Yeah, unfortunately its time to move on. I think this is pretty close to the Al Harris situation, only Driver has a little more left in the tank than Al did, and Al - though a favorite - wasn't nearly as beloved by fans.
No way to say what the effect on the locker room would be, but these guys are all pros. Cobb needs to see the #3's share of the snaps, and the bottom of the depth chart needs to be used for development and Special Teams at this point. As much as I love DD, he doesn't help in either situation.
Stay or go, Driver will have to take less $$ to play this fall.
He definitely isn't going to be making $5M this year. What would you guys think is actually market value for someone like Driver? I can't even find a comparable situation from last year.
Oddly enough, Hines Ward is probably the most comparable WR, and he finds himself in the exact same spot as DD.
Oddly enough, Hines Ward is probably the most comparable WR, and he finds himself in the exact same spot as DD.
vet minimum is $935 K for an old timer like Driver
quote:Originally posted by Fond Du Arrigo:
Hines Ward, former SB MVP, getting axed
It definitely is a young man's game.
Probably gone because of the DUI he recently had.
Sign him as an assistant WR coach, keep him running plays with the WRs (coaching techique) and if one of the WRs goes down, just sign him to a player contract at vet mim.
Win/win for everyone.
Win/win for everyone.
Trade Stonehand Jones for a DE/DT... problem solved.
Who's going to give up a DE/DT for a "stone-handed" receiver?
I really don't see a problem. TT will make a decision that he feels is in the best long-term interest of the franchise and if some don't like it they'll have to deal with it.
I could be wrong, but he seemed to have telegraphed his intentions with the payment of roster money to both Borel and Gurley. Bringing Driver back would be a bit out of character given his track record.
I could be wrong, but he seemed to have telegraphed his intentions with the payment of roster money to both Borel and Gurley. Bringing Driver back would be a bit out of character given his track record.
Under TT, creating competition is how they make most roster decisions. Quantity begets quality and they decide it on the field. Driver is number 5 until somebody takes it from him. No sentimentality, just football
Additionally, with Quarless likely starting the season on PUP, it would be easy enough to keep Driver AND one of the young WRs until October and make the final decision then. Depth Charts often look different in mid-October than they did in early September
Additionally, with Quarless likely starting the season on PUP, it would be easy enough to keep Driver AND one of the young WRs until October and make the final decision then. Depth Charts often look different in mid-October than they did in early September
quote:Originally posted by atticus:
Who's going to give up a DE/DT for a "stone-handed" receiver?
Now ya done it. You gone and confused diggr with logic.
quote:Originally posted by Satori:
Additionally, with Quarless likely starting the season on PUP, it would be easy enough to keep Driver AND one of the young WRs until October and make the final decision then. Depth Charts often look different in mid-October than they did in early September
Assuming Gurley is the 6th WR & he plays special teams well, I don't see any reason a 6th WR wouldn't be added
quote:Originally posted by atticus:
Who's going to give up a DE/DT for a "stone-handed" receiver?
Maybe someone who has one that is injury-prone malcontent?
I think MM values TEs too much in this offense to scale back the numbers, but then we never thought we’d see the day with only one FB on the roster.
If Quarless starts on PUP, that does buy some time to go with 6 WR, but what if everyone is healthy when he gets back? Then you have to make the same decision but 6 weeks into the season when it’s a huge disservice to whoever is released. Or if they keep DD for the full year, the team’s in the exact same boat next March if the guy really wants to play for three more years.
Again, I love the guy, but 2011 was his “one more year.”
If Quarless starts on PUP, that does buy some time to go with 6 WR, but what if everyone is healthy when he gets back? Then you have to make the same decision but 6 weeks into the season when it’s a huge disservice to whoever is released. Or if they keep DD for the full year, the team’s in the exact same boat next March if the guy really wants to play for three more years.
Again, I love the guy, but 2011 was his “one more year.”
quote:Originally posted by oldnavy:
Sign him as an assistant WR coach, keep him running plays with the WRs (coaching techique) and if one of the WRs goes down, just sign him to a player contract at vet mim.
Win/win for everyone.
Not a win/win for DD if he still wants to play.
quote:Originally posted by IL_Pack_Fan:
but what if everyone is healthy when he gets back?
Again, I love the guy, but 2011 was his “one more year.”
