ChilliJon posted:Irvin racked up 22 sacks in 4 years with that D line and a secondary that forced QBs to hold the ball. And that's worth $9.25 million per?
Well, yeah. He played on a different team last year. I thought that was Football 101, CJ.
Orlando Wolf posted:Perry earned that deal the last couple games. 3.5 sacks plus a forced fumble in the post season is worth another look.
I'm not saying he shouldn't have come back but at $5 million?? That seems like a lot for pretty inconsistent production. Maybe it works out. Obviously we aren't privy to everything that happens at 1265 Lambeau and maybe Perry really has turned a corner, both physically and mentally. But damn, $5 million seems high for a such an inconsistent, injury prone player.
But I'll admit I was wrong. I really thought Perry wanted to leave for a 4-3 team. Props to TT for selling him on Green Bay (or maybe that's why $5 million happened).
ChilliJon posted:Irvin racked up 22 sacks in 4 years with that D line and a secondary that forced QBs to hold the ball. And that's worth $9.25 million per?
No one in Seattle is losing sleep that he's moving on. Warning sign number 1 was Seattle declining his 5th year option after 2014.
Thats overpaying for almost decent.
Perry has just over half the sacks Irvin has in the last four years, and neither had their option picked up. 5-7 sacks per year is considered decent, not great, not good, not solid, but decent.
The Raiders overpaying for Irvin when they have to burn $41 million just to reach the cap floor doesn't make the overpaying for the much-less-effective Nick Perry any better.
The Raiders are getting decent, which Seattle didn't mind losing.
The Packers apparently did mind losing mediocrity (and that's probably generous).
I think Seattle letting Irvin go had more to do with them already paying Sherman, Wagner, Thomas, Chancellor, Bennett and Wright. You can't pay them all and Irvin was probably the 7th best player on that defense. You can't pay your #7 guy on defense even $6m per year, let alone $9m. I'm curious as to how Irvin will do in Oakland. I thought he would have been better in Seattle.
CUPackFan posted:I'm curious as to how Irvin will do in Oakland. I thought he would have been better in Seattle.
You could say the same about Trevathan with DEN vs Travathan with CHI or GB. He was surrounded by a LOT of talent in DEN.
I would of loved have Travathan in GB, but if he doesn't know how to get his agent to tweet that GB has interest in him to get more money than he is dumber than I thought he was.
Considering all the high picks TT has put in the front-seven, shouldn't Green Bay have similar talent?
packaddict posted:I would of loved have Travathan in GB, but if he doesn't know how to get his agent to tweet that GB has interest in him to get more money than he is dumber than I thought he was.
Do you really think that this is how free agency works? Most likely that Trevathan's agent did reach out but there was no interest. They probably discussed it at the combine, where agents, GMs and coaches are all free to "mingle". They probably also called the Packers to gauge interest as they got closer to free agency. But odds are his agent got the cold shoulder so they moved on.
Nobody puts Baby, or Thompson, in a corner.
No, I was joking, cause we seem to always see that the Packers have interest and than they sign with another team. 
Guy watches a load of Packers film, good analyst. I totally agree with his takes on Clay Matthews.
@BenFennell_NFL: Need for a coverage LB would be maybe #9 of 10 areas of concern. Stop this we need a 'LB who can cover' nonsense.
@BenFennell_NFL: #Packers gave up 59 runs of 10yds+ in 2015 - 3rd most. This team needs to stop the run, get after the passer and tackle, tackle, tackle!!
@BenFennell_NFL: They need more pass rushers IMO. Someone who can win 1on1's. OL depth, DL depth, ILB, RB, TE.
@BenFennell_NFL: #Packers McCarthy mentioned in January that he'd like Clay Matthew to go back to every down OLB.. I'm not convinced that's the best idea.
@BenFennell_NFL: Easy to just look at Clay's sacks and say 'only 6.5 in 2015, that's low' and assume he should 'go back' to become more productive.
@BenFennell_NFL: Clay still had 43.5 QB knockdowns/hurries in 2015.. Only 1 other time in his career ('09) did he have more sacks/knockdowns/hurries combined.
@BenFennell_NFL: C.Matthews rare combo of speed, strength, bat out of hell pursuit is best suited over middle of field.. Can affect game in other dimensions.
@BenFennell_NFL: @PFF_Sam ...Yea he's not perfect - never used the word 'disciplined' with his play. He's aggressive and anxious - will freelance at times.
@BenFennell_NFL: Speed to run SL-SL. Toughness to take on blocks in run game/gap attack. Athletic/reckless to attack QB from anywhere.
@BenFennell_NFL: You become more of a one-trick pony at the OLB/Leo position. Off ball ILB makes him more of a wildcard player.
@BenFennell_NFL: Clay only had 1 sack in 2015 from the edge.. I said it a few years ago. His 1on1 rushes vs OTs are very hit or miss. Can get swallowed up.
@BenFennell_NFL: ...Love his aggression/timing when shooting the A-gaps. B-gap rushes give him big advantage of speed/athleticism vs OGs.
