Deion Jones. Remember me mention him?

[andeftw]

Mostly agree with your post but the part in bold is just plain wrong. The Packers coaching staff moving their best player there for 1 1/2 years should serve as proof for it.

I'm referring to value in the draft. First you need pass rushers, then corners. With a decent defensive lines which clogs up the gaps, you don't need anything more than a decent player at ILB.
We had depth at OLB but none at ILB, hence Matthews' move. If we had two average ILBs on the team you can be certain that Matthews would have remained on the outside. Something that he'll likely to next year even if it means starting Barrington and Ryan.

 

[Poppa San]

Thank you.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm referring to value in the draft. First you need pass rushers, then corners. With a decent defensive lines which clogs up the gaps, you don't need anything more than a decent player at ILB.
We had depth at OLB but none at ILB, hence Matthews' move. If we had two average ILBs on the team you can be certain that Matthews would have remained on the outside. Something that he'll likely to next year even if it means starting Barrington and Ryan.

It's certainly true that inside linebackers aren't as valued as other positions in the draft but that doesn't change the fact that you need two decent players there in a 3-4 defense.

The Packers currently have two average players best suited to be the Mike linebacker but lack someone as a fit for the Will position.

With the Packers currently having enough depth at OLB and in the secondary the team should put added value on ILB in this year's draft.

 

[andeftw]

It's certainly true that inside linebackers aren't as valued as other positions in the draft but that doesn't change the fact that you need two decent players there in a 3-4 defense.

The Packers currently have two average players best suited to be the Mike linebacker but lack someone as a fit for the Will position.

With the Packers currently having enough depth at OLB and in the secondary the team should put added value on ILB in this year's draft.

I agree with you, but even considering the added value of the position to the Packers, does it make sense for the Packers to draft Jones at #27? I'm all for taking an ILB in the first round, provided that the player is worthy of the pick.

Out of curiosity, how would you feel if the Packers took Ragland at #27 (assuming he slips that far)? I would think he's a much better fit at the Mike than at the Will, and perhaps not even much of an upgrade over Barrington/Ryan (I think the latter can be groomed to be our long term solution there).

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I agree with you, but even considering the added value of the position to the Packers, does it make sense for the Packers to draft Jones at #27? I'm all for taking an ILB in the first round, provided that the player is worthy of the pick.

Out of curiosity, how would you feel if the Packers took Ragland at #27 (assuming he slips that far)? I would think he's a much better fit at the Mike than at the Will, and perhaps not even much of an upgrade over Barrington/Ryan (I think the latter can be groomed to be our long term solution there).

I don't want the Packers to draft Deion Jones at all, let alone in the first round. Although he's fast he struggles mightily in coverage and therefore isn't a fit for the Packers needs.

Ragland, while a better fit at the Mike than the Will, has decent coverage abilities as well. If there's still on the board at #27 I would be fine with selecting him.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The Packers currently have two average players best suited to be the Mike linebacker but lack someone as a fit for the Will position.

I disagree. I see Ryan as more of a Will backer, even if he isn't a future Pro Bowler at the position. I'm fully aware that opinion runs hard against the consensus.

With a full year and 2 camps/preseasons to have the Capers-complexity-fog start to clear, I think you're going to see more instinctual play out of him, and better reaction time in the coverage game. I saw sufficient improvement from his early season play to his late season play to see Ryan on a trajectory for the "second year jump".

 

[HardRightEdge]

Ragland, while a better fit at the Mike than the Will, has decent coverage abilities as well. If there's still on the board at #27 I would be fine with selecting him.

Have you changed your opinion about going D-Line in the first round assuming the right guy or guys are still on the board? We can't have both in the first round.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Have you changed your opinion about going D-Line in the first round assuming the right guy or guys are still on the board? We can't have both in the first round.

I would be fine with either selecting Ragland or a defensive lineman. With no tight end worthy of spending the pick on I don't see the need to spend it on any other position.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I would be fine with either selecting Ragland or a defensive lineman. With no tight end worthy of spending the pick on I don't see the need to spend it on any other position.

Well, if it is a D-Lineman, then Ragland is moot and one's eye must be cast further down the food chain.

I get that you would have liked to see a FA pickup for ILB, but it's just not happening and not likely to happen. I could see a post-draft pickup, but not a guy with credentials of the players being considered in these pages.

 

[Vrill]

Ragland or Billings would make me happy at #27.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Well, if it is a D-Lineman, then Ragland is moot and one's eye must be cast further down the food chain.

I get that you would have liked to see a FA pickup for ILB, but it's just not happening and not likely to happen. I could see a post-draft pickup, but not a guy with credentials of the players being considered in these pages.

With the Packers salary cap situation I don't see us picking up a decent free agent inside linebacker either. That means the team should at least spend one of its picks during the first two days of the draft as well as a late-rounder on a developmental guy on the position.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Jones is small, 222 lbs, and can't cover...not real sure why the packers would want him to play ILB.

 

[jetfixer]

I would be happy with Billings, Ragland, and I'm also interested in Hunter Henry( he is likely to much of a question mark though) as we all know TT will get a guy we haven't thought of.
Hard right, who is your ideal ILB?

 

[HardRightEdge]

I would be happy with Billings, Ragland, and I'm also interested in Hunter Henry( he is likely to much of a question mark though) as we all know TT will get a guy we haven't thought of.
Hard right, who is your ideal ILB?

There isn't one in this draft.

As noted earlier, I wouldn't cry if Ragland was taken in the first round, but then again I'm more optimistic about than most (all? ) regarding Ryan's upside as a coverage backer. Ragland is what I would call a 180 degree backer...he looks very good with the play in front of him within 10 yards of the LOS, not so good when he has to flip and run, which he wasn't asked to do very much.

 

[jetfixer]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...aft-winds-rumors-connecting-players-nfl-teams

Yea it's frustrating for us this time of year, but we do have good (quiet though) drafts IMO.
We keep things very in house!

 

[jetfixer]

I ment this to go to the draft thread.