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TJV

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Said another way, truly interchangeable safeties are very hard to find. Look no farther than last season: Not only did the Packers lack a safety capable of playing both spots, they lacked a safety who excelled at either.
 

paulcambull

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I guess I don't understand how having interchangeable safeties could ever be a bad thing? Isn't it just a plus that they could play in multiple places? How could anyone make the argument that versatility is a downfall? That's just crazy.


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A lot of it has to do with the player and whether or not they can serve both roles.

Ed Reed pre-injury could do both, but I guy like Troy P never could.

Charles Woodson is another that could do both for most of his career if they had asked him to line-up as safety IMO.

Being able to find two of them at the same time would be a front office victory.
 

Sunshinepacker

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It´s beyond my understanding why some people think it is a good idea to have interchangeable safeties. There was noone else playing free safety at the time we had Nick Collins and the Seahawks don´t move Thomas and Chancellor around either.

I think it's more an acknowledgement that it's REALLY tough to find a free safety that is so good at his job that he can just be left alone. If you have two guys that can play either role it makes it harder on the offense to figure out the defense. It's worth it to lose that element of confusion if your free safety is REALLY good (e.g., every team KNOWS Earl Thomas is playing deep, they just can't do anything about it) but it's not easy to find a guy that good.
 
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I think it's more an acknowledgement that it's REALLY tough to find a free safety that is so good at his job that he can just be left alone. If you have two guys that can play either role it makes it harder on the offense to figure out the defense. It's worth it to lose that element of confusion if your free safety is REALLY good (e.g., every team KNOWS Earl Thomas is playing deep, they just can't do anything about it) but it's not easy to find a guy that good.

I agree that´s it´s tough to find a FS like that. Nevertheless fans shouldn´t strive for having interchangeable safeties.
 

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We need interior O-Line help. I'd trade up and get Matthews a guy who played C, G, T and LS in college at high levels. You can slot him in anywhere and upgrade the interior line. Even if you put him at T with Bulaga comin' back you can move Bakhtiari inside and really solidify this O-Line. Maybe even moving Lang or Sitton in to C. Also it's interesting that we're passing on Zach Martin to get a guy I don't think anyone here has hard of, at this spot. A very good lineman out of Notre Dame.
 
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We need interior O-Line help. I'd trade up and get Matthews a guy who played C, G, T and LS in college at high levels. You can slot him in anywhere and upgrade the interior line. Even if you put him at T with Bulaga comin' back you can move Bakhtiari inside and really solidify this O-Line. Maybe even moving Lang or Sitton in to C. Also it's interesting that we're passing on Zach Martin to get a guy I don't think anyone here has hard of, at this spot. A very good lineman out of Notre Dame.

To get Jake Matthews the Packers would have to trade up into the top 5, we would have to give up why too much to do that. There's no reason to move Bakhtiari inside as Sitton and Lang are one of the best guard tandems in the league. I don't feel comfortable about the center position at the moment, but don't think we should spend a first rounder on it either.

I 've heard about Zack Martin (as I think most of us here have), don 't see the need to draft a OL in the first round though.
 

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Drafting Matthews (And yes I agree with you) takes out the C issue because he can either step in and play immediately, or Sitton/Lang slides in and Bakhtiari slides inside everybody slides one if you draft Matthews and think he's a Tackle
 
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Drafting Matthews (And yes I agree with you) takes out the C issue because he can either step in and play immediately, or Sitton/Lang slides in and Bakhtiari slides inside everybody slides one if you draft Matthews and think he's a Tackle

I would like TT to just for once draft to true center, not another former college tackle. In addition I don´t want them to move anyone around on the OL.
 

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I would like TT to just for once draft to true center, not another former college tackle. In addition I don´t want them to move anyone around on the OL.


A lot of college centers won't pan out because they're undersized. There are definitely centers in college that pan out in the nfl, just doesn't seem like they're too easy to find.


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A lot of college centers won't pan out because they're undersized. There are definitely centers in college that pan out in the nfl, just doesn't seem like they're too easy to find.

Travis Swanson, Tyler Larsen or Bryan Stork all played center in college and they all possess the prototypical size the Packers seem to be looking for at center.
 

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Travis Swanson, Tyler Larsen or Bryan Stork all played center in college and they all possess the prototypical size the Packers seem to be looking for at center.

I think, even with the names you presented, college center to pro center is one of the hardest O lineman prospects to find in the draft.


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I would like TT to just for once draft to true center, not another former college tackle. In addition I don´t want them to move anyone around on the OL.
Even though most of the top Centers in the NFL played Tackle in college? You may get your wish though, as the only OL Ted has ever drafted that didn't play Tackle played Center. I'm still hoping for Wesley Johnson, LT/C
 
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Even though most of the top Centers in the NFL played Tackle in college?

None of the three highest paid centers in the league nor one of the top in three centers in PFF rankings for last season played tackle in college.
 

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Honestly I think Tretter will surprise at center. He's a good athlete, played LT in college...and while it doesn't mean anything right now as he's had no reps or game exp, I think in time he is going to show he's got enough of what it takes. Of course, we will also add a center somewhere in the draft-hopefully in rounds 4 or 5 where I think there will be a few for the taking.
 
