@PackLandVA posted:I think everyone should attend. Unless someone gets injured. Then I reserve the right to change my mind and bitch about vets going to voluntary workouts.
They get 6 month vacations, fer crying out loud.
The Bears and Suckqueens get more than 6 months. 
Not related to current players in the NFL, but Marion Barber was found dead in his apartment earlier today. Played for the Golden Gophers before being drafted by the Cowboys. Finished his career with the TBSS. Had some mental issues later in life. Don't know if that had anything to do with his death.
@Timmy! posted:I tend to be lenient with vets that have 4+ years of experience, but I would rather they attend than not. Especially a certain player who was recently made the highest paid player in the league, who likewise should be 'encouraging' his teammates to do the same...
Even if they carry a fairly light workload, it still benefits both the team and player.
Newcomers, whether they are vets, rookies, or FAs should consider "voluntary" to be the same as "mandatory".
..and your boss wants you to do unpaid OT on Sunday’s at noon. You’re a Sr. tech Timmy, you gotta show these youngsters the way. Where is your loyalty?
His admission that he thinks about retirement "all the time" is not real assuring of his full commitment to the Packers and I'm a little surprised he said this publicly. As someone who is also on the cusp of retirement, I have to say that, subconsciously at least, you become a little less committed to all of the minor details of your role when you begin to see the finish line approaching. The NFL season is a grind and the pressure on him will be even greater this year as he develops chemistry with a new crop of receivers. Bad sign if he is already thinking of checking out. He thinks about retirement all the time.
@RochNyFan posted:His admission that he thinks about retirement "all the time" is not real assuring of his full commitment to the Packers and I'm a little surprised he said this publicly. As someone who is also on the cusp of retirement, I have to say that, subconsciously at least, you become a little less committed to all of the minor details of your role when you begin to see the finish line approaching. The NFL season is a grind and the pressure on him will be even greater this year as he develops chemistry with a new crop of receivers. Bad sign if he is already thinking of checking out. He thinks about retirement all the time.
I think this may be a case where Rodgers (like Favre before him) is being a little too honest with the media (a departure from some his comments in various settings last year).
These guys play a violent sport where their bodies likely hurt constantly during the playing season. I would bet a lot of NFL vets over 28-30 years old are thinking about retirement all the time. If they didn't think about retirement, it would be abnormal.
I started thinking about retirement back in 1982.
When I decided to retire in a year, the following year took what seemed like 3 years to complete. 😀. I have had many wonderful years in my life. The last 4 have been among the best.
@RochNyFan posted:His admission that he thinks about retirement "all the time" is not real assuring of his full commitment to the Packers and I'm a little surprised he said this publicly. As someone who is also on the cusp of retirement, I have to say that, subconsciously at least, you become a little less committed to all of the minor details of your role when you begin to see the finish line approaching. The NFL season is a grind and the pressure on him will be even greater this year as he develops chemistry with a new crop of receivers. Bad sign if he is already thinking of checking out. He thinks about retirement all the time.
He's probably thinking about it all the time because he knows he's nearing the end and doesn't want to be done. You on the other hand probably can't wait to be done.
I played competitive soccer through my 20’s. I always looked at the “old guys” in their mid-30’s and wondered why they tried to keep up with us more fit youths. Blew my knee out at 28 and never recovered my old form. I became an old guy hanging on suddenly and it sucked to see the young guys look at me pathetically hanging on. Not comparing that level to anyone in the NFL, but when you see the end of your prime, you try to hang on to it.
I don't believe that last post. I looked up "Blair Kiel" in Wikipedia and found no such reference to soccer.
@Blair Kiel posted:When I decided to retire in a year, the following year took what seemed like 3 years to complete. 😀. I have had many wonderful years in my life. The last 4 have been among the best.
Interesting. Mrs. Kiel said the last 4 years have been hell!
We’ve been part time spouses living in 2 states during that time….that jig is up when she retires in January. What the Hell am I gonna do with her all day? 😀
@PackLandVA posted:I don't believe that last post. I looked up "Blair Kiel" in Wikipedia and found no such reference to soccer.
My soccer name was Goalline.
@Blair Kiel posted:We’ve been part time spouses living in 2 states during that time….that jig is up when she retires in January. What the Hell am I gonna do with her all day? 😀
You’ve taken care of 5 minutes…then what?
Hubris too.
@Blair Kiel posted:When I decided to retire in a year, the following year took what seemed like 3 years to complete. 😀. I have had many wonderful years in my life. The last 4 have been among the best.
Any coincidence that you've spent about 80% of the last 4 years badgering YA on X4? 
@Blair Kiel posted:My soccer name was Goalline.
Mostly because, you are so old and so slow.
@Goalline posted:Any coincidence that you've spent about 80% of the last 4 years badgering YA on X4?
He and I both apparently have a lot of time to kill.
@Blair Kiel posted:You’ve taken care of 5 minutes…then what?
Well, to be fair, it's probably 5 minutes every week for the year.
With the lack of news coming out of OTAs, if the reason is because no one (player) has done a thing worth reporting, we are DOOMED!
@YooperPackfan posted:Sammy Watkins ass should be there as well
So you want him injured before training camp?
Yardbarker had an article “6 reasons the Packers won’t win the Super Bowl.
I’ve never seen these stats before and they’re troubling to me. Highlights the importance of the offensive line getting healthy and playing well
2. Under Pressure
That third-and-6 question is hugely important. Here’s why: For all of Rodgers’ brilliance last season, he was terrible when under pressure. According to Pro Football Focus, 31 quarterbacks were pressured on at least 130 dropbacks. In that group, Rodgers ranked 29th in completion percentage (39.5) and 18th in passer rating (68.9). Those stand in stark contrast to his clean-pocket marks of a 76.9 percent completion rate and 122.2 passer rating.
