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Biggest issue with him has been health the last 2 years. He had a torn pectoral muscle and I believe and ankle injury causing him to miss most of the last 2 seasons. Prior to that, he was a pretty decent ILB according to reports. When he signed his 4 year deal, here was what was written about him per PFF:

Kirksey has elevated his play in each of his first three seasons and in 2016 he graded as tied for the 22nd best off the ball linebacker with an overall grade of 81.5.

â€Ē Kirksey has developed into a dominant force defending the run. In 2016 his run-defense grade of 84.9 ranked fourth among linebackers and his 46 run stops ranked first amongst inside linebackers(A stop is a tackle resulting in an offensive failure).

â€Ē In 2016, Kirksey was effective as a pass rusher off blitzes. His pass-rush productivity of 16.0 ranked fifth among inside linebackers with at least 40 pass rush snaps. He produced 16 pressures (two sacks, four hits, ten hurries) on 78 pass rush snaps.

 

Oren Burks, Josh Jackson. A couple of fairly high draft picks that a really hard time finding playing time under Pettine. Rashan Gary hopefully doesn't continue to fit in that category in 2020, especially if the Packers are moving on from Fackrell.

If Burks and Jackson are not in the Packers plans in 2020, then cut the dead weight and move on.    

More accurate picture of the Packers cap situation now that Graham has been released. Just for reference, in 2019 contracts for Z. Smith, P. Smith, and Amos totaled $154M, but the cap hit combined for all three was only $19.15M. Realistically it looks like this space buys us probably 1 Bulaga and maybe 2 mid-tier FA's or 2 upper-tier FA's and some lower tier vets. Could be more if guys like Lane Taylor get chopped. Clark and A. Jones are already under contract, so at worst they're going to get extensions with only some extra in signing bonus charged this year. Wouldn't expect KC to have a cap hit much beyond the $7.6M he already has. 

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Last edited by Grave Digger

Christian Kirksey visiting the Bills today

 
 
 

At a time when most people don’t want to travel (and probably shouldn’t), Christian Kirksey is continuing his world tour.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Kirksey is visiting with the Bills today.

He’d be a solid addition to a team that already has Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano at linebacker. They lost Lorenzo Alexander to retirement, and the former Browns linebacker would be a good addition.

He’s previously been to see the Packers and the Raiders, racking up plenty of frequent flier miles in the week before free agency is supposed to start, with other teams interested in him as well.

packerboi posted:

Oren Burks, Josh Jackson. A couple of fairly high draft picks that a really hard time finding playing time under Pettine. Rashan Gary hopefully doesn't continue to fit in that category in 2020, especially if the Packers are moving on from Fackrell.

If Burks and Jackson are not in the Packers plans in 2020, then cut the dead weight and move on.    

Just a thought but would it be worth it to just put Burks back at SS position like in college?  It's a bit of weird fit but it's better than nothing.

With MLB, the NBA and the NHL suspending their schedules indefinitely, I am curious as to how and if the players will be getting paid.  I presume that teams are still obligated to pay out any guaranteed money and perhaps some other obligations as well during missed games, but I haven't found a definitive answer on the interwebs.

The NFL season is nearly half a year away, and camps won't start for more than a month.  But with the free agency market about to begin, both sides of the negotiations will need to cover themselves in the event that the season is shortened or even cancelled.  As things stand now, I don't know how to even begin to handicap the likelihood of that event, but it is something that franchises have to consider when paying out large contracts.  So do teams offer slightly larger FA contracts with less guaranteed money in the first year than the normally would?  Will players and agents be willing to seek lower total compensation but demand even higher guarantees for 2020?  And how do franchises without multi-billionaire owners walk that line when taking into account the chance of a serious interruption in revenue?

It's giving me a headache.  (I already had the dry cough and fever, so they are probably not related.  Still I think I should socially distance myself from Mssrs. Ball and Glutencrunch.)

I am reading stuff about how Hooper is cool with coming to the Packers. I get that. But why would the team want to spend 10+ Mil per year on a TE after releasing a TE getting less? Is he really that much better than Graham? Is that really where the team wants to spend it’s limited cap money? 
If he is, great, but I don’t see it. Am I missing something? 

PackerPatrick posted:

I am reading stuff about how Hooper is cool with coming to the Packers. I get that. But why would the team want to spend 10+ Mil per year on a TE after releasing a TE getting less? Is he really that much better than Graham? Is that really where the team wants to spend it’s limited cap money? 
If he is, great, but I don’t see it. Am I missing something? 

The immediate difference is one of the TE's can play where the other can't.  Is it worth it?  To me, no.  I've said before that I think Jace Sternberger is going to be very good.  I'm more than fine going into the new season with him as the #1 TE.  

I'd prefer FA money spent on MLB, WR, OL and DL (In that order).

Pakrz posted:
PackerPatrick posted:

I am reading stuff about how Hooper is cool with coming to the Packers. I get that. But why would the team want to spend 10+ Mil per year on a TE after releasing a TE getting less? Is he really that much better than Graham? Is that really where the team wants to spend it’s limited cap money? 
If he is, great, but I don’t see it. Am I missing something? 

The immediate difference is one of the TE's can play where the other can't.  Is it worth it?  To me, no.  I've said before that I think Jace Sternberger is going to be very good.  I'm more than fine going into the new season with him as the #1 TE.  

I'd prefer FA money spent on MLB, WR, OL and DL (In that order).

 

The Packers have plenty of "need" positions to fill - both lines, MLB, TE, WR.  They aren't gonna be able to fill all of them adequately with the draft and FA.  I'll trust the FO to figure out which positions are most needed while maximizing the performance/$$$. If they view a guy as Hooper as a need signing, then maybe they place less of a priority on WR.  And if Jace is the guy and they sign Hooper, I'd imagine LaFkeur can figure a way to use them both.

Pakrz posted:
PackerPatrick posted:

I am reading stuff about how Hooper is cool with coming to the Packers. I get that. But why would the team want to spend 10+ Mil per year on a TE after releasing a TE getting less? Is he really that much better than Graham? Is that really where the team wants to spend it’s limited cap money? 
If he is, great, but I don’t see it. Am I missing something? 

The immediate difference is one of the TE's can play where the other can't.  Is it worth it?  To me, no.  I've said before that I think Jace Sternberger is going to be very good.  I'm more than fine going into the new season with him as the #1 TE.  

I'd prefer FA money spent on MLB, WR, OL and DL (In that order).

I could support that, too, only if the team also drafts a TE high. You must have depth, and that means not some journeyman, late-round pick, but someone with starting potential right away. I don't think the team wants to be in that position headed into the draft. I'm OK with spending some cash there to allow freedom in the draft, where, let's say it, the TE pickings offer no sure-fire starters. Even if you can make the argument that there is a player there, do you really want the team risking a high round pick to draft one, when we have more pressing needs?

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