Declined Perry's Option...thoughts on what will happen?

[HardRightEdge]

At 22 years old they should be willing and able to make changes to their game to fit into a scheme.

I wouldn't assume Perry has been "unwilling". Given that the rap on him coming into the draft was his motor and second effort, that might be the case.

It's also the case that the role change may have blunted his instincts. Some guys who make this DE-to-OLB change can "rewire" those instincts; many do not.

Maybe the light bulb goes off this season. I wouldn't count on it. Big jumps after 3 years of mediocrity, particularly without a role change, are pretty rare.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Other than Perry simply quitting football, I don't see anyway he is not on this team's final roster this year. Despite his injuries and everything else, he is pretty good against the run, and does serve as a piece in the pass rush

Oh, he'll be on the roster barring injury. The roster is not deep at OLB, and it gets pretty thin when Matthews takes the middle. He's a serviceable rotational/bench player; the $1 million in dead cap if he's released makes replacing him with another merely serviceable player prohibitive. I think Elliott would need to make a pretty big jump to even consider the possibility.

 

[PikeBadger]

Other than Perry simply quitting football, I don't see anyway he is not on this team's final roster this year. Despite his injuries and everything else, he is pretty good against the run, and does serve as a piece in the pass rush

Any improvement in his overall game would be welcome. I don't see him being here in 2016. I put him loosely in the same category as Raji. Need at least a decent year from both, neither likely to be on the 2016 roster. I'm hoping that guys like Elliot, Mulumba and Hubbard make big jumps quickly in training camp and allow for Perry or Neal to be traded or cut.

 

[TJV]

There was no way the Packers would pay Perry $7.75 mil for 2016 under the option.

This. The only way the Packers would have picked up this option IMO is if he had already become a star and in spite of Thompson/Ball's best efforts they couldn't come together on an extension. The Packers may have a higher opinion of Perry than most fans and they may want to retain him, but as HRE posted, there's no way they'd pay him $7.75M in 2016. Like many of you, I expect another team will value him more than the Packers after this season.

 

[HardRightEdge]

This. The only way the Packers would have picked up this option IMO is if he had already become a star and in spite of Thompson/Ball's best efforts they couldn't come together on an extension. The Packers may have a higher opinion of Perry than most fans and they may want to retain him, but as HRE posted, there's no way they'd pay him $7.75M in 2016. Like many of you, I expect another team will value him more than the Packers after this season.

Winston Moss was quoted as saying about Perry after the 2013 season, "he's given us nothing". Given he was about the same player in 2014 as in 2013, it is entirely possible the Packers have a lower opinion of him than even myself.

 

[OldSchool101]

Aaron Kampman was the same way when we switched to the 3-4.

There's the adage that you can't pound a round peg into a square hole, but this is a chance for players to make millions. At 22 years old they should be willing and able to make changes to their game to fit into a scheme. Older vets should still follow that too. Once you start believing you are too old to change, you have become too old to play the game of football or life.

Even a stubborn Dom was able to consider that rushing 3 and dropping 8 on long down situations was futile after years of undesired results (although we employed "prevent" during last years' playoffs and got burned real good for ol' time sakes)
This in itself gives me hope for humanity that we CAN change! Lol

 

[rodell330]

Hate to say it but I never had hi hopes for Perry. I think that if TT would've drafted the guy to be a true DE he would've avoided some of his injuries and probably would've produced more on the field. They tried to take a guy who really didn't want to play olb and convert him...he struggled in coverage and in space which limited him and his production. Some say oh but he's stout against the run.. Uh duh, he's a former defensive end he better be able to defend the run. The olb experiment didn't work.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Even a stubborn Dom was able to consider that rushing 3 and dropping 8 on long down situations was futile after years of undesired results (although we employed "prevent" during last years' playoffs and got burned real good for ol' time sakes)
This in itself gives me hope for humanity that we CAN change! Lol

McCarthy being more involved in the defense gives me hope for change.

 

[wist43]

I'm sure Perry will be happy to get an opportunity to play DE for another team - don't think he was ever happy that Green Bay picked him, and then misused him most of the time he's been here.

Granted he's been injured some, and he's underproduced, but Capers has made it his mission to misuse all of his front seven (usually six) guys for years... only last year, after TT and MM got involved in what was happening on the defensive side of the ball did Capers relent and finally move people to into their proper roles.

 

[wist43]

Even a stubborn Dom was able to consider that rushing 3 and dropping 8 on long down situations was futile after years of undesired results (although we employed "prevent" during last years' playoffs and got burned real good for ol' time sakes)
This in itself gives me hope for humanity that we CAN change! Lol

Why would you say that Dom has learned his lesson?? Because he surely did just that against Seattle... a leopard doesn't change his spots.

Did he say something this offseason about how idiotic a call that was - and how idiotic and futile that call has always been??

I think Dom has proven over and over again, that he wants to play as many guys in coverage as possible on every play. His MO for years has been to send a blitz on 2nd down, get a sack, create a long down/distance situation - and then sit back and let the QB write a novel while he waits for a receiver to uncover.

