Packer grades from Bob McGinn

[longtimefan]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/sport...016-packers-defensive-player-grades/97137954/

LaDARIUS GUNTER: Went to training camp as the No. 4 cornerback and ended camp as No. 4. He was No. 3 by Game 2, No. 2 by Game 4 and No. 1 from Game 5 on. An undrafted rookie in 2015, Gunter ended up playing 1,082 snaps (85.7%). He shadowed Julio Jones not once but twice, Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr., among others. No matter how hard he competed, Gunter didn’t have the speed or the skill to match up. He did his best

 

[gopkrs]

What is your point? I am not putting much stock in these grades. For one thing if our players really had these kind of grades...I think many would be kicked out of school. We aren't that bad.

 

[PackerDNA]

What is your point? I am not putting much stock in these grades. For one thing if our players really had these kind of grades...I think many would be kicked out of school. We aren't that bad.

How about...we're really not that good. Or at least not as good as a lot of people think.there would be a lot more agreement . I'd bet if McGinns' grades sounded like a McArthy press conference- everything is wonderful! Super Bowl!!!-

 

[PackerDNA]

I take Longtimefan's point to be- and he can correct me if I'm wrong- that A) Gunter isn't that good, and really shouldn't be better than your #4 CB, if even on the roster.
B)Maybe TT should do a better job so that when injuries hit we shouldn't have to rely on a guy who should be in Arena league to be covering guys like Dez and Julio one on one.
C)maybe we shouldn't be relying so heavily on JAGS, UDFA"s and fringe players who probably shouldn't be in the league.

 

[longtimefan]

What is your point? I am not putting much stock in these grades. For one thing if our players really had these kind of grades...I think many would be kicked out of school. We aren't that bad.

Point is an article of grading players that leds to a discussion

 

[C-Lee]

I honestly don't know how I feel about this guy.

 

[Half Empty]

Well, that certainly clears everything up.

 

[swhitset]

I'm not sure that the final grades mean all that much, but reading the entire article does help to get a picture of every player on the defense. I'm not sure that I agree with a lot of the conclusions, but I do think the overall picture is petty true.

 

[longtimefan]

I highlighted Gunter because he was a hot mess..

 

[longtimefan]

I'm not sure that the final grades mean all that much, but reading the entire article does help to get a picture of every player on the defense. I'm not sure that I agree with a lot of the conclusions, but I do think the overall picture is petty true.

The thing with his grades is he watches every player on tape.. Not sure if he watches ever single play that played.. But I am guessing he watches more tape than 99% of people.

So he should be qualified to make an assessment. Notice I said should be qualified.

 

[brandon2348]

I think the grades were accurate other then on Guion. He isnt great as a pass rusher and we could improve from that spot but I would have him higher then a D+ overall.

He lists Brice as maybe becoming the best player out of our rookie class and I agree. Once the game slows down a bit for him he could become a really good player. Last years draft class looks horrible right now overall and for a team that relies so heavily on the draft that simply cant happen.

Yesterday I read an article McGinn put out about how slow this defense is and I agree. I've talked about it for 3 years now on here how slow up the middle they have been. Then you take away there fastest player on the outside(Shields) for the whole season and the talent simply isn't there. I mean how do you develop slow?

We need Peppers and Matthews to be great and there not anymore. Whether you like Capers or not he isn't gonna get it done with this group of guys and he shouldnt be expected too. These guys got a lot of work to do. They need to get some explosive playmakers on this defense or it could be worse this upcoming year then last year.

 

[Royal Pain]

I thought the report on Clark sounded promising. A 'C' grade isn't great, but McGinn seems to attribute it more to his slow start. The kid is only 21 and will hopefully continue to improve.

 

[brandon2348]

I thought the report on Clark sounded promising. A 'C' grade isn't great, but McGinn seems to attribute it more to his slow start. The kid is only 21 and will hopefully continue to improve.

I think Clark can develop into a servicable starter but I didn't see anything that makes me think he is going to be a big time "playmaker".

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Thompson received a D for his personnel moves this season while the coaching staff was awarded a B-minus.

