A look at realistic ILB options-- link provided

[Dylan Hoppe]

While I agree there are a lot of UDFAs playing in the league we won´t hear of most of the guys the Packers signed after the draft this week ever again after camp.

Right now I don´t have the time to check the number of UDFAs on every team in the league for last season, but 25 of the 64 (39.1%) players that were at least once on the active roster for the Packers last season were undrafted.

Speaking of these two undrafted guys...

The more I look at doughty, the more I see Jamari Lattimore, only slower. Gets beat and outsmarted in coverage. High motor. Run support. Everything matches well except Lattimore is faster and therefore can use his strong fiery attitude more.

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/86...-arrested-in-St-George-over-spring-break.html

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jake-doughty-1.html




The more I look at Thomas, the more I see something different. Maybe a little undersized but I really really like this kid.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96941&draftyear=2014&genpos=ILB

http://m.thetandd.com/sports/bulldo...11e3-af38-001a4bcf887a.html?mobile_touch=true



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[Deleted member 6794]

Speaking of these two undrafted guys...

The more I look at doughty, the more I see Jamari Lattimore, only slower. Gets beat and outsmarted in coverage. High motor. Run support. Everything matches well except Lattimore is faster and therefore can use his strong fiery attitude more.

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/86...-arrested-in-St-George-over-spring-break.html

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jake-doughty-1.html




The more I look at Thomas, the more I see something different. Maybe a little undersized but I really really like this kid.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96941&draftyear=2014&genpos=ILB

http://m.thetandd.com/sports/bulldo...11e3-af38-001a4bcf887a.html?mobile_touch=true

Right now, I like Doughty better than I do Thomas. Doughty has started two years at ILB in a 3-4 and ranked second in the entire FBS in tackles last season and was named the defensive MVP in the Poinsettia Bowl. In addition the Utah State defense finished 7th in the FBS in points allowed.

I´m not saying that I don´t like Thomas, but IMO he will have a harder time adjusting to the NFL game, coming out of a FCS school where he didn´t play in a 3-4.

 

[easyk83]

Speaking of these two undrafted guys...

The more I look at doughty, the more I see Jamari Lattimore, only slower. Gets beat and outsmarted in coverage. High motor. Run support. Everything matches well except Lattimore is faster and therefore can use his strong fiery attitude more.

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/86...-arrested-in-St-George-over-spring-break.html

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jake-doughty-1.html




The more I look at Thomas, the more I see something different. Maybe a little undersized but I really really like this kid.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96941&draftyear=2014&genpos=ILB

http://m.thetandd.com/sports/bulldo...11e3-af38-001a4bcf887a.html?mobile_touch=true



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If he's a run support specialist he might be an improvement over Mr. Lattimore, who struggled with his run fits.

 

[Dylan Hoppe]

If he's a run support specialist he might be an improvement over Mr. Lattimore, who struggled with his run fits.

Lattimore struggled with reading the play. He had no problem chasing down runners IF he knew where to chase them too. What I'm trying to say is he didn't let RBs come to him, which is a big reason why he got beat on a lot of plays but it's also a big reason why he made some plays. I think his problem is lack of awareness. He's not hard to trick.


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[easyk83]

I think the easiest fix for this Defense, find an old fashioned run stuffing LB and have Hawk slim down even more. Go to more of a classic 34 with a Buck run specialist and a Mack coverage specialist. Hawk actually does look pretty natural in coverage, his problem has been speed. But I suspect that if he gets back down to his Collegiate weight he'll get back much of the speed that made him a top 5 pick. He did show some aptitude when playing more of a classic mack position, and some genuine playmaking ability.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Lattimore struggled with reading the play. He had no problem chasing down runners IF he knew where to chase them too. What I'm trying to say is he didn't let RBs come to him, which is a big reason why he got beat on a lot of plays but it's also a big reason why he made some plays. I think his problem is lack of awareness. He's not hard to trick.

I think it´s hard to improve though if don´t have enough instincts to play a position.

 

[Dylan Hoppe]

Speaking of these two undrafted guys...

The more I look at doughty, the more I see Jamari Lattimore, only slower. Gets beat and outsmarted in coverage. High motor. Run support. Everything matches well except Lattimore is faster and therefore can use his strong fiery attitude more.

