MichiganPacker posted:
Firing Fontenot because RichRod couldn't run and that he couldn't get some UDFAs to play at an NFL level seems unfair.
I think it was more because of the lack of development as a blocker. Finley was on the radio the other day saying how he liked Fontenot, but not once did he mention him as a teacher for route running. It was all in the context of blocking.
Which was arguably the weakest aspect of our TE position.
Brian Angelichio also made a mountain out of a mole hill in Barnidge:
Angelichio spent two seasons with the Browns and aided in the surprising development of tight end Gary Barnidge, a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2008. Barnidge, 30, turned in a season that trumped his previous four years in the league combined.
Despite a carousel at quarterback — Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel and Austin Davis all started — Barnidge made 79 catches for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. He ranked third in the league in receptions, fourth in yards and fourth in touchdowns among tight ends.
His numbers for receptions and receiving yards were better than the totals of the Packers' Richard Rodgers, Justin Perillo and Andrew Quarless combined. Barnidge also had a healthy average of 13.2 yards per catch. (Rodgers averaged 8.8.)
MichiganPacker posted:
Still curious how they can bring Clements back after being demoted.
Not trying to flame you, but do you think it's significantly different than when former HCs accept coordinator or position coach openings?
Just interested in your (and others) opinions.
I'd like to think the first question Ted would ask Mike about his thoughts on free agents is why Mike still has a guy on his staff that he openly field dressed during the season.
I do think Ted and Mike have a healthy amount of WTF to make things work.
Just because he sucked at one aspect of his job (play calling) doesn't mean he sucks at all areas. He's been a pretty solid coach for GB since he's been here, he just obviously has no feel for play calling. The good news (I guess?) is that experiment failed so he can focus on the things he does well.
The NFL does seem to be one place where the Peter Principle doesn't exist. Poor HCs often go back to being good coordinators, etc...
That is a good thing.
Pass rushers will always get paid and Peppers had 10.5 sacks last year. His 2016 salary is $7m which isn't too much for a guy that can get you double digit sacks, even if only part-time. That, and if they do cut him, what are the Packers going to do with the cap savings? Their cap is in great shape and Peppers is off the books in 2017 when guys like Sitton, Lang and Bakhtiari are up for new deals.
Timmy! posted:MichiganPacker posted:
Still curious how they can bring Clements back after being demoted.
Not trying to flame you, but do you think it's significantly different than when former HCs accept coordinator or position coach openings?
Just interested in your (and others) opinions.
No need to apologize. It's a great discussion topic. I guess I look at it like this. If you were promoted to Vice President in your organization and performed poorly enough that the President demoted you back to mid-level management, how would your peers look at you after that? Would your opinions be received with the same respect?
A lot of head coaches get fired and then go and work as coordinators, but they never stay with the current team and return to being a coordinator (unless there is a temporary interim tag perhaps). The changing lines of responsibility and command would be difficult to deal with.
Most consistent player on offense all season.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Shoulder surgery finally a reality for Packers guard T.J. Lang
By Rob DemovskyGREEN BAY, Wis. -- T.J. Lang had one of the best seasons of his seven-year NFL career in 2015 while playing with two bad shoulders.
The Green Bay Packers right guard will have one of those shoulders repaired this week.
Lang told ESPN.com that he is scheduled for surgery on his right shoulder on Wednesday.
At this point, it’s unknown whether he will also have surgery on his left shoulder.
Lang said late in the season that he was facing the prospect of having surgery on both shoulders, something he had been putting off for several offseasons. He missed only one game this past season and only two since he became a starter in 2011. He said he has dealt with a sore left shoulder for several seasons, but the right one become a problem within the last year.
“When the time comes, I’m always like let’s put it off until next year,” Lang said last month. “That offseason, you don’t want to miss six months of training or lifting and then come back out of shape. It’s a job security thing.”
Despite playing hurt in 2015, Lang matched his career-best with only two sacks allowed.
Lang said he has had only one previous surgery during his NFL career. It came after his rookie season of 2009 when he injured his wrist.
The 28-year-old Lang is entering the final season of a four-year, $22 million contract. As long as he’s healthy and maintains his level of play, he should be in line for at least one more sizable contract.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead, but I don’t want to be playing next year with more pain than what I have right now,” Lang said late in the season. “Obviously, that’s a business decision.”
