ThePerfectBeard
Cheesehead
I think this may have been a mistake, but I love our draft!... We won't know until the season begins, but I was so high on us getting Courtney Upshaw.
The Packers must have graded Perry higher at the OLB spot. We had several discussions before the draft about whether or not OLB or DE in Capers' scheme is more important. IMO OLB is clearly the answer to that question because in the base DL usually 2-gap to allow the LBs to make plays and I'll bet that's why Perry was the pick. IOW the Packers may have viewed Upshaw only as a DE. But they know defense in Baltimore so Upshaw will get a great opportunity to show his stuff. If Upshaw becomes a beast playing with his hand on the ground and Perry doesn't either at OLB or with his hand on the ground, the Packers pick will have been a mistake. My guess is it won't be that clear as I expect both players to succeed in the NFL.Upshaw was one of this draft's biggest sliders after struggling mightily in agility drills at the combine, but the Defensive MVP of this past season's BCS National Championship Game is a powerful pass rusher with an advanced array of moves who can be utilized as either a down lineman or standing up as a 3-4 linebacker.
The brass discussed the closeness of the pick between Worthy and Still but never discussed it being close between Upshaw and Perry. I think they got the man they wanted.
As ThxJack pointed out, we got highly regarded OLB and DE. Very exciting to think about them in the Green and Gold.
Ah so tough to say. I will say when I watch film of Perry I'm really not all that impressed. Scouts say he's soft and he look that way to me.
At USC he played almost exclusively with his hand on the ground, going one-on-one against the tackle. In our defense, he will be playing OLB and will be coming on blitzes where he can use his speed (which is off the charts for his size) to shoot gaps and get around guys. Worthy and Raji will compliment each other immensely and as a result, neither of them will face constant double-teams like Raji did all last year. Our pass rush will be MUCH improved over last year. I predict we will have a 10-15th ranked pass rush next year and within 2 years it will be top 5.
I'd love to see Perry become as good as CM3. We would next to unstopable.Obviously they got the guy they wanted as they picked Perry over Upshaw. I think Upshaw will be solid, but he is absolutely inferior athletically to Perry, especially when it comes to speed. That doesn't mean he won't be the better pro, but I like the idea of having the superior athlete. Also, it will be hard to compare the two because the Baltimore defense is loaded already. The Ravens defense is obviously way better than the Packers and for that reason I would except Upshaw to stand out more, especially at first. I believe Perry has a much higher ceiling but also a lower floor. With proper coaching, Perry could become an absolute beast, but could also bust. It's clear that the Packer's valued his athleticism and thought that the coaches can make him a better player than Upshaw. As a general manager, one HAS to think that about his coaches because if they don't, then they should be hiring new coaches. Ted provided a superior athlete and it is now up to the coaches to get the most out of him.
I've mentioned elsewhere that I think Perry will eventually become the primary pass rusher for the Packer's. This will free up CM3 to be more of a "rover" to utilize his abilities in both coverage and pass rushing. Perry doesn't and may not ever have the ability to move in space like CM3 does, but that's OK. As long as he develops his pass rush, it will be a nightmare for teams to figure out what CM3 is going to do.
The Colts are more of an offensive team. I would hope Irsay drafts for defense next year w/the exception of 2-3 picks for offense. They're D will need help. Mathis,Freeny & Bethea will be retiring soon. Like in 1-2 years