Some of Ted Thompson's Decisions Have Proven Costly for the Green Bay Packers

The oft-criticized Green Bay Packers general manager has made some very beneficial decisions for the Green and Gold but let's face it, for every good one he makes, it seems two bad ones come through.

I'm going to go through both sides of the spectrum in my next two articles but let's start with the bad ones...

Bad Decision No. 5: Jon Ryan

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - DECEMBER 23: Jon Ryan #9 of the Green Bay Packers punts the ball against the Chicago Bears on December 23, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Packers 35-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

It's hard to criticize a GM about special teams, but the release of Jon Ryan caught many by surprise—and rightfully so.  

In his two seasons as a Packer in 2006 and 2007, Ryan averaged 44.4 and 44.5 yards per punt, along with respective net averages of 35.7 and 37.6, the latter of which was the best a Packer since 1969.  

Since his release, Ryan has gone on to consistently put up the same or better numbers each season with the Seahawks.

The Packers, on the other hand, have gone through a revolving-door period with Derek Frost, Jeremy Kapinos, and Tim Masthay. Frost and Kapinos are both currently free agents, while Masthay has averaged 43.1 yards with a 32.2 net.

Bad Decision No. 4: the Firing of Mike Sherman

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - JANUARY 9: Head coach Mike Sherman of the Green Bay Packers checks his notes on the sidelines against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wild-card game at Lambeau Field on January 9, 2005 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings defeated the Pa

This is another hard decision to criticize because of Green Bay's recent successes under new coach Mike McCarthy.  

But you have to look at Mike Sherman's record in Green Bay. With the exception of a 4-12 record in 2005, Sherman had never suffered a losing season in his six years with the Packers.  

Four times he took the Green and Gold to the playoffs, with three NFC North titles and an overall record of 59-43 as head coach.  

From 2001-2004 Sherman served as GM and was responsible for drafting such players as Javon Walker, Aaron Kampman, and Nick Barnett. He also brought in Al Harris through a trade with Philadelphia.  

Sherman was fired by Thompson after a 2005 season that was marred with injuries to several starters including Walker, Terrance Murphy (a rookie WR who suffered a career-ending injury after a helmet-to-helmet hit), Najeh Davenport, Ahman Green, and Bubba Franks.

Bad Decision No. 3: Justin Harrell

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - AUGUST 6: Justin Harrell #91 of the Green Bay Packers works out during summer training camp on August 6, 2007 at the Hutson Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

I would've loved to find a good picture of Justin Harrell in a Packer uniform bowling over a veteran offensive lineman. The only problem is...there isn't one out there.  

Okay, so that remark might have been a bit uncalled for, but in all seriousness the former 16th overall pick has yet to make a sizable impact on the field.

The pick was almost just as criticized when the name was called as it is to this day. In defense of Thompson, however, there really weren't any big names still left on the board, with the exception of Aaron Ross and Michael Griffin.  

Still, there were a lot of scouts and mock drafters that didn't project Harrell to break the top 30. Unless Harrell proves to be a late bloomer, he may prove to be the one rather large  blemish on Thompson's draft record.  

Bad Decision No. 2: the Release of Several Key Players

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - DECEMBER 22: Safety Darren Sharper #42 of the Green Bay Packers returns an interception against the Buffalo Bills before being injured on the play early during their game on December 22, 2002 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The

Some may forget that some of the first moves that Ted Thompson made were to release some key Green Bay veterans.

Among the first on the chopping block were safety Darren Sharper and offensive line mainstays Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle. Like the punter position, the offensive line would be a revolving door over the next couple of years, leading to many, many tackles in the Green Bay backfield.  

Among the others released were Ryan Longwell, long-time center Mike Flanagan, situational linebacker Na'il Diggs, and oft-injured halfback Ahman Green.

I can understand letting some of these players go to free up some cap space. The unfortunate thing is that said cap space has yet to be fully utilized.

The Worst of Them All: Thompson's Apparent Inability to Pull the Trigger

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: Nick Barnett #56 of the Green Bay Packers tackles Marshawn Lynch #23 of the Buffalo Bills at Lambeau Field on September 19, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bills 34-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Im

Perhaps the worst aspect of Ted Thompson is his inability to pull the trigger on logical deals. If you hate to live with that free agency drama, just move to Wisconsin because we get absolutely none of it here.

With the exception of Charles Woodson, Thompson has never pulled the trigger on a big time free agent, despite perennially having the most cap room in the league.

When he does make a move, it has mostly turn out to be a bust. Marquand Manuel, Ben Taylor, Matt O'Dwyer, and Adrian Klemm were all brought in to be starters or to compete for a spot. None of them are with the Packers in 2010.

On the other side of the spectrum, Thompson also appears far too conservative with his draft picks. In my mind—and I don't expect everyone to agree—a third-round pick for players such as Randy Moss and Marshawn Lynch would have been a tremendous steal. As NBC is reporting, even Thompson's coaches and players might resent him for letting Lynch slip away.

So in my mind, this trait of Thompson's trumps them all. But then again Ted Thompson has some good qualities; check back for my follow-up to this article.