I don't think the plan was ever to put him back at OLB and OLB only. I'm sure they'll keep mixing up his duties based on opponent. I think they just want to stop relying on him to line up inside and stop the run as often as he has had to do the last 2 years.
Interesting take on "needing more edge rush and stopping the run". Hard to argue there. It seemed when the D would start to slip in critical situations, it was when they started giving up longer runs late in games.
Clay would be better off being paired with a good ILB which would allow him to be successful at freelancing. As it is, HE is the good ILB that has to stay in the box that has to do the dirty work. That shouldn't be his role, which I think is where MM is coming from. If he's on the edge, he can be a little more free to squeeze down the line or use his insane first step (1.56 10 yd) to create pressure earlier. Clay, like Charles Woodson in GB, should be allowed to freelance and attack and go wherever he is needed. An in-the-box thumper like Reggie Ragland solves that issue, he has the power to take on OL and fill running lanes. A lighter, speedier LB like Darron Lee doesn't solve the problem, although he does upgrade that freelancing ILB role. They need more grinders and less finesse LBs...Barrington is a grinder and has the heart, but I'm just not sold he has the talent to be effective in a starting role.
Apparently BJ Raji is planning on retiring - according to Bill Michaels via Ryan Wood.
Yeah just saw that on ProFootball Talk. Very unexpected but good for him. Hope he has a good transition into life after football (and loses some weight.....).
He's been on leave his whole career. About time we don't have to watch him get destroyed week in and week out. He's been a net negative and one of the worst DTs in all of football that was given a starting nod (especially for so long). He's been a bust considering his top 10 status for sure.
Addition by subtraction.
kcpuck posted:Apparently BJ Raji is planning on retiring - according to Bill Michaels via Ryan Wood.
Now he can concentrate on his real career...competitive eating.
Raji issued a statement:
BJ RAJI STATEMENT
I am taking a hiatus from the NFL and will not play during the 2016 NFL season. This decision was made after hours of conversation with close family members and mentors and considerable self-introspection and is one in which I am absolutely certain. I cannot rule out a return to the NFL in the future, but I will definitely not be playing during the 2016 season.
Coach Lombardi once said that “unless a man believes in himself and makes a total commitment to his career and puts everything he has into it – his mind, his body, his heart – what’s life worth to him?” That is the approach I have taken with football since I was a 2-star high school recruit. That total commitment was the foundation of my success at Boston College, helped me become a top ten pick in the NFL and helped me both make a Pro Bowl and win a Super Bowl. However, when my agents Brian Murphy and Camron Hahn informed me that they had a new deal with the Packers, I knew that I would not be able to live up to Coach Lombardi’s “total commitment” standard and made this decision out of respect to this great organization.
I have played football and been defined as a football player for as long as I can remember. This off-season was the first time that I felt myself pulled in another direction and I am excited to first be “all in” with my family back home and then to explore new frontiers. I am not exactly sure what the next phase of life will entail, but I am confident that all of the lessons I learned during my NFL journey will provide a solid foundation for success.
I have enormous gratitude for Mr. Murphy, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Ball, Coach McCarthy, our entire coaching and training staff and all those in the football personnel department who make the Green Bay Packers so special. This organization not only made my NFL dreams a reality and provided financial security for me and my family for generations to come, but the Packers also helped me become the type of man who can make the decision I make today and for that I am eternally grateful.
I had the great fortune of playing with and developing friendships with some of the greatest teammates in the NFL and I thank all of them for going to battle with me every Sunday. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Clay and I came to Green Bay together as first round picks (me 17 picks ahead of Clay of course) and I am really proud of what we were able to accomplish as a defense and a team, bringing a Lombardi trophy to Green Bay.
Finally, I can’t possibly thank enough the tremendous city of Green Bay and Packers fans across the country. You embraced me from the beginning and helped Green Bay become not just a place I worked, but also a home. I know if I have the same passion, dedication and love that the Packers fans bring to Lambeau Field every game, I will find happiness and great success.
All my best
BJ Raji
Raji gave an interview to Ryan Wood of the GBPG:
... "This game is too hard, and I’ve got too much respect for myself and the Packers to come back just for the sake of money,” Raji said in an exclusive interview. “For the record, I had a very, very nice deal on the table. I had a nice, long-term deal on the table from Green Bay, and I had the interest of some other playoff-contending teams.”
One critical factor in Raji’s decision was the health of his family. His mother, Mamie, is hypertensive and on dialysis as well as dealing with diabetes. His aunt, Grace Patterson, is battling breast cancer. Raji said he found clarity with his future in a recent conversation with his aunt.
“Talking to her,” Raji said, “I felt like that moment was a shift. Because she said something to me when I brought up the possibility of taking a break from the league, she said something to me. She said, ‘B.J., when you’re on your death bed, you’re not going to wish that you worked more. You’re not going to wish that you made more money. You’re going to wish that you followed your heart, and that you lived and experienced the things you wanted to experience." ...
... Raji said he has entertained the idea of returning to school. He’s thought about staying connected to football as a coach, but he would prefer the college or high school level. He wouldn’t rule out a return to football after the 2016 season, but he’s also content if his career never resumes. He’s at peace with his decision to step away, Raji said.