Will never trust Dom Capers - never have, from the moment we hired him. I sounded the warning about what this guy is like... for a guy who is supposed to be a near genius, he surely does make an awful lot of moronic play calls during games.

Can't wait to see him fired.

 

[TJV]

One more of many foolish statements:

... Capers has made it his mission to misuse all of his front seven (usually six) guys for years...

Foolish but honest confession:

Will never trust Dom Capers - never have, from the moment we hired him. I sounded the warning about what this guy is like...

From the moment he arrived,huh? Ya, the Packers defenses in 2009 and 2010 were just horrible, weren't they?

As I posted before, you called Capers a name in your first post here, a classless way to introduce yourself to the board. And you only come to ***** during the off season. For example, would you like to amend what you wrote about Capers and how he used Peppers last season?

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Oh, he'll be on the roster barring injury. The roster is not deep at OLB, and it gets pretty thin when Matthews takes the middle. He's a serviceable rotational/bench player; the $1 million in dead cap if he's released makes replacing him with another merely serviceable player prohibitive. I think Elliott would need to make a pretty big jump to even consider the possibility.

Elliot has stood out to me, obviously since he got those crazy amount of sacks in pre-season his undrafted rookie year here. Not only sure he can play, Im eager to see him play more. Curious if Mulumba is back from his acl in good form? He's a monster. And if not, can Hubbard take the next step to being a regular contributor? I bet that beast from Bama can stuff the run as well as Perry can. Anyways. This year we have 5 OLBs besides Mathews to start the season. One being Peppers. Im confident we will be better than fine at OLB.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Hate to say it but I never had hi hopes for Perry. I think that if TT would've drafted the guy to be a true DE he would've avoided some of his injuries and probably would've produced more on the field. They tried to take a guy who really didn't want to play olb and convert him...he struggled in coverage and in space which limited him and his production. Some say oh but he's stout against the run.. Uh duh, he's a former defensive end he better be able to defend the run. The olb experiment didn't work.

Perry should have been drafted by a team playing a 4-3 defense. He´s way too small to play DE in a 3-4.

Elliot has stood out to me, obviously since he got those crazy amount of sacks in pre-season his undrafted rookie year here. Not only sure he can play, Im eager to see him play more. Curious if Mulumba is back from his acl in good form? He's a monster. And if not, can Hubbard take the next step to being a regular contributor? I bet that beast from Bama can stuff the run as well as Perry can. Anyways. This year we have 5 OLBs besides Mathews to start the season. One being Peppers. Im confident we will be better than fine at OLB.

Matthews will continue to play inside next season which leaves the Packers with one impact OLB on half of the downs in Peppers who at some point will regress. In addition the team has two serviceable OLBs in Perry and Neal. All of the other guys are mostly unknown who either haven´t played a lot or not at all. The Packers should be fine at the position next season but will have to upgrade it during next offseason.

 

[PikeBadger]

Perry should have been drafted by a team playing a 4-3 defense. He´s way too small to play DE in a 3-4.



Matthews will continue to play inside next season which leaves the Packers with one impact OLB on half of the downs in Peppers who at some point will regress. In addition the team has two serviceable OLBs in Perry and Neal. All of the other guys are mostly unknown who either haven´t played a lot or not at all. The Packers should be fine at the position next season but will have to upgrade it during next offseason.

I think you're assuming that there will not be much or significant improvement from the Elliot, Mulumba, Hubbard trio. It may become one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I think you're assuming that there will not be much or significant improvement from the Elliot, Mulumba, Hubbard trio. It may become one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team.

Well, it´s not a given any of them will be significantly improved. It´s possible all of them will follow the path of Dezman Moses, Frank Zombo and Vic So´oto.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I think you're assuming that there will not be much or significant improvement from the Elliot, Mulumba, Hubbard trio. It may become one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team.

The Packers hopes at OLB opposite Matthews are resting on three UDFAs? That's poor planning for the most important position on the defense. That's even assuming that the Packers find an ILB that allows Matthews to play OLB on every down. 2015 looks okay, Matthews and Barrington inside with Perry and Peppers outside. 2016 looks frightening. You're looking at Barrington and Matthews as the only sure things at linebacker (and let's remember that Barrington is really a projection, Jones looked really good for a handful of games too). Bradford and Ryan might fix the ILB position but right now the team is hoping that Perry makes major strides or that one of three UDFAs proves that the entire NFL (including the Packers) made a HUGE mistake by not drafting them.

And none of this even addresses the issues that may arise on the dline in 2016.

 

[TJV]

The Packers hopes at OLB opposite Matthews are resting on three UDFAs? That's poor planning for the most important position on the defense. That's even assuming that the Packers find an ILB that allows Matthews to play OLB on every down. 2015 looks okay, Matthews and Barrington inside with Perry and Peppers outside.

