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[Mondio]

now his contract looks bad, when we had no ILB coming back and lost to injury again and he was a guy that had looked good in the past and knew the game plan, it didn't look so bad when they did it. This team loves continuity, it's one of the reasons they're continually good and competing at the end of the year for something more. I'm not going to fault the guy for getting it wrong once and a while.

 

[Mondio]

Jessica Alba? body double? Cruise with drinking and singing? I want pictures

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Again, that is only through the benefit of hindsight. Did TT make a run at FA XXXX? Was he hoping that Ryan Shazier would be there for their pick last season? Did they think that Jones or one of the other young kids would develop into a dominant ILB? You don't know their plan and just saying well they should have done something different is not fair. Again, they only have so much money and so many draft picks. There will always be weak spots on every NFL roster. Its just the way it works. A reaction and action at one position prevents you from making a move at another position.

I would agree with you if I wouldn't have brought up the topic during the entire offseason. It was obvious to everyone following the Packers that the ILB position had to be improved, yet Thompson didn't bring anyone in.

It's his job to identify the positions of need and improve them either through the draft or free agency and he failed to do that at ILB this offseason as well as at safety in 2013.

IMO if fans following the team realize something obvious and Thompson doesn't do anything about criticizing him should be fine.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

now his contract looks bad, when we had no ILB coming back and lost to injury again and he was a guy that had looked good in the past and knew the game plan, it didn't look so bad when they did it. This team loves continuity, it's one of the reasons they're continually good and competing at the end of the year for something more. I'm not going to fault the guy for getting it wrong once and a while.

I wasn't posting here at the time Thompson signed Brad Jones to his current contract but trust me when I tell you I shook my head in disbelief when I heard about it.

 

[AmishMafia]

I would agree with you if I wouldn't have brought up the topic during the entire offseason. It was obvious to everyone following the Packers that the ILB position had to be improved, yet Thompson didn't bring anyone in.

It's his job to identify the positions of need and improve them either through the draft or free agency and he failed to do that at ILB this offseason as well as at safety in 2013.

IMO if fans following the team realize something obvious and Thompson doesn't do anything about criticizing him should be fine.

So you are saying he should . . . what?

1. Order the 49ers to cut a MLB that he can pick up?
2. Call up the Steelers and tell them they can't pick Shazier?
3. Consult a voodoo dude and have the Panthers trade Kuchley to us for a conditional 7th?
4. Consult Jean Dixon and find out if any of the young players emerge?
5. Wave a magic wand and have the 2nd coming of Nitchke climb out of his butt?

What?

What would you be saying if Barrington was tearing it up this year?

Its real easy to complain about something, but really, what was TT to do?

Is MLB needing an improvement? Yep. So was Safety (bigger need IMHO) and Center.

 

[AmishMafia]

Jessica Alba? body double? Cruise with drinking and singing? I want pictures

Sure. I will attach them below.

 

[AmishMafia]

Whoa! Sorry, I was about to attach the pictures when a car crashed into the ditch behind my house. I ran out there and set my camera down as I pulled 5 orphaned children and 3 puppies from the burning mangled mess! As I pulled the last one to safety, the car exploded, taking my camera with it. Damn!

 

[Mondio]

Do something, do what? I'd say our defense is better than last year, I'd say they have a plan, a vision and act accordingly. You said bring in Spikes? He hasn't been in the league for 2 years now, obviously he has age and non diminishing skills on his side, so much so, he was playing for NO TEAM.

Dansby, awesome, how much money did you want to lock him up? His last contracts made him the highest paid ILB in leagues history at that time and recently signed with the browns for this season at 24 million with 14 mil guaranteed.

SO, Thompson does something, because he must apparently, now we lose who? Cobb? Daniels when he's up? Nelson is already gone under those circumstances? Sitton? Lang? He does something, now what is the cost. There's always cost.

 

[Mondio]

Whoa! Sorry, I was about to attach the pictures when a car crashed into the ditch behind my house. I ran out there and set my camera down as I pulled 5 orphaned children and 3 puppies from the burning mangled mess! As I pulled the last one to safety, the car exploded, taking my camera with it. Damn!

Man, you have some of the craziest stuff happen to you. Nice work getting those kids and puppies out.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

So you are saying he should . . . what?