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/86...-arrested-in-St-George-over-spring-break.html

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/jake-doughty-1.html




The more I look at Thomas, the more I see something different. Maybe a little undersized but I really really like this kid.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=96941&draftyear=2014&genpos=ILB

http://m.thetandd.com/sports/bulldo...11e3-af38-001a4bcf887a.html?mobile_touch=true



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I hope doughty works out. I hope Thomas works out. After learning the position, I do like Thomas better instinct wise. But it all depends on if he can learn the position. We'll see.


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[easyk83]

I think it´s hard to improve though if don´t have enough instincts to play a position.

Well hard to peg a guy with that, I've seen some great defensive players who started out playing poorly and without instinct. Case in point see Nick Collins.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Well hard to peg a guy with that, I've seen some great defensive players who started out playing poorly and without instinct. Case in point see Nick Collins.

It took Collins until the fourth season to become the Pro Bowl safety, but the position is harder to learn than any of the LB position. I don´t think Lattimore will ever turn into a starter, let alone a Pro Bowler.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Bottom line is this: That interview with Jake is THE BEST on-court interview I have ever seen.
Craig Sager, Popovich, anyone....

 

[easyk83]

It took Collins until the fourth season to become the Pro Bowl safety, but the position is harder to learn than any of the LB position. I don´t think Lattimore will ever turn into a starter, let alone a Pro Bowler.

Oh you're probably correct, but I wouldn't dismiss him either.

 

[easyk83]

As for players don't sleep on Sam Barrington, last year he made the roster as a long shot and beat out second year man Terrell Manning. He has decent size at 246 pounds good speed and has a tenacious streak a mile long, he received plenty of coverage for getting into a number of fights with Olinemen during last seasons training camp.

 

[Joe Nor Cal Packer]

We're stuck with Jones and Hawk - forever it looks like.

The only way we see improvement at the position is if one of those guys down with an injury, and the Packers are forced to play someone else there.

Of course no one can figure this out... the only people on the planet that think Jones and Hawk are adequate ILB's are TT, MM, and Capers. Of course they are the only ones who matter - and to that end, we've been terrible for a few years running, and that is going to continue.

The defense has just been a God-awful mess for 3 years now... it's demoralizing.

Yeah you've pretty much nailed it. I don't know why TT and MM are satisfied with the play of Hawk. It's like he has pictures or something. Management has been pretty good at creating competition at most other positions. I don't get the laid back approach to ILB. Perry, Worthy, Datone Jones were all supposed to be "impact" players. It's not that they've been average, they've been well below average. I don't know the answer though. Just that I'd like to seemore competition at ILB. In fairness, it was a thin position in this year's draft. Mosley stands out and Shazier is an OLB.

I am glad that TT keeps giving weapons to Rodgers, something Wolf didn't do with Favre. Problem is offense wins conferences, defense and special teams win Super Bowls. Ask Peyton Manning.

 

[Dylan Hoppe]

Yeah you've pretty much nailed it. I don't know why TT and MM are satisfied with the play of Hawk. It's like he has pictures or something. Management has been pretty good at creating competition at most other positions. I don't get the laid back approach to ILB. Perry, Worthy, Datone Jones were all supposed to be "impact" players. It's not that they've been average, they've been well below average. I don't know the answer though. Just that I'd like to seemore competition at ILB. In fairness, it was a thin position in this year's draft. Mosley stands out and Shazier is an OLB.

I am glad that TT keeps giving weapons to Rodgers, something Wolf didn't do with Favre. Problem is offense wins conferences, defense and special teams win Super Bowls. Ask Peyton Manning.

I guess that depends who gets to the super bowl in the opposite conference. If GB would have played Indy would defense have one that SB?


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[Dylan Hoppe]

What if brad jones is good this year? What if he's a pro bowl caliber player and makes us all look stupid? Maybe his lightbulb turned on during the offseason. Lol, I must be high.


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[Deleted member 6794]

As for players don't sleep on Sam Barrington, last year he made the roster as a long shot and beat out second year man Terrell Manning. He has decent size at 246 pounds good speed and has a tenacious streak a mile long, he received plenty of coverage for getting into a number of fights with Olinemen during last seasons training camp.

