Improving the Defense for 2017....How and Who?

[ExpatPacker]

First, retire TT. IF this guy is still around come next May it's going to be the same ol' same ol'. Good enough to make the playoffs, not good enough to make the SB. His draft and develop strategy while turning into Rip Van Winkle during FA signing has failed. His only significant signings have been Woodson (eons ago), Peppers and Jared Cook.

Second, sign a top CB, OLB or an ILB. A guy who will make a difference. Bouye is probabaly out of reach, but that leaves Stephen Gilmore, Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick and Kevin Logan. Let the scouting corps figure out who's the best among them.

At OLB there's Chandler Jones and Melvin Ingram, probably also too high priced, but maybe it's worth it.

At ILB, how about Zach Brown? In other words, maybe it's time for the Packers to go for a real impact player not a guy who may or may not be.

Third, re-sign Nick Perry and Jered Cook. Other FAs like Micah Hyde, Tretter, would be nice.

Do that before the draft.

 

[PackerFanLV]

The Packers absolutely have to address the cornerback position with a veteran free agent and an early draft pick. Randall, Rollins and Gunter should be brought back to compete for playing time and if they continue to struggle maybe even a roster spot. Outside linebacker has to be addressed as well by re-signing Perry to a moderate contract, restructuring Matthews´deal, adding a free agent and another early rounder as well.



I expect the Texans to re-sign Bouye but if he makes it to free agency it´s finally time for Thompson to actually outbid other teams for a FA for once.



Randall is better suited to play free safety than outside cornerback.

I would rather him being cut to see him at free safety, have you seen his tackling skills

Randall is better suited to play free safety than outside cornerback.

Thats almost laughable, have you seen his tackling? Hes to soft to play safety. Did you see what juilio did to him? I would rather see him cut then to see him at safety that would be a step back.

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

I haven't watched Peppers very closely. The production is distinctly unimpressive, but that may mean nothing.

PFF's people seem to think that he's a mid first rounder, but that he's more of a nickel linebacker than anyone you want covering wide receivers.

Daniel Jeremiah ranked him 33rd in his first top 50 list of the season and had this to say:

All these people on Pepper's nut need to back off. The guy is an incredible athlete, but we don't need more project players. He doesn't have a true position. He doesn't have the speed or coverage ability to be a corner. Might be a strong safety/hybrid linebacker, but I just don't see him being what we need at all.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Sometimes those mid round guys turn into good players, and there's a lot to be said about the effect that camp competition has on player development.

While I see your point, ask yourself what do the Packers need in 2017 to get them to the Super Bowl? What did they lack to get there this year?

I see a team that is/was a couple of solid starters on defense short of being that team. While competition and development is a good thing, I would trade away three of those kinds of guys for one solid starter. This is what we saw TT do last year in the draft when he traded to move up and grab Spriggs. He viewed Spriggs as a guy who could eventually be a solid starter in exchange for some depth or camp bodies.....whether he was successful or not, is still unknown.

 

[brandon2348]

I'm not going to try and agree or disagree until I watch some of his games closely, but none of the guys who I typically look to for strong prospect evaluation seem to share this assessment.

Do that and i hope he drops because he never really put up big stats at any position because he played all over the place offense,defense,special teams. This guy would be a "grand slam" if we got him becauae he can play anywhere in the back end however i like starring him out at corner. This guy was the best athlete on the field every Saturday and had the instincts to match.

What he isnt is some coverted basketball player or a safety/corner tweener that cant tackle. Cause thats what we got now

 

[brandon2348]

All these people on Pepper's nut need to back off. The guy is an incredible athlete, but we don't need more project players. He doesn't have a true position. He doesn't have the speed or coverage ability to be a corner. Might be a strong safety/hybrid linebacker, but I just don't see him being what we need at all.

He is 4.3 and runs faster then any corner on our team and is biger, He is explosive and more solid to press and jam receivers. I dont compare Shields cause he is gone. Corner is easier to come in and play then most other positions just based on talent. Athleticaly wise he can make up as he learns.

