2014 Offseason Questions

[pbmax]

That I will speculate on needlessly until camp arrives and we can speculate even harder.

1. Will Tolzien improve from Mad Bomber to Mad Bomber with half his current INT rate?

2. Bradford: Inside LB or Outside LB?

3. Barrington: Are we talking about the wrong ILB?

4. Sherrod: Can he finish the reclamation and claim a job?

5. Is Boykin or Tretter this year's M3 hard sell? Every year he praises one player, seemingly in an effort to coax some more out of them.

6. Is Boykin actually the #3 to start the season?

7. Does Sean Richardson have ANY chance to be a starting safety?

8. Who is the backup Nose Tackle?

[denverYooper]

I had forgotten about Barrington until he started showing up in the early roster predictions thread. He's a possible sleeper surprise breakout pick. I have to say, though, I hope Tretter wins the breakout player award by taking center job and excelling there. If that happens, Green Bay's interior OL could be the best in the league.

The WR group is going to be fascinating this year, ARPH. It seems to me that they have been remade into a slightly more physical group in answer to the success opponents have had jamming them up.

For the first time since Collins went down, I have some hope for the Safety position.

[Brandon494]

1. Will Tolzien improve from Mad Bomber to Mad Bomber with half his current INT rate?

I don't see him making the team honestly , I think we end up going with 2 QB.

2. Bradford: Inside LB or Outside LB?

I think he is better suited for ILB but will play OLB his rookie year. With Winston Moss coaching both inside and outside LBs now I'm sure he'll figure out the best place for him.

3. Barrington: Are we talking about the wrong ILB?

Don't really see him as the answer at ILB, too slow imo.

4. Sherrod: Can he finish the reclamation and claim a job?

Not drafting a OT might be a sign they feel he'll make the roster

5. Is Boykin or Tretter this year's M3 hard sell? Every year he praises one player, seemingly in an effort to coax some more out of them.

Hopefully its Burnett.

6. Is Boykin actually the #3 to start the season?

Yes but only because he knows the playbook, later in the season he'll share the #3 job with Adams similar to Nelson and Jones earlier in their careers.

7. Does Sean Richardson have ANY chance to be a starting safety?

Nope, Burnett makes too much money and HaHa's a 1st round pick.

8. Who is the backup Nose Tackle?

Boyd or Guion

[run pMc]

What Brandon said.

[pbmax]

Is Tretter this much of a risk? Pompei thinks so, but this same argument has been posed since Wells left.

He also sees Lacy as more effective this year with Rodgers healthy and think Peppers signing and the talk of less is more scheming means the same players will be playing multiple positions.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article...tretter#!Z5VKQ

[Patler]

5. Is Boykin or Tretter this year's M3 hard sell? Every year he praises one player, seemingly in an effort to coax some more out of them.

I hadn't thought of it until now, but there is an eery similarity between what he has said about Tretter this off-season and what he said about Nick McDonald in the off-season before they cut him.

[vince]

I hadn't thought of it until now, but there is an eery similarity between what he has said about Tretter this off-season and what he said about Nick McDonald in the off-season before they cut him.

Tretter will be one to watch in the pre-season. McDonald got pushed around too much so it was pretty obvious he wasn't ready when you watched the pre-season games. My hunch is Tretter's a lot stronger. He's been noted for his "strong hands" since last year by the D-Linemen so I think he'll hold up but there's not much to go on yet obviously.

[Patler]

Tretter will be one to watch in the pre-season. McDonald got pushed around too much so it was pretty obvious he wasn't ready when you watched the pre-season games. My hunch is Tretter's a lot stronger. He's been noted for his "strong hands" since last year by the D-Linemen so I think he'll hold up but there's not much to go on yet obviously.

Agreed. Based on absolutely nothing of substance, I ave a good feeling about him. First and foremost, he has come across as interested in making the switch to center. So many players have talked about their discomfort switching from their college positions, he has always said that he enjoys the switch to center, almost as if he enjoys it more than being at tackle or guard.

Many have described him as very intelligent (even apart from the generality of having gone to an Ivy-league school). His comments about the "burden" of the mental aspect of center and making the line calls have come across as a challenge he enjoys. In one article he mentioned that you really don't have to know any more than you should know at the other positions, because everyone should know what is going on anyway. Its just that the center has to verbalize it to make sure everyone is on the same page. He was a QB in high school, so he might enjoy having somewhat more control.

I know the Wonderlic is not the be-all, end-all of football smarts, but good centers tend to do well on it. Many questioned if EDS could handle the calls (15 Wonderlic). Early in his career it was questioned often, and in 2012 MM had said that they needed to get comfortable with EDS handling the calls before they were willing to play him much at center, and at that point he had already been in the league a few years. No one mentioned much about those types of concerns with Flanagan (35 Wonderlic) or Wells (30 Wonderlic). Saturday (27 Wonderlic) was known for always being on the same page with Manning, and players commented on it in GB. Tretter scored 33 on the Wonderlic.

[bobblehead]

Agreed. Based on absolutely nothing of substance, I ave a good feeling about him. First and foremost, he has come across as interested in making the switch to center. So many players have talked about their discomfort switching from their college positions, he has always said that he enjoys the switch to center, almost as if he enjoys it more than being at tackle or guard.

Many have described him as very intelligent (even apart from the generality of having gone to an Ivy-league school). His comments about the "burden" of the mental aspect of center and making the line calls have come across as a challenge he enjoys. In one article he mentioned that you really don't have to know any more than you should know at the other positions, because everyone should know what is going on anyway. Its just that the center has to verbalize it to make sure everyone is on the same page. He was a QB in high school, so he might enjoy having somewhat more control.

