View Full Version : Brady Poppinga
RashanGary
09-24-2006, 11:35 PM
We spend the last couple of weeks ripping the guy down. He looked good today. He deserves some credit I think.
Cheers to Brady Poppinga :)
Tony Oday
09-24-2006, 11:37 PM
He is the worste Defensive guy on the field at all times.
Partial
09-24-2006, 11:37 PM
He is the worste Defensive guy on the field at all times.
Word up.
the_idle_threat
09-24-2006, 11:38 PM
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Way to crap in GJ's cornflakes, Oday!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
mission
09-24-2006, 11:41 PM
not to be the neg-ball here but i thought he looked absolutely horrible and was often the topic of my mid-game rants and cuss sessions.
its hard not to watch him closely when he's on tv 75% of the time. coaches wont leave him alone... way to go brady. :roll:
RashanGary
09-24-2006, 11:43 PM
Geeze... I was just thinking he didnt' make too many mistakes. Maybe I missed his bad plays :)
mission
09-24-2006, 11:44 PM
he just looks really really lost in space
Tony Oday
09-24-2006, 11:47 PM
he was so lost he thought we were playing the vikings!
the_idle_threat
09-24-2006, 11:51 PM
For two games now I've been thinking it's time we put the Poppinga experiment on the back burner. He needs more reps in practice or something. Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
billy_oliver880
09-24-2006, 11:52 PM
Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
He got 100+ tackles last year...those don't happen by accident do they? :shock:
the_idle_threat
09-24-2006, 11:54 PM
Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
He got 100+ tackles last year...those don't happen by accident do they? :shock:
I guess Ernie Sims got 9 tackles in the game today, yet most would say he was invisible. So maybe they do ... :D
Pacopete4
09-24-2006, 11:58 PM
he needs to get a f-ing clue in pass coverage before I even consider him to be a decent player in the NFL. I thought he was gonna be a stud but damn, that guy need to learn, and learn fast.
Why isnt Hodge playing at all? Taylor?.. I dont get it, Hodge was our best LB in pre season( i know its only preseason) but why not give him a chance?
billy_oliver880
09-25-2006, 12:00 AM
Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
He got 100+ tackles last year...those don't happen by accident do they? :shock:
I guess Ernie Sims got 9 tackles in the game today, yet most would say he was invisible. So maybe they do ... :D
Well its confirmed...tackles mean nothing. :shock:
Joemailman
09-25-2006, 12:01 AM
Poppinga might not have the physical tools for pass coverage. He showed last year he can rush the passer. Let him be a valuable situational player, and special teams stud.
VegasPackFan
09-25-2006, 01:07 AM
When he drew the pass interference flag, I was elated to see that at least he wasnt getting burned by another receiver.
wist43
09-25-2006, 07:36 AM
Poppinga played OK yesterday... he did have the interference call, but all in all he was in pretty good position in coverage. He did get sucked down the line once that I remember, losing contain and allowing Jones to get outside.
Poppinga is what he is, a thumper in the run game who can fill with authority and a decent pass rusher. That said, the Packers don't use him to his strengths.
The defense, overall, looked abysmal again... It's difficult to be too critical of any of the players on defense when the coaching is so questionable. This coaching staff doesn't seem capable of putting players in positions to make plays.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 09:18 AM
Poppinga was horrible in coverage again yesterday.
He made 6 solo and 1 assisted tackle. Here they were:
J.Kitna pass short middle to K.Jones to DET 25 for 13 yards (B.Poppinga).
K.Jones right end to DET 42 for 3 yards (B.Poppinga).
J.Kitna pass short left to A.Hakim to GB 41 for 6 yards (B.Poppinga).
K.Jones left tackle to GB 35 for 11 yards (B.Poppinga).
J.Kitna pass short right to D.Campbell to DET 35 for 6 yards (M.Manuel, B.Poppinga).
J.Kitna pass short right to M.Furrey pushed ob at DET 49 for 25 yards (B.Poppinga).
J.Kitna pass short middle to D.Campbell to GB 29 for 22 yards (B.Poppinga).
He made 5 tackles on completions down the field--most of which he gave up the completion. He made another tackle 11 yards down the field. He made one tackle after a 3 yard gain.
Not to mention he got an obvious pass interference call.
J.Kitna pass incomplete short middle to C.Fitzsimmons.
PENALTY on GB-B.Poppinga, Defensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at DET 35 - No Play.