1. Order the 49ers to cut a MLB that he can pick up?
2. Call up the Steelers and tell them they can't pick Shazier?
3. Consult a voodoo dude and have the Panthers trade Kuchley to us for a conditional 7th?
4. Consult Jean Dixon and find out if any of the young players emerge?
5. Wave a magic wand and have the 2nd coming of Nitchke climb out of his butt?

What?

What would you be saying if Barrington was tearing it up this year?

Its real easy to complain about something, but really, what was TT to do?

Is MLB needing an improvement? Yep. So was Safety (bigger need IMHO) and Center.

Safety should have been addressed in the 2013 offseason and with Tretter there wasn't any immediate need to upgrade the center position. I've already made some reasonable suggestions what Thompson could have done to improve the ILB position either two years ago or last offseason.

I really don't understand some posters reactions to Thompson being criticized.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Do something, do what? I'd say our defense is better than last year, I'd say they have a plan, a vision and act accordingly. You said bring in Spikes? He hasn't been in the league for 2 years now, obviously he has age and non diminishing skills on his side, so much so, he was playing for NO TEAM.

Dansby, awesome, how much money did you want to lock him up? His last contracts made him the highest paid ILB in leagues history at that time and recently signed with the browns for this season at 24 million with 14 mil guaranteed.

SO, Thompson does something, because he must apparently, now we lose who? Cobb? Daniels when he's up? Nelson is already gone under those circumstances? Sitton? Lang? He does something, now what is the cost. There's always cost.

Spikes has been in the league since 2010 and has missed two games over the last three seasons, being a dominant run defender. The Bills signed him for a little more than $3 million this offseason. Not sure who you're talking about.

Dansby signed a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Cardinals during the same offseason Thompson extended Brad Jones. I think Dansby would have gladly accepted a similar deal than Jones in 2013.

That are two examples of how the Packers could have improved the position without having to give up any other part of the team.

 

[Mondio]

sorry, thought you meant takeo spikes, brandon spikes? You think he was looking better than Brad Jones 2 years ago? Coming of a year with a 4 game suspension, being late to team functions and essentially not even asked back by the team that drafted him. I'd rather have Matthews moved over with Barrington over Brandon Spikes.

and Dansby signed a one year deal, then signed for 20+ million with 14 guaranteed, think he'd still be in a Packer uniform?????????????

 

[AmishMafia]

Do something, do what? I'd say our defense is better than last year, I'd say they have a plan, a vision and act accordingly. You said bring in Spikes? He hasn't been in the league for 2 years now, obviously he has age and non diminishing skills on his side, so much so, he was playing for NO TEAM.

Dansby, awesome, how much money did you want to lock him up? His last contracts made him the highest paid ILB in leagues history at that time and recently signed with the browns for this season at 24 million with 14 mil guaranteed.

SO, Thompson does something, because he must apparently, now we lose who? Cobb? Daniels when he's up? Nelson is already gone under those circumstances? Sitton? Lang? He does something, now what is the cost. There's always cost.

Exactly! I don't understand these posters who sit and criticize issues at the ignorance of realities. They live in a vacuum with little understanding of the implications that come with most decisions a GM faces. Its as if TT decided that inferior ILB play was what this team needed. As if TT should have merely decided to improve the ILB position and suddenly it would be much better.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

sorry, thought you meant takeo spikes, brandon spikes? You think he was looking better than Brad Jones 2 years ago? Coming of a year with a 4 game suspension, being late to team functions and essentially not even asked back by the team that drafted him. I'd rather have Matthews moved over with Barrington over Brandon Spikes.

and Dansby signed a one year deal, then signed for 20+ million with 14 guaranteed, think he'd still be in a Packer uniform?????????????

Spikes has been one of the best ILBs defending the run since he entered the league in 2010, so yes, he's way better than Hawk and Jones. He was suspended for four games in 2010, don't you want Mike Neal on the team anymore either???

Dansby would have agreed to a three-year deal in 2013.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Exactly! I don't understand these posters who sit and criticize issues at the ignorance of realities. They live in a vacuum with little understanding of the implications that come with most decisions a GM faces. Its as if TT decided that inferior ILB play was what this team needed. As if TT should have merely decided to improve the ILB position and suddenly it would be much better.

