers, every move gets over-analyzed, dissected, and graded.

If a draft pick ascends to greatness, you're instantly the best GM the team has ever had, and fans will cheer for a contract extension.

If one pick falters, however, it's back to the drawing board.

Thompson has tasted both sides in his five years in Green Bay, but rarely have fans sat down and looked over his entire body of work, and truly come to a decision.

That stops here.

It's time to analyze all of Thompson's draft picks over the years, as well as all of his other moves (or non-move's), and once completed, the goal is to reach a final verdict: Should Thompson still be the guy calling the shots in Green Bay?

Grade Scale:

Each successful prospect Thompson has drafted in the past five years will be given a perfect score (10), with average players (5) earning their point totals due to injury, lack of play, or just mediocre play. Busts (0) have had little-to-no impact, are no longer with the team, out of the league, or completely failed as high draft picks.

2005 NFL Draft

Successes: Aaron Rodgers, Nick Collins (20)

Role Players: Brady Poppinga, Junius Coston, Michael Montgomery, William Whitticker (20)

Busts: Terrence Murphy, Marviel Underwood, Mike Hawkins, Craig Bragg, Kurt Campbell (0)

Getting the quarterback of the future and a stud, ball-hawking safety has to be considered a success, even if it took four-five years to see it come together.

Poppinga and Coston have been serviceable players, though unspectacular. Montgomery has been a good rotation man (as has Whitticker), but neither ever realized their potential.

Murphy and Bragg didn't last a year with Green Bay, while Underwood and Hawkins were almost complete disappointments, whether it be to poor play or injuries.

2006 NFL Draft

Successes: Greg Jennings , Johnny Jolly (20)

Role Players: Jason Spitz, Tony Moll , Will Blackmon (15)

Busts: A.J. Hawk, Daryn Colledge, Abdul Hodge, Cory Rodgers, Ingle Martin, Tyrone Culver, Dave Tollefson (0)

Greg Jennings is the only true "star" in this group, as he's been a complete gem, especially considering he was a second-round pick. Jolly has just one season as a true impact player, but he fits the bill as a success for Green Bay.

Spitz is dancing the line between being a role player and a complete success. He's definitely had struggles, but he's still one of the most consistent and versatile linemen the Packers have. Moll is no longer with the team, but when he was there, he was in and out of the lineup, and wasn't a horrible addition to the line. Blackmon is still with the team and has provided depth in the secondary, as well as some help in the return game.

Hawk was a solid linebacker in his first two seasons, but he wasn't drafted to be decent. He was drafted fifth overall to make a big impact, and it simply never happened. He's likely to be let go this summer, which would officially make him a bust in Green Bay.

Colledge has been in and out of the starting lineup, and while he's as strong as linemen come, he has some of the worst fundamentals we've seen. He routinely gets beat, and for a second-round pick, is an utter failure.

2007 NFL Draft

Successes: (0)

Role Players: James Jones, Aaron Rouse, Allen Barbe, Korey Hall, Desmond Bishop, Mason Crosby, DeShawn Wynn (35)

Busts: Justin Harrell, Brandon Jackson, David Clowney, Clark Harris (0)

The Packers have no full-blown successes from this draft.

Jones is still trying to carve a niche in Green Bay after having a solid rookie campaign, but still has not reached his 2007 numbers in the past two seasons. Rouse was a solid role player until he was let go after last season, and made some nice plays when he got some spot starts.

Barbe is a consistent option on the line, although he isn't a current starter. Hall, Bishop, and Wynn all have done enough as solid role players, while Crosby has been solid, but struggled with his accuracy in 2009.

Harrell and Jackson haven't amounted to anything, while Clowney and Harris didn't even make the team in 2007.

2008 NFL Draft

Successes: Jermichael Finley (10)

Role Players: Jordy Nelson, Patrick Lee, Jeremy Thompson, Josh Sitton, Breno Giacomini, Matt Flynn, Brett Swain (35)

Busts: Brian Brohm (0)

It may be early to call Finley a success, but considering he's delivered the best performance by a tight end in over 10 years, it's safe to say he's on his way to becoming an elite tight end.

Nelson could be considered a bust by some, but both he and Patrick Lee have gotten very limited action. Nelson is basically a return man, as Donald Driver and James Jones came before him and have always had a leg-up in the offense. Lee, on the other hand, has been stuck behind Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and took a back-seat to Tramon Williams, due to his ability to return kicks.

