Former packer gives his take on the Defense

AmishMafia

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
7,270
Reaction score
2,387
Location
PENDING
Wow, Poppinga isn't very bright.

Back when he was with the team:

- The Packers didn't have anywhere near as many injuries
- TT built up the talent level by trading back and amassing more draft picks
- TT didn't often sign FAs back then either

But now Brady thinks we should get back to the talent laden defense by doing something different by signing FAs?

Seattle looks very strong and if they win the SB they will be the first team in about 10 years to be very active in FAs to win it all. And because of that, suddenly the NFL is an entirely different animal and we should start doing things different? No thanks. If heave FA teams suddenly start winning lots of SBs then I would have to think about it. But right now? Seattle is the exception and not the rule.

TT needs to maintain business as usuall.
 

NelsonsLongCatch

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
270
Location
Chi-Town
Seattle looks very strong and if they win the SB they will be the first team in about 10 years to be very active in FAs to win it all.

That's not entirely true. Here is the starting defense:

LDE Red Bryant: 2008 fourth-round pick.

LDT Tony McDaniel: Signed a one-year, $890,000 deal as an unrestricted free agent from Miami in March. Entered league as undrafted free agent with Jacksonville in 2006.

RDT Brandon Mebane: 2007 third-round pick. Signed a five-year, $25 million contract ($9 million guaranteed) on July 29, 2011.

RDE Chris Clemons: Acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on March 16, 2010. Seattle also obtained a 2010 fourth-round draft pick (DE E.J. Wilson) while the Eagles received DE Darryl Tapp. Signed three-year, $22 million extension ($10 million guaranteed) on July 23, 2012.

OLB Bruce Irvin: 2012 first-round pick.

MLB Bobby Wagner: 2012 second-round pick.

OLB Malcolm Smith: 2011 seventh-round pick.

CB Richard Sherman: 2011 fifth-round pick.

CB Byron Maxwell: 2011 sixth-round pick.

SS Kam Chancellor: 2010 fifth-round pick.

FS Earl Thomas: 2010 first-round pick.

Throw in Russel Wilson, Golden Tate, Max Unger, Russel Okung, ect. and this is a team with starting lineups built mostly through the draft.
 

jaybadger82

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
837
Reaction score
83
Our model doesn't seem so great when we aren't hitting a high percentage of our draft picks.

We've lost a lot a lot of front office talent in recent years but our scouting needs to improve.
 

Packerlifer

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 4, 2008
Messages
1,782
Reaction score
118
Seattle has a balanced approach to building its Super Bowl team. It's foundation is consistently good drafting but they also sign free agents and make trades. John Schneider learned that from Ron Wolf. Ted Thompson got only half the lesson from their mutual mentor.
 

Shawnsta3

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 19, 2011
Messages
1,273
Reaction score
137
Location
Manawa & Shawano, WI
That's not entirely true. Here is the starting defense:

LDE Red Bryant: 2008 fourth-round pick.

LDT Tony McDaniel: Signed a one-year, $890,000 deal as an unrestricted free agent from Miami in March. Entered league as undrafted free agent with Jacksonville in 2006.

RDT Brandon Mebane: 2007 third-round pick. Signed a five-year, $25 million contract ($9 million guaranteed) on July 29, 2011.

RDE Chris Clemons: Acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on March 16, 2010. Seattle also obtained a 2010 fourth-round draft pick (DE E.J. Wilson) while the Eagles received DE Darryl Tapp. Signed three-year, $22 million extension ($10 million guaranteed) on July 23, 2012.

OLB Bruce Irvin: 2012 first-round pick.

MLB Bobby Wagner: 2012 second-round pick.

OLB Malcolm Smith: 2011 seventh-round pick.

CB Richard Sherman: 2011 fifth-round pick.

CB Byron Maxwell: 2011 sixth-round pick.

SS Kam Chancellor: 2010 fifth-round pick.

FS Earl Thomas: 2010 first-round pick.

Throw in Russel Wilson, Golden Tate, Max Unger, Russel Okung, ect. and this is a team with starting lineups built mostly through the draft.
Those day three picks. Choosing Davon House over Richard Sherman just about sums it up why Seattle was in the Super Bowl and not us.
 

Vrill

Cheesehead
Joined
Nov 1, 2011
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
137
In my opinion, you use free agency to strategically plug certain holes on your roster for depth and use the draft to build your team.

