Is Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson ready to veer from his long-standing aversion to building his roster with a significant investment in free agency?
After reaching the Divisional Round without a Super Bowl appearance for the fifth time in six years, quarterback Aaron Rodgers pressured the team's front office to go all-in, emphasizing the "need to reload" for 2017.
Appearing on Thursday's edition of NFL Total Access, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport relayed expectations that Green Bay will be more aggressive than usual this offseason.
"From what I'm told," Rapoport said, "I would think the Packers are going to go and get some free agents this year along with trying to re-sign Jared Cook -- which is a priority for them."
That's not to say Thompson is ready to go on a shopping spree. During Thursday's season-ending press conference, Mike McCarthy reminded reporters that Thompson still has the same philosophy of building through the draft, re-signing his homegrown talent and using the open market judiciously.
To Thompson's credit, he's been inordinately successful on the rare occasions when he does tip his toes into the free-agent pool.
Former Colts president Bill Polian commissioned a study that determined 50 percent of NFL free-agent signings panned out over a six-year period.
Despite Thompson's reticence to dole out high-dollar contracts to veterans trained in other organizations, his biggest investments include defensive tackle Ryan Pickett, cornerback Charles Woodson, center Jeff Saturday and linebacker Julius Peppers.
His one-year gamble on Cook paid off handsomely, as the speedy tight end emerged as one of Rodgers' most trusted and effective weapons down the stretch.
Cook isn't the only offensive starter with an expiring contract. McCarthy added Thursday that he would "love" to see running back Eddie Lacy back on a new deal.
While Thompson is inarguably one of the NFL's premier general managers of the past decade, it's easy to see why Rodgers and McCarthy are pushing him to expand his team-building portfolio. The Super Bowl window stays open only as long as Rodgers' body allows him to continue to work wonders.
