Packers release Brad Jones

[Deleted member 6794]

But it seems to me that many of the Hawk critics who would like to see him gone regardless of circumstances are the same people who thought our defense played well after the bye. Guess what...Hawk was on the field for half of those snaps. You just don't want to see him in coverage and you don't want him on the strong side.

After the Vikings game in which an injured Kyle Rudolph looked like Usain Bolt running away from Hawk he only played 31.5% of the defensive snaps the rest of the way.

 

[Carl]

As TT likes guys who have been cut like Peppers and Guion since they don't affect comp picks, any solid ILBs who are likely to be cut this offseason?

 

[GoPGo]

Aj you're up next

Highly doubt it. Hawk will likely restructure and continue to bring strong leadership to the defense even if it's as a backup.

 

[adambr2]

Highly doubt it. Hawk will likely restructure and continue to bring strong leadership to the defense even if it's as a backup.

At some point you just have to move on. At ILB, it's time to move on.

 

[7thFloorRA]

I just can not see TT burning 2.5 mil of cap space on a guy who didn't barely play the 2nd half of the season because he wasn't any good anymore.

 

[rodell330]

Two yrs to late but better late than another year seeing this guy. He and Hawk had to be the worse starting ilb tandem I've ever seen in my life smh. Hawks next. He will be in Chicago next season and jones in Minnesota.

 

[HardRightEdge]

After the Vikings game in which an injured Kyle Rudolph looked like Usain Bolt running away from Hawk he only played 31.5% of the defensive snaps the rest of the way.

50%, 31%, it's splitting hairs in context. Given the choice between Hawk vs. anybody currently on the bench or some vet minimum wash out for 1/3 of the snaps I'll take Hawk all day.

We agree that a decent vet and high pick are needed to get 3 deep at the position. But if Thompson can't pull the trigger or find the cap space for that vet, you'll rue the day if Nate Palmer or Joe Thomas has to take the field.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Two yrs to late but better late than another year seeing this guy. He and Hawk had to be the worse starting ilb tandem I've ever seen in my life smh. Hawks next. He will be in Chicago next season and jones in Minnesota.

Jones will end up somewhere trying to get a job as 4-3 OLB. If Hawk is cut, he'll likely be done. He has value in the Capers system but not much elsewhere.

Hawk is 3 years too late, in my opinion. The signs were there in 2011. If not the 2012 draft then the 2013 draft for sure after Bishop went down, instead of scraping the bottom of the draft board and free agency. Thompson went for numbers over quality and found one adequate guy, and that's where we stand.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

50%, 31%, it's splitting hairs in context. Given the choice between Hawk vs. anybody currently on the bench or some vet minimum wash out for 1/3 of the snaps I'll take Hawk all day.

We agree that a decent vet and high pick are needed to get 3 deep at the position. But if Thompson can't pull the trigger or find the cap space for that vet, you'll rue the day if Nate Palmer or Joe Thomas has to take the field.

Once again, even if Thompson doesn´t bring in a veteran I don´t want to see Hawk on the field for a single snap next season. As I´ve stated repeatedly I want the Packers to spend an early round draft pick on an ILB (preferably Kendricks) to start next to Barrington. I would be fine with another draft pick and a combination of Bradford, Thomas and Palmer backing them up.

 

[RepStar15]

Hawk has been (arguably) wasted space on the field for about 4 years. In my opinion, he was never the threat he was intended to be when he was drafted. Hes slow and miss reads plays more often than not. Releasing him will leave the Packer's better off financially to sign the players we need (Bulaga, Cobb, House/Williams, Kuhn- who actually had a solid year this year) and move on. We will be golden in the draft, as we usually do. Don't forget how terrible our safety was last year and this year we had more depth and success at that position than anywhere else on the defense. This may be the best year I have seen for defensive lineman and some choice targets at ILB.

 

[Mondio]

I don't think Hawk has been useless for 4 years, but I do agree that after what he showed last year on the field, he's done. Even on obvious run downs, I can't imagine him being much more than a body out there. I'd rather lose some plays with a young guy out there learning the position, then sit and watch other teams pick apart the position held by Hawk when he's in there.

 

[PikeBadger]

I hope Brad Jones catches on with another team and I appreciate his contributions to the Packers over his 6? Years here. The guy has had a pretty good career for a 7th round draft pick. Kudos to him for beating the odds. I like seeing guys like Jones, Bush & Kuhn fighting for and latching onto roster spots.
I think what I like even more is how crazy it makes some of the hand-wringers here.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I hope Brad Jones catches on with another team and I appreciate his contributions to the Packers over his 6? Years here. The guy has had a pretty good career for a 7th round draft pick. Kudos to him for beating the odds. I like seeing guys like Jones, Bush & Kuhn fighting for and latching onto roster spots.
I think what I like even more is how crazy it makes some of the hand-wringers here.

