2015 Draft Killed This Team

[PikeBadger]

Hand wringing and bed wetting. We’ll see how the roster looks on Labor Day.

 

[rmontro]

The whole idea behind Ted's strategy was he was supposed to draft well and keep us out of salary cap trouble. Failed on both, by the end.
2017 draft was pretty good though.

 

[LambeauLombardi]

Randall & Rollins were clearly misses. No argument.

3rd round yielded Ty Montgomery - Not a superstar by any stretch, but, when healthy, a solid contributor.

4th rounder Jake Ryan......So-so.

5th rounder Brett Hundley has been a disappointment.

The 6th round pick might have been the best value: Aaron Ripkowski, the team's lone fullback.

Both 7th rounders, Christian Ringo and Kennard Backman, are gone.

Not a great draft, but a couple of contributors at least.

Montgomery to this point has been about worth that 3rd round pick, no worse/no less IMO. I'd say the same with Jake Ryan mostly because his 1st 2 years were big disappointments but redeemed himself a bit last year. Both these guys are wait and sees. I don't have high expectations for Ripkowski but was kind of surprised he didn't play more last year.

Larger point is Ted has swung and missed 99% of the time with corners the last 3 years, whether it's not extending the right guys or drafting the right player. That draft was when that position went to hell. It's disappointing considering we already had a good group of guys at that time.

 

[McKnowledge]

The 6th round pick might have been the best value: Aaron Ripkowski, the team's lone fullback.

I'd like to see Ripkowski on the field more, he is a solid pass blocker and underrated tough runner. He could be lethal near the goal line. AR12 needs more protection as he gets older. McCarthy should also consider more zone blocking schemes to match Rodgers' "out-of-pocket" game.

 

[easyk83]

Throw on top of the terrible 2015 draft, the maybe worse 2016 draft, and you have a fired GM.

Out of the 2016 draft the only player with any upside is Dean Lowry.

Clark is strong, but just doesn't make plays; neither Spriggs nor Fackrell can play at all... Fackrell was on my "do not draft list", but Ted never got my memo, lol...

I'm surprised at how bad Spriggs has been. He's too high a pick to give up on too early, but my God has he been bad.

If not for his draft status, he would have been an easy cut very early on.

Don't get me started on the Vince Beigel pick from last year, lol... they had all night to sit on the decision as they had the first pick of rd 4, and they pick Beigel??? Wow, just wow!!

Glad to see that Highsmith and Wolf are gone out of the front office. I think they were a big part of the problem along with TT.

Clark was superb last season, come on dude. Lowry was inconsistent but seems to finish strong and as for Spriggs, it hasn't been pretty but he has shown some flashes of being able to play the position but the guy just can't stay healthy. Also if he can't eliminate the F-ups he's gone, meltdowns literally risk the franchise.

Fackrell probably isnt going to amount to much.

Martinez is a damned good young linebacker although he isn't much for coverage. Murphy has provided some depth but again the guy can't stay healthy.

 

[wist43]

Clark was superb last season, come on dude. Lowry was inconsistent but seems to finish strong and as for Spriggs, it hasn't been pretty but he has shown some flashes of being able to play the position but the guy just can't stay healthy. Also if he can't eliminate the F-ups he's gone, meltdowns literally risk the franchise.

Fackrell probably isnt going to amount to much.

Martinez is a damned good young linebacker although he isn't much for coverage. Murphy has provided some depth but again the guy can't stay healthy.

We're gonna have to disagree on these guys...

Clark should have been a 3rd round pick. He is country strong, to be sure; but, his MO in college is how he is playing in the pros, i.e. he's a phone booth guy who doesn't disengage.

His biggest sin is that he was a first round pick. Were he a 3rd rounder, I'd be glad to have him as a part of the rotation, and expectations would be more in line with production - or lack thereof.

Spriggs is downright awful... technique-wise I don't think he is salvageable.

Martinez has a chance to contribute. It's entirely possible his poor play was the result of Capers and the terrible coaching.

