Raji has had his motor questioned, but I think his on-field results are at least 75% due to his role in the scheme. Both he and Dom have said that the job of the base DL in his 3-4 is to "keep the LBs clean." That's tough to judge without looking at the tape, but we know it's not fair to judge these guys on football card stats.

I'm actually cooking up a post on the defensive scheme that will elaborate. 

Dom have said that the job of the base DL in his 3-4 is to "keep the LBs clean."

If that's the case the DL either really, really sucks at doing that, or Hawk goes out of his way to find someone to block him. 

I'll bet Hawk's had to have his jersey washed twice this year. Three times at the most. Not sure if it's the DL keeping him clean or a lack of talent. 

Makes me wonder if that's also a reason Raji isn't in a hurry to re-sign with Green Bay. Would piss me off something fierce to eat double teams 60 times each week so Hawk can clean things up 12 yards downfield. 

"Mike Neal is gone.  If you're paying someone to develop it just makes sense that it's a younger, cheaper guy.  Perry is the starter unless they draft someone and there's not enough value in paying for what Neal brings to the olb position.  I'd imagine that's almost a half million savings if you go with a draft class guy.   Malumba has looked pretty good to me so far for where he's at.  He's going to need more snaps next year."

Neal is the 1rst LB we have had in CM3 era that brings a pass rush to the other side.  I'd like to see what he can do with some experience playing the position.

Keep in mind they break down and score every play for each player so while EDS may have had a couple bad plays, overall he may have had a positive game. The only time you notice OL is when they make a mistake. 

At Oline, all it takes is getting beat badly on a couple of snaps..  If you win on 20 pass pro plays and then lose badly on 2 giving up 2 sacks in under 2 seconds.  It was a bad game IMO.  I enjoy using game rewind to just focus on line play.   So, yeah, I see him win often and he has been really good most the time, but he has the propensity for the horrible play.   

I think that's a huge part of it. Dom's 3-4 is defense built around LBs, and the Packers currently have one that could be labeled above league average. You don't mind your DL being space eaters if Smith, Bowman and Willis are the guys you're freeing up.

Agree.  For once, it appears the Oline could be a strength for the team.   I don't see a need to anyone via the draft, maybe you grab a project late or a FA vet to fill a backup role.  

Well, this is based off the assumption that Sherrod can play at least as well as Barclay. 

IMO it's both.  Hawk lacks instinct and speed to fill holes quickly and Raji isn't the beast we hoped he would be.  We have seen some gigantic holes open up against us betwenn the tackles in the 4th quarter the past few weeks.  That doesn't happen if Raji is truly taking up 2 men.  The math just doesn't add up. 

Brainded:

I do agree that Neal seems to be getting pressure this year. He has a lot of hurries and hits, but not a lot of sacks (for an OLB). The question, from my POV, comes down to money. He is putting up some stats, so is that going to make him demand more money? I wouldn't pay him much money. If he's willing to take a reasonable deal then I don't see a problem having him back, but not if he's asking more than $2 million/year. 

I have no idea what kind of salary he could attract on the open market.  I don't follow the money side of the sport as much as most of you guys.   

Just assuming he would get an avg OLB salary and I think he would be worth it based on my opinion of his potential. 

Blech report has GB taking SS Clintons Dix at 16 and TE Jenkins at 51.  Must be trying to win more Packer fans over.

I can't imagine Mike Neal gets a very large or long contract on the open market. 

If Walden signed for $16m, then Neal is worth about $30m. 

As @AlbertBreer reported, NFL teams were told at league meetings the projected cap for 2014 is $126.3M -- up 2.68% from $123M this season.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 12, 2013

Good analysis and I agree it will be an interesting offseason

On paper, you would think GB would make a strong push to resign Jones, Raji, and Shields.  They are all pretty decent players, and they will also command a lot of attention from other teams.   However, I don't think any of those three guys are playing at a consistent high level this season especially Raji in particular.   Shields has had a few too many lapses this year for a #1 cornerback and I worry about what a big contract will do to his motivation.   Then there's Jones who I think suffer the same fate as Jennings because the Packers have other targets to throw the ball.

I also think they have to cut Tramon loose and probably Hawk as well if nothing else than to save cap space.   Tramon has played better this year but he's not worth that kind of money.  Hawk has been, well, Hawk.   Not good enough to play as a starting ILB.

I'd think that TT will make an effort to resign guys like EDS and Jolly and maybe Quarless because they are a little more under the radar but I don't know. 

Need:

--new ILBs

--Safety help

--Finley's replacement

--new Fullback

On paper, you would think GB would make a strong push to resign Jones, Raji, and Shields.  They are all pretty decent players, and they will also command a lot of attention from other team

 

Shields? Yes.

