The official offseason draft thread

JaDaveon Clowney.  I guy can wish, can't he?

http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/

I want linebackers.  Guys that play nasty and make plays and take no crap.   Two guys that come to my mind play right in the Big Ten- Ryan Shazier and Chris Borland.   I also wouldn't mind seeing one of the Iowa LBs.  They hit and tackle and take names.  Our current LBs do not. 

 

 

Shazier would be a great fit.

Lbers

LBers

LBers

and Safeties

Safeties

 

TT needs to dip into FA for once IMO. Rodgers just turned 30...can't be wasting his prime years with bad defenses. Can't be relying on UDFA and 7th round picks to just step in and contribute. Team has cap space this offseason...time to add a quality FA to the D. Draft D help, then take TE/WR in the mid rounds

 

 

The Badgers Jacob Pedersen is from my hometown....hope to see him drafted and be successful in the NFL

The kid from   Wisconsin lb 44. Motor runs non stop, always involved  in the play. Need more guys like that.  Too bad GB doesn't draft badgers. Need a guy that can chase down running qbs.  A few o lineman, and a tight end.

can we draft "good luck" in the first round?

 

seriously, all this team needs is a season where they stay as healthy as the 49ers.

You guys are suggesting one Badger after another just to piss off Iowacheese, aren't you? 

No thats not it, if I wanted to piss him off I would start another Dom Capers thread

Love him as a Badger, excellent football player who probably won't be picked until the 4th round, but I think  Boreland is injured a lot as a pro. 

They need to draft BPA on defense, except CB.  I think they have enough at CB to work with (Shields, Hayward, House and Hyde) but everywhere else they need a lot of help.  Safeties are awful.  Front seven can't stop the run, can't rush the passer and can't cover.  Of those three positions, I see OLB and DL as the lowest need, as they do have Jones, Worthy, Boyd and Daniels at DL and Perry, Neal and Mulumba at OLB, all young guys that you can count on improving.  ILB and safety don't have that.  

 

After that, I'd draft a TE and WR on offense but that's about it.  Tolzien and Flynn seem like a decent #2 and #3 QB.  OL seems set at this point with Bulaga, Sherrod, Barclay and Bahktiari at OT, and Sitton, Lang, EDS, Tretter and Johnson in the interior.  And they weren't actually that bad this year.  I also really like going into 2014 with Lacy, Starks, Franklin, Harris and Kuhn in the backfield.  I just don't see a lot of fixes on offense coming from new personnel in the draft.  

 

To sum up, I'd like to see:

Round 1: ILB/Safety 

Round 2: ILB/Safety (whichever wasn't take in the 1st)

Round 3: DL

Round 4: TE/WR

Round 5: LB/DL

Round 6: TE/WR (whichever wasn't take in the 4th)

Round 7: LB/DL (whichever wasn't take in the 5th)

 

EDIT: I called Neal young above and while he isn't really "young", he just finished his first year at OLB so not a stretch to think that he can get better there and develop into a decent backup.  

quote:

but I think  Boreland is injured a lot as a pro.

So you're saying he's perfect for the Packers?

who is the tallest TE we can find? 

This guy.

I need another reeb.

Packer will need to look to free agency for a veteran safety, not a good year for 1st round softies this year. The Packers also need a TE and maybe a Wide Receiver. On the D-Line they have Boyd and Daniels who are developing nicely.  Their O-Line will be a lot better next year. Inside Linebacker is a need. 

T think the Packers need to draft impact players more then anything else.

Draft a conditioning trainer. Cannot keep losing players like the last 3 years...that or get a free agent trainer (Richard Simmons
Available?)

Patrick Willis wouldn't shine on this squad if he has a guard on him 0.5 sec after the snap.   We need a real NT who can, and wants, to eat up blocks.   

 

Raji is gone, Picket is washed, so that leaves Boyd.   I don't follow college so I don't know if that guy is out there, but that's the biggest need.   Daniels looks like a budding star at end, maybe Worthy or Jones can become competent at the other end?

