#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I'm sure there are a number of HN posters that are Packers fans. I'll post this for the draft, then, if there's enough interest, try to carry it into the season as an ongoing thread.
***Official Packers Thread***
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What are your thoughts on GB's organization as a whole? Personally I think they have wasted the prime of the best QB in the NFL in a very long time. Their drafts have been meh at best and lately when they do let guys go they are flourishing elsewhere.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I think it's a solid organization, and one of the best in the NFL.
That said, I do think Thompson made several draft and FA mistakes, especially over the last 5 seasons for so. In fairness to him, some of that is luck and some of it is hindsight.
I was always a fan of his "draft and develop" philosophy, given that the majority of times that teams spend big in FA, they end up regretting it, but, if you're going to draft and develop, you better make consistently great draft choices. TT missed big time on the defensive side of the ball, and that's killing them right now (Go back and look at the last 7 drafts or so, and all of the high picks that were wasted on defensive players that didn't pan out. It's eye-opening).
As for Hyde and Hayward, I have mixed feelings. I think the Packers should have made more of an effort to keep Hyde, but I was okay with how they handled Hayward. That's one of those "hindsight" situations. Hayward's play had dropped off and he wasn't a willing tackler. Plus, they had young talent that they thought would blossom. Also, Hayward's skill set was more suited to a slot corner, and his contract demands were more in line with a perimeter guy (again, this is at the time).
Fan's have to remember that it's a false assumption to assume that if a player is cut or not signed, that their subsequent success would have been the same had they stayed. Sometimes, those events light a fire or serve as motivation, so players improve their performance as a result, and that may have occurred with Hayward.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Reviewing the draft possibilities, I'm starting to really lean towards the Packers trading up in the draft. In general, I'm not a big fan of that unless a player you really covet drops and ends up close to your pick. The cost to move up usually is prohibitive.
But, it's extremely rare for the Packers to be in the top 15 or so picks, where you are in range of an elite prospect. The cost to move up to, say, the top 8 picks wouldn't break the bank, and would give the Packers a legitimate shot at a player such as Ward or Edmunds, or perhaps Fitzpatrick or Derwin James. Personally, even though it's not a huge need, I would take Edmunds. He's a freak of nature and, mark my word, will be an All-Pro for years, but Ward would be a great pick as well and fills a huge need. Neither will be there at 14.
If they stay at 14, I would target Harold Landry or Marcus Davenport. Both are solid. Davenport reminds me of Ziggy Ansah. The corner position is fairly deep, and we might be able to trade up to the late 1st for a corner such as JJ (the rumor is that he may drop due to his combine performance) or Hughes, thereby addressing both the edge and corner positions.
But, it's extremely rare for the Packers to be in the top 15 or so picks, where you are in range of an elite prospect. The cost to move up to, say, the top 8 picks wouldn't break the bank, and would give the Packers a legitimate shot at a player such as Ward or Edmunds, or perhaps Fitzpatrick or Derwin James. Personally, even though it's not a huge need, I would take Edmunds. He's a freak of nature and, mark my word, will be an All-Pro for years, but Ward would be a great pick as well and fills a huge need. Neither will be there at 14.
If they stay at 14, I would target Harold Landry or Marcus Davenport. Both are solid. Davenport reminds me of Ziggy Ansah. The corner position is fairly deep, and we might be able to trade up to the late 1st for a corner such as JJ (the rumor is that he may drop due to his combine performance) or Hughes, thereby addressing both the edge and corner positions.
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#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I have mixed feelings with the Packers draft so far. As I stated above, it's rare for the Packers to be in a position where they can grab an elite player, and the chance was there. Trading back basically put them in the exact situation where they always are (Yes, they picked up another first rounder, but, more than likely, it will just be another late first round choice). I can't believe they passed on Edmunds and James.
Alexander has all the tools, but his size is a red flag. I remember a very similar situation when the Packers drafted Ahmad Carroll in the 1st round in '04. Carroll was a complete bust. Now, I do feel that Alexander will be better than Carroll, possibly a lot better, but short. fast corners frequently fail in the NFL. That said, I do like Alexander's toughness.
J.J. was a solid pick in the mid second round. Taking my Hawkeye glasses off, I do have concerns about his stiff hips and question how he will do man-to-man, but his elite ball skills make it worth the risk.
Burks is a very good athlete, but he's slow to react and lacks instincts. In many respects, he's the anti-Josey Jewell. We'll see if the staff can coach him up.
Alexander has all the tools, but his size is a red flag. I remember a very similar situation when the Packers drafted Ahmad Carroll in the 1st round in '04. Carroll was a complete bust. Now, I do feel that Alexander will be better than Carroll, possibly a lot better, but short. fast corners frequently fail in the NFL. That said, I do like Alexander's toughness.
J.J. was a solid pick in the mid second round. Taking my Hawkeye glasses off, I do have concerns about his stiff hips and question how he will do man-to-man, but his elite ball skills make it worth the risk.
Burks is a very good athlete, but he's slow to react and lacks instincts. In many respects, he's the anti-Josey Jewell. We'll see if the staff can coach him up.
While I agree with you regarding GB staying at 14 because they very rarely pick that high, I thought the trade back was a good one. It’s been a long time since the Saints had two good seasons in row . If their OL gets hit with injuries or Brees goes down that pick could get very good.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
If the Saints aren't hit hard with injuries, though, I'll be surprised if the pick is below 25. The Saints were one dumb play away from being in the NFC championship.
Obviously, it all depends upon how the careers play out, but, like many Packer fans, I'll be watching the careers of Edmunds, James and Davenport closely (and, they were within range of trading up for Smith, Fitzpatrick and Nelson as well, so those will be relevant too).
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Does Josh Jackson move to safety someday? Could be interesting.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
You could make the argument that his skill set is more suited to FS, so you never know. He's reminiscent of Spievey, who got moved to safety in Detroit, though I think Jackson is a better athlete.
I don't think it will happen anytime soon, though. He'll definitely get plenty of time to show he can play CB in Green Bay.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Legendary Green Bay offensive lineman Forrest Gregg has passed away at the age of 85. Vince Lombardi had called Fregg "the greatest football player he ever coached", which is saying something when you consider all the Hall of Famers he coached. In addition to winning two super bowls with the Packers, he won another at the tail end of his caeer with Dallas. He also accomplished some things as a coach, getting his start under Tom Landry like Ditka and so many others did. He fielded competitive teams with Cleveland and took Cincinnati to the super bowl in 1982. Was perhaps most famous for his dislike of Ditka, which was exaserbated by the fact that their careers constantly intertwined. They didn't get along as players, teammates, coaches on Landry's staff, and especially when they coached against each other in the mid eighties with Green Bay and Chicago. You had to watch your back in those games. Remember Carles Martin cheap shotting McMahon, among other examples?
Yeah that hurt the Bears chances of repeating in 1986. They were 14-2 but lost in the divisional round to Washington.
That rivalry was intense in the 1980s but also one-sided. GB was awful that decade. Then Favre got there and it completely flipped to GB for the next two decades plus. Now it could be flipping back to advantage Chicago.