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Honestly I think Tretter will surprise at center. He's a good athlete, played LT in college...and while it doesn't mean anything right now as he's had no reps or game exp, I think in time he is going to show he's got enough of what it takes.

I think the situation with Tretter at center is similar to the one with Hyde moving to safety (although Hyde showed some promise last year). I'm fine with giving Tretter a chance to compete for the starting job, not having a veteran on the roster as a backup plan makes me nervous though.
 

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As I see it, I don't think TT will go S in round 1 even if the top two are there due to the confidence the Packers seem to have that Hyde can play both S and slot CB. I think they will take either Amaro or Shazier.

If neither of those two are there I think they will try to trade down-but I think one if not both would be there. Amaro gives us red zone threat we don't have/decent blocker and Shazier is just versatile and fast. Shazier would be real asset when we play scrambling quarterbacks...he can spy-and drop back some to cover middle of the field-or blitz. Can see him playing some 3-4 ILB and 4-3 OLB...possibly occasional 3-4 OLB. He would likely add 5 lbs bulk up a little from 237 to say 242 without losing much if any speed.

The other ILB I like is Barrow out of LSU. He seems to like to attack and reminds me a little bit of Desmond Bishop prior to his injury. If we trade down, then Niklas in early 2, Brooks S in round 2, and Barrow in early 3.
 
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As I see it, I don't think TT will go S in round 1 even if the top two are there due to the confidence the Packers seem to have that Hyde can play both S and slot CB. I think they will take either Amaro or Shazier.

I wonder who would line up at safety when Hyde moves to dime corner. I think the Packers could trade down and still draft Shazier and/or Amaro.

The other ILB I like is Barrow out of LSU. He seems to like to attack and reminds me a little bit of Desmond Bishop prior to his injury. If we trade down, then Niklas in early 2, Brooks S in round 2, and Barrow in early 3.

Barrow isn't a third round talent.
 

Dylan Hoppe

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As I see it, I don't think TT will go S in round 1 even if the top two are there due to the confidence the Packers seem to have that Hyde can play both S and slot CB. I think they will take either Amaro or Shazier.

If neither of those two are there I think they will try to trade down-but I think one if not both would be there. Amaro gives us red zone threat we don't have/decent blocker and Shazier is just versatile and fast. Shazier would be real asset when we play scrambling quarterbacks...he can spy-and drop back some to cover middle of the field-or blitz. Can see him playing some 3-4 ILB and 4-3 OLB...possibly occasional 3-4 OLB. He would likely add 5 lbs bulk up a little from 237 to say 242 without losing much if any speed.

The other ILB I like is Barrow out of LSU. He seems to like to attack and reminds me a little bit of Desmond Bishop prior to his injury. If we trade down, then Niklas in early 2, Brooks S in round 2, and Barrow in early 3.

I don't like Amaro that early. If he falls to our 2nd round or we traded up in the second for our 2nd and a 3rd, then maybe. He's not a blocker at all. I'd probably rather have Jarrett Boykin blocking than Amaro


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TJV

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Even though most of the top Centers in the NFL played Tackle in college?
Packer Update has a piece titled, “Best Centers Are Centers” In it he writes:
If training camp started today, former left tackles JC Tretter and Don Barclay would be the top two centers on the depth chart. And while both are certainly talented enough to make the transition, neither snapped a single ball prior to joining the Packers. Does that matter? Probably, since the last 14 Pro Bowl centers all played the position in college. So did Scott Wells, Green Bay’s best pivot man in the past 20 years.
http://packerupdate.net/?p=32825 I added the bold text.
 

HyponGrey

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Packer Update has a piece titled, “Best Centers Are Centers” In it he writes: http://packerupdate.net/?p=32825 I added the bold text.
A. This information is incorrect as Chris Myers played Guard in college, and Matt Birk played in the 07 Probowl.
B. My information was incorrect as Chris Myers played Guard in college and "Most" is definitely incorrect.
 
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Remind me again who they were? Check 2012 while you're at it.

Alex Mack, Ryan Kalil and Nick Mangold were the highest paid centers while the highest ranked by PFF were Jason Kelce, Dominic Raiola and John Sullivan.
 

packfan1

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I wonder who would line up at safety when Hyde moves to dime corner. I think the Packers could trade down and still draft Shazier and/or Amaro.



Barrow isn't a third round talent.


Personally, I am not real high on Amaro and hope we don't draft him. I would rather take a chance on Blake Annen out of Cinncinnati at some point in the mid to late rounds. 6-4 248 and ran a 4.48. Unheralded prospect that maybe could be developed. I am hoping Shazier is there at 21 as I think it would give the Packers a much needed jolt of speed to our front 7. If we want Shazier I don't think we can trade down past Cleveland at 26 IMO.

I don't know where Barrow falls according to round, I have seen some mocks with him in the 3-4 range. 5? 6? Where ever it is I think he would bring if more physical presence in the middle that we lack if drafted.
 

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