 

[NJPackersfan32]

Picking Randall and Rollins forced us to do 3 bad things in 3 years (2015-2017)
1) Get rid of Tramon that offseason which was probably the least egregious of these 3(2015)
2)Get rid of Hayward the next offseason (2016). No idea why he never got more of an opportunity.
3)Get rid of Hyde for no good reason last offseason (2017).

Ted went from being great at finding corners to becoming a joke at filling that position. He did bring in the guys named above early, signed Woodson and found Shields in 2010. But not talking with Woodson in 2013 about a pay cut is really when the bad moves at corner started. 2015 draft really put a dent in this defense. Just trying to think if we drafted other positions in 2015 when we already had Shields, Hayward, and Hyde even if we did move on from Tramon. The 2011 draft was bad, but this one to me stings the most especially after trading Randall for a 2018 version of Jamarcus Russell. I'm basically done with Rollins being any type of contributor. These picks played a big part of the most pathetic defensive performance in a big game I have ever seen in the Atlanta NFC Championship game. This makes me feel poopy.

Julius "I Let John Kuhn Cut Block Me on the Biggest Play the Previous Year" Peppers instructing Morgan Burnett to slide down on that interception against the Seahawks killed the team. I agree that draft was pretty brutal - still haunted by Casey Hayward, though McCarthy and Capers bear a lot of responsibility on that call.

 

[bigbubbatd]

We're gonna have to disagree on these guys...

Clark should have been a 3rd round pick. He is country strong, to be sure; but, his MO in college is how he is playing in the pros, i.e. he's a phone booth guy who doesn't disengage.

His biggest sin is that he was a first round pick. Were he a 3rd rounder, I'd be glad to have him as a part of the rotation, and expectations would be more in line with production - or lack thereof.

Martinez has a chance to contribute. It's entirely possible his poor play was the result of Capers and the terrible coaching.

Pff ratedClark out as the 13th best interior dlineman in all of football with a high quality rating (second highest they give). Sorry you are the only person who doesn't think he was good.

Martinez rated as an above average ilb 23rd best in football. Definitely not poor play.

 

[Poppa San]

Clark should have been a 3rd round pick. He is country strong, to be sure; but, his MO in college is how he is playing in the pros, i.e. he's a phone booth guy who doesn't disengage.

I thought this is what Capers wanted his DL to do. Tie up the OL to free up the LBs to make the play.

 

[Mondio]

I thought this is what Capers wanted his DL to do. Tie up the OL to free up the LBs to make the play.

and completely underutilized the strength of our DLine in the process. Anybody who has watched Clark knows they guy can completely dominate, split, disengage and make plays. If you missed it, you weren't really watching. They guy can make plays, when he's allowed to do more than take 2 blockers with him everywhere he goes and even then he makes plays

 

[wist43]

Pff ratedClark out as the 13th best interior dlineman in all of football with a high quality rating (second highest they give). Sorry you are the only person who doesn't think he was good.

Martinez rated as an above average ilb 23rd best in football. Definitely not poor play.

I've already erased all of last season from my DVR, so I can't go back and look again...

Like I said, country strong - rarely if ever gets beat in the phone booth; but, from what I see of the guy, he's very average getting down the line, he offers zero pass rush, and struggles mightily to disengage and get off blocks - that's exactly what he looked like in college.

I can't remember him making a single "impact" play last year.

I'll try to find some tape of him on utube... I doubt there will be any indepth breakdown, just "highlights"; so, if he did make any impacts plays, they'd be on the highlight reel.

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As for Martinez, no way... PFF is on drugs. That guy took bad angles just trying to get to the bus stop!!! He flashed some ability, and I haven't given up on him entirely, but man he did a lot of stupid stuff out there when I was watching him.

 

[Mondio]

I've already erased all of last season from my DVR, so I can't go back and look again...