 

Anyway, NT and then S are the main positions of need.   Jones and Lattimore in the middle will be fine if they are not immediately engulfed by 300lb linemen.

I was thinking Dague Retzlaff

Outside speed at WR is a big need.  They tried this year and it didn't work out.  I think they'll be looking for that again this year.

I would guess WR is the one position where things are pretty sound

Offense seems pretty simple:

 

QB: #12 and you may have something with Tolzien as a back-up

RBs: Lacy and Franklin for sure. If Starks doesn't get paid on market, I think he'd be a smart guy to have back. Was really impressed with him. But I assume he's gone and Harris takes his place.

WRs: #87, #18, #11. I assume Jones is gone. They have a couple of development guys. Biggest thing here is extending #87 and #18 to multi-year deals

TE: Big gap here…they have a bunch of bodies, but no difference maker

o-line: If healthy, this could be a real nice area next year. You'll get Bulaga and Tretter back to go with the starting five. We'll see if Sherrod can get anything going after that injury

 

Defensively is where the decisions need to be made, starting with the coaching staff. There's enough written about that elsewhere, but I would definitely make a change.

 

On the line, I see no reason why they should sign Raji to big bucks. I also don't think you can count on Pickett and/or Jolly for next year. They'll need to draft someone + potentially get a FA.

 

LBs need a total overhaul. They need two new inside LBs with speed. On outside, you have 52 and 53, but clearly need one of the young OLBs to develop. I would also swap Perry and Matthews…Perry looks so much better on right side, and this lets Matthews go against RTs instead of LTs. I think you let Neal walk. 

 

DBs…gotta resign Shields. Also, rework Williams, too valuable to let go now. They need a major upgrade at safety. I would both move Hyde there and look to sign someone.

quote:

not a good year for 1st round softies this year.

Don't you think the Packers have enough softies on the team without drafting more? 

Hay I made a funny. Yea the Packers safeties are for the most part softies.

I can't tell if our safeties are softies; they're not close enough to hit anyone.  

In the first 5 rounds:

2 ILB's

2 S's

1 OL

Although Safety and ILB is a big big need I think that because Clinton Dix will probably be gone by the time they pick and CJ Mosley whom I really like is probably a medical redflag,  GB probably will take one of the TE's in rd 1 and a safety in rd 2.  I really like S Deon Buchanon  from WSU.  I like ILB Shane Skov but he is slow and if we want speed Christian Jones from FSU might be the guy

Pack88

I know it's not what TT usually does but I think he has to really consider adding a couple starters via free agency.  He's added some free agents in the past and hope he can find some good ones again.  This team has too many holes to fill with just rookie draft picks. 

This team will look very different next year...list of FA's...

 

Raji - Unless he's coming for the right price, he's gone.

Kuhn - Gotta think they will do everything they can to bring him back.

J. Jones - Gone, will address in draft or promote Boykin.

Shields - Will be back, IMO

Pickett - He's old, but solid...gotta think they may bring him back for a year or 2 for right price.

Finley - May never play again...and many teams may not be willing to pay him big money with the risk. May come back for a one year deal with lots of incentives.

Jolly - Have to think as well as he played, they will bring him back...provided his injury is not career ending as some have speculated.

Starks - If they feel confident with DuJuan Harris he's expendable.

Flynn - Best backup option for the time being, but likely will address via draft.

Francois - Special teams guy...will be back for minimum.

Seneca Wallace - Gone

Neal - Just starting to play to his potential at OLB...I think they bring him back and it won't be expensive.

 

Draft wise not sure they look for OL unless one is just too good to pass up. Have to feel they feel good about OT with Bulaga and Bakhtiari, and the rumors of Sherrod coming back. Tretter will push EDS I believe for starting role. Don't see them taking OL in the first 2 rounds...not with more pressing needs.

 

Most pressing needs, S, CB, ILB and DT...depending on Finley, TE may be area of need as well as WR to replace Jones.

 

Hyde is a good special teams guy, and a good nickel CB, but we saw yesterday, he lacks elite speed needed to be a shut down CB.

I think Stark's replacement will be Franklin. 