The chances are high that some player on the 53 will be injured by the time week 7 rolls around. Players number 51-56 are always subject to churn and GB can make the right decision then. What is more valuable, Driver or the 5th TE or the 8th CB or the 9th OL ? I don't know
My interest in Driver is not to "give" him one more year, but allow him the opportunity to earn it. Nobody has taken his spot yet(but Cobb passed him) , and that will be decided in July / August on the field.
My concern is that Rodgers and the WRs are THE keys to this offense- and by being so deep they cause match-up problems for defenses. Trading away Jones(?) and/or cutting Driver might impact the advantage we have with a deep WR corps - and I don't want that to happen if GB gets an injury to any of the top 4.
Gurley / Borel haven't even played in a regular season game let alone mastered the nuances of the X, Y, Z positions in crunch time.
MM uses lots of formations and motion to get what he wants- but if the WR can only play one or two of the positions well, it ties MMs hands in calling plays and setting his varied personnel packages.
That's what Driver still brings. No sentimentality in my view, just a nod to how hard it is to really learn the different roles well enough to give Rodgers and MM a full deck to work with on Sunday. 3 years is the typical time frame cited
Thompson drafted Cobb to replace Driver, and as he always plans, TT got to see Cobb for a year before making that decision. Cobb passed Driver by on the depth chart, now the decision is whether or not there is value in keeping Driver over the 51st-56th player. ( Driver is on the Hands team for onside kicks)
I would dump Driver's current contract, invite him to camp on a vet minimum deal and see what happens in July/August and then make a determination. If Driver wants more certainty, he can decline that option and play for his hometown Texans for a year or two. It would seem that offering him a reduced deal( with no guarantee) buys you additional time to make the best decision - maybe all the way into October.
By last October, GB had lost Nick Collins, Chad Clifton and Andrew Quarless meaning we were on players number 54,55,56 by that point.
I am advocating delaying the decision as long as possible given the certainty that GB will face adversity and roster changes by October 2012 and that cap dollars are not yet an issue with $15M + available post-Clifton
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I absolutely agree that if Driver brings more to the offense than Gurley/Borel, he deserves a spot on this team. I know as fans there’s always the allure of what’s behind Door #2, but my hunch is that TT/MM saw enough of these two over the year to bump their pay and keep them in the plans for 2012.
Even at the vet minimum, Driver would earn nearly $1M that the team would have to carry through August. That’s tough with how tight I anticipate the cap situation being. And again, doesn’t do him any favors if he’s looking for work a week before the season kicks off should he be given his fair shot and not beat out the new guy(s)..
And while there will no doubt be some injuries by Week 6, I think they would have to hit the WR or TE to be relevant to the Driver decision. For example, I don’t think an injury to the 6th DL opens a spot for a 6th WR.
Can’t say what will happen, but this is just my guess as to what probably will, and probably should go down.
Even at the vet minimum, Driver would earn nearly $1M that the team would have to carry through August. That’s tough with how tight I anticipate the cap situation being. And again, doesn’t do him any favors if he’s looking for work a week before the season kicks off should he be given his fair shot and not beat out the new guy(s)..
And while there will no doubt be some injuries by Week 6, I think they would have to hit the WR or TE to be relevant to the Driver decision. For example, I don’t think an injury to the 6th DL opens a spot for a 6th WR.
Can’t say what will happen, but this is just my guess as to what probably will, and probably should go down.
Indeed, we don't see the practice and film review they do, so they may already be comfortable with the new guys.
(Which would be very good news)
Bumping their pay was a low-cost way to delay the decision and buy some time, the same strategy I am advocating with Driver
As for injury and replacements - when Nick Collins was put on IR, do you know who they replaced him with on the 53 ?
G/T Ray Dominguez
TT looks at keeping the best players with only some regard for position - hence the slotting of 3 FBs one year and 5 TEs the next. GB suffered an injury to a DB and replaced him with an OL; it wasn't until one month later that they brought back an additional safety, Anthony Levine to the PS
Time will tell if the young guns are ready...but I'd hedge my bet for a few more months.
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(Which would be very good news)
Bumping their pay was a low-cost way to delay the decision and buy some time, the same strategy I am advocating with Driver
As for injury and replacements - when Nick Collins was put on IR, do you know who they replaced him with on the 53 ?
G/T Ray Dominguez
TT looks at keeping the best players with only some regard for position - hence the slotting of 3 FBs one year and 5 TEs the next. GB suffered an injury to a DB and replaced him with an OL; it wasn't until one month later that they brought back an additional safety, Anthony Levine to the PS
Time will tell if the young guns are ready...but I'd hedge my bet for a few more months.
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