I don´t think there´s a lot of ill-will towards Jones or Hawk on this forum. It was time to move on from him (and hopefully Hawk as well) though as the level of play at the ILB position wasn´t acceptable anymore.

 

[rodell330]

Young, fast, and athletic is what's needed. In the middle. I think Barrington is a lock to start but we need his Navarro Bowman or sidekick.

 

[Mondio]

I hope Brad Jones catches on with another team and I appreciate his contributions to the Packers over his 6? Years here. The guy has had a pretty good career for a 7th round draft pick. Kudos to him for beating the odds. I like seeing guys like Jones, Bush & Kuhn fighting for and latching onto roster spots.
I think what I like even more is how crazy it makes some of the hand-wringers here.

I'm not sure what to make of Jones. I liked him early on. I never thought he was a bad guy and he never did anything to make me think he was anything but a guy out there working hard. Except he seemed to have a knack for finding himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was weird. What should have been a great play seemed to end up a "bonehead" play and I'm not convinced it was always anything more than just bad luck at times. I keep thinking back to that 15 yard blow to the head against Detroit I think?

from one angle, the one from more of a front angle, seems to show him bringing his hand down in an obvious "slap" to the face mask. Not much contact, but still, looked intentional and will bring a flag. I was irate with the guy. Then I saw a replay, but only once, of a more backside angle and it looked completely different. From that angle it looked like he left his feet with his arms out and up to block down any pass. As he came down he was trying to pull his arms in to avoid clotheslining the QB which would have resulted in the same penalty, but looked 10x's worse. and as he did that, his hand just barely caught the facemask. Same penalty I know, but one way looked like total bonehead, and the other, wrong place wrong time on a very good effort.

Maybe my perception on that play was wrong from that angle, but I only saw it once and that's what it looked like.

 

[Half Empty]

I think the above is something that means Jones being released is a good thing for him. If he does have any ability, he'll catch on with another team and have a fresh start. If he'd stayed with the Pack, everyone would be looking for the next boneheaded play and would find it, regardless of whether it was actually his fault. When James Jones was dropping high-impact passes, all anyone noticed was when it happened again, not when he snagged a tough one. Heck, if Hawk ran down a WR, nobody would notice, because we're so conditioned to think of him as having cement shoes. Once a reputation is well-established, the player is going to live with it, and best wishes to Jones as he looks elsewhere.

 

[PikeBadger]

I don´t think there´s a lot of ill-will towards Jones or Hawk on this forum. It was time to move on from him (and hopefully Hawk as well) though as the level of play at the ILB position wasn´t acceptable anymore.

I'll have to disagree. There was plenty of Brad Jones hate during the season. Especially on days when Jarrett Bush didn't make any glaring mistakes.

 

[El Guapo]

IMO - Hawk will be restructured to a veteran minimum with incentives signaling his new role as backup ILB and mentor to the young guys. His ankle injury and subsequent surgery are a clue that he didn't "lose it" as many of us thought, he was slowed by injury. That doesn't explain away his declining skill though, and that's why he will be a backup and cheap insurance policy at a thin position.

 

[RepStar15]

Releasing Jones to open up more salary cap or to open up a new spot on the roster for a potential new signing/first round pick?

 

[fanindaup]

If memory serves, PFF rated Jones the #8 ILB in 2012. That's a cautionary tale on a couple of levels.

You got that right. Mark Twain said it best, there are lies, damn lies and statistics. How Brad Jones could have ever ranked as the #8 ILB is beyond me.

 

[Half Empty]

Releasing Jones to open up more salary cap or to open up a new spot on the roster for a potential new signing/first round pick?

The cap space helps, but I think if he had any value at all, the $3+ mil in a $140+ mil cap year wouldn't be much of an issue. Releasing him opens that roster spot for some way of filling it, but I think the FA/which draft round is still totally up in the air - actually the choices would still have been there, regardless.

 

[fanindaup]

After the Vikings game in which an injured Kyle Rudolph looked like Usain Bolt running away from Hawk he only played 31.5% of the defensive snaps the rest of the way.

That moment played on a constant loop in my mind throughout the rest of the season. Hawk has had his time. It is now passed. I like the guy but football is a young man's game.

 

[PackerDNA]

Haven't read back far enough to know if this has been mentioned or not, but there's a fly in the ointment regarding Hawk. The Packers can't release him without him taking a physical. Since he had surgery less than a month ago, it's unlikely that could happen anytime soon, almost certainly not by the time free agency begins or his roster bonus is due.
Could be looking at 'one more year', like it or not.

 

[PikeBadger]

. He will be in Chicago next season and jones in Minnesota.

And yet, there will be a loud chorus this spring from many here saying Minnesota and Chicago won the off-season and we will be lucky to go 8-8 this year. Smh

 

[Carl]

And yet, there will be a loud chorus this spring from many here saying Minnesota and Chicago won the off-season and we will be lucky to go 8-8 this year. Smh

If only were also did things like the 49ers too!