Former Packers still pursuing the dream

[Patler]

Teams are starting to flesh out their off-season rosters, and players with Packer ties are being signed. A few I have run across

Nick McDonald and Terrell Manning were signed this week by San Diego.
Jerron McMillian was signed by Kansas City.

[red]

i'm surprised it took manning so long to find a team

i thought he had some nice potential?

[mraynrand]

I assume that for Jerron McMillian, the dream is, someday, sometime, before he retires, actually defensing a pass in a regular season NFL game.

[KYPack]

I assume that for Jerron McMillian, the dream is, someday, sometime, before he retires, actually defensing a pass in a regular season NFL game.

That kid was unreal. He had some speed and strength, but what a case of arrested development. He went from splitting time in base, to nickel, to dime, to ST, to inactive, to cut.

He has some physical skills, maybe some time and the right coach would make him an NFL player. He ain't one right now.

[mraynrand]

That kid was unreal. He had some speed and strength, but what a case of arrested development. He went from splitting time in base, to nickel, to dime, to ST, to inactive, to cut.

He has some physical skills, maybe some time and the right coach would make him an NFL player. He ain't one right now.

Makes you wonder. Jennings, Burnett, House.....

[Patler]

Makes you wonder. Jennings, Burnett, House.....

Lee, Underwood, Rouse.... the list is a long one.

[Rodgers12]

Lee, Underwood, Rouse.... the list is a long one.

Marquand Manuel, Charlie Peprah, Earl Little, Anthony Smith.

Something tells me it's not the coaches, it's the players. Ted Thompson has been GM for almost a decade and he has not yet found a competent replacement for pretty boy Darren Sharper.

Maybe the Packers could move Perry to coach the OLBs and hire ex-Packer great, Al Harris, to coach the DBs. Harris is currently assistant DB coach in Kansas City under ex-Packer DC, Emmit Thomas, so the hire would be a promotion.

[bobblehead]

That kid was unreal. He had some speed and strength, but what a case of arrested development. He went from splitting time in base, to nickel, to dime, to ST, to inactive, to cut.

He has some physical skills, maybe some time and the right coach would make him an NFL player. He ain't one right now.

I heard Slocum took him under his wing early...just sayin'

[denverYooper]

I assume that for Jerron McMillian, the dream is, someday, sometime, before he retires, actually defensing a pass in a regular season NFL game.

He had 1 more pass defensed than MD Jennings this season.

[Patler]

He had 1 more pass defensed than MD Jennings this season.

Sure defines the problem, doesn't it?

[woodbuck27]

Sure defines the problem, doesn't it?

:

.............. .............. .............. ..............

[Pugger]

He had 1 more pass defensed than MD Jennings this season.

Then the real puzzle is why we kept Jennings over McMillian.

[run pMc]

Then the real puzzle is why we kept Jennings over McMillian.

I think the answer is to rewatch the game vs. Baltimore.

[smuggler]

The reality is that playing a ball in the air is mostly in your head and not physical. Most college corners and safeties don't cut it in the NFL and it's often not because they don't have the physical tools.

[mraynrand]

The reality is that playing a ball in the air is mostly in your head and not physical. Most college corners and safeties don't cut it in the NFL and it's often not because they don't have the physical tools.

"did someone mention my name?"

[woodbuck27]

The reality is that playing a ball in the air is mostly in your head and not physical. Most college corners and safeties don't cut it in the NFL and it's often not because they don't have the physical tools.

That's correct. The first thing a Scout needs to do in grading a DB is determine his intelligence and instincts to defend the pass. The jump a College DB has to make in the NFL is considerable. He has to have the head and work ethic to be able to play his CB and/or Safety position effectively.

A DB may have the absolute desired height (say over 6'-0") or be shorter and possess an excellent vertical jump and sub 4.5 Sec. 40 speed but if he doesn't have the head for good ball defense skills he'll generally fail in the NFL He has to be able to turn up field quick with the receive and not get horribly beaten a lot to leave the open target.

[Patler]

Without the freakish play ending Collin's career, we would not be critical of the safeties. We likely would all agree that TT had done his job well finding long term starters in Collins and Burnett and effective shorter term players in Peprah, Bigby, etc. TT came to GB with Sharper an immediate cap casualty, so he needed two starters immediately, then he lost the best one he had found.

[Maxie the Taxi]

I expect the subject ex-Packers to be all-Pro's in the next 2-3 years.

[pbmax]

I expect the subject ex-Packers to be all-Pro's in the next 2-3 years.

Good subject. Who are the best players to leave, not by monster FA deal the Packers were unwilling to match, but because they did not perform at an adequate level to maintain their roster spot? And then went on to bigger success.

Let's limit it to players under McCarthy's current coaches and acquired by Thompson.

