OPTIMISTIC thread: My Off-season Master Plan to get us back on top

[Sunshinepacker]

Dude got dealt a bad hand with his back problems. I feel bad for the guy, he never really got his chance to shine and then got ragged on for being a bust.

I still remember the guy playing through a torn biceps against the Gators...guy was willing to play through injuries, he just kept getting injuries you can't play through.

 

[HardRightEdge]

If you listen to the podcast, you would get a better grasp of what they were talking about..

They never said Shields was worth that 9 mill for the reason you stated..

They were just saying if the Packers HAD to spend that 9 mill, they rather give it to Shields..Not that they would, just if they had to


I think the 9 mill was tossed out because that is the franchise tag

Like I side before, I don't care what they said.

 

[longtimefan]

Like I side before, I don't care what they said.

Then your missing out on other opinions, and a Packer insider's thoughts

 

[HardRightEdge]

Then your missing out on other opinions, and a Packer insider's thoughts

LOL. When it comes to contracts and where we're heading, these guys' idle chatter does not interest me. When they say, "we have an inside source", let me know.

 

[greenNyellow]

Here is my dream scenario for the first 3 rounds:
1) Hageman/Tuitt
2) Pryor/Bucannon
3) Skov/ Borland

I think we gotta draft defense early and often. It seems like this has been the idea the last 3 drafts. And I think DL, S and ILB should be taken with the first 3 picks. This defense has to get better. It's what has been holding us back.

 

[FrankRizzo]

Here is my dream scenario for the first 3 rounds:
1) Hageman/Tuitt
2) Pryor/Bucannon
3) Skov/ Borland

I think we gotta draft defense early and often. It seems like this has been the idea the last 3 drafts. And I think DL, S and ILB should be taken with the first 3 picks. This defense has to get better. It's what has been holding us back.

1- would be fine with Tuitt or Hageman, both ideal size......
2- Would love either of them as well.
3- Like Skov, LOVE Borland. I would bet you or anyone$ right now Borland is gone before our pick there in Rd 3.
Realistically, have to take him in Rd 2.
So sign a good Safety as a Free Agent, one who is NFL-ready now and not another project like Jennings, Burnett, McMillian all have been. What's wrong with a veteran FA safety who's seen thousands of NFL looks already?

 

[raj34]

First game of the season we lost by less than seven with a rook left tackle making his first start and missing our only decent safety. Last game we lost by three despite missing Clay Matthews, and the deciding moment happened because a 5 string cornerback gave up outside contain and then a gimpy 4 string OLB couldn't get to the sideline in time to force Kaep out of bounds. The last two games were close, don't pretend they weren't.

I never said anything about the "closeness" of the losses.

One of the primary goals of last offseason was to close the huge talent chasm between our squad and the niners. Did that happen?

Not really.

I think we're just going to have to wait for the salary cap to do the dirty work for us. Crabtree, Iupati, Aldon Smith, and Kaepernick are all coming up for new deals.

 

[raj34]

Here is my dream scenario for the first 3 rounds:
1) Hageman/Tuitt
2) Pryor/Bucannon
3) Skov/ Borland

I think we gotta draft defense early and often. It seems like this has been the idea the last 3 drafts. And I think DL, S and ILB should be taken with the first 3 picks. This defense has to get better. It's what has been holding us back.

Hageman is intriguing to me, but doesn't anyone else think it's a mistake to keep sinking premium resources into the DL considering Capers's scheme? Why draft dynamic, twitchy athletes if their job description is to impersonate a tree stump?

I would prefer more massive, slower guys that fall farther in the draft like that mid rounder Brandon Williams the ravens drafted last year. I don't want another scenario where we pass on a guy like crabtree for a guy like raji.

 

[greenNyellow]

Hageman is intriguing to me, but doesn't anyone else think it's a mistake to keep sinking premium resources into the DL considering Capers's scheme? Why draft dynamic, twitchy athletes if their job description is to impersonate a tree stump?

You bring up a good point. I however feel that this guy would be a great DE in this system. And I feel like we could really use a 6-6 guy on our DL considering we have lots of smaller guys on our DL. We could also use a safety or ILB in round 1 but there really isn't one I'm excited about. Maybe Mosley but he won't drop or Clinton Dix. But what do I know?

 

[greenNyellow]

1- would be fine with Tuitt or Hageman, both ideal size......
2- Would love either of them as well.
3- Like Skov, LOVE Borland. I would bet you or anyone$ right now Borland is gone before our pick there in Rd 3.
Realistically, have to take him in Rd 2.
So sign a good Safety as a Free Agent, one who is NFL-ready now and not another project like Jennings, Burnett, McMillian all have been. What's wrong with a veteran FA safety who's seen thousands of NFL looks already?

