Ted Thompson Talks Lacy's Progress, Bishop's Release, Favre's Return and More

While he's not required to meet the media as often as his head coach, Packers general manager Ted Thompson did hold a press conference Tuesday following practice.

Unlike Mike McCarthy's pressers, Thompson's discussions have a more macro focus. He was asked about some day-to-day issues, such as Eddie Lacy's weight. Thompson danced around the question, saying, "[Lacy's] definitely got a natural ability to get North and South off of cuts and run behind his pads. So far so good." It shouldn't surprise anyone that nobody within the organization wants to talk about a high pick's perceived lack of conditioning. Until the Packers have played a preseason game, don't expect much more discussion of Lacy's fitness.

For the first time since Desmond Bishop's release, Thompson was asked about what led to the move. The GM explained that the growth of depth at inside linebacker played a large role in the decision. As with Lacy, there won't be much substantive discussion of Bishop until after the teams have played in the preseason.

Thompson has been satisfied with Johnny Jolly's return so far. "He has natural ability to play the game. Plays fluid, instinctively." Thompson said Jolly's been a good teammate when he's been at the team facilities. That likely played a role in convincing the team to give Jolly another opportunity.

Speaking of opportunities, Bryan Bulaga has impressed Thompson since shifted over to left tackle. "He looks fine there. He'll get a chance to prove it." The general manager must indeed be convinced Bulaga can perform on the left side as Thompson's biggest offseason addition at tackle was fourth-round pick David Bakhtiari.

In seems another step towards reconciliation, Thompson provided some kind words for Brett Favre. "The man played for a very long time here and was a marvelous, marvelous football player." It was once believed that Favre would not return to the Packers until Thompson left the front office. Whether or not that's true, Thompson's public praise of Favre should help mend fences.

Thompson concluded by expressing his anxiety regarding player injuries. "It's remarkable what our guys have to do to get ready to play... It's a much faster game, much more spread out." While several Packers have missed practice with injury, the team has been fortunate to avoid more serious situations like the Eagles' Jeremy Maclin or the Broncos Dan Koppen.

And with that, Thompson returns to the shadows.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Acme Packing Co. He has previously written for Lombardi Ave, College Hoops Net, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is also currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter: @JBHirschhorn