Never overpay for a free agent unless its a for sure bet to help you win it all (ie Reggie White for example)

I wouldnt mind seeing us average 1-2 FA signings a year for depth purposes...or even a cheap starter that is later in their career. Like Bernard Pollard for example who would come cheap.

Bargain free agency is what its all about. Then use the draft to mold and build your team.
 

rodell330

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 18, 2012
Messages
5,611
Reaction score
493
Location
Canton, Ohio
In my opinion, you use free agency to strategically plug certain holes on your roster for depth and use the draft to build your team.

Never overpay for a free agent unless its a for sure bet to help you win it all (ie Reggie White for example)

I wouldnt mind seeing us average 1-2 FA signings a year for depth purposes...or even a cheap starter that is later in their career. Like Bernard Pollard for example who would come cheap.

Bargain free agency is what its all about. Then use the draft to mold and build your team.

Aint gonna happen. Sounds nice but i think TT is content with the current roster. Granted they had injuries all over the place i don't think the talent is there anyways...at least not on defense.
 

7thFloorRA

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
2,573
Reaction score
331
Location
Grafton, WI
Those day three picks. Choosing Davon House over Richard Sherman just about sums it up why Seattle was in the Super Bowl and not us.
I'm not convinced House would look that bad with Seattle. They play physical man coverage which is what he seems best suited for. I wouldn't be surprised if Sherman looked bad in Capers soft zone defense.
 

NOMOFO

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
1,105
Reaction score
76
I'm not convinced House would look that bad with Seattle. They play physical man coverage which is what he seems best suited for. I wouldn't be surprised if Sherman looked bad in Capers soft zone defense.

I think there is something to that. Yet again I sat through a Seahags game and saw about 20 tackles that were better than what we see from the Packers an entire year! It is insane how much better the tackling is on Seattle verses the Packers. It's not like it's just one or two hard-hitting solid tacklers...it's the entire team! I'm so sick of this. There's just no way that it's not coaching.
 

El Guapo

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
6,100
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Land 'O Lakes
Our model doesn't seem so great when we aren't hitting a high percentage of our draft picks..
So does the FA model work when you wiff on FA acquisitions? Seriously, no model works when you misjudge talent so who cares where you get it? Actually, I care because if you miss on rookies you aren't paying the premium that you pay if you miss on FAs.
 

Sunshinepacker

Cheesehead
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
5,766
Reaction score
896
I'm not convinced House would look that bad with Seattle. They play physical man coverage which is what he seems best suited for. I wouldn't be surprised if Sherman looked bad in Capers soft zone defense.


And yet the coaches have said that they like Shields in man coverage and try to play him that way...there are many issues with this defense. We don't need to start making things up.
 

Sunshinepacker

Cheesehead
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
5,766
Reaction score
896
So does the FA model work when you wiff on FA acquisitions? Seriously, no model works when you misjudge talent so who cares where you get it? Actually, I care because if you miss on rookies you aren't paying the premium that you pay if you miss on FAs.

That just makes it sound like you don't trust the GM. The GM is paid to make those decisions and make them good decisions. If an employee is ignoring a part of his job because he doesn't trust his judgement there, that's a problem.
 

El Guapo

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 7, 2011
Messages
6,100
Reaction score
1,580
Location
Land 'O Lakes
My point was in general, not specifically Thompson. To say that the draft-and-develop model doesn't work when your draft picks don't pan out is just stating the obvious. It's similar to saying that running doesn't work well when you don't have any legs.
 

7thFloorRA

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
2,573
Reaction score
331
Location
Grafton, WI
And yet the coaches have said that they like Shields in man coverage and try to play him that way...there are many issues with this defense. We don't need to start making things up.
I think everyone likes Shields, Tramon and House in man coverage. They still don't do it enough. They seem to only man up when there is a stud wr on the other team like Marshall. Isn't Capers' entire scheme based on using zone to set up the blitzes?

I want to say in the bears game shields got caught up in a zone change and the bears got an easy TD.

Shields actually is the only DB IMO that looks ok in zone. Tramon and House need to play man. They just don't get to the man fast enough to close the gap and make a play on the ball.
 

TJV

Lifelong Packers Fanatic
Joined
Feb 22, 2011
Messages
5,389
Reaction score
954
Those day three picks. Choosing Davon House over Richard Sherman just about sums it up why Seattle was in the Super Bowl and not us.
Bad example IMO: The Seahawks were also wrong about Sherman. He was selected with the 154th pick in that draft. If any team had any idea he would turn out to be the best, or one of the best CBs in the league where would he have been drafted?