The knock on Borland is he is undersized and scouts question his ability in coverage. He might be taken before our pick in round 3 but I'd rather have Skov. Now I don't think Skov will be available also. Perryman and Smallwood also interest me at ILB.

 

[easyk83]

I never said anything about the "closeness" of the losses.

One of the primary goals of last offseason was to close the huge talent chasm between our squad and the niners. Did that happen?

Not really.

I think we're just going to have to wait for the salary cap to do the dirty work for us. Crabtree, Iupati, Aldon Smith, and Kaepernick are all coming up for new deals.

So going from getting your doors blown off to close tight winnable games does count for "closing the talent gap."

 

[raj34]

So going from getting your doors blown off to close tight winnable games does count for "closing the talent gap."

Compare our defensive personnel and their defensive personnel. Compare our OL and their OL. You can even compare our skill guys and their's.

The situation looks exactly the same today as it did a year ago to me.

 

[raj34]

Apologies for a two part post, but this just occurred to me:

I think we're actually worse off now than last year because we're sort of married, at least in the short term, to Burnett and Brad Jones. Don't have the numbers in front of me, but cutting them probably isn't possible because of bonus acceleration, but they're both huge liabilities.

Packers best hope is that some of these young players like Jones and Perry and Hayward avoid the Morgan Burnett improvement plan this offseason and that the strength and conditioning staff are all canned with extreme prejudice.

 

[Chicocheese]

Not to mention in BOTH games we had LATE LEADS. The 49ers didn't beat us as bad as everyone thinks or wants to think.

 

[BorderRivals.com]

And cue Frank's injury rant.

But think about it. We held the 9ers to 23 points without Clay, Neal, and Mulumba getting hurt. No Hayward and Shields. Datone Jones was playing OLB in the second half. No Jolly. If they had those injuries on their defense, I bet our offense has a MUCH better game than their offense had against our banged up defense.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I would be ecstatic if the Packers went after Brandon Spikes this offseason. He's not great in coverage but he's phenomenal against the run. If we lose Pickett and move Boyd to NT, we'll need bigger ILBs since Boyd would be more of a penetrating NT rather than a plug NT.

 

[FrankRizzo]

And cue Frank's injury rant.

But think about it. We held the 9ers to 23 points without Clay, Neal, and Mulumba getting hurt. No Hayward and Shields. Datone Jones was playing OLB in the second half. No Jolly. If they had those injuries on their defense, I bet our offense has a MUCH better game than their offense had against our banged up defense.

Don't get me started again.

 

[FrankRizzo]

I said it originally and say it again:

BORLAND

The Senior Bowl practices got underway yesterday down in Mobile, Alabama.
Here are a collection of his first-day impressions:

www.Vikings.com
Borland’s performance was similarly impactful on Monday, as he was constantly in on tackles and around the ball. He collected a fumble recovery and an interception, and in general looked good in coverage. Borland may not be the biggest (5-11, 245) or the fastest or the strongest, but in watching him play a few games this season and in watching him practice on Monday, it’s clear the Wisconsin linebacker is an instinctual and natural defender.

Adam Hoge, www.CBSChicago.com
Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland said the biggest knock on him that he’s heard is that he’s not athletic enough. Apparently those people didn’t see him leap over a player to block a punt in 2009. Size might be a concern with Borland, but it’s not height. I’ll say this more than once with him over the next few months: trust the tape, not his measurables. The kid can play.
Tony Pauline, www.DraftInsider.net
Borland is another size-deficient prospect who stepped up big today. The Wisconsin product showed a complete game, making several nice plays defending the run as well as covering the pass. Borland plays smart, tough football and rarely makes mental mistakes. The fact he measured just 5-11 ½ today will relegate him to the draft's second day yet Borland exceeded expectations during the first Senior Bowl practice.

Brian Murphy, www.PackersNetwork.com
They said Sam Mills was the exception. Then they said Zach Thomas was an exception. Then they said London Fletcher was also an exception.
Now, I am telling you to add Borland to that exception list of inside linebackers considered too small to be stars in the NFL. For what he lacks in height or arm length of hand size, he more than makes up for it with his tremendous instincts, intelligence, and tenacity. He would be a dream fit and instant upgrade to Dom Capers' Green Bay Packers linebacker corps, as he would immediately upgrade both current ILB's Brad Jones and AJ Hawk in the middle.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I agree. The size thing is overrated. Add Bobby Wagner to the list...6' 3/8", 241 lbs. at the Combine, and there's no denying he packs a punch. Wagner was a guy I liked a lot after the Senior Bowl.