“It was easy for me to consider,” Raji said, “because after talking to people who know me and love me, it opened up a different perspective, seeing what they’ve gone through. It’s like, why waste another moment? I don’t know what the future holds if I’m not completely in it, and my heart is not completely in it.
“This is not an official retirement. This is just taking time away from the game. I felt like I owed it to the Packers to be up front, and owed it to the fans to be up front and let them know how I was really feeling. I think this is the best way to do so.”
Thanks B.J. for being a dedicated and inspiring Packer! I'll miss you on Sundays, but I respect your decision. I'll never forget your Pick-6 against the Bears in the playoffs!
One of many fans
He seems like a thoughtful guy. Hopefully he can go back to school and find something that interests him.
The problem is BJ the NFL bus stops for no one. So if in 2017 you decide you feel like playing again, the bus may have left the building......for good.
http://www.packers.com/news-an...f22564209+sf22564209
The Green Bay Packers have signed DE Ray Drew. The signing was announced Monday by Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson.
Drew, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound first-year player out of the University of Georgia,
If his heart isn't in it, I'm glad he's not chasing a paycheck.
More bites from Fennell.
@BenFennell_NFL: The 2015 #Packers defense played so much better than people give credit. Issues on offense should be in the forefront. Not coverage LB.
#Packers pass D was Top 10 in QB Rating, Completion %, INT %, Sack %, Yards per completion. Only 5 big play pass TDs (20+yds)-fewest in NFL.
But coverage LB.. So we must've been awful in coverage on 1st & 2nd down. Well 1st down, #Packers were #2 in QB rating, only behind Carolina.
#Packers pass defense... #3 on 3rd down QB rating. #3 Inside the 30 QB rating. Historically poor offense really hurt a solid defensive year.
Doesn't that reinforce the other comments about the D needing to improve vs. run instead of finding a cover ILB? They don't need a Lee, they need a better plugger like Ragland.
TE Jared Cook visiting...
I agree DH. It's the most active group of DL that Capers has had with Daniels, Pennell, and Guion playing aggressive, but the ILB support against the run was just abysmal. If Clay wasn't overrunning, Ryan was getting bullied by OL. Need a physical presence.
PackFoo posted:TE Jared Cook visiting...
According to Demovsky he was in yesterday.
DH13 posted:Doesn't that reinforce the other comments about the D needing to improve vs. run instead of finding a cover ILB? They don't need a Lee, they need a better plugger like Ragland.
Speed.
Speed.
And speed. Did I mention speed? They just have to get faster in the middle of the D. Perhaps Ragland does that (if he's available). OR maybe with Raji done they draft a space eater like Andrew Billings. On both sides of the ball, GB was just slow. A healthy Jordy, Monty, a more experienced Janis!!, and perhaps Adams fixes nearly all of those issues on the offensive side.
Now they gotta go out and find speed in the middle of the D.
#Packers hosted TE Jared Cook on a visit yesterday, source said. An area of need.
michiganjoe posted:PackFoo posted:TE Jared Cook visiting...
According to Demovsky he was in yesterday.
Wilde adds that since Cook is a "street" free agent (released by his former team), rather than an UFA, his signing wouldn't count in compensatory pick calculations, which means a better chance of the Packers signing him.
I haven't seen much of his play but the kid brings SPEED at TE and could spread the field. As others have said, he really hasn't had much of a QB throwing to him. I hear he's not much of a blocker but GB's new TE coach could change that. Not holding my breath.....but this looks like a TT type signing as I assuming GB could sign him for a pretty cap friendly deal.
That 4.5 forty is very appealing after watching DickRod lumber down the field. Desperately need a TE to stretch the field and he's a good fit.
Edit:
The Packers looked into trading for TE Jared Cook last season. Now, he's their first free-agent visit. https://t.co/yHtHuMep8Q
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) March 15, 2016
And then there's this
@TomSilverstein: TE Jared Cook was part of the Rams purge that made #Packers RBs coach Ben Sirmans available. Sirmans has knowledge of Cook #Packers didn't.
wonder why the Rams didn't try to retain him, what's the knock on this guy
how does he compare to Bennett?
From Nagler..
A former third round pick for the Tennessee Titans, Cook was released by the Rams last month, meaning he would fit with Ted Thompson's usual M.O. of looking at guys who would not upset the compensatory pick formula if he were to sign with the Packers.
Cook is an athletic tight end who could certainly stretch the field in Mike McCarthy's offense. He's also been a classic coach killer thus far in his time in the league. A classic example of a guy with all the physical tools to be a difference maker who never really does.
Could having Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball finally unlock the potential he's shown flashes of in his six years in the league? That may be the question Thompson and company are asking themselves.
I really don't get the "coach killer" observation unless he means he's a player that hasn't lived up to his reputation. Then again, it's not like he's Ebron from the Lions who's been largely a bust. Cook was a 3rd round pick. You can't teach speed or height. He has both ideal for the position,