We need T J.......
http://overthecap.com/2016-nfl...ornerbacks-overview/
I have no clue if overthecap has much of a reputation for projecting free agent contracts, but they've come up with a 7.25 million number (average per year) for Casey Heyward. So there are two things one can take from that. It would price Heyward out of Green Bay. It would likely net a fourth round compensatory pick in the 2017 draft if Ted sits out unrestricted free agency...so Ted would likely sit out unrestricted free agency again.
7.25 million seems awfully damn high to me, but after what House got last year I guess anything is possible for a cornerback. When comparing a House deal to a potential Heyward deal...there are some pretty significant differences between House and Heyward. Simply put, House is big and fast where Heyward is not. Those things will make any NFL coach think that he can make House better than he is, but those same coaches will view Heyward as a guy with a more limited upside just because he is not big and fast. And House was an outside player, a guy who could match up on the outside with the majority of receivers and at least be able to run with them. That is obviously a problem for Heyward.
Heyward will always be just a slot corner. That has value in the NFL but is also very limiting. I think TT saw this coming, which is why he drafted Randall and Rollins. Throw in Shields and Gunter, and not sure TT has to pay $7-8m per year for Heyward. Too bad, I really thought we had a potentially great player after his rookie year but he never built on it due to injuries and overall athletic limitations.
Re: Megatron cap situation (after the Cam and Peyton garbage)
Not sure why Detroit wouldn't go after the signing bonus. It's happened recently to teams with minimal negative PR (Chris Borland and Niners). When you're talking 10 figures in cap room, you kind of owe it to the fans, as NOT going after that money makes your team worse. Of course, this is the Lions......
Randall Cobb talks about the 2015 season.
[Packers Coverage] 02/03/16: Randall Cobb joins Bill Michaels => http://media.1057fmthefan.com/...llcobb-112980454.mp3
It might be it titm's link but just watched WISN tonight and Cobb was miked for NFL films in the divisional playoff game. He believes the microphone square pack he had on is what caused his punctured lung. Had he not been wearing it, likely he is ok and stays in the game. The "luck" this team has knows no bounds. WTF!
So we're due for a few years of easy sledding!
bvan posted:So we're due for a few years of easy sledding!
I'm still waiting for that since the 2010 season.
We had plenty of good bounces last year. Just too many brainfarts at the worst time.
Beside the star QB playing the championship game on one leg. He played a hell of a game, but I think the Packers would have blown them out of the building if he was healthy. I also don't think McCarthy would have been as conservative late in the game. I say "as" conservative.
From packers.com:
Packers finalize coaching staff
The Green Bay Packers have named Brian Angelichio (an-jah-LEEK-o) tight ends coach, Ejiro Evero (eeh-JEE-row EV-uh-row) defensive quality control coach, Luke Getsy wide receivers coach, David Raih (RYE) assistant offensive line coach and Ben Sirmans running backs coach. Head Coach Mike McCarthy made the announcement Wednesday.Angelichio, who will be entering his fifth season as an assistant coach in the NFL in 2016, joins the Packers after spending the past two seasons as the tight ends coach for the Cleveland Browns. Last season, Angelichio oversaw a tight-end group that was led by Gary Barnidge, who led the team with career highs in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,043) and receiving touchdowns (nine). Angelichio joined the Browns after spending two seasons (2012-13) as the tight ends coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to the NFL, the Illion, N.Y., native spent 17 years coaching at the collegiate level. He started his career in 1995 as the secondary coach at SUNY-Brockport and then spent 10 seasons at Ithaca College coaching linebackers (1996-97), receivers (1998) and the offensive line (1999) before adding offensive coordinator to his line duties from 2000-05. Angelichio finished coaching in college with stints as the tight ends coach at the University of Pittsburgh (2007-10) and Rutgers University (2011). He was a three-year starter at outside linebacker at St. Lawrence (N.Y.), where he was also a four-year starter and team captain on the baseball team.