Raji? No. Raji has 14 tackles on the season. No sacks. No FF's. No passes defended. What is his agent going to say to command a lot of attention? Scouts watching Raji have commented to McGinn, Cristl, and Demovsky that Raji still has a tendency to take off plays and just disappears for stretches. He was good effort wise in 2009, very good in 2010, then has been in spurts at best from 2011-2013. I do not see him commanding a lot of demand or money in FA. He's not suited as a 3-4 DE. He'd be better as a true NT. And he has virtually no stats to demand anything remotely close IMO to what GB already offered him.

James Jones had a terrific 2012. But with Rodgers out, I think he's proven to be a very good "system" WR that requires an elite QB throwing to him. Compare that to Nelson. With Jordy, if the ball is anywhere near him he goes and gets the ball no matter who is throwing to him. I would imagine the same would hold true with Randall Cobb because he a much more complete player that Jones. If NE or NO or Denver goes after him, then I can see him doing well. But most other teams I don't think he would do that well.

I think Raji would play better at the Nose Tackle position, and IIRC thats where he played when he had his best year. I dont think they re-sign Pickett, and if they do re-sign Raji he slides back into the NT role.

I see Jolly coming back for a decent short term, 3-4 year contract.

Definitely need new blood at ILB and Safety, TE as well. Jones is starting to get up there in age so maybe TT grabs a WR early as well.

If the draft were today I think the Pack would be drafting around pick 16. I doubt TT would trade up regardless of where were at, but I could see a trade down to get another high pick. Too many needs, not enough picks.

Also, nice to see the CAP get up to over $126 mil, that will help us get a couple more guys re-signed for next year.

Just because one dip**** team overpaid Walden doesn't mean the bar is set for other mediocre players league wide.  

One badass MLB + one stud S = A completely different defense.  I'd draft two of each, the higher the better. 

A guy like Eric Reid would completely change the defense. 

Elder statesman Ryan Pickett aims to keep going

jsonline.com

by Bob McGinn on 12-20-13

 

Nose tackle Ryan Pickett intends to play several more seasons but has no indication if the Green Bay Packers intend to re-sign him.

 

"I'm going to play next year, wherever it is," Pickett said this week. "That's my dream...retire as a Packer.

 

That's why I just go out and play hard, and hopefully all that off-the-field stuff will take care of itself."

 

Neither Pickett nor his agent has been approached by anyone in management, including Thompson.

 

"No, nobody has said anything," said Pickett. "I've got two more games to show 'em."

 

"At this point, I'm not trying to break the bank or anything like that," he said. "I mean, whatever. All that stuff will take care of itself. I still have the fire. I just want to keep playing."

 

[...]

 

"That's a good locker room...there's a lot of really good guys in there," coach Mike McCarthy said in September. "But 'Pick' might be the best one. He's one of the nicest people I've ever been around.

 

"He has such a genuine, appealing personality. People are attracted to him. 'Pick' doesn't say much but when he talks, guys listen to him. He's great, especially for our younger guys." continue

 

Shields had a very good game against Dallas but he's been spotty at times.   We've seen him with some mental lapses peeking into the backfield and if you are going to give him top 5 cornerback money he has to give 100% all the time.   I think of those three players (Raji, Jones, Shields) that SS has earned a big time contract the most, but I also look at who is behind him.   If they don't bring back Tramon and if Hayward can't get healthy all of a sudden our CB position doesn't look so good.   There's no question that Shields can play like an elite level CB but I'm just not certain the Packers will pay him.

Raji is simply baffling as a player to figure out.   He's got more than enough talent to be one of the best interior DL in the league but he's not close to a Wilfork or Ngata in terms of his impact and if he was ever going to play all out it would be in a contract year and he hasn't.   I'm thinking that if they can get Jolly and Worthy back in the mix they probably won't make much of an effort to resign Raji anyway.

Notebook: Shields extension looks unlikely to come before season's end

Green Bay Press Gazette

by Pete Dougherty on 12-19-13

 

Cornerback Sam Shields said his agent has talked with the Packers about a contract extension late this season but for now doesn’t see a deal coming

 

NFL teams have until Dec. 28 to extend a player’s contract and have some of the money count against this year’s salary cap. That deadline isn’t as important under the current collective bargaining agreement as under previous CBAs because teams can roll over any unused cap space to the next season.

 

“Yeah, they have (been negotiating) a little bit,” Shields said. “But something we’re not agreeing with. Things happen like that. There’s still some negotiation going on.”

 

He leads the team in passes defended with 21, which is eight more than second-place Davon House. Shields also is tied with Tramon Williams for the team lead in interceptions with three.

continue