The official offseason draft thread

Exactly FS. With the glut of underclassmen in this draft someone is going to drop to 21 that some staff had as a top 10 player, but Thompson does not.

Also, (I believe) most people think that a GMs draft board is sequentially ranked like Kiper or McShay or whatever, but we know Thompson and other GMs rank players in groupings. @21 Thompson will have more than 1 guy he likes at that pick. If they are all there when GB is on the clock he will likely trade down (partner willing) knowing he can still get one of his guys.

Then again, maybe there's a lap faller also. If say a Jake Matthews or Khalil Mack somehow ends up at #21 then if he truly believes in BPA then he stays put and grabs him, ala Rodgers.

That is possible... but assumes Thompson has those players worth the 21st pick.

Just looking at BPA around the Packers picks I came up with:

1. Jeremiah Attaochu  OLB  GA Tech

2. Pierre Desir  CB  Lindenwood

3. Jordan Matthews  WR  Vanderbilt

4. Chris Borland  ILB  Wisconsin

5. DaQuan Jones  DT  Penn State

6. Victor Hampton  CB  NC State

7. Beau Allen  DT  Wisconsin

No center, no true safety, no early DL but Matthews, Borland and Hampton in those spots would be great value.

Listening to local draft talk here the past couple of days, one of the NFL guys (can't remember who) was talking about recent Alabama defensive players taken early and they really have not done anything. It may not bode well for HaHa, CJ, or any of the other guys. Mark Baron has been less than stellar for being a top 10 pick, Dee Milliner got benched for the Jets last year, and Courtney Upshaw has three sacks in two years in a similar 3-4 scheme. 

I trust that if those guys are there and Ted passes them up he will feel the same way.

One of the popular theories behind that is even though he's easily hateable, Nick Saban and staff are really good defensive minds/coaches and a lot of those players have essentially "maxed out", leaving less room for growth as a player.

We may pick up a 3rd round compensatory pick which would be nice.

http://nflspinzone.com/2014/02...-round-compensation/

There's a possibility it will be a 4th for Jennings. The league always gives Green Bay the shaft so I'm expecting a 4th.

Jennings had 68 for 804 & 4 TD's

Wallace had 73 for 930 & 5 TD's

That's not a tremendous amount of difference so both teams should get either a 3rd or a 4th.

Dashon Goldson is worth a 4th?? For what? 72 tackles, 1 FF & 1 INT?

I know it's based on contract & playing time too but, Gimme a break

I'd be very surprised if Green Bay receives a 3rd for Jennings but it would sure be nice this year to have that extra 3rd. 

3rd round comps are very rare, but KC got one last year for Brandon Carr who signed a 5yr/$50/$25 deal with the Boys.

Jennings contract was a comparable 5/$47/$18 with similar first year production, so I'll remain optimistic. It will at worst be a 4th in a very deep draft. I'd honestly forgotten all about GJ and the comp picks. Not to mention the absurd contact that Walden got will only help with his return as well.

Who says Ted never cashes in on Free Agency?

Here is the net net for KC, don't forget Kyle Orton

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Lost: Brandon Carr, Le'Ron McClain, Kyle Orton, Barry Richardson

Signed: Peyton Hillis, Brady Quinn

you know, I remember quite a few 'containment' problems, I have no problem taking the best LB @ 21...I watched the senior bowl and Borland is Zach Thomas, screw his measureables, playmakers are playmakers.  Ford kid looked like a really nice fit also.

I'd be fine with any R1 pick outside of QB, RB and OL.

That still leaves the possibility of P, K, or KR... , or even.... long snapper!

If you can add a Chandler Catanzaro to your team for the next 15 years at pick 21, you take him and don't look back.

Ohhh...that's good.

Bad year for TE's...if Finley doesn't come back, which I am thinking he won't, we will need to address TE...and if we want an impact one, going to have to be likely in round 1 or 2...

Only real impact guys IMHO, are Ebron, who likely will be gone by 21. Jace Amaro who most feel is a reach at 21. Seferian-Jenkins probably goes early in round 2, and Niklas from ND and Marcel Jensen from Fresno State are more blocking TE...and Jensen is a mid to late rounder at best anyway.

So if the Packers do go TE, they will likely have to move up to get Ebron, or hopefully trade back, get an extra pick or two and take either Amaro or Jenkins.

Sleeper pick...mid to late round, Crockett Gilmore from Coloraddo State. He was a late addition to the Senior Bowl and had a nice week of practice and game. Not flashy, but definitely a guy I think who could get some reps...if they are looking for a developmental guy with good athleticism.

This is the kind of year teams might reach for QB's. Green Bay is also picking early enough in the draft to take advantage of a guy who falls in the draft. The draft is also weak at the top but as deep in talent as any draft we have seen. 

Ted needs to get in the position to be as flexible as possible. The thing I think he needs to get done before the draft is to sign a reasonably good  safety to fill the big hole they have at the position. Then I hope that he is in  the position to take the best players he can get in the draft regardless of position. So if a player like  Ebron is there at  21 he has the flexibility to take him.

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The league always gives Green Bay the shaft so I'm expecting a 4th.

TT will not go TE in RD1.

Packfoo - you mentioned Seferian-Jenkins as an early RD2 and I think with as deep as this draft is and with as many QBs as may be taken in RD1-2, that SJ could be there for us in RD2.