Evero joins the Packers after serving as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers for the past five seasons. After joining the 49ers in 2011 as a quality control coach, he spent 2012-13 as an offensive assistant and the past two seasons as a defensive assistant. San Francisco was Evero’s second NFL stop after spending 2007-09 as a defensive quality control coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2010, he was the special teams coordinator/safeties coach at the University of Redlands. Evero began his coaching career as an assistant the University of California-Davis (2005-06), where he was a four-year letterman, starting safety for three seasons and two-time captain (2000-03).
Getsy will be entering his third season with the Packers in 2016, having served as the offensive quality control coach the past two seasons. Prior to joining the Packers, Getsy coached on the collegiate level for seven seasons (2007-13). After his playing career at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Akron, Getsy was a graduate assistant for the Zips (2007-08). In 2009, he was the offensive coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan. He returned to Pitt to serve as an offensive graduate assistant in 2010. From 2011-12, Getsy was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and in 2013, he was the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan.
Raih has been with the Packers since 2014, spending the last two seasons as a coaching administrator. Before joining Green Bay, he spent 2013 at Texas Tech as the director of high school relations before being promoted to outside receivers coach. The former Iowa quarterback (1999-2003) coached at his alma mater as a graduate assistant, working with the offensive line in 2010-11 and the tight ends in 2012. Raih started his coaching career as an intern for the UCLA football program, working with quarterbacks in 2008 and tight ends in 2009. After graduating from Iowa, he was a sales representative for Zimmer Inc. (2005-07) in Los Angeles.
Sirmans joins the Packers after spending the past four seasons as the running backs coach for the St. Louis Rams. This past season, he coached Todd Gurley, who was named to the Pro Bowl and the Pro Football Writers of America Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading all NFL rookies in rushing yards (1,106), scrimmage yards (1,294) and 100-yard games (five). Before joining the Rams in 2012, Sirmans spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach at the college level. He started his career at the University of Maine as the running backs/recruiting coordinator (1996-99). From 2000-04, Sirmans coached running backs at Kent State before joining Michigan State as a running backs coach in 2005. He added special teams to his coaching duties for the Spartans in 2006. Sirmans’ final college stop was at Boston College as the running backs coach from 2007-11. The East Orange, N.J., native played running back at Maine under current Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. As a senior, he ran for 1,214 yards and earned all-conference and All-New England honors.
Offensive Coaching Staff
Tom Clements – Associate Head Coach/Offense
Edgar Bennett – Offensive Coordinator
Brian Angelichio – Tight Ends
James Campen – Offensive Line
Luke Getsy – Wide Receivers
David Raih – Assistant Offensive Line
Ben Sirmans – Running Backs
Alex Van Pelt – Quarterbacks
Defensive Coaching Staff
Winston Moss – Associate Head Coach/Linebackers
Dom Capers – Defensive Coordinator
Ejiro Evero – Defensive Quality Control
Scott McCurley – Assistant Linebackers
Jerry Montgomery – Defensive Front Assistant
Darren Perry – Secondary – Safeties
Mike Trgovac – Defensive Line
Joe Whitt Jr. – Secondary – Cornerbacks
Special Teams Coaching Staff
Ron Zook – Special Teams Coordinator
Jason Simmons – Assistant Special Teams
Strength and Conditioning Staff
Mark Lovat – Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Chris Gizzi – Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Thadeus Jackson – Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Grant Thorne – Strength & Conditioning Assistant
http://m.packers.com/news/arti...f21093959+sf21093959
@TomSilverstein: The only two [new] subtractions from the #Packers staff are asst. OL coach Mike Solari (Giants) and defensive quality control Josh Rushing.
@PeteDougherty: Evero replaces John Rushing as D quality control, Rushing apparently let go, no announcement but he's not on list of coaching staff.
@PeteDougherty: No announcement on Rushing probably because his contract expired and he wasn't brought back.
@ByRyanWood: #Packers have announced Luke Getsy as their new WRs coach. Getsy previously worked with WRs as offensive quality control before promotion.
@WesHod: Getsy is highly regarded in the organization. Viewed as an up-and-comer. It was the logical next step for him.
Nice to see a designated WR coach, finally. Little surprise most of these positions are internal hires. Hopefully they make a positive difference.
"We do what we do."