However, Wagner ran about 4.45 at the Combine; Borland runs about 4.75 it would appear. I wouldn't call that a "dream fit", as Murphy put it, given what we ask ILBs to do in coverage. The size thing coupled with the speed thing looks like a problem covering TEs and TBs.

 

[Stevie DK]

In my mind we need something just as important as new players. New conditioning trainers/cordinators, wayy too many injuries happens when your condition is off, you can't prevent a broken leg but you can minimize injuries.
Chip Kelly's mindset is the same, and it sure works, you can't win championships with the number of injuries the Packers have, it's not a one year thing, it happens every freakin year.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I'm sorry to say, despite needs elsewhere, my preliminary projection is for D-Line in the first round.

Nix will likely be taken before #21; either Hageman or Tuitt would fit the bill and might still be around then...these guys more closely represent what Datone Jones was supposed to be and can be projected as 3-down players unlike the draftees of recent years. We seem to have accumulated a lot of nickel DTs.

Both Hageman and Tuitt are big, strong athletic guys...both are about 6'6", 315 lbs., and run about 4.9. Hageman looks like a fiery guy with a motor, two characteristics lacking in some of our incumbents.

There's a long way still to go with the FA decisions weighing heavily on the draft.

Regardless, I would not protest "best available defensive player", excluding CB if Shields is signed and Williams retained.

 

[NOMOFO]

Compare our defensive personnel and their defensive personnel. Compare our OL and their OL. You can even compare our skill guys and their's.

The situation looks exactly the same today as it did a year ago to me.

I would take our skill guys hands down not-even-a question. Nelson may very well be the most under rated player in the NFL but you should know better. You just come off as a hater to suggest their skill players are better. When healthy...what the he## tells you Cobb isn't as good as Crabtree? That guy is also the real deal. With j mike down...all they have on us is TE. That's it.

 

[Vrill]

I want either CJ Mosley or Ahmad Dixon in this draft (or both) - But if we can land one, i'll be happy.

 

[BorderRivals.com]

Compare our defensive personnel and their defensive personnel. Compare our OL and their OL. You can even compare our skill guys and their's.

The situation looks exactly the same today as it did a year ago to me.

This might be the most asinine comment yet. Yes, their defensive personnel is nearly unmatched in the entire league. Offensively, it's a different story.

QB - Rodgers. Kaep only closes the gap because of his legs. But, when a team takes that away, he's a good to very good QB, but far from elite.
RB - Lacy takes it. Younger. Similar type backs, but everyone would take Lacy at this point in their respective careers.
WR - This is almost as big of a landslide as their defensive matchups to ours.
TE - VD gets it. But if JMike were healthy, it's only a slight favorite to VD.

For some reason, people on this forum just LOOOOOOVE the 9ers. They are a great team. But, let's remember, for all of their success in getting to the NFC Championships these past 3 years, they are 1-2 in those games and a SB loser. And now they have some huge contracts coming up. So, let's try to be realistic with your obvious love affair with the 9ers when comparing it to a Packers team that has won at a high level over the same time frame.

 

[FrankRizzo]

For some reason, people on this forum just LOOOOOOVE the 9ers. They are a great team. But, let's remember, for all of their success in getting to the NFC Championships these past 3 years, they are 1-2 in those games and a SB loser. And now they have some huge contracts coming up. So, let's try to be realistic with your obvious love affair with the 9ers when comparing it to a Packers team that has won at a high level over the same time frame.

I hate the Niners, and yes, while they have owned us the past 3 seasons, with Kaepernick outplaying Rodgers all 3 games, the best of the Niners is BEHIND!
Their window just closed up some.
Now, it's not totally closed for sure.

But they are going to start losing more quality players than they add.

Last year, they lost just one, DaShon Goldson, the hard-hitting, dreadlock-flowing safety.
And they replaced him with their 1st round pick Eric Reid. Reid played well, but in that loss to Seattle, he sucked. He made 2 huge mistakes including totally whiffing on Marshawn Lynch which gave Lynch the space to run free for his long TD.
He also tried to KO a Seahawk and ended up hurting his own guy (not the Bowman play but another).

Anyway, they also added Boldin.

But now, look for them to lose AT LEAST 2 good players if not 3 or 4, and they got Novorro Bowman seriously injured. Remember how we lost our best ILB Bishop? We'll see if Bowman makes it back at all next year.

So I think the Niners are done going to Super Bowls, which is great!

Now we need to break apart the Seahawks piece by piece.

Back to Chris Borland:
I totally agree with Mayock: I would not let this guy get outta the 2nd round, without question.
Timed speed and measured heighth are a bit overrated.
Forget the measurements, go by the game tape.