Either Perry or Neal can be re-signed if their performance justifies it, but I'm not so concerned whether or not UDFAs are being counted upon. By 2016, Hubbard and Elliot would be going into their third seasons in Green Bay and Mulumba into his fourth. After a couple of seasons I don't think draft or UDFA status makes any difference, for example, both Shields and Tramon were UDFA.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Either Perry or Neal can be re-signed if their performance justifies it, but I'm not so concerned whether or not UDFAs are being counted upon. By 2016, Hubbard and Elliot would be going into their third seasons in Green Bay and Mulumba into his fourth. After a couple of seasons I don't think draft or UDFA status m makes any difference, for example, both Shields and Tramon were UDFA.

The difference is that Shields had an impact as a rookie and Tramon became a starter during his third season though.

 

[Mondio]

I don't think he

Well, it´s not a given any of them will be significantly improved. It´s possible all of them will follow the path of Dezman Moses, Frank Zombo and Vic So´oto.

My feelings are unfortunately, is this will be the most likely outcome. I still have hope for Hubbard, because we didn't get to see much and Elliot because he flashed early and got some time late in the season. But we've seen that from many others before and then they fizzle.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Either Perry or Neal can be re-signed if their performance justifies it, but I'm not so concerned whether or not UDFAs are being counted upon. By 2016, Hubbard and Elliot would be going into their third seasons in Green Bay and Mulumba into his fourth. After a couple of seasons I don't think draft or UDFA status makes any difference, for example, both Shields and Tramon were UDFA.

If it was so easy to find a starter at OLB then why did the Packers flounder for three seasons trying to find a running mate for Matthews before just giving up and signing Peppers?

You're assuming that Neal/Perry/3 UDFAs will all be starter worthy at OLB when none of them have proven starter worthy yet. There are, of course, examples of UDFAs that have succeeded in the NFL. Probably the most pertinent example would be James Harrison. However, the likelihood of an UDFA becoming a solid OLB is very low. Again, Packers have yet to draft a good OLB opposite Matthews in five years.

 

[TJV]

If it was so easy to find a starter at OLB then why did the Packers flounder for three seasons trying to find a running mate for Matthews before just giving up and signing Peppers?

You're assuming that Neal/Perry/3 UDFAs will all be starter worthy at OLB when none of them have proven starter worthy yet. There are, of course, examples of UDFAs that have succeeded in the NFL. Probably the most pertinent example would be James Harrison. However, the likelihood of an UDFA becoming a solid OLB is very low. Again, Packers have yet to draft a good OLB opposite Matthews in five years.

I'm not assuming anything, I'm disagreeing with your assertion that it's "poor planning". They drafted Perry in the first round to be the bookend - that hasn't worked out but not because of poor planning. They were high on Bradford at OLB and that hasn't worked out either. They acquired Peppers, Mulumba, Hubbard, and Elliott and of course switched Neal to OLB. So IMO it's not bad planning. It may be poor execution but as you posted, it's not so easy to find a starting OLB.

 

[HardRightEdge]

If it was so easy to find a starter at OLB then why did the Packers flounder for three seasons trying to find a running mate for Matthews before just giving up and signing Peppers?

You're assuming that Neal/Perry/3 UDFAs will all be starter worthy at OLB when none of them have proven starter worthy yet. There are, of course, examples of UDFAs that have succeeded in the NFL. Probably the most pertinent example would be James Harrison. However, the likelihood of an UDFA becoming a solid OLB is very low. Again, Packers have yet to draft a good OLB opposite Matthews in five years.

Harrison was not a UDFA on talent. His fate was similar to that of Burfict...graded high on talent but deemed high risk as being uncoachable and unmanageable.

Is there a high talent OLB, or any player for that matter, who fell for bringing guns in the locker room like Harrison?

 

[rodell330]

It's amazing how TT won't usually sign proven free agents but he will snatch up an undrafted unproven rookie FA In a heart beat. No I don't mean a guy who's going to have a high price tag either... There care guys that were to be had and will be available in the next couple if months. Serviceable guys. I hate the Steelers but they generally draft a lb in the fist 3 rds every yr because they know having solid lbs are a staple of the 3-4. The Packers still don't know how to draft lbs for the 3-4. That's why you see all these stop ago at olb like Mike Neal, Nick Perry, Julius Peppers, etc. guys who played on the line NOT true lbs. Then you wonder why they look unnatural in coverage and out in space.

 

[Mondio]

peppers looks as natural in space as he does anywhere else. Hard to find anyone more athletic than he is on the field. Neal wasn't drafted to be a linebacker, but after injuries sidelined him, they decided to ask him to drop weight and see if he fit. and OLB's aren't drafted for their coverage ability.

 

[rodell330]

peppers looks as natural in space as he does anywhere else. Hard to find anyone more athletic than he is on the field. Neal wasn't drafted to be a linebacker, but after injuries sidelined him, they decided to ask him to drop weight and see if he fit. and OLB's aren't drafted for their coverage ability.

That's not the point... The point im trying to make is take a different approach. Draft olbs who are true olbs and see how that works. Time to scrap the experiment mindset and build a top defense around 12. IMO the Packers should have at least 2 more appearances in the SB...AT LEAST. As over hyped as Wilson is in Seattle they have built a top defense around him . Offensively the Packers are better at every position except Rb and they've been to two straight.