McCarthy: Offense took a step back last year
Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media Thursday at a news conference to introduce new assistant coaches. Here are some highlights:
Opening:
Went through exit interviews with players and from that you can find out some things, there’s things you can recognize. Ideas come from there. Went into the evaluation stage with our coaches. It was broken up a bit with our participation in the Pro Bowl. Just started getting into the scheme evaluation yesterday. We’ll meet with personnel tomorrow and get ready for (the scouting combine in) Indianapolis.
On firing Sam Gash and Jerry Fontenot:
You have change each and every year. It’s important to thank Jerry Fontenot's and Sam Gash’s contributions. The changes we made on offense. I think we definitely had two young coaches that we hired two years ago, we felt we had two promising prospects. Ben (Sirmans) and Brian (Angelichio) bring new energy, new ideas. It brings a freshness and aspect we haven’t really had a lot of. I felt Mike Solari brought that last year to us. It’s an opportunity to improve and grow.
On why he made the moves:
It’s a performance business. We all understand that. There’s a big picture I’m in charge of. The opportunity to continue to move forward and teaching the players and getting them to perform at the highest level. I think sometimes it's important to make changes.
On connections with Brian and Ben:
Did not. Part of your job is staying informed. They came with good recommendations.
On full-time receivers coach:
We had a plan last year. It wasn’t executed to the level we look at achieve. The quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends and o-line, the interactions between positions have been a staple of how we operate the last five years. The excuses are over. We’ve adjusted the job responsibilities back more to what we’ve done in the past.
On his schedule now that he’s calling plays again:
The time distribution on Monday will be similar. You have to get into game-planning for the next opponent. Wednesday will be between what I did last year and previous years. There’s things I’ve done during the week that I’d like to continue to try. Thursday-Friday is more dedicated to calling the game. Monday morning will be the same as far as the evaluation of the game.
On if he can still oversee everything:
Any time you change the responsibility, whatever your area of emphasis is. There’s a reason I went to those areas. There definitely will be input into the defense and special teams. Offensively, we took a huge step back. Defensively, we did some good things but we were not a championship defense. We need to be next year. That will be the focus of our staff and players. On special teams, we need to take another big jump there, as well.
On Sirmans working with Eddie Lacy:
The position coaches are accountable for the performance and training of their players. Eddie Lacy’s conditioning is something I have great confidence will improve and is improving as we speak.
On Sirmans and Angelichio’s work in St. Louis and Cleveland:
The performances of your position coaches is more than the statistics of how your players perform. There’s a lot of conversation that goes on in these particular cases and the timeline we moved in. We haven’t moved that fast in prior years, but it’s important to do that.
On Luke Getsy and David Raih’s promotion:
Luke Getsy and David Raih, when we interviewed both young men two years ago, there was a focus on quarterbacks. You can’t have enough quarterback and offensive line coaches in your building. Let’s not kid ourselves with Aaron Rodgers. If you’re tied to Aaron Rodgers, your opportunity to move onto more opportunities is in front of you. When we interviewed both of those guys – David had a great interview and Luke was coming in the next day. I was so impressed with David – I felt he knocked it out of the park. It was an extensive interview with Luke and David. Coming in the next day, Luke had a tremendous interview. When we sat around as a staff, everybody felt Luke hit it a little further. Now we have two young men who have deserved this opportunity.
WTF does Clements do? He's not calling plays, he's not the OC, he's not coaching QB...
@TomSilverstein: #Packers announce variable ticket pricing. Lowers three-game Gold (Milwaukee) package price by between $5 and $7 total depending on seat.
@TomSilverstein: Green ticket holders will see an increase of between $55-59 for entire package based on where the seats are.
@TomSilverstein: #Packers are lowering the price of exhibition game tickets and spreading cost to the regular season, plus adding a ticket increase for '16.
@TomSilverstein: Exhibition game tickets will sell for $45-$62. Regular-season tickets will sell for between $95-$122. All tickets used to be $80-$105.
GBPG also has a detailed story, here:
hit me harder, whatever
Go for 2!
Ted and Mike giving press conferences this morning at the combine. I'll post stuff as it becomes available.
Ted just finished. In full TT mode. Just love the guy.
"I don't necessarily think my job is easy, but at the same time I wouldn't want you to leave here and think it's not really hard."
