Packers sign Preston Smith as well

[Pokerbrat2000]

Let's not forget the drive this put inside Fackrell for the year....I guarantee you that man has a fire lit in him to say neither Smith is coming in here with the sack title holder...I love the motivation of this to him.

Fackrell will still be a good rotational guy, but I just didn't see him as a starter. I guess he will have 2019 to prove what he has.

 

[tynimiller]

Fackrell will still be a good rotational guy, but I just didn't see him as a starter. I guess he will have 2019 to prove what he has.

110% agree. Unless one of the Smiths blow I still don't foresee Fackrell being back with us, I do hope he has another double digit sack year though and he drags a good off season signing, we'd get a comp pick at least

 

[tynimiller]

That's entirely possible but I'm sure some of them will negotiate longer term deals. It will also be interesting to see if Bell's sitting out the entire year will influence anyone else to do the same.



Fackerell was a surprise last season but I honestly don't expect him to be much competition for a starting spot next year.

Merely saying these signings did more than just bring in 2 starting level fellas...it also pushed a couple bunson burners under Fackrell's rearend.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

We'll see how it translates starting in September....

or even better.....on Sunday, February 2, 2020!

 

[tynimiller]

or even better.....on Sunday, February 2, 2020!

So let it be written...

 

[Curly Calhoun]

or even better.....on Sunday, February 2, 2020!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves....First things first.

 

[ExpatPacker]

With the Smiths being signed, I wonder if this means Devin Bush or Devin White at ILB?

 

[pacmaniac]

Mike Pettine might be the happiest man in the state of Wisconsin right now. Talk about an influx of talent.

With increased talent comes increased expectations. Looking forward to Pettine putting our D back in the top 10 next season!

 

[HardRightEdge]

I cant imagine how they have the money for that

Gutekunst could backload that thing to beat the band. Give him a 5 year contract with a $35 mil signing bonus and a $1 mil salary in the first year. That's an $8 mil cap hit in 2019 against the $16.5 - $17 mil left.

Voila!

2020 cap commitments for 31 players then blows up to the same level as the current 2019 top 51! And that's before Clark's 5th. year option or doing anything with the other 2020 free agents or paying 20 random guys just to get to 51.

I think he's gotta start cutting guys for cap savings to carryover if he goes this route, the candidates having been discussed ad nauseum: Bulaga, Graham, T. Williams, Crosby or even Daniels in some combination.

Absent that, the plan shifts to f**k the mulit-year window of opportunity. Just win now, baby! Philly Dream Team redux!

 

[wist43]

With the Smiths being signed, I wonder if this means Devin Bush or Devin White at ILB?

I've been beating the drum for White for a while now...

These signings would be all the better with White in the middle as a sideline-to-sideline, seek-and-destroy MLB.

Fackrell is not a player, and Martinez is average.

Add White, and another safety?? We'll have something.

 

[Mondio]

Martinez is in that average category, but I think Fackrell showed he was a better player than most would give him credit for and it has pretty much zero to do with his outlier sack total. I'm still surprised he got that many, but in the rest of his game, he held the edge very well against the run much of the year. And i noticed him out covering guys more than a couple times and he was on them, on them. Not just covering a space like so many do. He played coverage very well, at least when I was watching. While I was surprised he made another 53 man roster to start the year, Pettine obviously could make good use of a guy like him to make the defense work. I don't want to make him the star or focal point of any defense, that is certain, but I think last year proved his is a player if you were watching.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Martinez is in that average category, but I think Fackrell showed he was a better player than most would give him credit for and it has pretty much zero to do with his outlier sack total. I'm still surprised he got that many, but in the rest of his game, he held the edge very well against the run much of the year. And i noticed him out covering guys more than a couple times and he was on them, on them. Not just covering a space like so many do. He played coverage very well, at least when I was watching. While I was surprised he made another 53 man roster to start the year, Pettine obviously could make good use of a guy like him to make the defense work. I don't want to make him the star or focal point of any defense, that is certain, but I think last year proved his is a player if you were watching.

I agree that Fackrell was pretty good in coverage last season and surprisingly dropped into coverage a lot of times (128 snaps, second most among edge defenders in the league). He struggled defending the run too much in my opinion and his total of only 23 pressures makes me think he won't get anywhere close to repeating his sack total from 2018.

 

[Eduardo Valadares]

Those adds just puts left tackle and tight end at top priority right now.
Getting excited about next season.
Let's hope Rodgers stay healthy too.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Those adds just puts left tackle and tight end at top priority right now.

Left tackle??? The Packers have the best player in the league at the position in Bakhtiari.

 

[Eduardo Valadares]

My mistake. I was thinking right tackle but wrote left

 

[Deleted member 6794]

My mistake. I was thinking right tackle but wrote left

That definitely makes more sense. With the Packers having signed Billy Turner they will most likely not address the offensive line in free agency any more.