Totally agree with signing a FA safety, if at all possible, then freeing up TT to go best player available through the whole draft.

TT seems to like drafting big bodies early (Harrell, Raji, Bulaga, Sherrod, Perry, Jones, Worthy, etc.) and with the D-line situation I wouldn't be surprised if he went that way once again, waiting on a safety and ILB.

A wiser man than I suggested Charles Tillman and move to S...near the end of his career, but productive, and would provide leadership a la Woodson. Plus it sticks the Bears.

Saints are likely to release Roman Harper. He missed some games last year and is 31, but he would likely be a relatively inexpensive FA pick-up.

Harper, Will Smith, Greer and Vilma... I don't pay much attention to the Saints D.  I know Vilma was a stud but he is getting a bit older I believe.  Any of those dudes worth a shot?

Harper would be worth a modest contract, Greer maybe but as a nickel. Vilma's done.

Uh-oh...

A lot of cuts of veteran players are going to happen leading up to March 11. Oakland with their 60 million in cap space can't grab all the veterans. It is going to be a buyers market.

If the packers don't sign Raji or Finley then the Packers will be flush with cap space. Shield may be expensive, but the rest of  the Packers Free Agents will not command huge contracts. As for Nelson and Cobb it is a buyer market when it comes to wide receivers so their contract extensions will not be outrageous, I suspect one or both will be extended this year and it is quite possible Jones will be resigned.

If the Packers do nothing next year they will get another 8 to 10 million in cap space with no major contracts on the horizon. 

So Ted will have money to play with this off season. I doubt he will be a player in the first wave of free agents signing but after that there could be a lot of good players looking for work.

I hope not. You still need to be able to stop the run, and if you don't have the big bodies up front, they could get pushed around by the bigger O-Lines. Obviously, those big guys still need to be playing well...the talent still needs to be there.

Speaking of Raji...if he were to be re-signed somehow, why wouldn't you want him at NT, since that is where he played so well a couple years ago?

I like the idea of signing an upper tier free agent safety. We need a playmaker back there, plain and simple. I'm not sure a TE would still be the target in RD 1, unless the front office really likes Ebron or Amaro. I think they either sign a free agent TE, or draft Fiedorowicz in the 3rd or 4th round. Maybe the TE from ND...

quote:

A lot of cuts of veteran players are going to happen leading up to March 11.

Jay Ratliff was a pretty good NT for a number of years. In a on-gap system, maybe Perry puts the 15# back on and plays in front of Matthews, or at least lines up there some on passing downs even if he doesn't bulk up.

That would mean bringing in an OLB and an ILB who can upgrade though. Still, a third-down front six of Matthews, Perry, Neal, Daniels, Jones and New, dynamic guy might be interesting.

If they run more of a one-gap front, Raji may want to stay.

Not sure if that's a good thing.

Not necessarily. I think the better 3-4s in the league more closely resemble the DL size GB is reportedly shifting to. Looking at 3-4 teams that finished top 10 against the run, AZ, NYJ and BAL each only featured one player at 330+ in a prominent role. The 49ers didn't have any over 305.

Contrast that with GB's base D that averaged 330+ across the front. Granted, they were stout to begin the year, but maybe the end of season drop off is part of the reasoning for going more athletic up front.

It sounds like we could be seeing more 1-gap concepts which would definitely play to Raji's strengths. If that's the case and he's come back to Earth on his asking price, there wouldn't be a better big man available if they still wanted one wide-body anchor.

quote:

A lot of cuts of veteran players are going to happen leading up to March 11.

And a lot of posters here are going to get a warm feeling over the idea of shiny veteran free agents being available. 

The Packers will sign a couple free Agents at prices Ted thinks are reasonable (cheap). My point is that there  will be bargains to be had. Ted has a history of visiting the NFL thrift store in the off season (Woodson). Yea, Ted will sign a couple older free agents for  short contracts to fill a hole or two (safety). I will be shock if he signs any big names to big contracts.

Ian Rapoport from NFL Network reports Packers will be highly active bringing in as many as 5 outside FA's.

I am highly skeptical.

I think TT will be more active this year in the free agent market and not just the bargain variety older free agents.  I can see him bringing in an up-and-comer player, maybe a player similar to Al Harris.  I know TT didn't sign Harris but I can see him bringing in a player that he thinks is ready to contribute at a higher level. 

Given the Packer's defense is so much worse than their offense, what is the rationale for taking TE at #1 rather then ILB or S?

I don't get it.

Randy Starks, Shaun Phillips, Paul Soliai, Karlos Dansby, Larry English, O'Brien Schofield, Jabari Greer and Roman Harper are all guys I could see TT kicking the tires of with a couple brought in to compete. 

This has kind of been my thought process for the offseason, too. There's certainly something to be said for making a strength stronger, and TE would be a pretty gaping hole if no one stepped up.

But I think even sticking with the corps of Rodgers, Lacy, Cobb and Nelson, it's going to be a Top 10 unit regardless of who fills out the rest of the perimeter players. I'd be OK taking my chances with guys like Bostick, Boykin and Harris stepping up and using the savings on Finley, Jones and Starks on D. Obviously not that cut and dry, but I could see that being the big picture philosophy.