Goodbye Preston Smith!

[Sanguine camper]

Why is nobody mentioning Enagbare? He should get more snaps and possibly replace Smith.

Aside from the veteran leadership, the Packers aren't losing anything here. This reminds me a lot of when Aaron Kampman left Green Bay. He wasn't able/willing to adjust to the 3-4 so was able to continue his career (with Carolina I think??).

We needed to move on. We got something for it and cleared up $2M in cap space this year, which if we catch fire again, could be used to add a player for the playoffs if needed.

Other than picking a guy off a practice squad or signing a street free agent, how would add anybody to the team down the stretch? The options are extremely limited. Nobody is talking about Enagbar because he hasn't done much this season. He may pick-up a few more snaps but at this point, I think the front office is aware of what he can and can't do. That's why Gute was highlighting Cox and Mosby as getting many of Smith's snaps.

 

[Sanguine camper]

What I question is that he failed to get enough for these mid season trades. If all you get for Smith is a 7th round pick and 2M in cap space, why not keep him at the very least for depth? No doubt Rasul Douglas is going to contribute way more to getting to a Super Bowl than Hopper, especially given Alexander's inability to stay healthy. These mid season trades are hurting the team.

 

[OldSchool101]

Why is nobody mentioning Enagbare? He should get more snaps and possibly replace Smith.

I can only speak for myself. Losing Preston more opens the door for another player to showcase their ability. Enagbare is good, but he’s already averaging in the 40%+ snaps, so it’s not he’s hiding in the shadows. Could it increase his snaps? Sure. But likely not substantial. My guess is Lukas moves to Primary DE opposite Gary.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Agreed. LVN has a golden opportunity to step up and help his career and the team.

Yes, but....He has already been given lots of golden opportunity and hasn't done much with it.

I get the youth movement, but short of Cox and maybe a bit with Mosby, all these guys have had a chance to "step up". It wasn't like Preston was the only DE/OLB out there playing. He was rotating in and out and actually his snap counts have been steadily declining (below).

I think the writing was on the wall that he was being phased out and whether it was do to poor play in the 4-3 or cap, the Packers were ready to move on without him.

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[tynimiller]

The bias/emotional Ty hates this. Preston has been a consistent and reliable cog in GB for years. I have more times than not been one of the first defenders of how valuable that was to us here on this board. My first thought when I found out we traded him and didn't work out a deal elsewhere (I know for a fact Gute tried) to bring someone in - this sucks and our front just got worse.

Now having had some time to remove my emotional biasness out of it, the truth is Preston was becoming less and less in the picture for our defense and this move also indicates there was NO 2025 with Preston in it. With the lessoning snaps and how some have said he wasn't fitting the new system - for all we as fans know Preston and the team may have already discussed and this was more a move/gesture respecting what he's done, sending to a contender, wiping some money from the books and getting back something rather than nothing "nearer in the future than otherwise".

It's a make or break move for the young guys....Enagbare, Mosby and Cox are hungry for their NFL futures...hunger can cause some elevated play and we gotta hope that pans out. If it doesn't this move is going to hurt us this year for sure on the field despite how much fiscal sense it made.

I still think a released veteran is likely to be added at some point...just clueless who that might be.

 

[Sanguine camper]

The bias/emotional Ty hates this. Preston has been a consistent and reliable cog in GB for years. I have more times than not been one of the first defenders of how valuable that was to us here on this board. My first thought when I found out we traded him and didn't work out a deal elsewhere (I know for a fact Gute tried) to bring someone in - this sucks and our front just got worse.

Now having had some time to remove my emotional biasness out of it, the truth is Preston was becoming less and less in the picture for our defense and this move also indicates there was NO 2025 with Preston in it. With the lessoning snaps and how some have said he wasn't fitting the new system - for all we as fans know Preston and the team may have already discussed and this was more a move/gesture respecting what he's done, sending to a contender, wiping some money from the books and getting back something rather than nothing "nearer in the future than otherwise".

It's a make or break move for the young guys....Enagbare, Mosby and Cox are hungry for their NFL futures...hunger can cause some elevated play and we gotta hope that pans out. If it doesn't this move is going to hurt us this year for sure on the field despite how much fiscal sense it made.

I still think a released veteran is likely to be added at some point...just clueless who that might be.

I agree with you. Why dump Preston Smith for nothing? What message does that send to the team when all they got was a 7th round pick for a guy who showed good leadership ability. I'm scratching my head as to what the upside of this could be? Smith is declining no doubt but he still has value as depth. I doubt the front office has given up on the season but the move makes lite sense given how little was gotten for a guy who is generally viewed as a leader.

