could the packers be looking for their next elephant in this draft?

[ivo610]

By going in the surprising direction of the elephant role for peppers and him on a year to year contract (basically), could the packers be looking in the draft for his replacement down the road? Maybe someone in the mid rounds?

 

[TJV]

I’m not quite sure what you’re getting at. I’m sure you aren’t saying the Packers could get a Julius Peppers – even at his age – in the middle rounds. And in the mid-rounds I’m not sure why that kind of pick would be a surprise.

But this thread does present an opportunity to talk about the elephant position. Silverstein wrote what I think is a very illuminating blog entry on what the Packers mean when they say “elephant”. It’s titled Peppers will work with LB group http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/packers.html

When they first brought up the term I thought they were talking about Peppers playing a 7 technique or some variation of it. Demovsky had an article to that effect. As the blog says, Ray Rhodes used an "elephant end" in his defense in the early '90s and so did Pete Carroll at USC and that’s what I thought they had in mind. But what McCarthy and the Packers are talking about is:

McCarthy, who is here attending the NFL owners meetings, emphasized that the term "elephant" refers to body-type and multi-position ability and not schematics. … "With the way we’re going to be structured on defense, from a staff standpoint, Winston Moss and Scott McCurley will be coaching all the linebackers and the "elephants", McCarthy said. "Elephant is a term used for a multiple-position player along the defensive front.

Silverstein goes on to say in addition to Peppers, Neal and Perry will also be elephants and to emphasize the point it’s a body type states the obvious in saying more than one elephant will be on the field at one time. And they’ll play LB, DE, and DT.

A couple of points come to mind. First Winston Moss and Scott McCurley have their work cut out for them. (I hope Moss justifies his position as assistant HC -for the first time IMO.) And second, just calling players “elephants” of course doesn’t mean anything but I am getting the idea that the defense will be much more unpredictable. And that of course is good news.

 

[ivo610]

I’m not quite sure what you’re getting at. I’m sure you aren’t saying the Packers could get a Julius Peppers – even at his age – in the middle rounds. And in the mid-rounds I’m not sure why that kind of pick would be a surprise.

But this thread does present an opportunity to talk about the elephant position. Silverstein wrote what I think is a very illuminating blog entry on what the Packers mean when they say “elephant”. It’s titled Peppers will work with LB group http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/packers.html

When they first brought up the term I thought they were talking about Peppers playing a 7 technique or some variation of it. Demovsky had an article to that effect. As the blog says, Ray Rhodes used an "elephant end" in his defense in the early '90s and so did Pete Carroll at USC and that’s what I thought they had in mind. But what McCarthy and the Packers are talking about is: Silverstein goes on to say in addition to Peppers, Neal and Perry will also be elephants and to emphasize the point it’s a body type states the obvious in saying more than one elephant will be on the field at one time. And they’ll play LB, DE, and DT.

A couple of points come to mind. First Winston Moss and Scott McCurley have their work cut out for them. (I hope Moss justifies his position as assistant HC -for the first time IMO.) And second, just calling players “elephants” of course doesn’t mean anything but I am getting the idea that the defense will be much more unpredictable. And that of course is good news.

I'm thinking they could draft a player that wouldn't traditionally fit in the 3-4 with the idea of grooming him for the role. Maybe they want to wait and see how peppers does with it first.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm thinking they could draft a player that wouldn't traditionally fit in the 3-4 with the idea of grooming him for the role. Maybe they want to wait and see how peppers does with it first.

Actually we already have guys like that in Perry and Neal.

 

[ivo610]

Actually we already have guys like that in Perry and Neal.

You see them splitting time in 14 between hand in dirt and standing? Do you see them splitting time with peppers?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

You see them splitting time in 14 between hand in dirt and standing? Do you see them splitting time with peppers?

That´s at least what McCarthy told reporters yesterday.

 

[98Redbird]

I actually think we have talent across our defensive front, outside of matthews and before peppers. I just think they were being used incorrectly, be it injury or stubborn attitudes.

Plus they admitted that Datone's ankle was probably worse than what they wanted to admit. (I think I saw that the other day somewhere)

 

[Einstein McFly]

You see them splitting time in 14 between hand in dirt and standing? Do you see them splitting time with peppers?

Well yeah. That was the plan before we signed Peppers. Datone Jones could line up there too. I kinda think that Peppers is supposed to be a one-year guy to let Neal/Perry/Jones/draftee learn the position better. The problem is that all of this "versatility" with "fast twitch athletes" etc is meaningless if we get the ball run down our throats because we don't have any legit run stuffers on the line.

 

[HardRightEdge]

That´s at least what McCarthy told reporters yesterday.

Yesterday, during the league meetings, at the Combine, and all points between.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Well yeah. That was the plan before we signed Peppers. Datone Jones could line up there too. I kinda think that Peppers is supposed to be a one-year guy to let Neal/Perry/Jones/draftee learn the position better. The problem is that all of this "versatility" with "fast twitch athletes" etc is meaningless if we get the ball run down our throats because we don't have any legit run stuffers on the line.

I agree with that with the caveat that the Peppers contract structure with $5 mil in dead cap in 2015 indicates Thompson is expecting two years out Peppers. I have a hard time believing that dead cap is just part of the cost of doing business in 2014...that would be uncharacteristic short term thinking on Thompson's part. If anything,Thompson would be thinking in terms of restructuring 2015 when the time comes if Peppers still has something in the tank; besides being a disincetive to cutting him, the dead cap amount gives the player a floor in that renegotiation if he demonstrates continuing value.

In other words, if Peppers puts up anything in the range of a decent season up to a rebirth of the HOF freak of nature, this contract says we'll try to bring him back for 2015 for something between the $5 mil dead cap amount and the $12.5 mil salary in the current contract.