Could the Packers use help at every position?

[Fritz]

It's funny - I was thinking this morning of the list of guys I'd like to see replaced on next season's roster.

Number one on my list and in your heart: Derrick Frost.

Also -

Jason Hunter
Kenny Pettway
Mike Montgomery
Jarrett Bush
Charlie Peprah

Tory Humnphrey (sorry, I know he's a nice guy)

Maybe Chad Clifton

And, finally, I think I'm off the Brady Poppinga bandwagon. I think a young, fast linebacker who can tackle and cover, at least a little, would be good. Popp is supposed to specialize in stopping the run but I've seen too many plays in which he's gotten to the ball carrier early and whiffed on the tackle. I think he's eminently replaceable.

[Bretsky]

It's funny - I was thinking this morning of the list of guys I'd like to see replaced on next season's roster.

Number one on my list and in your heart: Derrick Frost.

Also -

Jason Hunter
Kenny Pettway
Mike Montgomery
Jarrett Bush
Charlie Peprah

Tory Humnphrey (sorry, I know he's a nice guy)

Maybe Chad Clifton

And, finally, I think I'm off the Brady Poppinga bandwagon. I think a young, fast linebacker who can tackle and cover, at least a little, would be good. Popp is supposed to specialize in stopping the run but I've seen too many plays in which he's gotten to the ball carrier early and whiffed on the tackle. I think he's eminently replaceable.

VANILLA BOB

[Partial]

Jason Hunter is a solid 5th DE. He is a burner on special teams and since he bulked up he has become serviceable as a 5th DE.

[RashanGary]

Jason Hunter is a solid 5th DE. He is a burner on special teams and since he bulked up he has become serviceable as a 5th DE.

Yeah, he's kind of a luxury player like Blackmon. He's so good at ST's that you sort of deal with having him at the very back of yoru rotation. The problem is, when you have Montgomery and Pettway in front of him, his weakness is glaring. Monty and Pettway have to go.

[RashanGary]

It's funny - I was thinking this morning of the list of guys I'd like to see replaced on next season's roster.

Number one on my list and in your heart: Derrick Frost.

Also -

Jason Hunter
Kenny Pettway
Mike Montgomery
Jarrett Bush
Charlie Peprah

Tory Humnphrey (sorry, I know he's a nice guy)

Maybe Chad Clifton

And, finally, I think I'm off the Brady Poppinga bandwagon. I think a young, fast linebacker who can tackle and cover, at least a little, would be good. Popp is supposed to specialize in stopping the run but I've seen too many plays in which he's gotten to the ball carrier early and whiffed on the tackle. I think he's eminently replaceable.

I can see reason in all of this. Maybe not Humphrey because he has shown up every time he gets a chance (just doesn't get many) but the others are things I've noticed too. I'm also not sure about Peprah. Never gets a chance but maybe there is a reason for that.

[MJZiggy]

Ya know, if you reject every group of kids that gets drafted, they'll never have a shot a growing into the stud linemen you want them to be. They'll eventually be stud linemen for someone else, though...

[Bretsky]

Ya know, if you reject every group of kids that gets drafted, they'll never have a shot a growing into the stud linemen you want them to be. They'll eventually be stud linemen for someone else, though...

The list Fritz gave are the sub par backups IMO that you want to find upgrades for; I do like Humphrey and would like to see him given more of a chance.

[Fred's Slacks]

Yeah Fritz, I have to say that I am no longer on the Poppinga train either. I expected more improvement then we've seen. The missed takle on Billy Miller last week had my blood boiling. Its one thing to miss on Adrian Peterson but he looked exactly the same trying to tackle Miller. He works hard and has a motor. Unfortunately that has amounted to very little on the field.

I was going to comment on Partials Arod hate but I feel like that's been covered enough and don't want to beat that dead horse any more. I think most realize that Arod has been solid but also has made his share of mistakes, I think they also realize that with or with out Favre they have no SB hopes with an inconsistent OL and no pass rush.

[texaspackerbacker]

The question isn't who is replaceable? It is who needs to be replaced?

The only ones on the original list that I'd really like to see gone are Peprah and maybe Bush. Frost wasn't on that list, but obviously, a lot of high school punters would be an upgrade from him.

Clifton has been mediocre at best; Tauscher is a free agent (isn't he?), and probably isn't good enough to justify the money somebody else will pay him. Popinga hasn't progressed this year the way I hoped he would--I had visions of a Kampman-like leap in performance. I'm not ready to give up on Justin Harrell just yet. Likewise, Finley has way too much potential to give up on in just one season.

As for the draft, I lean toward O Line also, although that is far from a sure, given the fact that it takes time to develop O Linemen, and the fact that we have a bunch of decent young prospects. People can wish all that want for some huge, less mobile guys and the change of scheme that would go with getting that kind, but it ain't happening.

Contrary to the title of the thread, it's more like we really don't have any pressing needs. I wouldn't be surprised if the Packers went after a RB--a smaller speedier type like Steve Slaton. We probably would get some O Line and D Line help, as well as LB, but I doubt Thompson uses a first rounder for those, as the kind of player the Packers seem to like would likely be still available in the 2nd - 4th rounds.

[Tarlam!]

Nick, your posting is getting really interesting since you stopped bashing that ex-QB. Well done and great thread!

