Off-season 2023 Banjo

[bobblehead]

How do you know that the Edges where actually the Force player or the Edge setter on certain plays? They could be playing a spill technique or there could have been a gap exchange going on with the edge and possibly the LB or even the safety. Roles and jobs responsibilities change based on play calls and offensive formation.

Agree, we can't always know. But sometimes I can watch a play unfold and see what a player is trying to accomplish to understand his responsibility on a given play. Once upon a time I said my big fear was that Gary would be really good at whatever he was told to do, but not be able to transition (for instance, setting the edge, but then pushing to a rush when the QB dropped back). He is actually better at it than I ever thought he would be. I think he is a fantastic player. Better than I dreamed him becoming. I also have always been a huge Mike White fan for developing 3-4 OLB. We missed him last year already.

[Fritz]

So if this is the list of "his guys" that Favre - err, Rodgers - wants back, which ones are most important to him, and which would he be willing to play without? (I'm not including Bakhtieri because he's under contract and I'm pretty sure the Packers are bringing him back no matter who the QB is going to be):

Tonyan
Lewis
Lazard
Cobb

Here's what Rodgers said to McAfee a few weeks ago:

“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book. A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, Bobby Tonyan..."

So of those four, who are the Packers most and least interested in retaining? Your guesses and thoughts?

[Joemailman]

Lazard the most. Cobb the least.

[sharpe1027]

Lazard the most. Cobb the least.

This, but none are critical.

Rodgers can retire and apply for a GM position somewhere. Otherwise, stop adding to the media drama.

[Fritz]

I wouldn't mind seeing Tonyan back on a cheap deal - does he need to sign one more "prove it" contract, or has he done enough that some team is willing to invest more in him than the Packers would be?

I love Mercedes Lewis. I think there's always room for a guy like him in any locker room.

Alan Lazard is very good in his role, but I don't think that role - the third receiver, the great run blocker - is worth a big contract.

Cobb does have utility as that third-down guy, but I don't think the Packers want him back, and I can understand why.

[sharpe1027]

The answer to this question obviously changes depending on the contracts needed to keep them. I wouldn't pay much for any of them.

[Bretsky]

So if this is the list of "his guys" that Favre - err, Rodgers - wants back, which ones are most important to him, and which would he be willing to play without? (I'm not including Bakhtieri because he's under contract and I'm pretty sure the Packers are bringing him back no matter who the QB is going to be):

Tonyan
Lewis
Lazard
Cobb

Here's what Rodgers said to McAfee a few weeks ago:

“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book. A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, Bobby Tonyan..."

So of those four, who are the Packers most and least interested in retaining? Your guesses and thoughts?

First off, you explain to Sharon that we are not longer going to choose his "relationships" over the best interest of the Packers

COBB............NO
Tonya...........YES if on the Cheap (which is likely)
LEWIS...........UNLIKELY
LIZARD.........ONLY if it's cost effective. Some think he's getting north of 10 MIL...HARD NO then

[texaspackerbacker]

Cobb has, I think, a contract for $6 or 7 million. He needs to get cut, obviously, BUT to then re-sign him for the vet minimum or at most maybe $1 million or so, that makes sense - he's plenty good enough even at his age to be a 5th or 6th WR and back up kick returner.

Lazard, I say again, IMO will not get the big money from other teams some think. I think he stays with the Packers for maybe $5-7 million with a cap friendly contract.

No reason to think Lewis won't stay for the same million or so, especially if Rodgers is still the QB.

Tonyan will be back. Whether they sign him long term or just "prove it" depends on the medical assessment. Hopefully that is a positive.

We still could use a high round TE and a mid-round WR.

[run pMc]

The answer to this question obviously changes depending on the contracts needed to keep them. I wouldn't pay much for any of them.

Lazard is going to get money. The pundits say it's a terrible WR FA crop. I haven't looked real closely, but from what I saw they appeared mostly correct. Caveat would be some team cuts someone (e.g., Brandin Cooks) under contract, but there's more demand than supply. Considering Christian Kirk got something like 16-17M a year and MVS got 10M, what do you think Lazard is going to get? I love Lazard but he's a WR3 who blocks really well, but that's not worth 8M+ a year. Not when you're over the cap by $20M and have to restructure Aaron Jones.

