I think it's a maturity thing with Walker. Young and dumb are common in all kids. Other than those two penalties, it wasn't like he was getting flagged every game for something questionable or stupid. He had only four penalties all year (two were the DQs). Let's see if he makes it to older and wiser before saying it's a trend.
I’m not too concerned with this kid maturing. He isn’t what the incident made him look like in my opinion. Just a poor instant reaction IMO.
Doesn't seem too be improving . Discussion starts at the 15 minute mark
Quay, like many on this defense seems to be better suited attacking the play versus "keeping it all in front of them".
@FLPACKER posted:Doesn't seem too be improving . Discussion starts at the 15 minute mark
Like the rest of these 1st round picks, it will be very interesting to see what a different DC does with the same talent next year.
he's been beat up all year, sophomore maturing experience. if he gets stronger and learns better how to tackle ferociously without putting his health at risk, he might have a career
Attitude.
Love this from Quay and the OL reaction is priceless. pic.twitter.com/jSVWlKNOCV
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) January 8, 2024
I've been impressed this year with Quay keeping his cool. He said he wanted to work on it, and he has. And if you watch where Quay missed the coverage on Moore, immediately after the tackle Quay's reaction shows he knew he screwed up, but it wasn't an over-the-top reaction. (I think Quay was so focused on spying Fields that he didn't really notice Moore until it was too late.) I just think JoBa has no idea how to use Quay to the best of his ability.
I do think he is "triggering" better on run plays inside the tackles and not "catching" blockers.
On the Moore play, sometimes the other guy wins. Happens to everyone.
@DH13 posted:On the Moore play, sometimes the other guy wins. Happens to everyone.
Agreed.
And in a game of "chess moves", sometimes the other coordinator makes a better move (ie. - Smith drops in coverage and the move is roasted, Raji drops into coverage, gets the INT/TD and it's hailed as a brilliant call for example).
@Fandame posted:I've been impressed this year with Quay keeping his cool. He said he wanted to work on it, and he has. And if you watch where Quay missed the coverage on Moore, immediately after the tackle Quay's reaction shows he knew he screwed up, but it wasn't an over-the-top reaction. (I think Quay was so focused on spying Fields that he didn't really notice Moore until it was too late.) I just think JoBa has no idea how to use Quay to the best of his ability.
Not only had he kept his cool, he's managed to keep his edge at the same time. He's always putting in that little extra effort at the end. Not enough to draw a flag but enough to remind the RB, TE, QB or whoever that he's gonna be in their shit all day.
To my eyes, Quay hasn't had a good year.
He has looked so slow, I thought he was playing with an injury.
He always seemed to be lined up 5-7 yards behind the OL. I figured Barry had had changed his role or responsibility (or similar), and that's where his tackles were being made.
But, these last couple of games... he looks like a new player!
Showing his speed, playing near the LOS, blitzing... I hope that continues!
Maybe moving Quay closer to the LOS and adding some blitzes is one of those little tweaks MLF was talking about.
He's no Aaron Rodgers when it comes to interviews, but he made an interesting comment today early in this clip about guys not liking the call.
"I'm way better mentally than I was last year"
— Luke Gamble (@LukeGambleTV) January 9, 2024
Quay Walker says the #Packers making the playoffs is huge for this team, but it's big for him personally as well
Walker had 9 tackles and 1 sack in the win against the Bears pic.twitter.com/Iqs6xjJv82
I agree with Timmy. I thought he played well against the Bears, and I like him blitzing on occasion. But I don’t think he’s been a difference maker in year 2. It took Patrick Queen a couple of years to figure things out, so hopefully Quay will continue to ascend.
@PackLandVA posted:Agreed.
And in a game of "chess moves", sometimes the other coordinator makes a better move (ie. - Smith drops in coverage and the move is roasted, Raji drops into coverage, gets the INT/TD and it's hailed as a brilliant call for example).
There a large gap between fooling the QB by dropping a DL into a zone and scheming your WR1 into a one on one with an OLB.
But hey, it happens. Just happens to happen to Barry more frequently than others.
Take PFF grades with whatever sized grain of salt you want, but among linebackers who played at least as many snaps as Quay Walker, no one graded out worse in 2023 than he did.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) February 21, 2024
And yet he still had a better grade in '23 than in 2022.
The 22nd overall pick.
Im not impressed by either him or Wyatt, pretty high draft capital used in those two, hopefully they improve soon
Guys like Quay and Savage were not being used correctly. You'll notice after the Carolina game things changed dramatically for both players....I wonder why that was?
What can be - Unburdened by what has been.
@Boris posted:Guys like Quay and Savage were not being used correctly. You'll notice after the Carolina game things changed dramatically for both players....I wonder why that was?
I’d like to see Savage salvage his career. Do you think the’ll try to re-sign him?
@YooperPackfan posted:I’d like to see Savage salvage his career. Do you think the’ll try to re-sign him?
Since Safety is a need for this team, GB may re-sign Savage, to a team friendly deal. Savage looked good, at times, this past season but he also looked bad, this past season. If he can tackle better than he has been doing, we can use him. Let's see what Hafley has in store for his Safeties and CBs this year. If Savage can fit into Hafley's system and tackle better, he may get re-signed. If he does not fit well, into Hafley's schemes, it's good-bye Savage.
