Walden reaches deal to resolve charge

[Jimx29]

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Erik Walden's attorney says the Green Bay Packers linebacker has reached a deferred judgment agreement to resolve a disorderly conduct-domestic abuse charge.

Defense attorney Steve Richards says Walden has agreed to perform 50 hours of community service and continue counseling. Richards says Walden will not be found guilty of anything for now, and the charge will be dismissed in a year as long as he stays out of trouble.

The plea deal was reported on the Green Bay Press-Gazette's website Friday afternoon.

Walden spent the weekend after Thanksgiving in jail after a Nov. 25 dispute with his girlfriend. He played the remainder of the season for the Packers.

story (V)

[Fritz]

Now he can begin with a clean slate when he puts on that paper cap with the golden arches...

[Upnorth]

Was this holding back his preformance last year? If he is still with us I hope that is why he lacked the impact of the 2010 season.

[Gunakor]

The guy had one good game in 2010 when nobody knew who he was. That's all he has for his career. Perhaps what was holding his performance back this season was a lack of talent and a bit of film for opponents to watch during preparation for Sundays. His replacement will be drafted in a couple months so I'm not incredibly worried about that position. In a couple years nobody will know who Eric Walden is once again.

[Fritz]

You validate your own point when you spell it "Eric" Walden. It's Erik.

I think.

[pbmax]

The guy had one good game in 2010 when nobody knew who he was. That's all he has for his career. Perhaps what was holding his performance back this season was a lack of talent and a bit of film for opponents to watch during preparation for Sundays. His replacement will be drafted in a couple months so I'm not incredibly worried about that position. In a couple years nobody will know who Eric Walden is once again.

By midseason he was playing all around well. His pass rush was coming around and he had stopped bleeding in the run game by over pursuing. Then the domestic incident and he came unglued.

Now some of it was the DE he was playing next to as Nutz has pointed out and the fact that neither ILB was getting out of traffic and off blocks fast enough to get wide. And the CBs weren't helping by tackling like Deion. But he wasn't the weak link we remember until quite late.

The bigger long term problem is that his pass rush was ineffective for too much of the season. As someone (Harvey?) pointed out, last year when this could have been an issue, they could put Zombo out there or Jones and get a different result. This year it was all Walden. I do agree with your last point, he is eminently replaceable.

[KYPack]

I've never seen a guy make more hay out of one game in my life. The Bears were having a lot of miseries on their OLine. MikeTice(who's really a good OLine coach, BTW) responded by over simplification. the Bears went back to basic schemes.

Capers countered by making Walden a permanent "Green Dog". If nobody swung to his side, he blitzed the QB. Walden ate it up and got 3 sacks. But, it basically ruined the guy. He constantly free lances and goes out of assignment in hopes of recapturing the 1 game glory.

I think we need Jones and a new guy at that spot. The Zombie and Walden just don't have a basic understanding of the job

[pbmax]

I've never seen a guy make more hay out of one game in my life. The Bears were having a lot of miseries on their OLine. MikeTice(who's really a good OLine coach, BTW) responded by over simplification. the Bears went back to basic schemes.

Capers countered by making Walden a permanent "Green Dog". If nobody swung to his side, he blitzed the QB. Walden ate it up and got 3 sacks. But, it basically ruined the guy. He constantly free lances and goes out of assignment in hopes of recapturing the 1 game glory.

I think we need Jones and a new guy at that spot. The Zombie and Walden just don't have a basic understanding of the job

Free lancing I can understand. But how long should it be before Zombo and Walden both learned not to blow contain? Matthews, when he commits to flatten out and pursue gets there so fast that cutting back isn't an option. Its almost like they get killed by hesitating a moment too soon, like they are running an option against themselves.

If they just stayed home, not problem. If they pursued fast, there is a risk of whiffing but you force the RB to make a decision. By hesitating, they give the RB all the time he needs to choose and burn them.

[George Cumby]

His best game was at detroit where he had eight tackles, five solo and three assists. IIRC, he was all over the field that day. He had three sacks prior to that game and none after.

A day after detroit, he knocks the old lady around and was never the same since.

If he gets his head straight, he's serviceable but replaceable.