Brian Brohm was a complete bust and was released before the beginning of the 2009 season. One year and done, that's how you know you're a bust.

2009 NFL Draft

Successes: Clay Matthews (10)

Matthews began his career with a bang, and eventually received the starting OLB spot after Aaron Kampman went down with a knee injury. Matthews ended his rookie season with 10 sacks, along with 50 tackles, a forced fumble, and a defensive touchdown.

B.J. Raji (5) and T.J. Lang (5) can be considered role players for this draft, while the remainder of the players selected in 2009 are merely roster fillers.

Free Agency Moves/Trades

Successes: Charles Woodson, Ryan Pickett, Ryan Grant (30)

Role Players: Brandon Chillar (5)

Busts: Ben Taylor, Marquand Manuel (0)

Woodson has been an absolute sensation, playing an important role in the new 3-4, and helping Al Harris form a formidable cornerback duo, even before the scheme change.

He is by far the Packers best free agency acquisition, and may be their best since signing Reggie White back in 1993.

Pickett has never blown anyone away, but he's always done what he was brought in to do. He does a good job plugging holes against the run, and before the 3-4 was implemented, he was good at taking up two linemen, which would routinely keep Aaron Kampman free. This changed with the defensive scheme switch, and it's likely that B.J. Raji will take over for him full-time in 2010.

Ryan Grant was acquired in a trade in 2007, and paid huge dividends that year, as he ran for 200 yards in Green Bay's divisional playoff victory, and then progressed this year after an average showing in 2008. He's turned into a solid back, and while it's unsure whether or not he's the long-term answer, he has definitely been a "plus" addition for the Packers.

Chillar was the only free agent signing Green Bay made in 2008, and he was surprisingly a huge pick-up. Injuries to Nick Barnett and others gave him a chance to prove himself, and he earned a solid role in the 2009 3-4 scheme.

He's a quick linebacker with solid coverage abilities, and while he may not stick around for the long-term, he was still a solid addition by Thompson.

Taylor never amounted to anything in Green Bay, and was really mainly a back-up, while Manuel was serviceable, but didn't get the job done for a starter.

In total, by this writer's account, Ted Thompson has had nine successful additions to his team who are either consistent starters, lived up to their draft selections or signings, or are playing on an elite level.

In five years, that's not a bad number. It means Thompson is averaging nearly two impact players per offseason, while he has brought in 24 role players or project players, giving him an average close to five new depth additions per season that aren't failed acquisitions.

His bust number, however, is 19, giving him nearly four poor acquisitions per year.

By the numbers, Thompson's average rating per player acquired through the draft has been 3.8 (175 total points divided by 46 total players drafted).

So, the question is, does the good out-weigh the bad, or not?

Numbers, ratings, and scoring systems aside, just take a look at where Ted Thompson's moves and philosophy have gotten the Packers.

In 2005, his first season looking over the team, the Packers finished 4-12, their worst record in over 10 seasons. They went 8-8 in 2006, and then won their division and reached the NFC Championship game in 2007.

In 2008, they traded away Brett Favre and dropped down to 6-10, but then watched Aaron Rodgers and the new 3-4 defense make huge strides en route to an 11-5 finish this season, but were then bounced in the playoffs in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals, 51-45.

There have been the two seasons under 8-8 (the bad), one season stuck in purgatory (2006), and the two magical seasons (one with Favre, one with Rodgers).

That makes Thompson and the Packers 2-2-1 from a "success" standpoint in his five-year tenure, which would realistically make 2010 his (and possibly Mike McCarthy's) make-or-break season.

Another interesting note is the impact of Thompson's free agent signings, compared to the impact of his 46 draft picks in the past five years.

Ryan Grant, who he traded for, Ryan Pickett, and Charles Woodson have all been stellar additions, and they haven't been hand-picked by Thompson via the draft.

That's three "successes" with Thompson going against the grain and paying (or trading) for talent, while he's accumulated just six stud players in five years of drafting.

In conclusion, it's clear Thompson has done enough good to warrant one more season to see if he ends up on the good or bad side. He's brought Green Bay a franchise quarterback, an aggressive and growing defense, and two playoff appearances in five years.

Make it three, and that whole "running Brett Favre out of town" thing is forgiven. Well, almost.

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