Compare that to Hawk. 5 of his 7 tackles were for 4 yards or less (3 yards, 3 yards, 4 yards, 0 yards, and 2 yards)--not to mention his sack.
RashanGary
09-25-2006, 09:23 AM
OUCH...
First impressions sure dont' mean much. I thought he played better. Apparently not, huh....
I think it's time for Taylor and next year Barnett out there.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 09:30 AM
I think it's time for Taylor and next year Barnett out there.
I was surprised they took Poppinga out, and then put him back in. I think it's time for Taylor. Both are pretty slow, but at least Taylor has experience on his side.
yeah, pop didn't look good at all, again, yesterday
i agree its time for taylor, its been time for taylor for awhile now
RashanGary
09-25-2006, 09:35 AM
Yeah...Might as well go w/ Taylor. Taylor played with agressiveness in teh run game. I saw him fighting for his life to shed blocks and sometimes I think it's attidude and perceverance taht gets through blocks more than anything. He seemed to play with a motor. I think we have to make the change because teams our going right at our guy with alarming success right now.
I'm really hoping that Hodge brings his game up a couple notches and next off season grabs a starting job by the throat. I would love to see teams try to pick on Barnett or Hawk in the pass game like that. I have no problem w/ Barnett in the middle this year. He's the best we've got but if Hodge takes a big step forward in his second year, I'll have a problem if our best one on one cover LB isn't on the strong side and we're watching Hodge or Poppinga getting beat up all day. That would be a joke.
Harlan Huckleby
09-25-2006, 10:29 AM
Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
Possibly. I suspect Poppinga is playing because he is better than Taylor.
Is the other guy we signed to play that spot so bad that we're stuck with Poppinga on the field?
Possibly. I suspect Poppinga is playing because he is better than Taylor.If Poops is still playing like this and starting after the bye week, we can assume this to be true.
mission
09-25-2006, 11:07 AM
he's been EXPLOITED all year.
big time... i wish teams would just run at hawk all day long :lol:
SkinBasket
09-25-2006, 11:21 AM
Poppinga has been a downgrade from Paris Lenon. I didn't used to think that would be possible, but it is. He's an absolute failure in pass coverage and although he hits the RB every now and again, he's still fooled on a regular basis against the run and he is out of position almost as often.
Lenon used to play the run like he had his eyes closed, but at least he could provide marginal coverage on the slower TEs and RBs in the league - something Poppinga can't even handle.
Harlan Huckleby
09-25-2006, 11:30 AM
Lenon was one of the steadiest players on defense last year.
wist43
09-25-2006, 11:34 AM
Taylor can't play... I'll have to go back and look at the tape, but from what I watched of Poppinga in coverage, he was OK.
He'll never be able to stay with a WR, and when he is, that's not his fault, that's Bob Sanders fault...
Poppinga is a football player, and God knows the Packers need those type of guys on the field. It's up to Sanders to protect him against mismatches.
How often do you see Jeramiah Trotter covering WR's??? Trotter is just as big a liability in coverage as is Poppinga, but Philly's Def Coord is smart enough to make sure Trotter isn't exposed.
Poppinga hasn't shown the instincts I thought he would, but most of the blame, at least at this point, I think has to go to Sanders. The defense overall looks terrible, so until they begin to shore things up in all areas, I'm not ready to bench anybody.
Can we bench Sanders and Schottenheimer???
KYPack
09-25-2006, 11:46 AM
I'd also like to see Brady get reps at RDE, in passing situations.
I think comments that you can cover for guys to better use of their strengths. Brady gives you 100%, lets put him in situations where he can be sucessful.
As far as Lenon being steady last year, I'd like to forget him & Thomas ASAP.
Harlan Huckleby
09-25-2006, 11:52 AM
As far as Lenon being steady last year, I'd like to forget him & Thomas ASAP.
no, no. Lenon was nothing like Thomas. Lenon was consistent, just lacking in speed. He had a lot of good games last year. Thomas is out of the league, Lenon is now a starter.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 11:54 AM
How often do you see Jeramiah Trotter covering WR's??? Trotter is just as big a liability in coverage as is Poppinga, but Philly's Def Coord is smart enough to make sure Trotter isn't exposed.
Poppinga covered a WR a couple of times, but most of the completions he's given up have been to TEs and FBs (and not even good ones). His coverage gaffes have come against the likes of Desmond Clark, Mark Campbell, Casey FitzSimmons, Dan Campbell, and Corey McIntyre.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 11:57 AM
no, no. Lenon was nothing like Thomas. Lenon was consistent, just lacking in speed. He had a lot of good games last year. Thomas is out of the league, Lenon is now a starter.