Please let me know about the negative implications if Thompson had signed Dansby instead of Brad Jones to the same contract in the 2013 offseason.

 

[Mondio]

for how much? and who would that have affected on this team? and if he would have signed a 3 year deal, why didn't he? why just a one year with a team he had just left because his current team cut him 3 years into a 5 year contract I think?,

I don't think Brandon spikes makes much of a difference in our defense. I think essentially a 2nd year rookie is playing as well as he does.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

for how much? and who would that have affected on this team? and if he would have signed a 3 year deal, why didn't he? why just a one year with a team he had just left because his current team cut him 3 years into a 5 year contract I think?,

I don't think Brandon spikes makes much of a difference in our defense. I think essentially a 2nd year rookie is playing as well as he does.

If Thompson offered Dansby a three-year, $11.25 million contract in 2013 he would have signed it as he earned less on a one-year deal in Arizona. The only guy it would have affected on the Packers would have been Brad Jones as he wouldn't have been re-signed.

It's pretty obvious to me you haven't watched Spikes play a lot, he's dominant against the run.

 

[Mondio]

I didn't know you were such a Bills fan or Pats fan in 2010. Anyway, I"m sure Dansby would have signed for Brad Jones money, LOL It's why he was offered 12 mil by the cards to re-up and he said NO

Jones was guaranteed 3mil in the contract, Dansby just signed for 14 mil guaranteed and 10 mil in the first year alone. yeah, he certainly and most definitely would have signed for Brad Jones money if Thompson would have just offered it to him.

I'm pretty certain a player of his caliber signed a one year deal with the cards that year and it was because he thought he was worth a lot more, despite being cut by the Dolphins 3 years into a 5 year contract.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I didn't know you were such a Bills fan or Pats fan in 2010. Anyway, I"m sure Dansby would have signed for Brad Jones money, LOL It's why he was offered 12 mil by the cards to re-up and he said NO

Jones was guaranteed 3mil in the contract, Dansby just signed for 14 mil guaranteed and 10 mil in the first year alone. yeah, he certainly and most definitely would have signed for Brad Jones money if Thompson would have just offered it to him.

I'm pretty certain a player of his caliber signed a one year deal with the cards that year and it was because he thought he was worth a lot more, despite being cut by the Dolphins 3 years into a 5 year contract.

He didn't have any offers in 2013 and signed with the Cardinals in May. Once again I'm convinced he would have agreed to a contract like Brad Jones' deal.

 

[Mondio]

yes, a guy that just signed a 5 year 43 million dollar contract, the richest for any ILB in league history at the time and has since signed a 4 year, 24 million dollar contract with 14 guaranteed definitely saw his worth at Brad Jones money of a 3 mill guarantee

and why didn't he have any offers? was it because he sucked? was it because he got paid then didn't perform? Was he coming off injury? were him and his agents looking for another big payday despite just being cut from a very large contract? Maybe that kept everyone away?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

yes, a guy that just signed a 5 year 43 million dollar contract, the richest for any ILB in league history at the time and has since signed a 4 year, 24 million dollar contract with 14 guaranteed definitely saw his worth at Brad Jones money of a 3 mill guarantee

and why didn't he have any offers? was it because he sucked? was it because he got paid then didn't perform? Was he coming off injury? were him and his agents looking for another big payday despite just being cut from a very large contract? Maybe that kept everyone away?

We have to disagree on that topic. My main point remains though that it was a mistake by Thompson not to address the ILB position over the last two seasons.

BTW Dansby's current contract results in a $11 million cap hit for 2014 and '15, Brad Jones' for over $8.6 million. I still would rather have Dansby for an addutional $2.4 million.

 

[Mondio]

14 mil guaranteed, compared to 3, which contract would you sign? if you thought you were worth more, why would you settle for less? and for 3 years? and had he signed it, what makes you think he would have been happy with that contract after a great season?

We're still 12-4, and headed for a home playoff game as the #2 seed in the NFC

 

[Deleted member 6794]

14 mil guaranteed, compared to 3, which contract would you sign? if you thought you were worth more, why would you settle for less? and for 3 years? and had he signed it, what makes you think he would have been happy with that contract after a great season?

We're still 12-4, and headed for a home playoff game as the #2 seed in the NFC

He signed the one with Cleveland in 2014 ($14 million guaranteed), he didn't have any offers close to that deal in 2013 when the Packers re-signed Jones.