Started at 10 am sharp, looked at the clock when it hit 15 minutes and just plain walked away from the podium.
Thompson: I don't think we have a lot of weaknesses
Packers general manager ted Thompson spoke to the media at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis on Thursday morning. Here are some highlights:
On tight ends:
It’s the same as it was when we finished the season. … We’re always in the market at all the positions. I’m not trying to be vague, but it’s hard to say. We’re always searching and we’re always looking to get better. Tight end is a position we value, but we value a lot of positions.
On Jordy Nelson:
Yes, I’ve seen him around the building. He’s around the building literally all the time. He’s a workout, rehab freak as you could imagine. That was a hard thing for him to do sitting out the season, but he looks great. You sometimes wonder if he was really hurt. I’m just kidding.
On the emergence of the safety-hybrid linebacker:
No. 1, there's always a spot for a football player. I'm not different than any other general manager you're going to have up here. If the guy can play football, we're going to find a place for him. I think that's the way it is with those sorts of players.
On playoff losses due to young players:
Thanks for bringing up those things. We value draft-and-development. We value free agency. We have guys like Julius Peppers, guys who have been free agents. If you can help us win games and be a good teammate, you have a place for us. We’re not opposed to doing that. We’ve said all along in a perfect world you’d be able to draft, develop and keep your own players.
On Ha Ha Clinton-Dix:
I think he’s played at a very high level in a fairly exposed role. We’ve asked him to do a lot of different things like we do like everyone else in the league. I think he’s done a really good job.
On being more aggressive with the window of opportunity:
Not really. I don’t think we go through life in the NFL saying, ‘OK, now we’re going to have this philosophy or two years from now you have to change to something else.’ You have a philosophy to build a team. We sign free agents. We look into free agency. We’ve been doing it for the last several months. No, we’re not going to chase ghosts because we think the clock is ticking.
On mobile quarterbacks:
I think it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have a mobile quarterback. You see it all in college and it’s made it’s way into the NFL. You’ll continue to see mobile quarterbacks take advantage of their ability to move around.
On linebacker depth:
I don't know how to answer that. I don't necessarily think my job is easy, but at the same time I wouldn't want you to leave here and think it's not really hard. We look more long-term. We want to see where we’re strong and if we need to get more help. We’re always trying to make sure we’re solid at as many positions as we can be. You’re always looking.
On the drills at the combine:
I don't know. And I don't know politically whether I'm supposed to know. I'm not trying to be a smarty. There are people making decisions in that regard. ... Maybe the safe way is just to back out.
On overtime rules:
That’s another question that’s probably higher than my paygrade. There are people here who can answer that question and give you reasons behind it.
On James Starks and James Jones:
They’re part of the group we’d like to have back, sure.
On last season:
We played well. We started off with a really good win streak. We put ourselves in a position to get into the playoffs and have a chance to advance. We lost a tough game. I think we’re a solid team. I think we have good players at places you need good players. I don’t think we have a lot of weaknesses. I think we’ll be a competitive team for some time to come.
On good guards:
Good guard play is the same thing for good tackle play – you need to have the power, strength, good power and ability to force will on other people. It’s not a secret. That’s why offensive line play in the NFL is a difficult thing to do. I admire the ones who can do it.
On deciding which positions need to be addressed:
We work through that with our personnel group in Green Bay. You need to know what’s available, but not only know it but evaluate it and be honest about your evaluation. I think that’s where you get in trouble.
On Ben McAdoo:
I like Ben. Good offensive mind. Good guy, good coach. You never know how (head coach) is going to work, but I think he’ll be good at it.
On Calvin Johnson’s possible retirement:
He’s still a very good player. There was a part of me that would like for him to get a note that he should retire. Just from afar, he seems to be one of the more impressive professional athletes that there is in the way he conducts himself.
On Mike McCarthy’s reported frustration with Thompson’s lack of activity in free agency:
I don’t know. I saw that, too. I don’t know where that came from.
On scouting small schools:
You’re looking for football players. It’s easy to fall back on that when you’re in draft meetings or personnel meetings. I think you have to keep stuff like that in mind. How does he do in terms of what we like to do.