Like I said, country strong - rarely if ever gets beat in the phone booth; but, from what I see of the guy, he's very average getting down the line, he offers zero pass rush, and struggles mightily to disengage and get off blocks - that's exactly what he looked like in college.

I can't remember him making a single "impact" play last year.

I'll try to find some tape of him on utube... I doubt there will be any indepth breakdown, just "highlights"; so, if he did make any impacts plays, they'd be on the highlight reel.

----------------------------------------------------------------

As for Martinez, no way... PFF is on drugs. That guy took bad angles just trying to get to the bus stop!!! He flashed some ability, and I haven't given up on him entirely, but man he did a lot of stupid stuff out there when I was watching him.

you don't watch. He gets down the line, he breaks double teams, he holds the point of attack and everything you'd ask of an interior Dlineman. To say he can't proves you don't watch or you just don't see it.

https://www.fanragsports.com/packers/kenny-clark-is-a-monster-in-middle-for-packers-defense/

another where he gets down the line and makes a TFL on Zeke Elliot, who is no easy open field tackle and he makes it look so with perfect recognition and play. On a side note, notice the highlights that come on after the K. Clark play.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...-Clark-stops-Ezekiel-Elliott-in-the-backfield

 

[Poppa San]

-packers-defense/

another where he gets down the line and makes a TFL on Zeke Elliot, who is no easy open field tackle and he makes it look so with perfect recognition and play. On a side note, notice the highlights that come on after the K. Clark play.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...-Clark-stops-Ezekiel-Elliott-in-the-backfield

You know the routine. This play doesn't count because he didn't force and recover a fumble and return it for a touchdown . Makes him a substandard DL in someone's mind .

 

[rmontro]

Larger point is Ted has swung and missed 99% of the time with corners the last 3 years, whether it's not extending the right guys or drafting the right player. That draft was when that position went to hell. It's disappointing considering we already had a good group of guys at that time.

That's what annoyed me so much, it looked like we had a pretty good secondary in place. Check, move on to other positions, right? Nope. Next thing I knew, Ted had let most of that group go. I guess because he wanted his new young (cheap) guys in there that he had drafted.

 

[Mondio]

You know the routine. This play doesn't count because he didn't force and recover a fumble and return it for a touchdown . Makes him a substandard DL in someone's mind .

Like I said earlier, some people tip their hands early as to their level of player evaluation skills LOL. He reads that play and gets down the line and breaks down to smother a great back and he does it looking better than most 230lb athletic LB'ers at his svelt 315lbs from the interior of the Dline. he must have changed his clothes in that phone booth

 

[wist43]

you don't watch. He gets down the line, he breaks double teams, he holds the point of attack and everything you'd ask of an interior Dlineman. To say he can't proves you don't watch or you just don't see it.

https://www.fanragsports.com/packers/kenny-clark-is-a-monster-in-middle-for-packers-defense/

another where he gets down the line and makes a TFL on Zeke Elliot, who is no easy open field tackle and he makes it look so with perfect recognition and play. On a side note, notice the highlights that come on after the K. Clark play.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...-Clark-stops-Ezekiel-Elliott-in-the-backfield

He's good in a phone booth - that's what those examples showed.

Cherry picking a couple of examples him actually getting down the line does not a consistent performer make.

It will be interesting to see if Pettine can anything with him.

 

[PackerDNA]

Clark has a legit shot to be really special. Love the kid's work ethic and intensity, and as Mondio pointed out, he's incredibly athletic for a big man.

 

[Mondio]

He's good in a phone booth - that's what those examples showed.

Cherry picking a couple of examples him actually getting down the line does not a consistent performer make.

It will be interesting to see if Pettine can anything with him.

I didn't cherry pick anything, it was as simple article that had them all in. Good in a phone booth proves once again, you don't really watch LOL Sprinting to the sideline on a screen pass to make a TFL against a tops in the league RB that tries to juke but gets stoned and you still come at me with the phone booth baloney LOL.