Thomas plays for the Raiders. Lenon is starting because the Lions have two guys injured that would normally start over him. Teddy Lehman would be the starter--along with Boss Bailey and Ernie Sims. Lehman is out, and Lewis has been starting. Now, Lewis is injured. Really, he's the Lions 5th LB, but he's starting because of the two other injuries.
Harlan Huckleby
09-25-2006, 12:23 PM
Thomas plays for the Raiders.
Oh, Robert Thomas, I thought KY was resurrecting Joey Thomas, a true bum.
Lenon got a lot of positive reviews last year from McGinn and others, game by game. Since he came into the league undrafted, and doesn't have speed of a great linebacker, he got labeled as a poor player by the fans, and the label stuck. I liked him for the same reason I like Kampman, he is assignment sure and gets better every year.
Tony Oday
09-25-2006, 12:31 PM
Taylor can't play... I'll have to go back and look at the tape, but from what I watched of Poppinga in coverage, he was OK.
He'll never be able to stay with a WR, and when he is, that's not his fault, that's Bob Sanders fault...
Poppinga is a football player, and God knows the Packers need those type of guys on the field. It's up to Sanders to protect him against mismatches.
How often do you see Jeramiah Trotter covering WR's??? Trotter is just as big a liability in coverage as is Poppinga, but Philly's Def Coord is smart enough to make sure Trotter isn't exposed.
Poppinga hasn't shown the instincts I thought he would, but most of the blame, at least at this point, I think has to go to Sanders. The defense overall looks terrible, so until they begin to shore things up in all areas, I'm not ready to bench anybody.
Can we bench Sanders and Schottenheimer???
Pop had another terible game. He is not a good football player. He is a camp body that got by on energy and potential. He is terrible in pass coverage against TEs taht Grady Jackson could cover and cant diagnose a run play if he was in the offenses huddle. NOW his plusses are if you run RIGHT at him he can make a stop 75% of the time. The second he has to defend anything besides his rightful place on the bench he is lost.
Taylor should be out there he looked OK in the game but that is comparing him to Pop.
My question is why not use a 'big motor' guy to attack the line and chase down plays as a WLB and move Hawk into coverage? He seems like he can do it all.
SkinBasket
09-25-2006, 12:53 PM
I liked him for the same reason I like Kampman, he is assignment sure and gets better every year.
Yeah. He knew his assignment. He just couldn't play for shit. That's the kind of guy I want around. Someone who knows what they're supposed to be doing, but doesn't have the ability to do it right.
Any way you slice it, Poppinga's been more of a liability that a contirbutor on defense. You can talk about what he can do all day long, but until he does it, it don't mean squat.
wist43
09-25-2006, 01:04 PM
I'll try to look at the tape tonight...
One thing is for sure, teams are going to continue to target Poppinga on early downs, and Sanders has to figure out how to deal with it. I would expect Poppinga to improve over time, but I don't have much faith at all, that Sanders will be of any help.
I've never been a big fan of the scheme that they're running, and I'm beginning to look at the scheme as being unsound... This scheme is very passive at getting up the field with the LB'ers, and it is very, very vulnerable on the flanks and in the flats. I've come to hate the scheme.
Some people used to argue that Donatell's "slice coverage" was unsound, and I agreed with that to an extent, but what I'm seeing out of Sanders is painful to watch.
Not as bad as Slowik, but not far off... It would appear Sanders is in over his head.
pbmax
09-25-2006, 02:01 PM
I thought Pop played better but we have to see the tape to know if he was the man responsible for each of those plays over 5 yards.
I doubt he was primary coverage on Az Hakim on one of his tackles.
If he was and held him to five yards, that's not bad.
Partial
09-25-2006, 02:21 PM
I'll try to look at the tape tonight...
One thing is for sure, teams are going to continue to target Poppinga on early downs, and Sanders has to figure out how to deal with it. I would expect Poppinga to improve over time, but I don't have much faith at all, that Sanders will be of any help.
I've never been a big fan of the scheme that they're running, and I'm beginning to look at the scheme as being unsound... This scheme is very passive at getting up the field with the LB'ers, and it is very, very vulnerable on the flanks and in the flats. I've come to hate the scheme.
Some people used to argue that Donatell's "slice coverage" was unsound, and I agreed with that to an extent, but what I'm seeing out of Sanders is painful to watch.
