Draft and develop. A phrase that has been more than a mantra in Green Bay, it has been a blueprint for doing business in Packerland since Ted Thompson was introduced as GM in 2005. Now, Thompson was in the building in 1993 when Reggie White became the biggest free agent signing in Green Bay history.
He saw the impact a game changing free agent could have for the team. But when Thompson returned in 2005, “draft and develop” was cemented as the cornerstone game plan. Current GM Brian Gutekunst was a Thompson protégé, he was selected to replace Thompson after working under him.