Cardinals, Giants, Ravens, Patriots, Bills (2), Chargers (2), Texans (2), 49ers, Raiders (2), Saints, Eagles, Steelers (2), Panthers, Chiefs, Packers, Browns, Vikings, Cowboys, Jaguars. That’s a list of the teams who picked 24 players listed as CBs before Sherman was picked. Some teams with very well regarded front offices regarding personnel acquisition picked CBs ahead of Sherman, including the Ravens, 49ers and the Steelers who, like four other teams, picked two CBs before pick #154.
 

Sunshinepacker

Cheesehead
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Messages
5,766
Reaction score
896
Bad example IMO: The Seahawks were also wrong about Sherman. He was selected with the 154th pick in that draft. If any team had any idea he would turn out to be the best, or one of the best CBs in the league where would he have been drafted?

Cardinals, Giants, Ravens, Patriots, Bills (2), Chargers (2), Texans (2), 49ers, Raiders (2), Saints, Eagles, Steelers (2), Panthers, Chiefs, Packers, Browns, Vikings, Cowboys, Jaguars. That’s a list of the teams who picked 24 players listed as CBs before Sherman was picked. Some teams with very well regarded front offices regarding personnel acquisition picked CBs ahead of Sherman, including the Ravens, 49ers and the Steelers who, like four other teams, picked two CBs before pick #154.

I agree. For instance, Russell Wilson saying he was going to make every other team in the NFL pay for passing on him in the draft...the Seahawks passed on him twice!
 
D

Deleted member 6794

Guest
But now Brady thinks we should get back to the talent laden defense by doing something different by signing FAs?

Seattle looks very strong and if they win the SB they will be the first team in about 10 years to be very active in FAs to win it all. And because of that, suddenly the NFL is an entirely different animal and we should start doing things different? No thanks. If heave FA teams suddenly start winning lots of SBs then I would have to think about it. But right now? Seattle is the exception and not the rule.

TT needs to maintain business as usuall.

The Ravens started nine guys they acquired via free agency or trade in Super Bowl XLVII. Haven't looked up any other years, but I only had to look at last year to refute your statement, which you actually tried to state as a fact.
 

Pack-12

Cheesehead
Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Messages
155
Reaction score
8
"I mean, they were giving starting spots to guys like Nick Perry, to Jerel Worthy. That never would have happened when I was there, ever."

That's funny considering his last season in GB 2 UDFA ROOKIES started on the defense or at least played starter reps. (Shields, Zombo)
 

7thFloorRA

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
2,573
Reaction score
331
Location
Grafton, WI
I think he was saying there is no competition, that guys are just handed a starting spot after being drafted. Shields won his spot and Zombo was in because of injuries IIRC. He is making it sound like Perry and Worthy were penciled in to start before camp even started. I don't know if thats true but that is what he is implying.
 

net

Cheesehead
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Messages
980
Reaction score
22
Location
Rhinelander
Almost always forgotten in all the "lets fix this" conversation is the salary cap. By the 2015 season, Rodgers and Matthews will account for nearly $30 million of the cap unless something else is negotiated. Two players. That hogties the team in terms of acquiring talent. THAT is why the team has virtually no depth and why many of the current players...Finley, Raji, Kuhn, are likely to be el gone-oh. If they drop a nice contract on Shields, that will put the cap closer to $40 mill for three players by 2015. Toss in Morgan Burnett's contract, and resigning Nelson and Cobb after 2014. So when you complain about TT not buying every free agent under the sun...consider all that. The Packers are heading for cap hell, and the "draft and develop" is about to hit the wall. TT complained about Mike Sherman(before he fired him) that the team was at the salary cap and had no core talent. Well, fast forward to 2014 and you have a team approaching salary cap hell with it's own players and not good enough to win against the elite teams. The core talent can't be afforded and will be gone. Right now, I see 6-10 next season. I predicted 8-8 for this past season and missed it by half a game.
 

jaybadger82

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
837
Reaction score
83
So does the FA model work when you wiff on FA acquisitions? Seriously, no model works when you misjudge talent so who cares where you get it? Actually, I care because if you miss on rookies you aren't paying the premium that you pay if you miss on FAs.

Not sure why you're asking me about FA. Where did I suggest we become big players in free agency?
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 6794

Guest
The core talent can't be afforded and will be gone. Right now, I see 6-10 next season. I predicted 8-8 for this past season and missed it by half a game.

I wonder if that had something to do with Rodgers missing half the season.
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top