Not as bad as Slowik, but not far off... It would appear Sanders is in over his head.
so if Wist43 is the head coach of the GBP, who is their new defensive coordinator next year and what scheme are they running?
Fritz
09-25-2006, 02:38 PM
"he just looks really really lost in space"
Yes. He reminds me of Dr. Smith, particularly. Or maybe Penny.
wist43
09-25-2006, 03:27 PM
I'll try to look at the tape tonight...
One thing is for sure, teams are going to continue to target Poppinga on early downs, and Sanders has to figure out how to deal with it. I would expect Poppinga to improve over time, but I don't have much faith at all, that Sanders will be of any help.
I've never been a big fan of the scheme that they're running, and I'm beginning to look at the scheme as being unsound... This scheme is very passive at getting up the field with the LB'ers, and it is very, very vulnerable on the flanks and in the flats. I've come to hate the scheme.
Some people used to argue that Donatell's "slice coverage" was unsound, and I agreed with that to an extent, but what I'm seeing out of Sanders is painful to watch.
Not as bad as Slowik, but not far off... It would appear Sanders is in over his head.
so if Wist43 is the head coach of the GBP, who is their new defensive coordinator next year and what scheme are they running?
The short and simple answer would be to go to a 3-4, but the Packers have an awful lot of $$$ tied up in their DE's, and they have virtually no personnel currently on the roster that would fit the 3-4.
I think the 3-4 offers up advantages both in terms of flexibility on the blitz, as well as with the salary cap. Top flight DE's cost big $$$ and are difficult to find. 6'2", 245 lb LB's are much easier to come by, and they're much cheaper. Give me Pittsburgh's or San Diego's defensive schemes over that bunch of junk the Packers are trotting out there.
The Packers are committed to their scheme, both in terms of financial committment and personnel, so I don't anticipate anything will be done anytime soon.
KYPack
09-25-2006, 03:28 PM
Thomas plays for the Raiders.
Oh, Robert Thomas, I thought KY was resurrecting Joey Thomas, a true bum.
Lenon got a lot of positive reviews last year from McGinn and others, game by game. Since he came into the league undrafted, and doesn't have speed of a great linebacker, he got labeled as a poor player by the fans, and the label stuck. I liked him for the same reason I like Kampman, he is assignment sure and gets better every year.
Harlan,
You won't catch me singing the praises of Joey Thomas. Him & Hawkins were two of the worst "cover" people I've ever seen at the NFL level.
Lenon was a hustler without a lot of foot speed. R Thomas made few plays, but has NFL speed and an NFL body. Lenon will probably stick in the league for a good bit.
I'm happier with the new guys, but that's just me.
run pMc
09-25-2006, 03:33 PM
so if Wist43 is the head coach of the GBP, who is their new defensive coordinator next year and what scheme are they running?
I'm not speaking for Wist43, but I'm not a big fan of the scheme, either. If GB resigns Barnett and gets another good LB, I'd consider bringing in more Tampa 2. That might make Hodge useless, since I'm not sure if he's quick enough. The coach would be someone well versed in it.
Other thoughts:
GB lacks the personnel for a 3-4, so switching over could be very painful.
Buddy Ryan sucks. Ditto (to a lesser extent) Wade Phillips.
Belichick's staff has been picked over.
I think the secondary coaching is a BIG concern...7 plays of 20+ last week, 9 plays vs. DET. That number should be going down, not up. If GB allows more than 5 vs. Philly, it's a sure L for them.
SkinBasket
09-25-2006, 03:59 PM
If GB allows more than 5 vs. Philly, it's a sure L for them.
Westbrook is going to eat this defense alive. Unless we find a way to clone Hawk twice to fill the other two LB spots, find a vampire who can bring Reggie back from the dead, and teach Woodson how to play football in the next week, we're screwed.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 04:08 PM
Barnett has been solid in coverage. I wouldn't lump him in with Poppinga. Really, our deficiencies are the result of a sporadic pass rush, Poppinga covering RBs and TEs, and Manuel and Collins at times deep.
Sparkey
09-25-2006, 04:23 PM
"he just looks really really lost in space"
Yes. He reminds me of Dr. Smith, particularly. Or maybe Penny.
WARNING! WARNING! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON... DANGER!
Sparkey
09-25-2006, 04:28 PM
Barnett has been solid in coverage. I wouldn't lump him in with Poppinga. Really, our deficiencies are the result of a sporadic pass rush, Poppinga covering RBs and TEs, and Manuel and Collins at times deep.