On the combine:
This is an important setting for a lot of these guys. There’s 32 teams anxious to watch these guys do their stuff.
On managing cap space despite hefty QB contract:
I don't know that we have any secrets in that. We try to make sure that we have the players to fit roles. I don't know how in-depth I want to get on that. It's not a secret, but we work pretty hard at managing the business side of it.
Ted Thompson on whether the Packers receivers have enough speed: "I'm fine with it. They're faster than me."
McCarthy: Rodgers should be ready for OTAs
Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media on Thursday morning at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Here are some highlights:
On backup quarterbacks:
Scott Tolzien did a great job for us. I can’t tell you how much he was a part of our locker room. Brett Hundley? Yes, I’m excited about Brett. If you watch how he played in the preseason, it speaks volumes. He’s come on fast and done what you’re supposed to do. He’s really dove into the offense. Very bright. Boy, I’m glad we have him.
On how quickly he picked it up:
The first game was probably normal for a rookie QB. He just got comfortable and was making plays. He was systematic in staying in clean plays. Brett Hundley has a very bright future.
On Richard Rodgers:
Obviously, you always look for jump from Year 1 to 2. He did a lot of good things. He’ll learn a lot from this past year. We learn more about all our players as we grind through the scheme evaluation. We just completed the run game on Monday. With that, you take away things we could teach better and look how we’re training some things. Richard and a number of our young players will benefit from that.
On receiver situation:
I think if you look at the history of how we put together our roster, there’s no set five, six, seven receivers as far as who makes the team. The last game was a good illustration how you have to have as many good players as you can. There’s a lot of young players playing at the end of the season. As far as the competition as we sit today, it’s wide open. They’re all comfortable in the offense and have a relationship with the quarterback. We’ll have a lot of reps for our young guys with the Hall of Fame game.
On young secondary:
I think HaHa, each year you want to sing about a player that's made a huge jump in his second year, and he's that player this year. I thought HaHa had a tremendous year. The second-year players you evaluate that every year. Morgan Burnett is one of our leaders. Sam had a good year. Missed some games. What can I say about our rookies? Our rookies stepped in there and played well and were competing for starting jobs as we were coming down the stretch there. I'm not just talking about in the sub packages, I'm talking about the base defense, too.
On fifth preseason game:
This is my first time through it. I’ve never coached in the game. I’ll spend quite a bit of time looking at the schedule and getting feedback from people who have been in the game. It’ll definitely change as a training camp. The stress points of each training camp and important to me. You have to factor it all in. It’s a great honor for Brett Favre and a great day for the Packers, but our younger players will benefit from the time.
On defensive flexibility:
Defensively in the sub packages when you get into situation football, everybody is trying to create matchups. Giving the opportunity diversity and what you look for. It’s all part of the game-planning.
On Jordy Nelson:
Jordy is in there every day. Ty is in there every day. Letroy, Mike Daniels, you learn to see them every day. Jordy looks great. Where he is in his career, I’m not worried about him getting back to where he was because I think we have plenty of time for that. He’s way ahead of schedule. It’s a conversation I’ve had with Jordy with this fifth game and how we play him in the preseason. There’s a threshold and transition those guys have to go through. In the OTAs, he’ll work there some. By the time training camp comes around, I don’t see him having any limitations.
On the NFC North:
I think this year will probably be the toughest year in the division. You have coaches at every team that has a program in place and you have continuity and new challenges they’ll present to us. I think our division is as tough as ever.
On the Vikings:
Good football team, well-coached. Mike Zimmer and Norv Turnver, the whole group. To compare those two teams, they’re totally different teams No. 1. I think they’re definitely a team that has good young players who’ll be better next year.
On young players:
Young players hit roadblocks. You’re glad that they happen because they’re experiences they grow from. Eddie’s situation, he’ll be better from that. No different with Davante, he ran into the injury challenge and he’ll be better for that as his career moves on. It’s a part of the game. You don’t like it but it’s something that players put a lot of time in the offseason. I have confidence that Eddie and Davante will come back ready to go. They’ve been productive for us.
