Now comes the quiet time, a time to sit back, take a deep sigh and reflect on the season past. Going 4-12 will forever sting in our memory, and everyone is quick to blame somebody for the bad taste that was left in our souls. But with the firing of Sherman, the hiring of a new, inexperienced head coach, and the concerns of whether Brett Favre will return for another year hasn't done much to calm our worries. As a matter of fact, most won't even admit that we've got the problem solved, or even on the run. There are still plenty of questions and doubts left to be dealt with. And for most, it starts at the top of the food chain in Green Bay.

And I'm talking about Ted Thompson, the Packers GM. He's only been there a year and in a year where things were nothing short of a huge disappointment, and that's being generous, there are those who question his ability as general manager of the organization.

Some doubt he's the right man for the job. Some say he's not tempered enough, that he didn't do a very good job in Seattle. There were doubts that he came to Green Bay with the blessing of his former boss, Ron Wolf. Some even go so far as to say he wasn't Wolf's favorite assistant. And some of what we've heard Ron Wolf say in regards to the job and choices Thompson has made thus far is anything but a sterling endorsement. So it's only human nature to wonder.

But is it justified?

And consider this, if he's not the right man for the job and he doesn't know what he's doing, then the guy he just brought in as new head coach is a really big question mark.

But are the doubts and discontent real? Or are they something conjured up out of the fear of the unknown? Is it just the fact that he hasn't done anything to make the team better? We can't say that hiring Mike McCarthy, a virtual unknown coach with no head coaching experience, is something good. We don't know. And perhaps that's what fuels our fears. We can't say with certainty that firing Mike Sherman was the correct thing to do either, although there are those who swear it was. And for the fact we didn't see Thompson do much in the way of recruiting free agents to play for the team when the rash of injuries swept through the ranks, so it's tough to boast of an assurance in his competence. And don't forget there's the fact he let pro-bowl guard Mike Wahle leave town without so much as a whimper. That's still sticking in people's craw to this day.

Recently I had a chance to sit down and chat with former Packer defensive lineman Blaise Winter on my internet sports show and I found it enlightening that he said he was okay with what Ted Thompson has done so far in Green Bay. Now if you know anything about Blaise, he tells it like it is. He's a very down to earth kind of guy who is still very much involved with pro football. Talking with him he pointed out that the problem with most people when it comes to Thompson is, they don't know him well enough to give him the benefit of the doubt. They're quick to ridicule because in his first year the team posted a losing season.

Blaise also pointed out that the lack of respect toward Thompson and the doubts and questions about his ability will probably continue until the team starts winning under him. So far, his first year and the 4-12 season has everyone in panic mode. And it's true. If you take the time to look at what this man has done in both organizations, and I'm talking about Green Bay and Seattle, there shouldn't be this level of either doubt or fear, or lack of respect. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not thumping for Thompson, but just pointing out the facts. Take a look at the success they've had in Seattle. One year removed from his tenure and they go to the Super Bowl largely on what Ted Thompson had done while he was there. Thompson was influential in most of what got them to the big show this year.

But what Thompson did most that impressed Blaise was how he came in, took his time to assess the situation and then took the lead on the matters at hand. He fired Sherman. He brought in a young go-getter type guy that shares his philosophy on running a team to be head coach, and let him build his own coaching circle around him. And all the while, Thompson stood up and said if you're going to fire off, here, shoot at me. He put the bullseye squarely on himself and he's ready to take the heat if that's what's in the future with his decisions. And his dealing with Favre is going smoothly. He's doing the necessary things to make Brett's decision as easy as possible.

Let's not forget that Thompson was behind the drafting of MVP Shaun Alexander and guard Steve Hutchinson, who are all-pros for Seattle. He picked WR Darrell Jackson in the third round, the 15th wide receiver taken overall. Thompson chose Cornerback Marcus Trufant who is nearing Pro Bowl caliber, and tight end Jerramy Stevens has had a break-out season. Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs is much improved, as well.

Add the fact that he also spearheaded the trade with the Packers for Matt Hasselbeck and you can see he did a solid job in Seattle before departing. And speaking of the Packers, when Ron Wolf hired Ted Thompson in 1992, and put him in the personnel department, one of the first players he was asked to evaluate was a 1st year QB with the Atlanta Falcons. Wolf asked Thompson to look at some game tape of a guy by the name of Favre. Shortly afterward, on mostly the word of Thompson, Green Bay traded for Favre. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Then, from 1992-1999, Thompson was in charge of the personal coming and going in Green Bay, and the Packers put up an impressive 83-45 record. They went to 6 straight playoffs, two Super Bowl appearances and won the whole enchilada in 1996.

Under his watchful eye, the club acquired free agent players like Hall of Famer Reggie White, Sean Jones, Santana Dotson, Don Beebe, and a kid who went on to be the MVP in Super Bowl XXXII for the Packers, Desmond Howard. Not a bad list.

When he got a promotion in '97, Thompson oversaw all of the Packers college and pro scouting operations through 1999. Some of the Players drafted during that time included S Darren Sharper, DE Vonnie Holliday, CB Mike McKenzie and WR Donald Driver. Again, not bad.

So the question is, if you look at his resume and what he's done, there really shouldn't be a whole lot of doubt as to his ability to turn this team around in the next year or two. Whether they can, or not, will of course depend on what kind of personnel decisions they make in the coming months. The one thing the Packers know is that they're not in the helpless situation San Francisco was in six years ago or Tennessee is in now.

Besides that, there are several other factors that make a comeback in the next season a good bet. Picking 5th in the upcoming college draft is great! Having some money to spend (roughly $21 million of salary-cap room) in the free agency market is appealing. Playing a fourth place schedule means the Pack won't have to face all the powerhouse teams they have in the past. That's a huge plus. As a matter of fact, since the NFL realigned in 2002, several teams have pulled a worst-to-first reversal thanks in large part to a favorable schedule.

In 2003, Carolina and Kansas City made the leap. Atlanta and San Diego did so in 2004. Chicago and Tampa Bay did it this year. That's six teams that have gone from the basement to the penthouse. Three others (Dallas in 2003, the New York Jets in 2004 and Washington in '05) earned wild-card berths after finishing last the previous year. That all means nine of the 24 teams that finished in last place since realignment (37.5%) reached the post-season the following year.

So as we sit and contemplate on 'what could have been in 2005,' we might want to keep an eye to the future and 'what might be in the 2006 season' with a little more confidence knowing the man in charge has some experience in that area. Of course, in football, the first thing you learn is there's no guarantees, but it's nice to know the future of the Packers might not be so dark after all.

Until Next Time.... Keep Driving Forward.