Its not just the rass rush. Manuel was beaten in the middle when he failed to slide over and pickup the running back who came out of the flat on the same side the Packers blitzed. Barnett looked average on Sunday.
Poppinga, for all his physical gifts, does not have good instincts dropping back. Seems like he thinks too much on coverage and is always a step or two late because of it.
I loved Hawk though. He looked EXPLOSIVE on the dog.
FritzDontBlitz
09-25-2006, 05:22 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060924/PKR07/609240679/1959
like others have suggested, i think columnists are stealing their ideas from this board. same stuff we discussed after the first exhibition game....
FritzDontBlitz
09-25-2006, 05:25 PM
"he just looks really really lost in space"
Yes. He reminds me of Dr. Smith, particularly. Or maybe Penny.
WARNING! WARNING! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON... DANGER!
nah, that was the robot's line.
dr. smith's line was "oh dear! oh dear! oh dear!"
he also called people a "ninny" a lot and uttered a scream that most hetero men could never possibly duplicate.
wist43
09-25-2006, 10:23 PM
After going over the tape (quickly, not indepth) here is what I saw - I would add that I missed taping some of it - not much, but I did miss some.
--------------
Poppinga was decent in coverage. He had the interfence call, but that was for short yardage.
Poppinga's good plays, i.e. tight coverage, solid run defense, good support, etc...
Qtr Time Play
1 11:55 Got outside quickly, forced the play, made the tackle
9:22 Very good zone drop, tackled WR
2 6:34 Penaly on Harris, but Popp had good cvg on Jones
3 5:33 Came off backside to make tackle at LOS
4 8:09 Barnett and Popp both attacked LOS, tackle for no gain
4 ???? Good coverage... Woodson burned on play
Popp's bad plays:
Qtr Time Play
1 6:26 Pass interference, short yardage
1 5:40 Lost contain, resulted in approx 12 yd gain
4 7:05 Not bad coverage, got good jam/trail position, but got beat
Of course, he wasn't on the field in the nickel or dime, and they played nickel a lot.
Poppinga did not play poorly. 3 negative plays, none of which were earth shattering.
------------------------------
Barnett on the other hand, for what he's being asked to do, was generally a liability. He made a few plays here and there, but down in and down, he's going to get your defense beat.
By my count, Barnett had:
8 bad plays, and 3 good plays.
The rest were a wash... Barnett really is one of the most unistinctive LB'ers I've ever seen. Has a ton of ability, but just not a very good player. Long term, he needs to be replaced.
------------------
Hawk was pretty invisibile for the most part:
3 good plays, 1 bad.
------------------
As I've said before, it's difficult to evaluate the Packers defense b/c there tends to be a lot of confusion and blown assignments... How much blame to you assess to the player, and how much to the coaching staff???
At this point, I think you have to assign most of the blame for the dismal performance to the coaching staff. It's their job to put players in positions to make plays, and they're not doing that.
The Leaper
09-25-2006, 10:28 PM
I agree with wist...the coaching staff is our biggest problem right now. Jim Bates...if you are out there...COME BACK NOW! Sanders and Shotty aren't giving me much confidence. There is no way Poppinga should be left out there on an island.
HarveyWallbangers
09-25-2006, 10:31 PM
Wist,
You've lost your mind. Any analysis that says Poppinga played decent, Barnett was poor, and Hawk was invisible is analysis that I can't take serously. Wonder what you'll say when the coaches bench Poppinga for Taylor.
wist43
09-25-2006, 10:40 PM
The Packers played nickel an awful lot, so Poppinga/Taylor weren't on the field a whole lot.
Hawk made a couple of plays - the sack was very nice. But overall, he really didn't do much.
Barnett's biggest problem is he takes terrible angles and doesn't play downhill... Those two shortcomings cost the Packers tons of yards and lots of 1st downs.
If Poppinga is benched, it shouldn't be based on the Detroit game... As I've said, the Packers have so many problems on defense, and I think most of it is coaching related, that it's difficult to place the blame.
I do know that down in, and down out, Barnett is not a very good football player... When you're watching a game live, it doesn't stand out as much b/c, you're watching the game, but when you go back and look at the tape, and watch him every play, and roll the tape back and forth - it isn't pretty.
Out of 32 starting MLB's in the league, PFW didn't even have him rated in the top 25 in 2005... In 2006 they had him rated 20th - I think that's being generous.