Of the top of my head (OK, that quickly became a lie, after only thinking of 10, I went to the Packer Historical Roster for help):

"Allen, Jake"		WR
"Barbre, Allen"		G/T
"Barnett, Nick"		LB
"Bell, Josh"		CB
"Benson, Cedric"	RB
"Bigby, Atari"		S
"Bishop, Desmond"	LB
"Blackmon, Will"	CB
"Bodiford, Shaun"	WR
"Bolston, Conrad"	DT
"Briggs, Diyral"	LB
"Chillar, Brandon"	LB
"Clifton, Chad"		T
"Cole, Colin"		DT
"Colledge, Daryn"	G/T
"Collins, Nick"		S
"Coston, Junius"	T/G
"Crabtree, Tom"		TE
"Davis, Rob"		LS
"Driver, Donald"	WR
"Ealy, Biren"		WR
"Favre, Brett"		QB
"Ford, Trevor"		CB
"Francies, Chris"	WR
"Franks, Bubba"		TE
"Frost, Derrick"	P
"Gbaja-Biamila, Kabeer"	DE
"Giacomini, Breno"	T
"Giordano, Matt"	S
"Gordy, Josh"		CB
"Grant, Ryan"		RB
"Green, Ahman"		RB
"Green, Alex"		RB
"Green, Howard"		NT
"Hall, Korey"		FB
"Harrell, Graham"	QB
"Harrell, Justin"	DT
"Harris, Al"		CB
"Havner, Spencer"	TE/LB
"Holiday, Carlyle"	WR
"Humphrey, Tory"	TE
"Hunter, Jason"		DE
"Jenkins, Cullen"	DT/DE
"Jennings, Greg"	WR
"Johnson, Quinn"	FB
"Kampman, Aaron"	DE/LB
"Kapinos, Jeremy"	P
"Krause, Ryan"		TE
"Lansanah, Danny"	LB
"Lee, Donald"		TE
"Lee, Pat"		CB
"Lumpkin, Kregg"	RB
"Malone, Alfred"	DT
"Manning, Terrell"	LB
"Martin, Derrick"	S
"Martin, Ruvell"	WR
"McMillian, Jerron"	S
"Merling, Phillip"	DE
"Miller, Jordan"	DT
"Moll, Tony"		T/G
"Montgomery, Michael"	DE
"Morency, Vernand"	RB
"Moses, Dezman"		LB
"Muir, Daniel"		DT
"Nall, Craig"		QB
"Nance, Dimitri"	RB
"Obiozor, Cyril"	LB
"Palmer, Tony"		G
"Peprah, Charlie"	S
"Pettway, Kenny"	DE
"Poppinga, Brady"	LB
"Porter, Joe"		CB
"Robinson, Koren"	WR
"Ross, Jeremy"		WR
"Rouse, Aaron"		S
"Ryan, Jon"		P
"Saine, Brandon"	RB
"Saturday, Jeff"	C
"Simpkins, Maurice"	LB
"Smith, Anthony"	S
"Smith, D.J."		LB
"So'oto, Vic"		LB
"Spitz, Jason"		G/C
"Swain, Brett"		WR
"Tauscher, Mark"	T/G
"Thompson, Jeremy"	DE/LB
"Toribio, Anthony"	NT
"Underwood, Brandon"	CB
"Walden, Erik"		LB
"Walker, Frank"		CB
"Wells, Scott"		C/G
"White, Johnny"		RB
"White, Tracy"		LB
"Wilhelm, Matt"		LB
"Williams, Corey"	DT/DE
"Williams, D.J."	LB
"Woodson, Charles"	CB
"Wynn, DeShawn"		RB
"Wynn, Jarius"		DE
"Zombo, Frank"		LB

[pbmax]

I am leaving Favre out because his replacement was on the roster and it was obvious the wanted to move on, retirement, contract or not. But if you include him, I think the move nets positive for Packers.

Here are those who went on to be starters at least: Giacomini, Woodson, Tracy White (starter at least on Philly ST), Scott Wells, Frank Walker (nickel), Erik Walden, Anthony Smith (got a start somewhere), Jon Ryan, Aaron Rouse, Poppinga, Muir, Moll (started as backup to injured), Ruvell, Lumpkin, Kampman, Quinn Johnson, Jennings, Jenkins, Havner, Harris, Ahman Green, Crabtree, Colledge, Cole, Blackmon, Bishop, Barnett.

Remove from consideration those who were not retained because of contract/cap value/FA but would have been retained otherwise: Woodson, Scott Wells, Erik Walden, Kampman, Jennings, Colledge (did he get an offer from the Pack?).

Cut because they were judged didn't fit or couldn't play or not worth roster spot: Giacomini, Tracy White, Frank Walker, Anthony Smith, Jon Ryan, Aaron Rouse, Brady Poppinga, Daniel Muir, Tony Moll, Ruvell Martin, Kregg Lumpkin, Quinn Johnson, Cullen Jenkins (have heard both be was offered deal/was in plans but also was not given option to stay), Spencer Havner, Al Harris, Ahman Green, Tom Crabtree, Colin Cole, Will Blackmon, Desmond Bishop and Nick Barnett.


What do you think? Regrets? Jenkins, Ryan, maybe Giacomini though he is on list to get replaced by Seahawks), Tracy White still hasn't been replaced, Muir started for Colts on some pretty average defenses. Bishop still had gas in tank but hurt, maybe Barnett?