[run pMc]

Cobb has, I think, a contract for $6 or 7 million.

Cobb's contract was for that, but they redid it by adding void years. So he's a FA who will be counting against the cap in future years. He's not worth bringing back unless it's as you say -- for a vet minimum as your emergency WR6 type. He can field punts but aside from that doesn't give you much else. I could see them easily going with a rookie R7 WR pick who can return punts and play more teams instead. Cheaper and more upside, and less likely to get injured. Love Cobb but he can't stay healthy.

Agree they could stand to draft a TE and another WR.

[sharpe1027]

There's a pretty good argument that Cobb looked better than he is because Rodgers targeted him because of his relationship and trust.With a neutral QB, I suspect Cobb would have been targeted much less.

I can't prove this, but there's enough tape on Rodgers overlooking wide open WRs last.year to make it plausible.

[Bretsky]

Is it in our best interest to bring back the cronies as opposed for looking for youth with upside, OR are those who advocate it trying to talk themselves into the logic just to get Sharon back ?

If Love was our QB, would you viewpoints change ?

I am fine with Lazard for 5 MIL (but no more) and Tonyan for a couple Mil. Pass on the others

[Joemailman]

Lazard is worth more than 5 million, but probably not worth what he will get. Tonyan is worth bringing back. It will take a bit more than 2 million. I'm not totally opposed to bringing Cobb back, especially if Love is the QB. An inexperienced QB could use at least 1 savvy vet WR, and it looks like it won't be Lazard. If Rodgers is the QB, I'm not sure I want Cobb back, because Rodgers preference will be to go to Cobb instead of developing the young guys. I wouldn't mind bringing Lewis back no matter who the QB is, although I'm not sure he's worth the 4 million they've been paying him.

[call_me_ishmael]

Is JIMMY getting the CB job or what Bretsky?

[Joemailman]

Do people in Wisconsin overrate Leonhard's status? Doesn't seem like you hear any news in relation to Leonhard except from Packer fans.

[Fritz]

Is JIMMY getting the CB job or what Bretsky?

I thought he was a safety.

[run pMc]

He was a safety, and a good one. Was basically the field general for the NYJ Rex Ryan defenses that got them to the playoffs during the brief Sanchize era. Vexed Brady, even.

I think he's probably taking the year off, he's getting paid by the Badgers (and its students and boosters) to do nothing, and all the college coaching posts are about taken. They are deep into recruiting and planning spring practices; he should have been hired by now.

There's other considerations: why uproot your family to take a pro coaching position for a year or two for 500K when you could get paid millions to build and run your own college program for a decade somewhere? I'm sure he has some interest from pro teams, but not to the Packers as a secondary coach. He'd want a higher position than that, especially since they offered him the DC job previously. Finally, I don't know if his philosophies jive with Barry's.

Is he overrated because of being in the backyard? Possibly. He has run some good defenses, but I don't think it's anything revolutionary, nor would I think he gets that much more rope than other recent DC's who have turned into punching bags (Capers, Pettine, Barry) by the fans.

[Bretsky]

Is JIMMY getting the CB job or what Bretsky?

Highly unlikely IMO that Jimmy comes to GB
Jimmy got a pretty nice deal from UW--Jimmy's getting paid $1,000,000 the upcoming year as kind of a severance/good soldier deal; so Jimmy's going to be selctive
I've never heard any whispers about Jimmy wanting to be the CB coach in GB; I have heard whispers that a couple major colleges are offering him DC positions and he's considering them
I'd be surprised if Jimmy took a job under Joekster Barry who runs a very very different defense than Jimmy would run

I would not be surprised if Jimmy took a year off, or ended up as a DC at a major college, or even in the NFL.

But I do think Jimmy's going to be selctive given that he can take the year off and chillax if he wants to

[Bretsky]

Do people in Wisconsin overrate Leonhard's status? Doesn't seem like you hear any news in relation to Leonhard except from Packer fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur0g-R7ZODY

[call_me_ishmael]

I was thinking DB coaching gig could give him a year to learn and get comfy with MILF before taking the DC job next year. I can't imagine Barry lasts beyond one more year given his awful track record.

If the Packers roll with Love, I kinda hope they bring in Hendon Henderson in the 2nd. It sounds like scouts absolutely love him and he could be the sleeper of the draft.