 

[tynimiller]

I agree with you. Why dump Preston Smith for nothing? What message does that send to the team when all they got was a 7th round pick for a guy who showed good leadership ability. I'm scratching my head as to what the upside of this could be? Smith is declining no doubt but he still has value as depth. I doubt the front office has given up on the season but the move makes lite sense given how little was gotten for a guy who is generally viewed as a leader.

Like I said though, a guy with diminished snaps coming down the pipe and a team that really does commit to younger growth rather than older experience often could have worked this out as a better way of handling a veteran than basically telling him you're going to be a placeholder depth wise...maybe a dozen snaps a game if that...who knows. Likely will be years before much is learned on what the feelings truly were from both sides.

 

[OldSchool101]

The other thing we’re seeing is Arron Mosby just come in like a wrecking ball. It might be no surprise he comes in and immediately records a .5 Sack on Goff. In 7 snaps across 2 contests he’s got 1 Solo, 1 Combo, 1 QB hit, 0.5 Sack. Most impressively he blew 335lbs of Penei Sewell off his feet..


So much so the commentators all thought it was #52 Rashan. Nope that there was #53 getting upfront and personal with Goff

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[Sanguine camper]

Like I said though, a guy with diminished snaps coming down the pipe and a team that really does commit to younger growth rather than older experience often could have worked this out as a better way of handling a veteran than basically telling him you're going to be a placeholder depth wise...maybe a dozen snaps a game if that...who knows. Likely will be years before much is learned on what the feelings truly were from both sides.

I suppose this sends a message to LVN: Here's your chance to take over. Maybe Gute is thinking once again in spending huge draft capital on an edge rusher in 2025 and wants to make sure the evaluation on LVN is based upon enough snaps? If LVN continues to flounder, then Gute goes edge rusher once again in round 1. If LVN turns his game up a couple of notches, then Gute goes CB in round 1. We sure don't know all the details but it looks from the outside like the move to dump Preston Smith was made with future seasons in mind rather than this one.

 

[tynimiller]

I suppose this sends a message to LVN: Here's your chance to take over. Maybe Gute is thinking once again in spending huge draft capital on an edge rusher in 2025 and wants to make sure the evaluation on LVN is based upon enough snaps? If LVN continues to flounder, then Gute goes edge rusher once again in round 1. If LVN turns his game up a couple of notches, then Gute goes CB in round 1. We sure don't know all the details but it looks from the outside like the move to dump Preston Smith was made with future seasons in mind rather than this one.

Oh this move does wonders for providing clarity into the future...does it potentially cost the now, absolutely could which SUCKS. But from a future perspective this is GOLD for Gute and Co.

By this year's end we likely will know if Mosby or Cox can offer a depth role in 2025 or not. By year's end LVN's future and decision on a 5th year option should be much clearer. By year's end Kingsley's future could be decided. By year's end Gute and company will likely know just how detailed oriented they need to look into edge prospects or FAs...

I predict Azeez doesn't resign with Giants - I would LOVE potentially signing him in FA depending on price...but that's getting way ahead of ourselves.

 

[Sanguine camper]

It appears that Gute will have some cap space to go after a free agent pass rusher during the off season. To me, It looks like the same old whack a mole as the GM needs to spend too many resources to fix holes caused by his bad drafting, leaving holes in the roster in other places. Imagine the benefit to the team if LVN and Gary were playing up to their draft status? Gute would be free to devout precious resources towards CB, LB and especially the D line. If he has to devote more resources to edge rusher once again, those other needs will likely suffer.

 

[tynimiller]

It appears that Gute will have some cap space to go after a free agent pass rusher during the off season. To me, It looks like the same old whack a mole as the GM needs to spend too many resources to fix holes caused by his bad drafting, leaving holes in the roster in other places. Imagine the benefit to the team if LVN and Gary were playing up to their draft status? Gute would be free to devout precious resources towards CB, LB and especially the D line. If he has to devote more resources to edge rusher once again, those other needs will likely suffer.

I’m sorry but I am fresh out of life preservers….

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

The bias/emotional Ty hates this.

Reminded me of the Seinfeld Episode "The Jimmy".

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[Pokerbrat2000]

The other thing we’re seeing is Arron Mosby just come in like a wrecking ball. It might be no surprise he comes in and immediately records a .5 Sack on Goff. In 7 snaps across 2 contests he’s got 1 Solo, 1 Combo, 1 QB hit, 0.5 Sack. Most impressively he blew 335lbs of Penei Sewell off his feet..