On Ty Montgomery:
Ty Montgomery is an exceptional athlete. I think that’s very evident when he takes the field with the rookies and with the veterans. The other part of it is he’s a very bright young man. His ability to move in and out of positions at such a young age is impressive. It’s important for him to get back and master the receiver position. He’ll be better from it. I give him a lot of credit. Obviously he had a significant injury that required surgery and the young man did everything he needed to do to get back on the field. Surgery was the last resort. I’m impressed with him as a young man. I don’t know if he’ll be ready until training camp though.
On Randall Cobb:
I think just like anything in life, it’s about opportunities. Frankly if you look at the offense last year and his production the year before, his opportunities came from different positions, situations and combinations. Randall will be a better player because of what he was asked to do last year. There’s definitely a lot of things that we’ve done with Randall in prior years that we didn’t get to until the end of the year. He fought through a lot of injuries. To play in some of the games he played in was impressive. The multiple shoulder injuries speaks volumes about him.
On Sam Barrington:
Sam looks good. I think it’s important when injuries to Sam and Jordy, they stayed involved. They stayed in it the whole time. I think that benefitted Sam not only from another year in the system, but looks good. Don’t really have a timeline for him. I don’t think he’ll have any limitations as he goes forward.
On Aaron Rodgers’ OTA availability:
I would think so. Hell, the way he’s hitting the golf ball I think he’ll be ready to go.
On personnel:
Our personnel department has an excellent process about player acquisition. This is an important process to get in front of players and talk to them. Scouts have been through the whole board. They’ve had a chance to go through the board one time. This is important. It’s not the most important part, but it is part of it.
On play-calling:
Play-calling is an important decision. I think McAdoo will make the right decision. Knowing Ben, he probably won’t want to tell you until the last second. Him and I haven’t talked about it, but it’s an important decision. The way you structure your staff and all those things. I think it’s important as a coach with your staff and with your program to answer the question how you can improve? Ben will do a great job in New York.
Extremely high success rate, reportage-wise, re Packers:
@RapSheet: #Packers GM Ted Thompson said he wasn't averse to free agency... With that thought, expect GB to be in the mix for a complementary WR.
cuqui posted:On playoff losses due to young players:
Thanks for bringing up those things. We value draft-and-development. We value free agency. We have guys like Julius Peppers, guys who have been free agents. If you can help us win games and be a good teammate, you have a place for us. We’re not opposed to doing that. We’ve said all along in a perfect world you’d be able to draft, develop and keep your own players.
Two awesome responses from Thompson.
As part of the quote above... after the "Thanks for bringing up those things". He has a little exchange with whoever asked the question about the first sentence, I think the reported wanted to clarify, and then Ted says "I appreciate the question and the time it took to think about it."
Also during his answer to this question, which was also asking about using FA more than the D&D since the last two seasons ended with young guys (Bostick and Randall) making crucial mistakes at the end of those games, there was an intercom request for K-St FB Glenn Gronkowski to report to podium 'C'... Ted says "well that's just rude", and then has a bit of smile and says "Gronk!".
cuqui posted:Started at 10 am sharp, looked at the clock when it hit 15 minutes and just plain walked away from the podium.
And that's 15 minutes he'll never get back.
Also liked when the phone rang he asked "is that my phone? No, good..." Can't afford to miss a call which might improve their team.
How about a complementary TE? I'd sooner see that in FA than a WR (Ladarius Green/Antonio Gates).
Demovsky (and others) got some time with McCarthy after he left the podium:
In a side session with reporters who cover the Packers, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Eddie Lacy met with P90X founder Tony Horton but said "the Green Bay Packers never asked him to lose 30 pounds" and added "Eddie will take care of business and you'll see a different Eddie in April."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he'd be all for three preseason games and then 10 days to two weeks before the opener. This year, his team will play five with the Hall of Fame game.
Mike McCarthy on DT Mike Pennel's four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy: "Disappointed. Mike's one of our guys, but we'll see him through this. He's a young player who really came on in the second half of the season."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy on whether GM Ted Thompson listens if he asks for a player: "Everybody wants something. Someone has to say no. That's why you have a chain of command. Someone has to be the bad guy." He then added: "We'll see how it shakes out. We may shock you this year."
Rapaport is right more than most but a WR makes little sense, unless they believe Adams is a bust, Montgomery won't come back from the ankle, and/or Janis and Abby hit their ceilings already.