 

It's kinda funny.  I figured Starks was gone for sure, not for lack of talent, but for missing assignments and all those snippets found on internet about being in the coach's doghouse.  This year he really impressed me with his one cut, decisive running and significant burst.  Now that I have warmed up to him, I fully expect he signs elsewhere. 

I think Starks is an RFA, he should be back.

I think so too.  Lacy and Starks make each other better and will keep each other healthier.  Franklin showed some wow and I hope he keeps developing enough for MM to trust him and work him more into gameplans.

In my opinion this offseason will define TT's ability as a talent evaluator/GM.  He has a lot of very difficult decisions to make this year that will shape the course of this team during Rodger's prime year/remaining years.  

 

Capers vs No Capers:  The big question here is, are the Packer's defensive deficiencies related to talent, injuries, or coaching.  The easy answer is all three.  The easy fix (at least in the eyes of fans) is to replace Capers.  What TT needs to figure out is whether a healthy squad would have given us a chance at the Super Bowl.  If the answer is yes, you stand pat, ad some more talent in the draft and pick up a few second tier free agents.  If the answer is no, then you must decide if Capers/staff have the ability to coach up what you have to turn them into a Super Bowl defense.  

 

Raji:I think he's played himself out of a huge payday, but he is still a free agent.  The question that TT must answer is whether any contract beyond a minimum is worth it. The answer to this lies in another question which is why has Raji's once pro-bowl ability gone away.  Is he out of position, does he lack passion, or was he really only that good because he had more talent around him.  What direction we go with Raji has huge impact on the D-line as a whole.  What happens to Neal, what happens to Pickett?  This is a major issue going forward.

 

What to do at cornerback:  Williams stepped it up over the past month of the season.  He costs a lot of money.  Shields is a good cornerback, he's going to cost  a  lot of money.  His recent injury could cloudy the waters on what TT should do at this position.  Two months ago the plan was probably to pay Shields, and renegotiate Williams.  Now?  The X-factor in this is Heyward.  

 

What to do at safety:  Plain and simple, the Packers have not even come close to replacing Nick Collins.  Granted, he was a pro-bowl safety which is not easy to replace, but our current situation is atrocious.  

 

What to do at middle linebacker:  Hawk= assignment sure/not injury prone = chick with good personality.  Sometimes stability is comforting and easy, but it's not game changing.  Jones= just another guy.

 

What to do at the skilled positions:  James Starks played pretty well.  It would be nice to keep him, but you have Franklin and Harris coming back from injury.  James Jones is a nice receiver, but has become expendable.  The huge question becomes how signings now change what we can do with Cobb and Nelson next year.  Both of those players are a priority and I don't see TT spending money on Jones and Starks if other players (Franklin, Harris, Boykins) are available.  

 

From a draft standpoint the Packers hurt themselves for the future by making the playoffs this year.  I would never say that I'd rather miss the playoffs than make the playoffs.  Winning begets winning and losing begets losing.  There is a reason whey some franchises suck all the time, and some franchises don't.  That said, drafting higher would have been nice.  Drafting higher in each round does not guarantee success, but it does increase opportunity. 

 

In my opinion, this team is not as far away as people think.  Injuries again derailed a promising season.  I believe that with a healthy roster (Rodgers, Finley, Matthews, Bulaga, Cobb, Heyward, Shields, Jolly, Neal, Perry, etc) the Packers are competing for a Super Bowl.  I expect that Capers will be back.  I hope TT can find 1 or 2 playmakers in the middle of the defense.  I expect that one of these years our injury luck has to turn around. 

 

 

 

All I saw was "cloudy the waters."

 

I expect more from you

A good read Doc!

One reason I never root for draft position: loss to Bears cost the team seven spots in the draft, but ILB, S and TE are the biggest needs and none are currently graded as top 20 picks.

 

Could see as many as 5 QBs go before Pack on the clock, so should still be plenty of options at 21.

In the paragraph about Raji, I meant to say Daniels, not Neal.  I still get them confused.

 

I don't have any info on Shields or Neal's injuries yet.  Sorry, my insider info is sparse currently.