 

[Mondio]

so what, what makes you think a guy that not once, but TWICE rejected offers to the point he was franchised because he thought he was worth more, only to then be able to leave and then sign the largest contract in history for an ILB at the time, get cut from that contract, then sign another one with a 14 mil guarantee and 24 mil over 4 years was going to settle for a 3 year contract with a 3 mil promise???????

Do you really think a guy with that history was going to be happy with Brad Jones money? Raji didn't have any offers close to what he wanted either going into this year, so what did he do? He signed a one year deal for 4 mil. Why didn't he just sign a 4 year deal worth 6 mill with 5 guaranteed? I'll give you a hint, he, just like Dansby thought they were worth a lot, lot more and gladly trade a million for 10 million more in a year.

and like many others before him, Dansby was coming off an injury. A torn bicep coincidently enough, and likely wasn't getting any big offers, but he knew he could prove himself and strike it big again. So why settle for Brad Jones money?

 

[TJV]

Some Packers fans have seen the need for a talent upgrade at ILB for some time (including me) but it’s not as if Thompson and staff have ignored the position and they’ve had some bad luck with injuries. After winning the Super Bowl, the Packers had Bishop and Hawk starting at ILB going into the 2011 season. Bishop (a 2007 6th rounder) had stepped in for Nick Barnett about a month into the 2010 season and was great. Going into the 2011 season, DJ Smith was drafted in the 6th round and Lattimore made the roster as an UDFA. Francois also made the 2011 roster. The 2011 D was bad but I wouldn’t put that mainly on the ILBs. Going into 2012, Hawk and Bishop were still expected to be the starters at ILB and Thompson traded up into the 5th round for Terrell Manning, who they were high on. Bishop got hurt in the 2012 preseason, ending his Packers career.

Before the 2012 season, DJ Smith was one of Pro Football Focus’ secret superstars after he had played four games at ILB at the end of the previous season. He took over for Bishop and the Packers were high on him. He suffered an ACL tear which ended his Packers career and Brad Jones, who had switched from OLB to ILB before that season took over. He performed well enough to be rewarded with a 3-year deal before the 2013 season (he had finished the previous season third in tackles).

In addition to extending Jones, that spring the Packers forced Hawk to agree to a pay cut and Thompson drafted Barrington in the seventh round. So going into the 2013 season the Packers probably saw an ascending player in Brad Jones and a declining one in Hawk. They had Manning going into his second year but he ended up being a disappointment and was waived before the season. Francois, Lattimore and the rookie Barrington were the backups.

Going into the 2014 draft, many of us saw safety and ILB as the top priorities. Thompson can be criticized for not signing (even a mid-range) UFA ILB, but can anyone blame him at the time for not picking an ILB earlier in the draft? With the benefit of hindsight, passing on Clinton-Dix (either by trading down or not) would have been a huge mistake IMO. And it’s early but it looks to me like Davante Adams is going to be worthy of his draft status. The big mistake of that draft regarding ILB IMO happened afterward: Not putting Carl Bradford there at his first practice in Green Bay.

Except for injuries, Bishop and/or DJ Smith may be starting at ILB and Brad Jones would either be gone or a pretty good STs player. Instead of agreeing to a pay cut, Hawk may be playing somewhere else. A couple of players – Manning and Lattimore for example – didn’t live up to expectations but that’s the norm in the NFL. While we may complain about Thompson not spending higher picks at the position, my guess is we’d all like to have healthy sixth rounder Bishop at one of the spots inside. And I would have liked to see how DJ Smith would have developed. And I'll bet we’re all grateful for the insertion of seventh rounder Barrington into the starting lineup.

I hope the “experts” are right and an ILB is worthy of being picked at one of the Packers’ spots in the first couple of rounds of the draft. But don’t be surprised if Thompson goes for a player he and his staff have rated higher. Clay may or may not have fully accepted his new role but we’ve seen how significantly the D has improved since the switch, so from that standpoint the Packers are much better off going into next season. And we’ll see how Bradford and Joe Thomas improve at the position too. Even so, if both Hawk and Jones are gone, I hope to see one veteran ILB signed as insurance if one isn’t worthy of being picked relatively early in the draft.