Good, bring in TJ Ward (or Jairus Byrd), resign Shields, and let pretty much everyone else go. I'd like to see EDS and Jolly resigned, too, but only at reasonable deals.

I can see TT becoming more active in FA but doubt he'll stray far from the bargain bin. Fans expecting a high-profile shiny acquisition will likely be disappointed.

I don't think they will be resigning Shields or Raji

 

 

I thought Dom liked big lineman and everything was predicated on stopping the run first.   I'd also say if he was looking for athletic lineman he had Neal last year and had no problem moving him outside.  How many of these DL we're supposedly going to sign are more athletic than Neal? 

This sounds like it's a slow news week so let's speculate that because the Packers didn't re-sign the bigger Raji they want to get more athletic.  If anything they need a space eater.  One of the issues with Raji was handling double teams.

 

It's also easy to speculate that a team with $30 million cap space is going to be one of the teams to sign free agents. 

 

According to Rapoport, the team is committed to rebuilding its defense in a way that best suits the philosophy of defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

This begs the question as to what the team has been doing the last few years. Attempting to put a square peg in a round hole and hope for the best?

quote:

How many of these DL we're supposedly going to sign are more athletic than Neal?

Perhaps the Packers need the new DL to be more athletic than the other guys they had last year? 

I think Shields will be back, Tramon with his big number will have to restructure or be gone. You can't coach what Shields has and that is speed. And that is something you have to keep. As for Raji, that ship has sailed.

 

If Shields wants 10MM a year they need to let him walk. He is a pretty good player but he's no Richard Sherman.  Those numbers being thrown around are Sherman type numbers.

TT is going to bring in lots of free agents.  They'll just mostly be undrafted free agents.

The Packers sign free agents every year, and bigger name free agents when the market is right. 

 

I can safely assume that this year the Packers will sign some free agents and a bigger name if the market is right. 

Capers was the guy that wanted big slugs on the line in the first place. 

@PackerUpdate 

@McLaughlinMitch Packers need Shields, but Ted can't panic and make a ridiculous offer. We see how that turned out with Hawk.

 

@PackerUpdate 

@NFLOwnerGBP Didn't say Sgields wasn't needed, but would you pay him $11 million next season. That's the cost of the franchise tag.

 

@PackerUpdate 

The closer we get to free agency, the more overrated Sam Shields seems to get. Tramon Williams was the best corner on the team last season.

Can't see TT changing his fundamentals to the point that he goes on a wild and crazy spending spree. I can see him going out and starting to sign guys he thinks might be on the verge of having good years ahead or he might splurge and get a vet cut by another team, but only if he's reasonable. TT has held onto his MO for so long, it would be a shock if he did drop dozens of dimes on big-name guys.

 

Maybe it's all part of a master plan: Give Capers what he wants, then if he fails he can fire him without a peep being heard from MM or the fans. We've heard over and over "it's the lack of athletes," so maybe if TT spends he's saying, "Put up or shut up." If he wins big-time, everyone wins! 

TT isn't going to **** the bed and sign a big name FA to a huge contact... There will be no bidding wars for the likes of Larry Bird from Buffalo.  

 

I wish he would... but I don't see it happening.

The key words (to me) from that article are "athletic and versatile along the DL".

 

So, guys like CJ Wilson and Jolly won't likely be back.  But isn't that what Raji supposedly is???  He's athletic, but he had a "role" that didn't appear to suit his talent.  Guys like Worthy, Jones, and Daniels would fit that mold.  But, there's now the issue of run D and being smaller up front.  Never mind that Capers plays nickel most of the time.

We were "bigger" up front last year with Pickett and Raji... That worked out well, eh?

Well it did. For about 4-5 weeks. Then those guys either got gassed OR opposing OC's figured out a way to place them on skates and push them off the line. It was stunning how they went from dominant against the run to not being able to stop anyone. And that was BEFORE Jolly got hurt and the DL was so healthy that CJ Wilson was a healthy scratch week after week

I think Raji turned down the Pack's $8 million offer because he wants to move to a team that uses the 4-3.  He seems better suited to that scheme, will probably perform better, and therefore command more $$$.

Absolutely. Either way I think this season will decide the debate about whether the players were the problem or Capers is the problem. If Capers has the players he needs then he should field a consistent, championship defense. If this report is true, and I'm skeptical that it is, I would guess they're going to look at a Safety, an ILB, and a true DE. I'm guessing they will look at a true NT in round 1 also.

 

If I had to peg some big name FA's that they would target, my guess would be: DE Lamar Houston (Raiders), DE Arthur Jones (Ravens), and Malcolm Jenkins (Saints). 

 

 

Better ILB play and running 3-3 vs. 2-4 in nickle could help against the run a lot. Hogs are for two-gapping, sleek is for one-gapping.

Right...funny guy, you must be new around here.

 

Nothing will be settled and fans will piss & moan about it for another decade or so. When the defense plays well, one side will feel vindicated and crow all about it ad nauseum. Barf.

When the defense has a rough outing, the other side will flame away launching

"I told you so's" from their bazooka of pent-up righteousness.

 

Tastes Great ! Less Filling ! Tastes Great ! Less Filling !  Argghhhh !

 

Same old story; the beaten dead horse takes it in the ass and Boris covers the bandwidth bill.

 

( make a donation today ! )

I told you all Satori would have a supercilious response

 

That's why I said target and not sign Hersch. I don't think they will sign any big name free agents, but I do believe they will target some big name free agents like I bet they do every year. And just like every year they will have a number in their head for what that free agent is worth and it won't match the FA's demand and he will go elsewhere. Ted Thompson won't overpay, but I do think he's very much interested in free agents. 

 

And you're absolutely right Satori, it won't end the argument. Nothing will end the arguments. However I do think this is Capers' make or break year and there will be compelling evidence to support one side or the other. If Capers has some truly productive players at his disposal then he will have no excuse for not succeeding. It will be hard not to blame Capers IF they sign the players he wants/needs and they still don't succeed. 

Steve told you, didn't he ?

Way to superciliously pat yourself on the back for pointing out a supercilious response. 

Piling on me now, huh?

 

Your all morans and all rong.  Name one person who still stands up for Sherman, huh?  Tough guys.  Message boards resolve things, not stir them up. 

Now you've done it. IC's frantically searching for his dictionary now.

And the pusillanimous Bong utters another plaintive cry.  Captious retorts are all he has at his disposal.

 

Dumdum.

Help I can not  find superciliously in the dictionary, is it spelled with one L or two?

The first step is admitting an adverb fetish.

 

Guarantee they sign at least one big name.

How can you be so obtuse ?

Its merely a result of his puniferous munificence

 

 

Because freedom, that's why.

 

I blame Capers.  Let's fire him so I feel good.

your al a sorry bunch of Aj Hawkes

Satori:

When the defense has a rough outing,

A rough outing???  Is THAT what you see as an accurate description of context with respect to complaints about the defense?

 

What I generally saw were complaints about the defense measured in a multitude of entire seasons.  That is about as remote from "a rough outing" as one can get.

Satori:

How can you be so obtuse ?

Cue Shawshank Redemption.

Just because it ends in ly doesn't always make it an adverb.  IE: July.