It's kind of perverse thinking and I am unsure when writing this but it might be a good thing if Spriggs gets injured and ended up on IR. That man needs some time to rethink his game. Of course I don't actually want him to get hurt but if he did , it gives others some training time and experience. From what I have read he has some natural strengths as a LT and may need another year to put it together. Right now Barkley is our best backup at center and maybe even RT. Him and BB are expected back before too long so it's ok for now.
I have to laugh a bit when guys express concerns about our new punter. If you reflect back on what really poor performers we've had there over the years, I think this guy is a breath of fresh air. Watch how our coverage guys have plenty of time to be there when the returner catches the ball. Watch how he can switch field position by booting it long. I think this guy turns a weakness into a strength this year.
As for WR's, I really think McCaffrey has to make it. Sure-handed guy. He can fill in for Davis as PR if necessary. Probably could fill in for Janis as KR, too. In fact, I'm still not convinced Janis makes the 53.
An injury is never the correct answer.
Mike Wahle, TJ Lang & Josh Sitton had issues too when they first started
Hell...EVEN DARYN COLLEDGE lasted a while in the league.
Spriggs has some issues right now but I believe the base is there. As fans we want instant gratification & All-Pro status. That ain't realistic bro. He stoned Von Miller on 1 play last night. Surprising. Then Von beat him on a spin move. It happens.
Spriggs has what it takes but needs time to develop. Let's not forget that important aspect of the Draft & Develop philosophy.
It looks to me like McCaffrey is ahead of both draft picks on the depth chart. He played with the second stringers, Dupre with the third, and Yancey not at all. Yancey must either be injured or is just not ready for the NFL. From everything I've seen and heard, McCaffrey is assignment sure and catches everything thrown his way. He looks good.
If all of that is the case, it would make zero sense to use a roster spot on Yancey or Dupre and not McCaffrey. I mean, does anyone really believe either is going to be signed to some other team's 53? No team is going to do that.
And sorry to dwell, but the idea that any player should get some sort of "pass" based on draft status is just plain weird to me. Field the best guys, the ones who are ready to play. The guys that aren't go to the PS. That's what it's for.
I think McCaffrey beats out one of the draft picks.
That's true Boris. And I am hopeful about Spriggs in the longer run. Perhaps next year or maybe even sometime this year his natural ability overcomes his "yips". Murphy seems a better fit on the right side and may even be the better run blocker. I see Patrick as the third string center but even he got hurt. Right now after the aforementioned players it's anybody's guess. Let's hope that there are no major injuries to the line.
EDIT: I suppose it's really TTs and MMS guess.
Pistol GB posted:And sorry to dwell, but the idea that any player should get some sort of "pass" based on draft status is just plain weird to me.
Not a pass so much as it's TT just attempting to recoup his investment. Really applies more to rounds five and above and I believe the last time a player was cut right out of camp that he drafted that high was Jamon Meredith in 2009.
Michiganjoe, just how does one recoup a draft investment? A possible trade value? Perhaps? But as a team that attracts UDFAs would it not be better to be known as a team that values play over draft status?
Watched replay this am. The secondary could be better than average by the middle of the season. I like what they're doing. Just stay healthy.
Hope Perry is ok. Really need him to hold up this year. He's one of the better OLB at setting the edge in the NFL.
If Monty Adams and Biegel get well and get on the field and contribute just a little this defense could be pretty good.
TT drafts players that high for a reason. You attempt to recoup your investment by being as sure as possible that your original assessment was a mistake before pulling the plug. My guess is Yancey gets a spot (upside is also an important consideration) before McCaffrey.
As far as Spriggs goes, no shame at all in losing a battle to Miller but need to do better than this against a rookie. Premature to give up on the guy but he's been a real disappointment so far.
Thanks for posting that MichiganJoe. UGGGLLLLYYYY
I think the log jam at WR is easily resolved. The 3 or 4 guys who will need to be on IR are probably taking acting lessons as we speak. They will be carted off the field in the last preseason game.
He looked like dog **** at G last year too. I get that a rook isn't going to get beat now and then, but he looks absolutely lost, it's not good.
....and we traded up to get him. Ouch
Can't criticize Ted on OL picks. He's been way right more often than he hasn't. Spriggs was/is a second rounder. He never looked as bad at Indiana as he he did last night against a nothing move by a rookie DE.
He's a mess. That's on Campen and Spriggs to fix it. Right now Spriggs is broken. He's got some mental block going on regarding inside moves. Kids got to stop thinking and start protecting.
I didn't see anything in particular last night that would cause me to make any changes to the prior week.
Allison, McCaffrey, Hawkins and Evans solidified their chances.
Davis bounced back well.
Ringo had a good game.
Everything else was status quo.
Looking forward to seeing what House adds to the secondary. So far they look like a talented bunch.... and deep. Would be nice to give them a semblance of a pass rush
Like the secondary, I think the D-line is going to be pretty good. Daniels, Lowry, Clark, RJF, and hopefully Montrea Adams, is a very solid group
LB on the other hand is concerning. Clay looked like ****, Perry hurt again, and the backups aren't exactly inspiring confidence with Jarone hurt and Fackrell looking so-so. Maybe its my biased eyes but i just dont like our ILB's. Martinez and Ryan just dont look like NFL LB's ... not very physical and rarely see the explosive game speed you see from todays top ILB's. Maybe they can be "good enough" by AJ Hawk standards 
Did however see some physical play from Joe Thomas which was promising. Absolutely jealous watching Denvers LB's.
Find a spot for Ahmad Brooks. With Perry already dinged and Matthews being Matthews, they're this close to a starting tandem of Back Spasm Elliott and Kyler Fackrell. I don't care if you're lining up in-their-prime Darelle Revis, Darrell Green and Dion Sanders as your starting corners, they're going to get torched.
