NFL scouts have always had an incredible amount of respect for Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson. He is always on the road evaluating college players, and he puts more effort into the process than any other executive in the league. Prime example: following Wednesday afternoon's East-West Shrine practice, most scouts and personnel men headed home for the weekend, with the real action wrapped up and only unpadded practices left on the docket. At Thursday's afternoon practice, there were only eight NFL representatives in attendance. It was pouring rain outside and there was Thompson, sporting a rain poncho and closely monitoring every individual drill.