I know the Wonderlic is not the be-all, end-all of football smarts, but good centers tend to do well on it. Many questioned if EDS could handle the calls (15 Wonderlic). Early in his career it was questioned often, and in 2012 MM had said that they needed to get comfortable with EDS handling the calls before they were willing to play him much at center, and at that point he had already been in the league a few years. No one mentioned much about those types of concerns with Flanagan (35 Wonderlic) or Wells (30 Wonderlic). Saturday (27 Wonderlic) was known for always being on the same page with Manning, and players commented on it in GB. Tretter scored 33 on the Wonderlic.

For me its all about the Larry McCarren remarks. Rock was praising damn near everything about this kid after he came back at the end of last season and you just don't hear him talk like that very often.

[wist43]

We need guys to step up - personnel wise, I think we're pretty good.

Make or break year for high draft picks like Perry, Worthy and Sheridan. Safety needs to be fixed - is it? I think Tretter or Linsey will be okay at C. The other big ?? is WR - and the WR position is as much a function of Rodgers as the defense is a function of Rodgers. Rodgers is the straw that stirs the drink.

If Rodgers stays healthy - I'd like to think MM and Capers have learned their lessons in getting their asses handed to them 4 times in a row from the Niners; opening against the Seahawks is a good thing - I think it will force Capers to play more 3-4 than he likes to. Still, I think we lose that game.

[vince]

Most positive wist post ever.

Perry and Worthy not practicing. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Absent injuries, the only questions I have about WR are who's gonna beat out who and how quickly, largely for the reason you state wist (Rodgers can make a lot of guys look good) but also because there are some guys who, though unproven, look like they might be able to really play. Adams in particular and Janis (though raw) look and sound to me like they have very high ceilings.

1. How soon will Adams see significant action?
2. How long will Boykin - who's earned his stripes as a big, strong-handed and reliable move-the-chains-when-you-need-it possession receiver - be able to fend off Adams - who has many similar qualities along with greater quickness and elusiveness - for the "starting" #3 wideout?
3. Will Harper's hammy keep him out of camp and out of contention for a roster spot?
4. Just how raw is Janis? 6'3", 220, 4.4 40, off the charts explosiveness for a kid that size, big production, D2 competition
5. Can they afford to keep 6 wideouts, possibly at the expense of what also looks like a deep (and unproven) TE/core special teams group?
6. Does Abbrederis have enough elusiveness and route running acumen to overcome his average speed and lack of strength at this level? Does he really bring anything more than a number of other alternatives in the punt return game that justifies a spot if he's not one of the top 5 receivers?

Lots of questions to be answered but I wouldn't call the position a question. I think there's a really good combination of proven producers, high upside potential that could develop pretty quickly, along with a group of 2nd year guys who may be ready to emerge.

They're not all gonna come through but there's not enough room on the team anyway for the ones whose early reviews make them look like they could.

World champs at their house to open the season. Gonna be a really tough match-up. Let's go baby!

[Just Jeff]

I see all the questions being on the Defensive side of the ball. On Offense, I don't think it matters who the WR or TEs are. AR will make any of them better than they are. Only possible question on O is the never ending saga of why we can't establish a stable line. Having not had one for almost 8 years, I think that works itself out. Concerning but status quo.

[pbmax]

I see all the questions being on the Defensive side of the ball. On Offense, I don't think it matters who the WR or TEs are. AR will make any of them better than they are. Only possible question on O is the never ending saga of why we can't establish a stable line. Having not had one for almost 8 years, I think that works itself out. Concerning but status quo.

I do not understand this line of thinking.

In the playoff game, the Offense was FAR WORSE than the defense, even if the defense had the more remarkable errors. Its a concern until they outplay a great D.

[Just Jeff]

I do not understand this line of thinking.

In the playoff game, the Offense was FAR WORSE than the defense, even if the defense had the more remarkable errors. Its a concern until they outplay a great D.

I think that needs to be viewed throught the lense of time. AR was back for ONE game. They were not firing on all cylinders. Over time, not that one game, I would hope that you could agree that the D has shown FAR more questions than our O.

[pbmax]

I think that needs to be viewed throught the lense of time. AR was back for ONE game. They were not firing on all cylinders. Over time, not that one game, I would hope that you could agree that the D has shown FAR more questions than our O.

More, yes. But its not zero Q's on offense. Lacy didn't solve cover 2 man issues. And receiver and TE are the big question marks. I am concerned.

[MadScientist]

And receiver and TE are the big question marks. I am concerned.

The Packers brass agreed enough with you to throw a 2, 3, 5, 7, and a highly talented UDFA into the mix to answer those questions. Can't guarantee that they have the answer, but unlike safety last year the Packers are putting a lot of effort into it.

[pbmax]

The Packers brass agreed enough with you to throw a 2, 3, 5, 7, and a highly talented UDFA into the mix to answer those questions. Can't guarantee that they have the answer, but unlike safety last year the Packers are putting a lot of effort into it.

Personally, I think the QB needs to get his head out of his back side as well. But the talent will help.

[Just Jeff]

Personally, I think the QB needs to get his head out of his back side as well. But the talent will help.

Wow. Didn't see that coming. How does AR have his head in his Thompson?

[pbmax]

Wow. Didn't see that coming. How does AR have his head in his Thompson?

Not taking dump off throws when facing intense pressure. Holding on to the ball too long while waiting for something deep to open up.

A TE who is not afraid of going down the seam against the Cover 2 would help. But those are not easy throws or catches and take time to get on the same page. Throwing it 10 yards to a wide open Lacy, Starks or Harris to gain 7 makes far more sense this year.

[vince]

Wow. Didn't see that coming. How does AR have his head in his Thompson?