Is College the answer at LT? I seem to think he is. It might just be my imagination, but since he's been in GB, he's really put on some muscle! He's intelligent enough and if he can reduce his arrogance into healthy self-confidence that would be great. Also, he played colledge LT and only started playing OG in GB.

Also, we haven't seen too much of Giancomini (sp?) yet. I suspect they are grooming him for RT. From what I recall, they say he's a mauler, but raw. Well, he'll have had a year of picking NFL splinters out of his butt when mini camp starts and only then will we see what we have.

Then there's Sitton and Barbre, two OGs that have had varying levels of praise from the staff that would appear to have a whole lotta upside.

If you ask me, Wells is the guy that's physically too small. I like him, his motor, his heart and his ability to lead the line. I just think his size is an issue.

I think the real depth issues are at DL and LB. It's too bad Hodge is gone.

[wist43]

I cut some slack to Poppinga simply b/c of the scheme... I think he would be better in another system.

As for the original list JH put together... most of those guys are fringe type players and either need to be replaced or simply slotted into their role on ST, ala Blackmon.

Cole and Harrell are rotation guys, but neither is as good as Williams was... Williams pass rush from the interior is sorely missed, we definitely need an inside pass rusher. Jenkins going down, and Williams being booted has exposed these two guys for the fringe players they are. I like Cole better than Harrell though... Harrell is a bust.

Montgomery is simply wasting a roster spot at a position we need help at, same thing with Pettway. Hunter is better than both of those guys.

Bush, Pettway, Lansadah, Frost, Montgomery, Peprah... all of those guys are just taking up space on the roster.

Clifton and Wells both need to be replaced in the starting lineup.

TT will surely bring in another tsunami of players from next years draft though, and will surely push some of these guys off the roster. But unless he finds some differece makers somewhere along the line, we're just spinning our wheels.

[Pugger]

I'm not ready to throw Harrell under the bus. The young man hasn't been on the field enough to know what he can do (but I do agree he was picked too high) and most DT aren't asked to get sacks. They do the dirty work inside and take up blockers. Pettway was a guy we literally picked up off the streets because of all of our D line issues so he won't be around next year unless they like his ST play. Cory Williams was okay but I don't blame TT for not giving him starter/pro-bowl money. Last season when Jolly went down Williams became the starter and his sack total diminished. He is much better coming in in passing situations and you can't give a part timer starter money (KGB shouldn't have been paid like that either!). TT messed up big time when it came to the D line. What was once a position of strength with depth is now a mess and our D is reeling.

[Patler]

"Could the Packers use help at every position?" - Yes
Can most every NFL team use help at every position - Yes

The bottom players who are the last option off the bench at each positional group (DL, LB, CB, S, OL RB, TE, WR, QB) are pretty much replaceable on every team in the league. Granted, for the Packers it will take a pretty good receiver to displace Martin or Jones, but it could very easily happen. If you can find a future All-Pro he would bump down Nelson a notch, too; would make the receiver corp better, and would smooth the ultimate departure/retirement of Driver or the free-agent flight of Jennings.

A very good player at any position would be a welcomed addition to the roster, just as it would be for any other team in the league.

[bobblehead]

You take more players and you have more chances at stars. Jennings was just a 2nd round pick, one nobody knew of before the draft and oen many complained about. He was just one of many, but he turned out to be a star. Grant was a low key last minute trade that might have been a roster cut. He was just one of many low key moves but turned out to be a star. Kampman the same.

We have a better chance of hitting a star with mroe picks than with less. Look, TT had options to trade back with Harrell but he stuck with the higher pick and that didn't pan out very well.



On a side note, Everette Brown, DE from FSU would be a great pick for our defense. He's a stud. I'm sure he'll move up into the top 10, just so we can't get him.

Maybe TT should move up in round one ? Harell, I don't think, excited many in here.

But along with more depth this team could really use another stud on the defeinsive side. I like the idea of moving up in round one if there is a guy you think can be a star. Of course much will depend on what we do these last four games.

TT has accumulated a ton of picks the past few years. Jennings is clearly a hit. But hard to name any guy from four on who really sticks out so far. Kampman was a Sherman guy; I think he even might have traded up for him but not positive about that.

As far as those 6th and 7th rounders, I'd be fine with TT trading one a year to get a serviceable players. So far none that I can remember seem to be doing much for Green Bay.

Jonny Jolly when not breaking the law is a pretty solid guy for a 6th round pick.

[bobblehead]

I'm just saying...

last year everyone thought this team was scary deep and talented with an up and coming offensive line that played very well down the stretch.

Then, we replace the 2nd best player in football with the ~200th best player in football, and all of a sudden our depth sucks, and our offensive line is horrendous!

dude....the OL has played horrendously. In the early going Grant was runnig into blockers ala Brandon Jackson '07. Now some of the line mess ups could be attributed to a first year starter at QB, but not the ones where he is hit in .9 seconds because Clifon completely whiffed. Not the ones where we made a good first down play and Spitz got called for holding to negate it and back us up, and not the one where Crosby missed a 52 yarder indoors off turf.

Once again I'll admit that we would likely be 7-4 with BF, but he isn't here and we are 5-6 instead. You can threadjack every discussion and lead it back to BF, but it gets really FUCKING OLD!! He retired, then didn't, then did, then wanted his starting job back after missing every offseason activity that the team asked him to attend. It his own fault he is a Jet, and you can accept that or you can whine about it for about 4 more years.