Unreasonably Early Rock Moster

Why isn't Bradford starting then? Why is Barrington starting?

I blame Dom Capers or Ron Zook

I Blame PFF. 

Ripkowski has been great on special teams play but haven't seen him in pass protection/blitz pickup.  Do you keep two FB's?  If so, I don't see Crockett making the team.  

 

Fact is, Barrington is the only full-time ILB with NFL experience.  That will be enough to get him on the roster.  Simple as that.  You can disagree and break down as much film as you want but it's going to happen.  You need experience and Barrington is the only one who has it.  Now if he gets passed up midseason b/c of great play by Bradford, Ryan and Palmer, awesome!  But Barrington is not getting cut out of TC (especially at his rock bottom salary).  

Barrington is great at setting the defense

You mean Dan Compers isn't setting each of them up individually and telling them all where to go? Hogwash.

So bong is the only one who can be sarcastic? Bunch of whiners.

We'll see. This isn't over. All I know is we had a thumper named Hawk who led our team in tackles for years there, but struggled mightily in pass defense and speed, and our defense suffered as a result.

 

Coverage liabilities at ILB are going to be difficult to manage against Jimmy Graham in week 2... Not saying Bradford is the guy, and he might not be for that game, but we have to do better than Barrington there. I'd rather start Ryan. They are going to need a plan for that.

 

Oh, forget it. You know what? I'm convinced. Start Barrington. He has experience...

 

I hate this argument.   It's the same argument you used to defend Hawk and Jones for years. 

 

A coach on the field.   Did you see that highlight where he shifted the D line pre snap.  GENIUS!  </sarcasm> 

I wanted an ILB in the draft. But Ted was never paying Tramon and House what they were asking (and made) and he shouldn't have. Randall and Rollins were the right selections. Ty is turning out to be a good idea in Rd 3 now. 

 

Having said all that. "Do you want Barrington or Bradford" is getting very close to "Do you want to get hit in the nuts with a shovel or a 3 wood?" 

 

I can't believe I'm pinning my 2015 ILB hopes to Jake Ryan. But that's kind of where we are right now. 

Typically GB covers the TE with a mix of players. When they faced Gronk last year, Burnett, HaHa, Hyde and others all took turns depending on the down/distance

They also will play with an ILB in a trail position with a safety over the top. Its a very rare scenario when GB asks an ILB to cover a TE all the way down the field. They have 5 DBs on the field for 70% of the downs and one of the reasons for that is because they are better at coverage than ILBs.

Well, it does beg the question--if Bradford is better, then why hasn't he been starting, much less getting any meaningful reps?  I had hopes for the guy too but he appears to be just a guy.  Barrington at this point appears to be just a little bit better guy.

 

As for Graham, I think Sean Richardson will be tasked with that job.

Finally, some reason in this thread!  

 

But seriously, this is pretty much what we're arguing over.  TT all but ignored finding a new 2015 starting ILB this offseason so we're going to have to cross our fingers for average at ILB.  I thought Barrington was serviceable last year; not good, not bad, just serviceable.  I haven't watched practice or the games but sounds like he's gotten worse.  But he'll be on the roster.  

All I know is we had a thumper named Hawk

I wouldn't, and I believe you are the first person to ever, call Hawk a thumper.  Hoping that was snark....

3 wood

Richardson may make the roster by default, but it will primarily be as a ST'er and run defender.  He doesn't have coverage skills that I can see.  Putting him on Jimmy Graham will be a mismatch.  I think Micah Hyde would draw that responsibility assuming he's healthy.  He actually had good coverage on the few plays I saw - Bradford was throwing darts though.

Regardless of the Barrington/Bradford debate, I think it's obvious the Packers will have to play a lot of nickel and dime against teams with genuine receiving threats at TE and RB. 

However, that should play to our strengths, I would think. S/CB are our deepest and most talented positions. We'll have to depend on LBs to contain the screens and short passes. Simple as pie...

I bass fish.  Sometimes one giant is the ticket, other times it's numbers.

 

I've discovered a new bait when fishing for trophies.  I give you:

 

The Carl Bradford:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The great scrub debate continues.  

 

PFF in ****ing preseason.  Why not toss some chicken bones too?

I love this team.

 

Discussing it with its fanbase however, is as exhausting as trying to herd 115 chihuahuas.

And here's the hole in TT's "Draft & Develop (only)" mentality. So he took the "best available player" with each pick, and I don't see anyone complaining about the talent acquired, Randall, Rollins and Montgomery seem to be talented guys with high ceilings and can be good players in the future.

 

However, if the "best available player" is "never" filling a gaping hole with quality talent then that's when you need to nab an occasional free agent. He hasn't drafted a true, starting-caliber LB in the last five years, and arguably has only drafted two in the last 10, with one who is out of the league. Maybe Ryan turns in to one, that would be a big step in the right direction.

 

Not go nuts, but don't completely ignore it either. How many years did it take him to even grab a street guy in Peppers because there was such a hole opposite Matthews (who's not the most durable fellow either) that wasn't adequately filled.

 

Sometimes I think Winston Moss' greatest skill is as a lifeguard. He's handed marginal talents who were drowning in flop sweat at OLB and expected to resuscitate them in to solid contributors at ILB.

Brak, I love it! Quite frankly, I'm honored. I don't quite know what to say. Jesus Christ. This honor, it's not completely unexpected.

BTW, it took Ted from Oct 2011 until Apr 2014 to get a starter at S opposite Burnett. I agree holding to D&D alone can hurt your team.

Ok.  Which free agent?

There were none worthy of signing in FA. A trade might have made some sense.

I could see AJ Hawk getting cut.  

 

Might be worth a flyer

Who were the trade partners and what players?

If Ted had signed a free ageny corner, he would not have needed to attend so much to DB's in the draft.  It wasn't that he didn't get a middle linebacker so much, it was that he did not sign a free agent corner #thevikingway

Ted just sitting on piles of cash @ 1265 and sipping bud light on ice. What a life.

Yeah, GBFanForLife, that is the typical reply.

I believe Kendricks and Philly would have made some sense.

it takes two to tango.  if I were Philly I wouldn't trade a LB to my NFC foe who is in need.

That, for me, was a while ago when I thought something was possible.

I'm not worried about it now, unless we keep and start players who aren't going to get the job done.

 

I truly think people fail to recognize that draft and develop is also a cap management issue.  See Seattle.  

 

While I think Uncle Tranny Ted could do some more with mid tier guys, the system as a whole works especially on a continuity basis and builds cohesiveness in the team ranks because it's a true meritocracy.  And because it is also a cap management philosophy you're going to get some areas that aren't deemed as important.  

 

Good thing Joe Whitt keeps turning UDFAs into ballers considering the importance of the position.  I'm sure T-Rex Bradford and Moss will produce the same results.

Philly gave Kendricks a new deal worth $7.5M per with $17 million guaranteed. I think the rumors he was available might have been media fueled. And if he was being shopped the draft pick Philly may have been looking for scratched Ted off the options list. 

 

I think Eric Kendricks was the best ILB in the draft. But he's no CJ Mosley and I think Randall will be a better pro. You can never have enough DBs. Even when you need an ILB. 

Ted not even kicking the tires on Chris Boreland?

+1 Henry.
Take care of the cap and the cap will take care of you.

 

This team will be competitive from a cap perspective for the next decade or so.  Up to McDunce & Co. get a few more pieces of hardware.