Sorry I don't have cut up game film at my disposal to provide more. I have what is available on the net. The only thing holding back Clark was the defensive scheme. If you haven't seen his ability by now, you never will.

 

[wist43]

I didn't cherry pick anything, it was as simple article that had them all in. Good in a phone booth proves once again, you don't really watch LOL Sprinting to the sideline on a screen pass to make a TFL against a tops in the league RB that tries to juke but gets stoned and you still come at me with the phone booth baloney LOL.

Sorry I don't have cut up game film at my disposal to provide more. I have what is available on the net. The only thing holding back Clark was the defensive scheme. If you haven't seen his ability by now, you never will.

I understand u didn't cherry pick them, the author of the article did...

Clark is an average player.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

We've neither replenished the roster with enough starter talent, nor hit on anyone special. We'll need a draft like NO had last year to make this team into a SB threat. Outside of QB, we likely have the worst roster and worst coach in the division.

I agree that the Packers lack talent aside of the quarterback position but consider McCarthy one of the better coaches in the league.

The whole idea behind Ted's strategy was he was supposed to draft well and keep us out of salary cap trouble. Failed on both, by the end.
2017 draft was pretty good though.

There's no doubt Thompson didn't draft well enough over the past few years but he kept the team in good shape regarding the salary cap.

We're gonna have to disagree on these guys...

Clark should have been a 3rd round pick. He is country strong, to be sure; but, his MO in college is how he is playing in the pros, i.e. he's a phone booth guy who doesn't disengage.

His biggest sin is that he was a first round pick. Were he a 3rd rounder, I'd be glad to have him as a part of the rotation, and expectations would be more in line with production - or lack thereof.

I have a hard time understanding how any Packers fan can criticize Thompson for selecting Clark in the first round. He's definitely one of the best young defensive linemen in the league.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

As for Martinez, no way... PFF is on drugs. That guy took bad angles just trying to get to the bus stop!!! He flashed some ability, and I haven't given up on him entirely, but man he did a lot of stupid stuff out there when I was watching him.

Martinez tied for the league lead in tackles last season. While he occasionally struggles in coverage he performed at an above level last season.

 

[rmontro]

There's no doubt Thompson didn't draft well enough over the past few years but he kept the team in good shape regarding the salary cap.

Not really. The cap is why we had to cut Jordy.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Not really. The cap is why we had to cut Jordy.

That doesn't automatically mean Thompson didn't manage the cap properly though.

 

[easyk83]

We're gonna have to disagree on these guys...

Clark should have been a 3rd round pick. He is country strong, to be sure; but, his MO in college is how he is playing in the pros, i.e. he's a phone booth guy who doesn't disengage.

His biggest sin is that he was a first round pick. Were he a 3rd rounder, I'd be glad to have him as a part of the rotation, and expectations would be more in line with production - or lack thereof.

Spriggs is downright awful... technique-wise I don't think he is salvageable.

Martinez has a chance to contribute. It's entirely possible his poor play was the result of Capers and the terrible coaching.

First rounders are not defined strictly by Stats, the things he does against the pocket and run game are impressive to numerous observers both on this board and elsewhere. I hate using rating metrics like PFF but they rated him as a high quality DL and number 13 DL. Guess what he managed that level of production as a twenty one year, most football players at that age are happy to do in college what Kenny was doing in the NFL. That is impressive, you are just so damned wrong on Clarke I'm sorry I cant be diplomatic about this.

 

[easyk83]

I agree that the Packers lack talent aside of the quarterback position but consider McCarthy one of the better coaches in the league.



There's no doubt Thompson didn't draft well enough over the past few years but he kept the team in good shape regarding the salary cap.



I have a hard time understanding how any Packers fan can criticize Thompson for selecting Clark in the first round. He's definitely one of the best young defensive linemen in the league.

Not only that but he's playing at that level at an age in which most football players are still in college. He's going to be 23 as a third year pro this fall, that's pretty remarkable in and of itself. Last year at 21-22 he cracked PFF's top 100 players list.