The only thing I can remember from Barrington last season was that he nearly tackled Hyde during his punt return for a TD.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Yeah you've pretty much nailed it. I don't know why TT and MM are satisfied with the play of Hawk. It's like he has pictures or something. Management has been pretty good at creating competition at most other positions. I don't get the laid back approach to ILB. Just that I'd like to seemore competition at ILB. In fairness, it was a thin position in this year's draft. Mosley stands out and Shazier is an OLB.

It´s true there was no depth at ILB in this year´s draft. Thompson should have brought in some help via free agency as it was probable Mosley wouldn´t last until #21.

 

[Einstein McFly]

There´s no evidence at all that he´s capable of playing ILB. I´d rather don´t move around guys all the time. Thompson should have gotten a true ILB.

Taking a guy who's not worth taking is a poor way to draft. This draft was great for wideouts and lousy for ILBs, so we took three wideouts and no ILBs. That sounds like a smart way to do it to me. If there were no ILBs with a fourth round grade in the fourth round, why would we take one?

 

[Einstein McFly]

Now that safety has a (presumably) new starter, it seems that IlB is the new position of panic. If Jones can stay healthy he's fine (and not nearly as bad as people are pretending). It would have been great to get Shazier or Mosely, but we can't have all-pros at every position. Besides, given that they want to get Hyde on the field and he probably won't be a starting safety now that Dix is here, maybe he'll be the dime "LB" in really obvious passing situations.

We'll see folks. Maybe Barrington will have a Mike Daniels type second year bump and we'll all be thrilled.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Taking a guy who's not worth taking is a poor way to draft. This draft was great for wideouts and lousy for ILBs, so we took three wideouts and no ILBs. That sounds like a smart way to do it to me. If there were no ILBs with a fourth round grade in the fourth round, why would we take one?

As I've said before I agree the draft was very thin at the ILB position. But although a lot of Packers fans have forgotten about it, free agency provides another way of bringing in players. Thompson should have improved the position that way.

 

[Einstein McFly]

As I've said before I agree the draft was very thin at the ILB position. But although a lot of Packers fans have forgotten about it, free agency provides another way of bringing in players. Thompson should have improved the position that way.

I think the thing is that they're not as unhappy with the status of ILBs as a lot of fans seem to be. They thought enough of Brad Jones to pay him starter money and keep him in Green Bay and they seem totally devoted to Hawk and high on Barrington. Given that they didn't want to spend on a guy like EDS who they know inside and out, I'm not that surprised that they didn't spend on an ILB from another team unless he was a really really good buy.

 

[easyk83]

The only thing I can remember from Barrington last season was that he nearly tackled Hyde during his punt return for a TD.

He's a tackling machine.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think the thing is that they're not as unhappy with the status of ILBs as a lot of fans seem to be. They thought enough of Brad Jones to pay him starter money and keep him in Green Bay and they seem totally devoted to Hawk and high on Barrington. Given that they didn't want to spend on a guy like EDS who they know inside and out, I'm not that surprised that they didn't spend on an ILB from another team unless he was a really really good buy.

That the front office and coaches think that high about both of them is beyond my understanding, especially after being able to watch what a dominant duo can do for you at the position losing four in a row to the Niners.

IMO there would have been some cheap options in free agency in Akeem Jordan and Arthur Moats, who both signed for the veterans minimum with their new teams.

 

[Dylan Hoppe]

That the front office and coaches think that high about both of them is beyond my understanding, especially after being able to watch what a dominant duo can do for you at the position losing four in a row to the Niners.

IMO there would have been some cheap options in free agency in Akeem Jordan and Arthur Moats, who both signed for the veterans minimum with their new teams.

What's appealing about moats and Jordan though? There's a reason they signed for that low.


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[Deleted member 6794]

What's appealing about moats and Jordan though? There's a reason they signed for that low.

Both of them would have been a huge upgrade vs. the run. Don´t miss a lot of tackles either.

Vincent Rey, who re-signed with the Bengals for three years and $4.83 million would have been another player I was interested in. He would have been a more balanced guy.