@Boris posted:Guys like Quay and Savage were not being used correctly. You'll notice after the Carolina game things changed dramatically for both players....I wonder why that was?
Bingo! All of a sudden, Quay moves up to the LOS on some plays and causes havoc. Savage may have cost GB a shot at winning the SF game, but at least he was in the right spot, as he was in Dallas.
The missing piece is learning which D plays may have been called by MLF vs Barry. I can't recall seeing Quay nearer the LOS prior to the last couple of games, so I assume that was a MLF wrinkle. As for Savage, his being in better position may have been due to MLF or him actually being where he should be or just luck?
@Boris posted:Guys like Quay and Savage were not being used correctly. You'll notice after the Carolina game things changed dramatically for both players....I wonder why that was?
Listened to a podcast and had an interesting observation for Walker - he's a task-oriented LB in that you tell him to blitz the passer, and he can do it. Tell him to cover the TE, he can do it. Ask him to fill this gap, he can do it. But ask him to read a formation and presnap movement and decide what to do, and he struggles. Ask him to cover a zone and decide who to cover, and he struggles. Or to sit back and decide if he should play coverage or rush based on what the offense does and he struggles. I'm no LB expert so can't say it's right, but it's an interesting observation.
Maybe Walker should move to OLB in a 4-3 and be more of an assignment guy rather than MLB who's asked to run the defense. Let his athleticism shine and don't ask him to read and react. No idea if that works in this new 4-3 defense but hoping they can get something out of Walker to match his 1st round status.
Whatever works, I'll bet Hafley finds the key to unlock him.
This has been Walker's MO since entering the league. He has difficulty triggering on run plays, and dropping deep enough in zone on pass plays, when the down / distance / offensive formation isn't a obvious run or an obvious pass down.
All I've wanted on defense was coaches putting players in the best position to succeed and we haven't had that since Dom in 2010 and Fritz in the mid 90's
@Boris posted:All I've wanted on defense was coaches putting players in the best position to succeed and we haven't had that since Dom in 2010 and Fritz in the mid 90's
This. And today with all the substitutions on almost every play, there's no reason to not get guys in position to succeed.
@YooperPackfan posted:I’d like to see Savage salvage his career. Do you think the’ll try to re-sign him?
Personally, I've seen enough of Savage. I have a hard time believing he will ever be even average as a tackler. He had a pretty poor game against SF. Gave up the TD to Kittle, missed tackle on McCaffery's TD run, dropped Int.
@Boris posted:All I've wanted on defense was coaches putting players in the best position to succeed and we haven't had that since Dom in 2010 and Fritz in the mid 90's
Easier to do when your roster is brimming with talent and some HOFers sprinkled in.
Gute needs the kind of draft on D this year like he had for O last year. Not to be greedy.
@DH13 posted:Easier to do when your roster is brimming with talent and some HOFers sprinkled in.
Gute needs the kind of draft on D this year like he had for O last year. Not to be greedy.
I think the key in getting to Super Bowls in the NFL is to make sure you have enough personnel and coaching overall to not have areas that ensure that you get beat and then you have to supplement that with a couple of HOF level players (or that play like that during that year or playoff run) that make the game deciding plays.
Reggie White, LeRoy Butler, and Brett Favre (and Desmond Howard for that year) in 1996 with no real weak spots.
Charles Woodson and Aaron Rodgers (along with CM3 and Tramon Williams) in 2010.
They had the superstars (also include D. Adams, Z. Smith for 2020, Bakh in some years) to win a few other years (2011, 2013, 2020, 2021), but had some roster (sometimes injury-related - Nick, Collins, Bakh) or coaching flaws that got in the way.
They need a safety and another RB, but other than that you don't look at the 2024 team on paper and think there are some personnel you have to upgrade in order to be competitive (the mid 2010s DBs are an example of where they were terrible - Rollins, Randall, etc.).
But, I also don't see a Woodson or Butler type (or even a Tramon Williams or Eugene Robinson type) on defense. Love may approach a superstar QB level on offense and Jones, if healthy, is a great player, but there just isn't that playmaker on defense yet. Gary, Van Ness, and Q. Walker may have the physical ability and are still young, but they just don't make enough plays right now.
They have plenty of good to adequate players at WR/TE/DL/LB/OL/DB. Again, they need another RB and a safety, but those positions aren't generally high first round picks.
They'd be better off focusing on signing a defensive star in free agency (where one might not be available) or packaging some picks this year to get a veteran difference maker on defense in a trade.
@13X posted:Personally, I've seen enough of Savage. I have a hard time believing he will ever be even average as a tackler. He had a pretty poor game against SF. Gave up the TD to Kittle, missed tackle on McCaffery's TD run, dropped Int.
You'd live with some missed tackles if he made more plays like the pick 6 against Dallas. For a guy with his physical tools, he just doesn't make enough wow plays over the course of his career. Mainly because he has hands of stone and plays the ball in the air as poorly as any otherwise good athlete I've ever seen.
Biggest thing I see on defense is a lack of "football IQ". We have some great athletes, but other than Alexander (when motivated), we don't have players with that "it" factor, the ability to anticipate rather than react, which leads to big plays.