I dont like him being our no.1 but also like signing Gilmore making Peppers no.2. We would be toatally set

 

[Dantés]

In my opinion corner is one of the hardest positions to play as a rookie. NFL coverage schemes and route concepts are vastly more complicated than what many of these guys see in college. It happens that you see guys do well immediately, but most often they need some time to get up to speed.

 

[Sky King]

Lack of competition to beat him out?...

There it goes! A tape measure grand slam sailing out of the park!

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

He is 4.3 and runs faster then any corner on our team and is biger, He is explosive and more solid to press and jam receivers. I dont compare Shields cause he is gone. Corner is easier to come in and play then most other positions just based on talent. Athleticaly wise he can make up as her learns.

I dont like him being our no.1 but also like signing Gilmore making Peppers no.2. We would be toatally set

We'll wait to see what his forty is at the combine, but it's absolutely ridiculous to say that corner is one of the easiest positions to come in an play. There's literally a handful of decent shutdown corners. Many more people than I, including multiple scouts do not believe he has the hips or the coverage ability to be anything more than a hybrid linebacker/safety. It's not like I'm making this **** up.

 

[brandon2348]

In my opinion corner is one of the hardest positions to play as a rookie. NFL coverage schemes and route concepts are vastly more complicated than what many of these guys see in college. It happens that you see guys do well immediately, but most often they need some time to get up to speed.

sometimes. Randle and Rollins both playesd better last year as rookies.

I will tell ya this much and thats our defensene will be betterr witb Peppers over these other clowns we got playing corner.

 

[brandon2348]

My dream list secondary woukd be

1FA C - Stepon Gilmore

1st DP C - Jubril Peppers

SS - Ha Ha Clinton Dix, Burnett

FS Kentrell Brice

Nickel - Rollins

Dime - Demariois Randle, Gunter, Hawkins

 

[Zartan]

If we can replace Peppers with someone with some quickness that would help Mathews up front. Also Replace the dumpster fire that is Rollans,Randell and Gunter.

 

[rodell330]

The defense has given up an avg of 36 points in Rodgers 7 career playoff loses. 3 of those loses the defense has given up 44 + points. TT has to go. He thinks he's better than what he is because the Packers have been to the playoffs for 8 straight yrs. Rodgers has carried this team. This team sucked this year but he carried them yet again. Capers should be fired too...but at least he will always have the excuse that he worked under a lame duck GM. But leaving Gunter on Jones was the dumbest thing I've seen him do. Bye to both of them or watch us be talking about this in January next season.

 

[brandon2348]

We'll wait to see what his forty is at the combine, but it's absolutely ridiculous to say that corner is one of the easiest positions to come in an play. There's literally a handful of decent shutdown corners. Many more people than I, including multiple scouts do not believe he has the hips or the coverage ability to be anything more than a hybrid linebacker/safety. It's not like I'm making this **** up.

Not saying you making it up. Peppers is a "football Playet" wih "1st round talent". Hopefully scouts that you've heard from about him helps him slide to us.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.nf...c1m=%23000000&sr=amp?client=ms-android-att-us

 

[rodell330]

My dream list secondary woukd be

1FA C - Stepon Gilmore

1st DP C - Jubril Peppers

SS - Ha Ha Clinton Dix, Burnett

FS Kentrell Brice

Nickel - Ladaruis Gunter

Dime - Demariois Randle, Rollins , Hawkins

Bro noooooo.. why would you put a guy who's slow and can't cover in the slot? That's usually where the smaller quicker guys play. The position for Gunter is selling car insurance at All State.