So much so the commentators all thought it was #52 Rashan. Nope that there was #53 getting upfront and personal with Goff

You must be logged in to see this image or video!

I hope Mosby works out and turns into a good one, but there is a reason he was undrafted in 2022 and barely made the Packers 53 this season, his final preseason game. He needs to keep getting better. 7 regular game snaps doesn't give us much to draw from. His one sack was fun to watch, but until he can do that consistently, not much to get excited about.

Now my question, he is listed as a LB, was he playing DE on those 7 snaps?

 

[El Guapo]

I agree with you. Why dump Preston Smith for nothing?

DoURant and Pokerbrat2000 already provided the context for this move:
#1) The Steelers took on the rest of Preston's 2024 salary, so that saved the team $2M this season
#2) It took big salary cap hits off of the books for 2025 and 2026

Most teams don't want to take on the salary baggage for a dude that isn't performing. This is like selling a water-access-only cabin. You have to find the right buyer and you're likely not going to get the market rate. They had to find a team that a) plays a 3-4 defense; b) needed a DE; and c) was willing to trade something for that player.

Yes, most teams don't usually find a Brock Purdy in the 7th round. However, despite your obvious disdain for Gutekunst's drafting, he has been very smart with accumulating extra late round picks and using them to either trade up or trade for other players. For instance, Gutekeunst traded our 2025 7th round pick to Tennessee for Malik Willis. That pick wasn't worth "nothing."

Suppose he finds another treasure on somebody else's team for a 7th round pick. Gutekunst has been good at getting value for players before we truly get nothing by releasing them. We surely would have gotten nothing at the end of the season or in 2025 assuming the Packers cut Preston Smith for salary cap reasons.

 

[Sanguine camper]

DoURant and Pokerbrat2000 already provided the context for this move:
#1) The Steelers took on the rest of Preston's 2024 salary, so that saved the team $2M this season
#2) It took big salary cap hits off of the books for 2025 and 2026

Most teams don't want to take on the salary baggage for a dude that isn't performing. This is like selling a water-access-only cabin. You have to find the right buyer and you're likely not going to get the market rate. They had to find a team that a) plays a 3-4 defense; b) needed a DE; and c) was willing to trade something for that player.

Yes, most teams don't usually find a Brock Purdy in the 7th round. However, despite your obvious disdain for Gutekunst's drafting, he has been very smart with accumulating extra late round picks and using them to either trade up or trade for other players. For instance, Gutekeunst traded our 2025 7th round pick to Tennessee for Malik Willis. That pick wasn't worth "nothing."

Suppose he finds another treasure on somebody else's team for a 7th round pick. Gutekunst has been good at getting value for players before we truly get nothing by releasing them. We surely would have gotten nothing at the end of the season or in 2025 assuming the Packers cut Preston Smith for salary cap reasons.

I think the Packers could've "saved" the future cap hits by cutting or trading Smith after the season. Certainly, he'd have been worth at least a 7th rounder after the season because he would still be under contract. Any other team wanting Smith couldn't assume they could get him without a trade.

While a 7th round pick can occasionally have some value, the chances of hitting on a 7th aren't much higher than hitting on a free agent.

I just think at the end of the day, the coaching staff must've felt he hit the wall and couldn't contribute much even as a depth player.

The last two mid-season trades can be evaluated by asking the question: who helps the Packers win a Super Bowl this season? Hopper and a late future 7th round pick or would you rather have Smith and Rasul Douglas?

 

[milani]

I doubt that's going to happen. LVN is stiff with a limited pass rush repertoire. I think his best position is to move him inside. If I'm the Packers, I'm telling LVN to beef up quick. Gute appears to have whiffed on another first rounder. I think at this stage, their in salvage mode with LVN.

Now that Preston is gone this will provide reps for several young players that we drafted. It will be a make or break venture.

 

[milani]

Other than picking a guy off a practice squad or signing a street free agent, how would add anybody to the team down the stretch? The options are extremely limited. Nobody is talking about Enagbar because he hasn't done much this season. He may pick-up a few more snaps but at this point, I think the front office is aware of what he can and can't do. That's why Gute was highlighting Cox and Mosby as getting many of Smith's snaps.

Engabare will get some PT. I doubt this position group will stay healthy through the last 8 games. When we had Z it appeared he was hurt every series on the field.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

New news on the Preston Smith trade.

He actually requested to be traded.

"A few weeks ago, I requested a trade," Smith said. "I didn't feel like I was being useful in the system. It wasn't catering to my play style. Moving forward, I wasn't surprised when I got the call. I got what I asked for."

