Packers sign Chillar

[Oscar]

As far as KC's Wilson. He is 6-2 and goes 251 with 4 yrs. While Troy Humphrey is 6-2 250 with 3 yrs. Has anyone heard how he has recovered from injury? I thought the coaches were kinda high on him early on.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Chillar is a great signing. Now we have some insurance in case someone gets hurt. Is he that much an upgrade over Popp? I doubt it, but it keeps us from having to spend a mid-round pick on a linebacker who would have essentially served the same propose. I would still like to find an upgrade in the draft, but it doesn't have be this year now and if we lose Popp next year you still have Chillar so you basically lose nothing.

I like this a lot better than just giving Popp a long term deal.

[The Leaper]

I like this a lot better than just giving Popp a long term deal.

Of course it is. Chillar is 4 years younger than Pop.

[ND72]

Linebacker is apparently a position of weakness in this draft. So TT gets a solid, young FA to compete with Poppinga. He can then focus more in the draft on positions of need in which the draft is deep - corner, offensive line, tight end.

Agreed big time. Good move by Teddy, and doing what him & McCarthy have said since their first day here, create compeition.

[KYPack]

No, these are current reviews of him. Chillar is a cover backer who struggles against the run. The "Popp" comments are mine. The hard hitting tackler guy is Brady P. Between the two of 'em, hopefully we get the perfect SAM.

That's not what I've heard. They say his coverage skills are lacking, but he's good enough in short areas and bumping TEs at the line that he can get away with his coverage liabilities in the Packers scheme.

JSO writes:

Chillar, 25, fits what the Packers seek in a strong-side linebacker. He has size and explosiveness for playing the run and decent short-area speed for covering tight ends. He is not a top-notch cover man and didn't play in the Rams' nickel package last year, but he has the ability to line up over the tight end and affect his release.

ESPN writes:

He can jam a tight end off the line and trail him downfield. He can play all three linebacker spots, but he isn't athletic enough to excel at one. He's a downhill player who isn't as effective moving laterally or dropping into coverage. He struggles to transition and close on the ball in off coverage and zone.

I've watched no tape on this guy. Those comments I got were off the internet. Your stuff and mine seem like comments on two different guys.

We'll have to watch and see. The final verdict will be in by September.

[Fritz]

Chillar is a great signing. Now we have some insurance in case someone gets hurt. Is he that much an upgrade over Popp? I doubt it, but it keeps us from having to spend a mid-round pick on a linebacker who would have essentially served the same propose. I would still like to find an upgrade in the draft, but it doesn't have be this year now and if we lose Popp next year you still have Chillar so you basically lose nothing.

I like this a lot better than just giving Popp a long term deal.

Sounds to me like if they could put both guys into one uniform and send him/it/them onto the field, we could have the next Lawrence Taylor, minus the bad habits.

[swede]

Ted's cheap. Ted won't sign free agents.

Sure, now he'll sign free agents. Now that he's finally succeeded in driving Favre into retirement.

I told you TTT spells disaster.

[swede]

Chillar is a great signing. Now we have some insurance in case someone gets hurt. Is he that much an upgrade over Popp? I doubt it, but it keeps us from having to spend a mid-round pick on a linebacker who would have essentially served the same propose. I would still like to find an upgrade in the draft, but it doesn't have be this year now and if we lose Popp next year you still have Chillar so you basically lose nothing.

I like this a lot better than just giving Popp a long term deal.

Sounds to me like if they could put both guys into one uniform and send him/it/them onto the field, we could have the next Lawrence Taylor, minus the bad habits.

Heh heh.

I agree with PFnMD, even if the guy is just a little better than Poopy we're a little better and a little deeper at the position and it helps take the pressure off of finding a linebacker until the later rounds of the draft.

[MJZiggy]

Ted's cheap. Ted won't sign free agents.

Sure, now he'll sign free agents. Now that he's finally succeeded in driving Favre into retirement.

I told you TTT spells disaster.

I thought that was Merlin???

[Sammy4Pack]

Two FA signings in 2 years. Ted is on a roll.

I like the addition.

[MJZiggy]

Hey Sammy, welcome to the forum. Always good to get new opinions.

[RashanGary]

Two FA signings in 2 years. Ted is on a roll.

I like the addition.

Bigby, Jarrett Bush, Donald Lee, Frank Walker, Brandon Chillar, Tramon Williams, Tony Palmer, Koren Robinson, Ruvell Martin, etc. . . .



He takes flyers on a bunch of street FA's. Some pan out. Some don't, but over time the team just keeps getting better. I think it's similar to NE bringing in a bunch of lower tier guys over the years and getting major production out of them. Until last year they were not involved in big name UFAs and they never won the SB while going after them.

The Packers got Joe Toledo and they'll probably have 10-15 other no namers that don't cost anything this off season. Two mgiht pan out and 13 fail, but those two for cheap (similar to Donald Lee and Ruvell Martin) are often times just as good as the teams who spend big money. The only difference is we still have money to lock up our core and other teams are pinning themselves against the cap, guaranteeing mediocrity.

[RashanGary]

Patriots History (this is someone elses work)

Stephen Neal : Signed After going undrafted by the Pats, let go, then later signed off the Eagles PS.
Izzo: Street FA in 2001
Vrabel: Street FA 2001
Hochstein: Drafted by the Bucs, Signed off the Bucs PS in 2002.
Harrison: Street FA 2003
Patten: Street FA 2001
Andruzzi: Waived by Packers 2000, signed w/ Pats.
Phifer: Street FA 2001
Traylor:Street FA 2004
Fauria: Street FA 2002

2000 = 1
2001 = 5
2002 = 2
2003 = 1
2004 = 1

That doesn't look real active to me. Below average in the number of signings I would say. The Pats have actually had a lot of success with other team's throw-aways.
Good work by them.

[RashanGary]

If you compare that list to guys like Bigby, Donald Lee, Ruvell Martin, Daniel Muir, Tramon Williams, K Rob, Chillar, Pickett, etc. . .It's pretty similar. There are a bunch of low tier guys who nobody thought would pan out that end up panning out and a few mid level guys. Woodson is acctually bigger than any NE UFA until they splurged last off season and that didn't get them a title either so obviously there is more to it than one big off season. I think this just illustrates that peoples angst and impatients is often rooted in:
1. false panic
2. natural doom and gloom outlook
3. a never let go attitude to the last era of championship football in GB despite the climate change.

It's not based in the reality of recent history. Look at the Giants, Colts, Pats (when the acctually won), Steelers, Ravens, etc. . . They all did with with moderate UFA use. They all have kick ass scouting departments that dig up a bunch of these low tier guys and get a ton of milage out of them but none of them have been on the active lists of UFA's.

[gbgary]

Yup, free agency is finished for us now that 1 player has been signed.

yup...thought it would NEVER happen.