 

[Eduardo Valadares]

That definitely makes more sense. With the Packers having signed Billy Turner they will most likely not address the offensive line in free agency any more.

Didn't know about Turner. I must confess I don't remember who he is.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Didn't know about Turner. I must confess I don't remember who he is.

Turner is a versatile offensive lineman who has played for the Dolphins and Broncos over five seasons. He has mostly lined up at either left guard or right tackle.

 

[Eduardo Valadares]

Turner is a versatile offensive lineman who has played for the Dolphins and Broncos over five seasons. He has mostly lined up at either left guard or right tackle.

I believe we have a very decent o-line. IMO the only weak link was right tackle, and we have to consider the injuries too. Anyway, I would use a second or third round pick on a right tackle, even with that Turner guy hiring.
I am VERY optimistic about next season, I personally believe we made very close games with both SB contenders, we could have won both, we weren't far from that. And both games were away. And we had Rodgers injury, those missed FG in detroit, Cardinals home loss...
The point is: I do believe the team was good and those defensive players adds were exceptional. I truly believe we have a shot at the Lombardi.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I believe we have a very decent o-line. IMO the only weak link was right tackle, and we have to consider the injuries too. Anyway, I would use a second or third round pick on a right tackle, even with that Turner guy hiring.

I'm definitely in favor of using an early rounder on an offensive lineman in this year's draft. There's no reason to expect another veteran to be signed at the position though.

 

[hallzi43]

Martinez is in that average category, but I think Fackrell showed he was a better player than most would give him credit for and it has pretty much zero to do with his outlier sack total. I'm still surprised he got that many, but in the rest of his game, he held the edge very well against the run much of the year. And i noticed him out covering guys more than a couple times and he was on them, on them. Not just covering a space like so many do. He played coverage very well, at least when I was watching. While I was surprised he made another 53 man roster to start the year, Pettine obviously could make good use of a guy like him to make the defense work. I don't want to make him the star or focal point of any defense, that is certain, but I think last year proved his is a player if you were watching.

Martinez is a bit above average but he also is on the end of his rookie deal. The Packers would be silly not to at least entertain the idea of White or Bush as replacements to shore up our defense going forward the next few seasons.

Fackrell will work just fine in rotation with the Smith's and Gilbert. Likely we use a draft pick on another young guy as well as this draft is quite deep with edge talent.

 

[Mondio]

Martinez is a bit above average but he also is on the end of his rookie deal. The Packers would be silly not to at least entertain the idea of White or Bush as replacements to shore up our defense going forward the next few seasons.

Fackrell will work just fine in rotation with the Smith's and Gilbert. Likely we use a draft pick on another young guy as well as this draft is quite deep with edge talent.

oh, I'm not using Martinez as a reason not to draft an ILB high. I like him well enough and i'd give him average give or take depending on who is playing in front of him. I think he's probably a little above average, but not enough to really argue just how much. I've thought ILB was a possibilty at 12 all the way along. Especially with Pettine here.

 

[sschind]

I believe we have a very decent o-line. IMO the only weak link was right tackle, and we have to consider the injuries too. Anyway, I would use a second or third round pick on a right tackle, even with that Turner guy hiring.
I am VERY optimistic about next season, I personally believe we made very close games with both SB contenders, we could have won both, we weren't far from that. And both games were away. And we had Rodgers injury, those missed FG in detroit, Cardinals home loss...
The point is: I do believe the team was good and those defensive players adds were exceptional. I truly believe we have a shot at the Lombardi.

If Bulaga is healthy (a big IF) right tackle is not a weak link and the biggest weak link is probably right guard. If he isn't then yeah RT is a weak link. Hopefully Turner can shore the RG spot and maybe fill in for Bulaga but you are right, we still need at least 1 more OL, probably two. At the very least we need someone to groom for Bulaga's replacement and I don't think any more help will be coming via FA. Was Turner the best player , probably not but as everyone except Brandon knows you can't have the best at every position.

 

[hallzi43]

oh, I'm not using Martinez as a reason not to draft an ILB high. I like him well enough and i'd give him average give or take depending on who is playing in front of him. I think he's probably a little above average, but not enough to really argue just how much. I've thought ILB was a possibilty at 12 all the way along. Especially with Pettine here.

I thought drafting Vander Esch was in the cards last season. Still sort of sad we didn't. But I can't argue with the options it gave us I guess.

 

[PackAttack12]

Preston Smith said he had no idea the Packers also were talking to fellow pass rusher Za'Darius Smith in free agency but said the two have a relationship going back to their college days. Now they're Green Bay's new pass rushing duo.

"We can't wait to get on the field together and make things happen." Preston said.



That's good Preston because we can't wait to see it!