Preston Smith Explains Why He Requested Trade From Packers

Smith on Tuesday was dealt to the Steelers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

www.si.com

 

[tynimiller]

New news on the Preston Smith trade.

He actually requested to be traded.

Preston Smith Explains Why He Requested Trade From Packers

Smith on Tuesday was dealt to the Steelers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.

www.si.com

Hmmm….odd I remember someone bringing this forth as an option earlier today

I didn’t think we’d hear the backstory this fast tho

 

[tynimiller]

GB taking so little avoids a situation growing legs. P stayed quiet outwardly and yet behind closed doors was polite and requested.

Folks need to get off Gute’s *** over this because the dude respected P too much to keep forcing him to risk his health in something he didn’t believe he fit in.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

GB taking so little avoids a situation growing legs. P stayed quiet outwardly and yet behind closed doors was polite and requested.

Folks need to get off Gute’s *** over this because the dude respected P too much to keep forcing him to risk his health in something he didn’t believe he fit in.

Agree. Other players around the league will respect Gute and remember that if they are ever looking for a team.

So maybe a 7th rounder wasn't much, but it definitely goes a long way towards Gute earning goodwill and respect.

 

[gopkrs]

He made some great plays for The Pack. Wish him well. But I think Gute honored his request because he just wasn't helping out much. And like some have said, we'll get a better look at VanNess. It could mix things up in a good way imho.

 

[OldSchool101]

I hope Mosby works out and turns into a good one, but there is a reason he was undrafted in 2022 and barely made the Packers 53 this season, his final preseason game. He needs to keep getting better. 7 regular game snaps doesn't give us much to draw from. His one sack was fun to watch, but until he can do that consistently, not much to get excited about.

Now my question, he is listed as a LB, was he playing DE on those 7 snaps?

I think you’re like most of us, concerned why would turn a perfectly good DE without replacing him? It’s a ? we all had but you answered it yourself so it’s obvious I’m not implying he’s Preston’s direct replacement. My contention was never that. What I am displaying is we’ve got a couple players that can handle an increase in backup duty. Thats all I’m saying. I’m not saying he’s HOF or Probowl or a FT Starter or anything like that. I am saying he made the 53 and while you discount that because he’s undrafted, doesn’t make his ability any less. There are Many Drafted players sitting at home at this minute that he beat out. I think we put too much emphasis on draft stock. The only thing we know is when he’s been out there in limited snaps he impressed. Arron cant do any more than that

Now that we’ve got that behind us! I’ll answer your question the best I can.
Arron has a history that shows he’s really a hybrid between the two. He’s played at BOTH LB and DE (snd initially Safety) His most effective production came from Rushing the Passer at DE in 2021. He put up 6 Sacks including multiple strips that resulted in 6 Forced Fumbles. He also had an Elite TFL #. Putting up 16 Losses on 40 Tackles. Thats unheard of. Now for reference it is at the FCS level, but that’s not a normal TFL rate even in College or in lower echelon Conferences. I see absolutely no reason he hasn’t earned 10-15 snaps per game to take up slack.

 

[OldSchool101]

While I like Preston. I also appreciate what Preston gave us. But let’s be frank, this isn’t some massive blow like losing Hockenson. Smith was probably right and might’ve done us a favor. He wasn’t a great fit for this Style of Defense and we had already been dancing around that observation. I also believe Preston is much closer to slowing down than rising. That’s not a good recipe for success at $17m or whatever. That’s a disaster and nothing personal but if he wanted out it was probably growing mutual.

There’s probably guys out there on a PS that are a better fit at this point and at a small fraction his $$$ with little to no dropoff just because we pick what we need fit wise.
I don’t think Preston was carrying his salary weight so as you can see I’m not torn up on this decision at all. We’re really somewhat stagnant and getting a good look at our depth isn’t really that terrible. We now know this had been in the works for at least several weeks. That means we’ve been poking around at other teams PS etc to see who we can poach as an alternative. Might be they think our guy is already on board ala Cox Jr. I still wouldn’t be Shocked if we poached another teams gem off their PS in order to bolster our front 4 active depth.

When we made this Scheme change, we really tried to accommodate current players. This actually opens an opportunity to get a known quantity that’s a more ideal age and fit. I’ve rewatched Detroit with an open mind. I’m over the loss. It really wasn’t as bad as I thought in review. It’s like when you scratch your brand new car and yiur initially pissed. However the next day you realize it wasn’t nearly that bad a scratch as you thought. It was more a mental letdown than reality . I’m back to being positive now!! Let’s fix our scratch