 

[brandon2348]

Bro noooooo.. why would you put a guy who's slow and can't cover in the slot? That's usually where the smaller quicker guys play. The position for Gunter is selling car insurance at All State.

the slot poaotion is open for battle. Randle,Gunter, Rollins, Hawkins .Gunter is our no.1 so i put him thers. he could be valuable in slot against bigger receivers

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

Bro noooooo.. why would you put a guy who's slow and can't cover in the slot? That's usually where the smaller quicker guys play. The position for Gunter is selling car insurance at All State.

Not only that, but shouldn't Haha be a free safety. There's literally so many good cover corners in this draft that I'd rather have one where corner is their natural position. There's as many as 15 naturally good cover corners, why would we take an athlete that doesn't really fit our needs?

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

the slot poaotion is open for battle. Randle,Gunter, Rollins, Hawkins .Gunter is our no.1 so i put him thers. he could be valuable in slot against bigger receivers

Gunter would get killed by receivers like Beasley, Hill, and Gabriel. He's just not fast enough.

 

[BrokenArrow]

First thing is Gunter should be cut. He wasn't a draft pick, so it's not like your throwing away a draft pick in his third season. There's really no point in keeping him around now...they've gotten a look at him for nearly an entire season...he's not the answer at corner.

This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of football. You can not have starter quality depth all the way through your roster. It's not possible. The very notion is preposterous. Gunter is a quality 3rd or 4th CB. He did very well in that role last year.

I get the feeling from your posts that you pick out guys that you hate for whatever reason and will make whatever argument you can come up with to say they should be disposed of. Am I right?

 

[rodell330]

This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of football. You can not have starter quality depth all the way through your roster. It's not possible. The very notion is preposterous. Gunter is a quality 3rd or 4th CB. He did very well in that role last year.

I get the feeling from your posts that you pick out guys that you hate for whatever reason and will make whatever argument you can come up with to say they should be disposed of. Am I right?

No you're not right. I watch every single snap of every single game that's what I do. Gunter isn't good! What is it that you can't se?? You're in favor of keeping Barclay as well I bet.

 

[rodell330]

the slot poaotion is open for battle. Randle,Gunter, Rollins, Hawkins .Gunter is our no.1 so i put him thers. he could be valuable in slot against bigger receivers

Please name one big wr besides Fitzgerald who plays in the slot. I'm convinced a lot of folks in here watch football.. but from a schematic and personal evaluation point, don't understand football at all. There's a reason why guys like Cobb, Beasley, Edelman, Gabriel, Cook, Sheppard, and Tavon Austin play in the slot. And you wanna put Gunter in the slot? Come on man smh.

 

[C-Lee]

Bouye is the best free agent CB and we should give a serious effort to sign him.

 

[Dantés]

Please name one big wr besides Fitzgerald who plays in the slot. I'm convinced a lot of folks in here watch football.. but from a schematic and personal evaluation point, don't understand football at all. There's a reason why guys like Cobb, Beasley, Edelman, Gabriel, Cook, Sheppard, and Tavon Austin play in the slot. And you wanna put Gunter in the slot? Come on man smh.

I'm not really here to argue about Gunter's fit in the slot, but if you're interested: Eric Decker, Mohamed Sanu, Jordan Matthews, Anquan Boldin, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and Alshon Jeffery (among others) are all bigger receivers who spend a lot of time in the slot. Marques Colston was the classic example of the big slot, and he's now been replaced in that role by Michael Thomas. It's become quite common for big receivers to play inside.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Bouye is the best free agent CB and we should give a serious effort to [posign him.

No guarantee that Bouye will be a FA. Texans have until March to resign him and he has stated that he wants to keep playing in Houston. Also, given that he would be one of the "top" named CB FA's , if it happened, I think he will be way out of TT's comfort level of spending the moment the gavel hits the table to begin the auction.

 

[C-Lee]

No guarantee that Bouye will be a FA. Texans have until March to resign him and he has stated that he wants to keep playing in Houston. Also, given that he would be one of the "top" named CB FA's , if it happened, I think he will be way out of TT's comfort level of spending the moment the gavel hits the table to begin the auction.

Let me dream!