Bossman641
09-26-2006, 01:05 AM
I gotta agree with Harvey here.
I've always suspected Wist just had something against Barnett, but for him to claim that Poppinga played fine while Barnett was terrible and Hawk was invisible is absurd.
Bretsky
09-26-2006, 07:15 AM
I gotta agree with Harvey here.
I've always suspected Wist just had something against Barnett, but for him to claim that Poppinga played fine while Barnett was terrible and Hawk was invisible is absurd.
Sometimes preconceived notions can be so strong they may cloud overall judgement. One could say the same thing about my view of Ferguson. I've criticized the guy for so long it's hard for me to see much if anything bright about him anymore.
wist43
09-26-2006, 08:26 AM
Just not true fella's... if Barnett plays well, or makes a good play - I'll call a spade a spade - although I admit that "good" for Barnett is, IMO, average.
Poppinga didn't play great, but he wasn't terrible either - by my count, 3 negative plays... Barnett on the other hand - 8 negative plays... go back and look at the examples I gave.
Oh, that's right - you guys just shoot from the keyboard w/o actually looking at tape...
Sorry, I thought you guys were actually trying to make an legitimate argument. :wink:
Just not true fella's... if Barnett plays well, or makes a good play - I'll call a spade a spade - although I admit that "good" for Barnett is, IMO, average.
Poppinga didn't play great, but he wasn't terrible either - by my count, 3 negative plays... Barnett on the other hand - 8 negative plays... go back and look at the examples I gave.
Oh, that's right - you guys just shoot from the keyboard w/o actually looking at tape...
Sorry, I thought you guys were actually trying to make an legitimate argument. :wink:
Im with you on the Barnett assesment. He's trailing the play far too often, but to compare 3 bad plays by Pop to 8 bad plays by Barnett, after stating that Pop wasnt on the field much due to a nickle, is self defeating.
That being said, I got your back Wist. I'm getting tired of the drag down tackles and celebrating a tackle 5 yards down field. Barnett isnt terrible, but as people like to say about other positions on the field "he sure doesnt play like a 1st rounder".
wist43
09-26-2006, 08:58 AM
I agree... I was going to make the point that Barnett is, in fact, on the field for every defensive snap and his negative plays will be disproportionately higher as a result.
Guiness
09-26-2006, 09:47 AM
If GB allows more than 5 vs. Philly, it's a sure L for them.
Westbrook is going to eat this defense alive. Unless we find a way to clone Hawk twice to fill the other two LB spots, find a vampire who can bring Reggie back from the dead, and teach Woodson how to play football in the next week, we're screwed.
So we have three choices? Let's get to work on them then.
HarveyWallbangers
09-26-2006, 09:58 AM
Poppinga isn't in the same league as Barnett at this point. I'd guess that 99.9% of the people that get paid to evaluate would say the same thing. I think some people don't like Barnett on a personal level (e.g. his celebrations at stupid times) and it clouds their judgement. Poppinga is a great guy and he's a try hard guy. Barnett is a good guy who celebrates at the wrong times, but he is also a try hard guy with a lot more athleticism then Poppinga. Name one play, other than Poppinga's one sack last year, where you thought "damn, that guy is a good player." I see a guy who has a hard time covering average RBs and TEs, and who is still caught out of position in the run game a lot. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have the speed to make up for his false moves.
wist43
09-26-2006, 10:16 AM
Poppinga isn't in the same league as Barnett at this point. I'd guess that 99.9% of the people that get paid to evaluate would say the same thing. I think some people don't like Barnett on a personal level (e.g. his celebrations at stupid times) and it clouds their judgement. Poppinga is a great guy and he's a try hard guy. Barnett is a good guy who celebrates at the wrong times, but he is also a try hard guy with a lot more athleticism then Poppinga. Name one play, other than Poppinga's one sack last year, where you thought "damn, that guy is a good player." I see a guy who has a hard time covering average RBs and TEs, and who is still caught out of position in the run game a lot. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't have the speed to make up for his false moves.
They're completely different types of players, and Poppinga isn't an every down player. For what he should be, I like Poppinga for his upside as a tough run defender who can hold the point, take on and shed, and provide some pass rush.
Barnett, for all his athletic ability and speed, should be a difference maker - and he isn't.
I'm not saying Poppinga is pro bowl material, he's a situational player IMO; but, one that can very valuable if used properly. If they keep trying to turn him into a cornerback; then, of course he will fail.
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