Because Adams generally got open, Rodgers didn’t face much pressure. With the uncertainty at receiver, Rodgers could face more pressure this season. He must play better in those situations.
@PackerPatrick posted:I try and see both sides to any argument. However, IRT voluntary workouts I feel that the advantage gained by going outweighs the rest and personal time afforded to skipping them. It’s a personal choice. I get that. Making them voluntary was an agreement between parties at a labor contract. So, indeed, they are strictly voluntary. Yet, as others have pointed out, it behooves them to attend. I understand the need for some free time after a grueling season and the body’s and minds need the rest. But in order to address that I would prefer that teams would push these sessions closer to TC and that the players would attend them. My only exception would be for rookies and new players who might need a tad more time and breaks to review the playbook. Then the early voluntary workouts make sense for them.
I’m not required to work more than 40 hours per week, but I do because I pride myself on doing what it takes to do the job well and benefit the company, support my team, etc. I take pride in what I do. These guys who take off OTA’s are not doing everything in their power to help the team to its ultimate goal. I’d be missed of I were MLF too, and I’d make it known that the players who are there are doing everything they can to help the team win a championship. Especially players like Watkins who hasn’t done shit in years, Amari Rodgers who didn’t look like he belonged in the NFL, and Garvin who hasn’t done shit in this league. You’d think they would be ultra motivated, but apparently they’re not. I’ll be surprised if any of them are on the team at the end of training camp. At the very least, they’ll be buried on the depth chart. And I won’t feel bad for any of them.
@vitaflo posted:He's probably thinking about it all the time because he knows he's nearing the end and doesn't want to be done. You on the other hand probably can't wait to be done.
Well then they should retire already. Take your money and run. If you’re not 100% committed to winning, then happy trails. That’s why it’sa young man’s game.
What a message AR would set by being there voluntary OTA’s, especially since he has almost an entirely new WR corp. Great leader. So glad we didn’t trade him. Not.
I think the whole "AR should be at camp" drama is really just fan/media created drama. Here are some quotes from a few people ref his absence:
Mike Spofford on April 15: The offense on paper has to be understood thoroughly before the way Rodgers sees things would make much sense. I'm sure there'd be value in having him here but putting a grad school professor in front of a freshman class won't necessarily make it learn the material any faster.
GM Brian Gutekunst in his April 30 post-draft press conference: It's not a bad thing to let some of these guys get established with our offense a little bit, certainly the foundational principles before he gets here, because it's not easy, and we want to give those guys the best chance they can when he gets here.
QB coach Tom Clements on May 19: Aaron doesn't need reps at this time of the year. Obviously, it'd be nice to have him here, but he's seen these things 1,000 times and he'll be ready to go when training camp starts.
ESPN's Rob Demovsky and Wes Hodkiewicz via the May 27-28 IIs: Maybe this arrangement helps the rookie receivers because it allows them to get more comfortable with the offense until Rodgers is back in town. Learn to walk before you're running sprints. … Sometimes it's good to walk through things with the teaching assistant before the professor starts class.
Sure, it would be great if he were there. But it's just not a big deal that he isn't. He'll be ready in July and have plenty of time to work with the new offensive players.
Yeah, you'd like your QB and team leader to be there but he isn't. It is what it is. I'd put it at a concern level of 3 out of 10. Just not worth worrying about the first week of June. Probably for the best anyways, makes it easier for the two rookies to ease their way in to an NFL offense.
I'm just glad he wasn't here to see the youngsters dropping balls.
12 shows up for mandatory mini-camp...
Great. Now he is taking reps away from younger players and just showing off for the media.
He just wants to punch a kid with cancer waiting for an autograph.
@antooo posted:I'm just glad he wasn't here to see the youngsters dropping balls.
Uncomfortable sentence.
@PackLandVA posted:I think the whole "AR should be at camp" drama is really just fan/media created drama. Here are some quotes from a few people ref his absence:
Mike Spofford on April 15: The offense on paper has to be understood thoroughly before the way Rodgers sees things would make much sense. I'm sure there'd be value in having him here but putting a grad school professor in front of a freshman class won't necessarily make it learn the material any faster.
GM Brian Gutekunst in his April 30 post-draft press conference: It's not a bad thing to let some of these guys get established with our offense a little bit, certainly the foundational principles before he gets here, because it's not easy, and we want to give those guys the best chance they can when he gets here.
QB coach Tom Clements on May 19: Aaron doesn't need reps at this time of the year. Obviously, it'd be nice to have him here, but he's seen these things 1,000 times and he'll be ready to go when training camp starts.
ESPN's Rob Demovsky and Wes Hodkiewicz via the May 27-28 IIs: Maybe this arrangement helps the rookie receivers because it allows them to get more comfortable with the offense until Rodgers is back in town. Learn to walk before you're running sprints. … Sometimes it's good to walk through things with the teaching assistant before the professor starts class.
Sure, it would be great if he were there. But it's just not a big deal that he isn't. He'll be ready in July and have plenty of time to work with the new offensive players.
I get it, and under normal circumstances with a veteran corp of WR's, no big deal. AR doesn't need that time to get ready. So it's still not that big of a deal, but it sure would be nice if the leader of the team who makes a gazillion $ and said he's all in to take the extra time to make a statement and spend the extra time with the team. Is it the difference between winning a SB or not? No, but it would send a good message to the rest of the team- especially the new receivers, that sacrifices have to be made to win championships.