Pretty much a necessity. If he was cut for 6 million salary give him a 1 or 2 year at 2.5 or 3 million.
With incentives for more. At 33 the love of the game BFI may be gone, but the love of the Benjamin's BFI is probably still strong.
I would laugh if some team pays him more than he was cut for. You know it could happen.
Something MIN would do.
The Brooks visit may say more about Perry's injury than their interest in depth.
We were 4th in the league in sacks last year. Perry and Matthews combined for 16 sacks and if they're healthy then 8 sacks each is very realistic. Peppers, Peppers, Fackrell, Elliot, and Datone combined for 11.5 sacks which now falls to Fackrell, Elliot, and Biegle to make up. It's true that Elliot saw his playing time decreased from 173 snaps in 2015 to 136 last year, but I think that had more to do with them trying to give Datone every opportunity they could before letting him go and Perry finally emerging in a big way. Elliot's effectiveness in 2015 with those 173 snaps was really good, totaling 3 sacks (1 sack every 57 snaps). Just as a reference, Nick Perry had an objectively productive 2016, he totaled 11 sacks in 603 snaps (1 sack every 54 snaps). Being healthy and at OLB in 2014 Clay produced 11 sacks in 899 snaps (1 sack every 81 snaps). Fackrell had 1 sack every 80 snaps in 2016.
So we have guys who have already shown they're capable of producing. Based on historical snap counts of our OLB depth the top 2 guys will each get around 750 snaps, the next two guys will each get around 530 snaps, and that 5th guy will get around 156 snaps. Based on health, snap counts, and career opportunity productivity we should be able to count on Perry totaling roughly 9 sacks, Clay roughly 8 sacks, Fackrell roughly 7 sacks, Elliot roughly 6 sacks, and Biegle is an unknown. There's 30 right there, that doesn't take into account what Biegle could produce, the fact that Perry improved dramatically from '15 to '16 (which could continue) and the likely improvement from Fackrell and Elliot vs. historical performance.
We will be okay with these guys IMO.
Except you're ignoring the current health of Perry and Elliott.
With Peppers and even Datone. Elliot and Fackrell aren't even in their league.
I get shorting a position but now OLB and Oline look scary thin and mostly due to **** talent.
Datone had 1 sack, he was arguably the 6th best OLB on the team.
Henry posted:I would laugh if some team pays him more than he was cut for. You know it could happen.
And then tweet it at Greg Jennings.
Grave Digger posted:Datone had 1 sack, he was arguably the 6th best OLB on the team.
And yet he played ahead of one-trick Elliott and No-Trick Fackrell. Sacks are not the be-all/end-all, pressures, run-setting, etc. come in to play also. Neither one of those two have shown jack past roster chum. Neither are "old" but neither have shown signs of being starting material either.
Herschel posted:And yet he played ahead of one-trick Elliott and No-Trick Fackrell. Sacks are not the be-all/end-all, pressures, run-setting, etc. come in to play also. Neither one of those two have shown jack past roster chum. Neither are "old" but neither have shown signs of being starting material either.
I agree with that, there's no signs that either are starter material, but there's no sign either are duds. Not to discuss Datone too much, but PFF rated him 70th out of 110 edge defenders last year. He was okay as a run defender because of his size, but he got more PT because that and they wanted to see how he would perform switching to OLB. They gave him every chance to succeed and he sucked. He's currently showing mediocrity in Minnesota:
(8/24/17) “At times he’s had a good stretch and then stretches where he reverts back,” said Zimmer, who added that the “next two weeks will be important” for Jones.
Thought Datone was more disruptive than his stat line indicated. Between Fackrell and Spriggs the Packers have a 2, 3 and 4 invested. Really demonstrates the problems that arise when relatively high draft picks don't develop as expected.
Since 2011, Brooks has had no less then 6 sacks in a season and no more then 8.5. For anyone claiming his pass rushing skills have declined, his stats certainly don't show that. In 2016 he was good for 6.
I don't see him as a full time starter and neither would GB. At this stage in his career, he'd be a perfect rotational guy, you keep him fresh not unlike what Capers asked of Peppers, and he's much better against the run then Peppers was last season.
Unless Brooks is missing a leg or Uber can't find Lambeau Field, I can't see any way he's not a Packer by tomorrow. Money won't be an issue and the Packers have plenty of cap room. I understand Brooks comes with baggage, but considering what's behind 52 and 53, this deal makes too much sense not to do.
Well, if either 52 or 53 are out for game or 2, Brooks, if signed will become a starter.
It's crazy. They had a guy sitting there at 29 and Ted for whatever reason decides to get cute. Why? Extra picks? ****!
The only thing standing in the way of another SB appearance is this D. Perry and CMIII are good when healthy but when is that? Making matters worse Elliott and Fackrell are one trick ponies - at best. Not a formula for success.
Ted has gambled and whiffed on a lot of defensive players that don't play DB and it might end up on his tombstone inscription.
There is a couple more threads that you can bitch about Watt in. What's taking so long?
- Guy who also wanted Watt.
Tschmack posted:...decides to get cute.
Can anyone define "get cute" for me?
Get Cute----- Trading down in the draft to get another choice and still get the guy you wanted in the 1st place.
Get cute -- trading with Patriots to get Clay Matthews.
Get cute -- trading down with Pats again. Pats draft bust at WR from Florida. Pack gets Greg Jennings & 2 OLINEMEN.
I know TJ Watt is the 2nd coming of Ray Lewis, Dick Butkus & Jack Lambert but can we limit the crying to 1 or 2 threads please.