PERSONNEL MOVES

In the last 12 months GM Ted Thompson procured one starter (Jared Cook) and one semi-starter (Blake Martinez). Cook arrived three weeks into free agency from the Rams for $2.75 million over one year. After losing most of training camp and six games due to injury, he turned into the Packers’ best receiving TE since Jermichael Finley. Another spring “street” signing, LB Lerentee McCray, was traded to Buffalo on Sept. 3 for a seventh-round draft choice. The same day, Thompson cut Pro Bowl G Josh Sitton. Not only did the Packers weaken their line, they lost the chance for a high compensatory pick in 2018 if he walked as a free agent in March. The time to deal Sitton, assuming management didn’t want him around, was last spring, not under the pressure of final cut day. Thompson traded for his first player in six years; 12 days later, he returned RB Knile Davis to Kansas City, voiding the seventh-round tariff. In the draft, Thompson replaced NT B.J. Raji, who unexpectedly quit, by taking NT Kenny Clark with the 27th pick. He also traded up nine slots in the second round for T Jason Spriggs, who repeatedly demonstrated that he has a long way to go. As usual, the Packers assembled one of the NFL’s youngest opening-day rosters (fifth at 25.55); the Browns, the youngest (25.05), went 1-15. Green Bay started with 12 rookies before ending with a whopping 15. Excluding moves made from the PUP, injured reserve and suspended categories, nine of the 12 roster additions after the opener came directly from the practice squad. The only contributor was WR Geronimo Allison. It’s ridiculous to second-guess Thompson for his decision not to re-sign CB Casey Hayward. He didn’t make a play all last year, can’t run, isn’t physical and fits a zone team like the Chargers much better than the Packers, who feature more man coverage. Thompson, however, failed to reinforce cornerback and running when injuries struck. Grade: D.

COACHING
The Packers and the Patriots were the consensus picks to play in the Super Bowl. New England advanced whereas Green Bay, with a team capable of winning it all for the eighth straight year, failed for the seventh time. Mike McCarthy’s team got off to one of its patented slow starts; playing Aaron Rodgers in just one exhibition game stalled the offense for weeks. The Packers’ first defeat came by three points in Minnesota after McCarthy went for it and failed on fourth and 2 at the Vikings 14 late in the third quarter. Coach-to-player communication errors were evident throughout the year. McCarthy did his best work implementing imaginative game plans and personnel groupings in the face of upheaval at running back. Back calling the plays after allowing Tom Clements to do it in Games 1-12 last year, McCarthy’s offense finally returned to its old devastating form down the stretch. The 19-game average of 4.68 gains of 20 yards (74 passes, 15 runs) or more was the club’s highest in at least 23 years. The Packers scored 65 points on opening drives, their most under McCarthy. They also scored a McCarthy-high 43 points on end-of-first-half sorties. For the fourth straight year the Packers ranked among the top 10 teams in fewest penalties. Under Dom Capers, this was a good tackling defense: the 103 missed tackles was the unit’s low since 2012. What really fueled the turnaround was turnover differential, McCarthy’s secret of success. Tied for 27th at minus-6 after 10 games, Green Bay went on a tear to finish sixth at plus-8. Grade: B-minus.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/sport.../28/mcginn-2016-packers-team-grades/97137244/

 

[Carl]

Thompson received a D for his personnel moves this season while the coaching staff was awarded a B-minus.



http://www.jsonline.com/story/sport.../28/mcginn-2016-packers-team-grades/97137244/

Pretty harsh analysis, especially regarding Sitton.

Yes, he missed out on a pick from him, but he was also replaced a mutiple time Pro Bowler quickly and the line was the second best in the league.

I agree TT didn't do well at corner, but did well with the rest of the team.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I agree TT didn't do well at corner, but did well with the rest of the team.

I disagree that Thompson did well at running back and inside linebacker. In addition him mishandling the Packers cornerback situation cost the team a trip to the Super Bowl.

 

[Mondio]

it's what McGinn does, it's why I don't even click on anything related to him. He creates controversy to create clicks. Figured that out a long time ago. Sounds like he's still doing it. Great players get cut with no compensation in this league. Aging and injured and downward trending big guys that are complaining about money get cut with no compensation all the time in this league too. Sitton was one of them. A pick would have been nice, but hardly a sure thing. Demarcus Ware and Revis have been cut with zero compensation too, it's hardly unprecedented. You'd think a guy that followed the league for his job would be more aware of the actual situations GM's find themselves in rather than his fantasy land.

