The Green Bay Packers head into the regular season opener against the Bears on Sunday as the youngest team in the NFC North Division. Rob Demovsky's story in the Green Bay Press Gazette today points out that the Packers as of today (Tuesday), average 25.5 years of age, a full year younger than the average age of the Chicago Bears.
The Packers have the most rookies (14), first-year players (3) and second-year players (10). In terms of NFL experience, the Packers' roster has an average of 3.57 years of service. The Bears are next (4.51), Vikings (4.79) and Lions (5.31).
So what does it all mean? It means you can probably expect another year of hard times in Green Bay. But I've said this before and I'll say it again. This is not a bad thing. The Packers have won for a long time and were in great need of rebuilding. Ted Thompson is now in a major rebuilding mode. When teams rebuild and go with youth, they struggle. The learning curve is too great in a league of the caliber of the NFL that only the strong and experienced survive.
Don't be discouraged with the Packers record this season. Ted Thompson went the same route in Seattle and 5-years after he took over, the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl. If Thompson's eye for talent is as good in Green Bay as it was in Seattle, the Packers will start to turn things back in the right direction soon and can expect to be competing in the playoffs again.
Have patience Packers' fans. Don't start calling for Thompson's job or McCarthy's. The plan is in place and it will take some time to see it through.