Thompson shows he's willing to go for it by handing out Collins and Pickett extensions

Say what you want about Ted Thompson.

But no longer can you say he doesn’t want to put the Green Bay Packers over the top.

I say that because, as many of you know by now, it was announced Friday that free safety Nick Collins and defensive tackle Ryan Pickett had both agreed to long-term extensions with the team.

Collins received a three-year deal worth $23.4 million, with $14 million in first year pay. Pickett was given a four-year extension worth $28 million, with $10 million coming in the first year.

(Hey, did someone predict that the team would announce an extension with Collins during Fan Fest this weekend? Anyone?)

Obviously, there will be a ton of numbers to digest with these two contracts and, as usual, we at OBOD will break them down fully in the days ahead.

For now, though, the big story involving the pair of extensions is this: By handing out over $51 million to two crucial players – $71 million if you include the three-year deal signed by left tackle Chad Clifton a week ago – Thompson took another massive step from “Building for five years from now Ted” to “Going for it NOW Ted.”

There were likely more than a few Packers fans who figured Thompson would come up with a way to screw the Collins/Pickett situations up. He’d never pay Collins, they thought, thus leading to a prolonged – and distracting – holdout. Pickett might get a deal, they thought, but the team might also just have him play the season on his one-year franchise tender. Either way, two key members of the defense would be unhappy and the season would be in doubt six months before it even started.

The sky is falling!

You know these people.

“I can’t stand TT!”

“I hate TT!”

“He was mean to poor ol’ Brett and Brett’s just like me!”

“TT’s the devil!”

To those people I can now say, once and for all: If you still can’t see what Thompson is doing here, that’s only because you don’t want to see what he’s doing here.

Thompson does care about winning. In fact, I think he cares a lot. I think he sees what we all see: That the Packers have a legitimate shot to get to, and win, the Super Bowl. He wasn’t about to let that pass him by and, as a result, was willing to open up the checkbook and pay two guys who can go a long way towards making those Lombardi trophy-filled dreams a reality.

But he had to wait for the right time to do such things. And if you really think about it, this is the first time in his five-plus years as general manager that it was the right time.

He couldn’t do it at the beginning. The team was too old, too overpaid and just too Mike Sherman-y to have a chance.

After 2006, the team was too young and too Brett Favre-y (Thompson likely knew even then that Favre could never actually get to, and win, a Super Bowl).

After 2007, Favre was gone – or so we thought – and Aaron Rodgers – as much as we liked his potential – was a complete unknown.

After 2008, the defense was transitioning and he wanted to see what he had there before paying players like Collins and Pickett.

But now?

It’s officially ALL there - a rising superstar quarterback (who doesn’t kill his team with turnovers in big spots), a high-powered offense and a defense that is really only a player or two away from being scary good (oh yeah, that unit led the league in stopping the run last year, too). And with the way he kept this team together after a near-disastrous 4-4 start, it’s clear that Thompson has a legimitately good head coach in Mike McCarthy. Thus, it was time to do whatever it took to keep the pieces in place.

Which is exactly what he did.

I don’t think he’s done, either. McCarthy said, at Fan Fest on Friday, that the team is closing in on a new deal for right tackle Mark Tauscher. I was certain Green Bay would move on to T.J. Lang at that spot, as there was no way Thompson would pay starter money to two tackles over the age of 32. But, shockingly, it looks like he’s going to. By re-signing two players who might only have one year apiece left in them, how can you come away thinking he isn’t loading up for a run this year?

And, by hitting a grand slam in trading up to grab Clay Matthews last April, you have to wonder now if Thompson won’t take a similar approach in this year’s draft. I’ve said all along that I thought the Packers would take their left tackle of the future at pick No. 23. I’m beginning to re-think that a bit. If you think Clifton and Tauscher can get the job done for one more year, maybe you focus on defense with that pick. Maybe you aim for that guy who could put the unit over the top – an outside linebacker to go opposite Matthews or a cornerback, perhaps. Maybe you look for a tackle in round two.

After all, if “Slow-and-steady Teddy” is willing to change his outlook, I’m sure as hell willing to change mine.

-Chris Lempesis