 

[Carl]

I disagree that Thompson did well at running back and inside linebacker. In addition him mishandling the Packers cornerback situation cost the team a trip to the Super Bowl.

Corner was a big part of the loss.

Even if corner was fine in that game though, they still don't win the game with how the offense played the first half.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

it's what McGinn does, it's why I don't even click on anything related to him. He creates controversy to create clicks. Figured that out a long time ago. Sounds like he's still doing it. Great players get cut with no compensation in this league. Aging and injured and downward trending big guys that are complaining about money get cut with no compensation all the time in this league too. Sitton was one of them. A pick would have been nice, but hardly a sure thing. Demarcus Ware and Revis have been cut with zero compensation too, it's hardly unprecedented. You'd think a guy that followed the league for his job would be more aware of the actual situations GM's find themselves in rather than his fantasy land.

The Cowboys released Ware because they were in dire need of cap space at that point and the Buccaneers cut Revis because the fourth round pick they traded to the Jets would have turned into a third rounder the next day. Different scenarios than the Packers faced with Sitton.

 

[Carl]

it's what McGinn does, it's why I don't even click on anything related to him. He creates controversy to create clicks. Figured that out a long time ago. Sounds like he's still doing it. Great players get cut with no compensation in this league. Aging and injured and downward trending big guys that are complaining about money get cut with no compensation all the time in this league too. Sitton was one of them. A pick would have been nice, but hardly a sure thing. Demarcus Ware and Revis have been cut with zero compensation too, it's hardly unprecedented. You'd think a guy that followed the league for his job would be more aware of the actual situations GM's find themselves in rather than his fantasy land.

I rarely read his stuff. He seems like one of those guys who thinks he would do a better job, despite having no experience.

It's also a clearly biased analysis when he rips on the Sitton move, but makes no mention of replacing him well.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Corner was a big part of the loss.

Even if corner was fine in that game though, they still don't win the game with how the offense played the first half.

There´s no doubt the offense struggled in the first half but it´s extremely tough to perform on an elite level knowing you have to score on every single drive because your defense can´t get a stop.

 

[Mondio]

Corner was a big part of the loss.

Even if corner was fine in that game though, they still don't win the game with how the offense played the first half.

you can't be facing the top offense in the league and put up a fat zero in an entire half of play. Even the Seahawks defense wouldn't have helped us that game. We saw what Atlanta did to them. Their good, and our defense was bad, but with how our offense played, they could have been a pretty good defense, and it wouldn't have mattered much. Atlanta moves the ball and scores points and they've been on a terror the 2nd half of the season. a low of 28 against the Chiefs and scored 36+ 6 times in the last their last 8 games?

Granted you're not going to win many giving up 44 points, but then again, holding them to 28 wasn't going to get it done either.

 

[Carl]

There´s no doubt the offense struggled in the first half but it´s extremely tough to perform on an elite level knowing you have to score on every single drive because your defense can´t get a stop.

We can agree to disagree on that point.

Rodgers and the veteran offense shouldn't be rattled by expectations to perform well. They sure weren't rattled at all the week before.

An easy FG, fumble, and whiffed blocks were more uncharacteristic errors than pressure getting to them.

 

[Carl]

you can't be facing the top offense in the league and put up a fat zero in an entire half of play. Even the Seahawks defense wouldn't have helped us that game. We saw what Atlanta did to them. Their good, and our defense was bad, but with how our offense played, they could have been a pretty good defense, and it wouldn't have mattered much. Atlanta moves the ball and scores points and they've been on a terror the 2nd half of the season. a low of 28 against the Chiefs and scored 36+ 6 times in the last their last 8 games?

Granted you're not going to win many giving up 44 points, but then again, holding them to 28 wasn't going to get it done either.

Agreed. Even with a solid defense that game the Packers would still be down 10-14 at half.

 

[Mondio]

I rarely read his stuff. He seems like one of those guys who thinks he would do a better job, despite having no experience.

It's also a clearly biased analysis when he rips on the Sitton move, but makes no mention of replacing him well.

He doesn't have to, his responsibility is in creating clicks and readers. Beyond that he answers to nobody, and since it's been clear that his writings are more to appeal to emotions and get emotional responses rather than convey real genuine information to create a better understanding of the league and situations that arise, I don't indulge in that garbage.