Ted Thompson once said, "Rosters are rosters. It's really all about players. If you have more of these guys at one spot who are really good, you keep more of the really good ones, and if you have to go a little light at another position, then that's the way you go. But saying, 'You have to have six of these, three of these, and two of these,' it doesn't always work out that way. It's not fantasy football." Thompson said that a few days before Super Bowl XLV, where the Packers were victorious in becoming world champions. The 2010 World Champions had a great story of overcoming adversity despite all of the injuries they faced during the season and in the Super Bowl itself. This Packers roster had at least three big contributors who were probably an afterthought the day they were signed, but they etched their names in history that season. 

A quick thanks to @TylerHerrick for bringing that quote back to memory

You'd be hard-pressed not to find a fan that doesn't get excited over their team making a blockbuster signing or receiving a marquee player in a blockbuster trade. Just like that, expectations for the following season are much higher than they were before. The team is receiving a player that has had a lot of success elsewhere in the NFL, and they're expected to do the same with their new team. Jerseys are sold, bets are made, and everyone is ready for that one player to make a difference. But what happens when the team signs a player who isn't a big name or isn't expected to make a big difference? Well, the sarcastic jokes fly.

You see it all over: "Oh, we're going to the Super Bowl now..." "A big nothingburger move right there." "Why didn't we get THIS guy instead!?" The average fan just doesn't understand the concept of depth or role-playing signings. Let alone the salary cap or signing a player that a team believes has untapped potential. So many think that each move needs to be a showstopper. Like Ted Thompson said, this isn't fantasy football. You can't just load up a team with marquee players, it doesn't work that way. Some of those "ho-hum" signings could end up being the key to boosting other players on your team or just backing them up in case of injury. 

Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie was resigned on Monday to a two-year deal. With the emergence of Edgerrin Cooper and the fact that Quay Walker is likely also ahead of McDuffie on the depth chart, many casual fans laughed at the move. The fact of the matter is that McDuffie has been a solid depth piece for the Packers for his entire career. Just last year, he ranked second on the team in tackles, even though he's just a "depth piece." You never know when that "depth piece" could be needed, and when they are, it's good to have one that can somewhat pick up where the starter left off, and that's exactly what McDuffie can do. 

And sometimes, those "nothingburger" signings can end up being a huge move. 

From Nothing to Something

Perhaps one of the biggest steals of GM Brian Gutekunst's tenure thus far is the signing of cornerback Rasul Douglas off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad in early October of 2021. At the time, the Packers' CB position was suffering from injuries and a lack of quality depth to cover. Many fans were hoping for the team to trade for veteran CB Stephon Gilmore, who was made available by the Patriots and ended up being dealt to the Carolina Panthers for a 6th round pick. So, after the team didn't trade for Gilmore and instead signed Douglas, of course, many fans blasted the team and blasted the signing of Douglas, calling it "trash" and "cluelessness." Well, maybe those fans should've waited to see what happened next before they put all their marbles in that it was a bad move. 

Rasul Douglas went on to become an All-Pro cornerback, helping the Packers reach the NFC Championship. He undoubtedly outplayed Stephon Gilmore, who only played for Carolina the remainder of that season before leaving for a new team afterward. Douglas was later dealt two years later to the Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick. Not bad for a guy that initially was just plucked off a practice squad. 

Not every single move made by the team is going to be a blockbuster. The signing of free agents Frank Zombo and Howard Green, alongside the signing of undrafted free agents Tramon Williams and Sam Shields surely weren't celebrated when they happened. They were depth or future contributor signings. But they helped the Packers win a World Championship in the long run. 

This isn't fantasy football. Not every player is going to be a flashy contributor. But, like a child at dinner time, sometimes you have to eat your vegetables to get to that sweet dessert. Those depth pieces and role players are the vegetables, and sometimes it's those players that will help get you to that sweet championship.