http://blogs.jsonline.com/packers/archive/2008/02/22/thompson-talks.aspx
Thompson talks
By Rob Reischel
Friday, Feb 22 2008, 10:12 AM
Indianapolis - Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson just finished
addressing the media here at the NFL scouting combine.

Here are the highlights:

a.. Thompson said he and quarterback Brett Favre have talked in the last
two or three days. Thompson denied that Favre was in any way agitated the
two hadn't spoken earlier. "I just called to make sure he was doing fine,
make sure he and I were OK," Thompson said. "And we are."
b.. Thompson said he doesn't have any idea when Favre will make up his
mind about returning in 2008. Free agency begins one week from today. "I
wouldn't want to speculate on a time, but it's Brett's call," Thompson said.
"He, more than probably anybody I've ever been around has earned the right
to probably be able to decide. He understands the needs of the team and
doesn't want to put the team in a bad spot, so he's working through that."
c.. Thompson was asked if he's worried about Favre's poor showings in key
cold weather games in 2007 at Chicago and against the New York Giants in the
NFC Championship. "I don't think we played well as a team," Thompson said.
"Again, the quarterback position is certainly a position that draws
attention. But we didn't play well enough to win against the New York Giants
as a team. That wasn't necessarily Brett Favre."
d.. Thompson was asked if he'll attack free agency harder than his first
three years as G.M. In that time, Thompson has been criticized in many
circles for a somewhat passive approach to free agency. Thompson has always
insisted he likes free agency, but "it takes two to tango." "If we feel like
it's somebody that can come in and provide a specific role, this is an area
where you would attack a specific need," Thompson said of free agency. "At
the same time you don't want to necessarily bring somebody in that's just
going to get in the way of somebody else that you think might be a player,
some of these young core guys that we've talked about."
e.. The Packers placed the franchise tag on defensive tackle Corey
Williams on Wednesday and Thompson said he hasn't talked to Williams about
the move. Thompson was asked if he wants to eventually get a long term deal
done with Williams. "Well, we'll see about that," he said. "Our offer is a
one-year tender. That's what the option was under the collective bargaining
agreement. So that's where we're at right now."
f.. Thompson allowed guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle to leave in 2005
and has yet to find their equals. While Thompson said, "overall, we feel
very good about our offensive line," he did admit it's taken a while. "Our
first year, 2005, I didn't do a good job of getting those guys (Wahle and
Rivera) replaced," Thompson said. We'll have more later in the day after
Mike McCarthy talks at 2 p.m. CST.

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