List 5 Specific Changes Needed for 2009 Success....

[SnakeLH2006]

1) Overhaul the coaching staff with a few assistant coaches who have had success in running solid regimes/systems in recent years on the NFL level.

-Shotty, Stock, and esp. Vanilla Bob and Campy....I'm looking at you.

2) Bring Grant's carries down.

-We have enough talent at RB in Jackson and Wynn that could/need some carries as I'm not a big Grant fan, but we need less 30 carry 91 yard games. Tandems work well at RB in the NFL as the last game showed.

3) Lock up the core.

-Obviously Jennings needs a new contract, but let's not break the bank as everything I've seen out of Jones plays the part and Jordy will be better. Bigby when healthy is great, let's get him a solid long term deal now before he breaks the bank. Collins....well nuff said, he proved many wrong this year and became an elite playmaker. Kampman (our one shining spot) on DL needs a new one. The list goes on and I think we do this easily.

4) Draft a gamechanger/stud with the #9 pick in the 2009 draft.

-Much debate has gone on with who we should pick, but it's obvious any OL or DL pick would be the choice. I really think we need to revamp the OT's as Cliffy and Tauch are in their young 30's and started to get hurt and lose alot of effectiveness. This draft for the past few months projected 3 OT's in the top 5 or at least 10 picks so I'm hopeful we can get a Joe Thomas type to step in on day one for Tauchy as I feel he's gone and Cliffy is on his last legs. We need some youth/burst at OL anyway and this could only help.

5) Get 2 starters in FA

-Woodson has been better than advertised and I'm not advocating throwing up cash for the sake of throwing up cash, but if we can get a stud DL for $10 million, sobeit. Let's do it as there is not much for promising youth at DL right now, and would love to have a stud run-stuffer or pass-rusher for that money to help our shoddy DL out. An OL Faneca type for $8 million All-Pro wouldn't hurt either. Our OL has wallowed in mediocrity for years (maybe that's just Campy's coaching, I dunno).

Thoughts?

[Bretsky]

1. Let Vanilla Bob go and hire somebody proven from outside the organization to bring in a new mentality on the defense

2. Sign a starting DL via free agency and don't shy away from an upgrade of Bigby

3. Draft a playmaker on defense with pick #9...S...LB....DL

4. Lock up Jennings

5. SEEK OUT and Bind The Bikini Girls to come too all home games..thus destroying all bad karma

[Joemailman]

1) Hire a DC who can take advantage of the skills of the Packer LB's. McDermott sounds interesting.

2) If you have a chance at one of the top 3 OT's in the draft, take him. Tauscher and Clifton may both be at/near the end.

3) Strengthen the DL through free agency.

4) Have Arod look at film of how Favre handled 2 minute drills. It was Arod's only real weakness this year.

5) Find a safety through draft or FA who can fill in if Bigby can't return to 2007 level. Rouse can't play strong safety.

[Gunakor]

Re: List 5 Specific Changes Needed for 2009 Success....

1) Overhaul the coaching staff with a few assistant coaches who have had success in running solid regimes/systems in recent years on the NFL level.

-Shotty, Stock, and esp. Vanilla Bob and Campy....I'm looking at you.

2) Bring Grant's carries down.

-We have enough talent at RB in Jackson and Wynn that could/need some carries as I'm not a big Grant fan, but we need less 30 carry 91 yard games. Tandems work well at RB in the NFL as the last game showed.

3) Lock up the core.

-Obviously Jennings needs a new contract, but let's not break the bank as everything I've seen out of Jones plays the part and Jordy will be better. Bigby when healthy is great, let's get him a solid long term deal now before he breaks the bank. Collins....well nuff said, he proved many wrong this year and became an elite playmaker. Kampman (our one shining spot) on DL needs a new one. The list goes on and I think we do this easily.

4) Draft a gamechanger/stud with the #9 pick in the 2009 draft.

-Much debate has gone on with who we should pick, but it's obvious any OL or DL pick would be the choice. I really think we need to revamp the OT's as Cliffy and Tauch are in their young 30's and started to get hurt and lose alot of effectiveness. This draft for the past few months projected 3 OT's in the top 5 or at least 10 picks so I'm hopeful we can get a Joe Thomas type to step in on day one for Tauchy as I feel he's gone and Cliffy is on his last legs. We need some youth/burst at OL anyway and this could only help.

5) Get 2 starters in FA

-Woodson has been better than advertised and I'm not advocating throwing up cash for the sake of throwing up cash, but if we can get a stud DL for $10 million, sobeit. Let's do it as there is not much for promising youth at DL right now, and would love to have a stud run-stuffer or pass-rusher for that money to help our shoddy DL out. An OL Faneca type for $8 million All-Pro wouldn't hurt either. Our OL has wallowed in mediocrity for years (maybe that's just Campy's coaching, I dunno).

Thoughts?

1) Stock is already gone. Shotty has produced 2 All Pro's in his group this year, so I don't think there's anything wrong with retaining him based on the performance of his group in 2008. Vanilla Bob and Campy might be given one more year, because I haven't heard a peep either way about that yet.

2) I agree with you, but one must consider that our RB's have dealt with injuries all season long. Grant started out hurt, Lumpkin got injured for the season early on, B-Jax had been dealing with his own injuries, and Wynn wasn't even called up from the PS until the final weeks of the season. I think Grant getting so many carries down the stretch had as much to do with the other guys being hurt as it did getting Grant his opportunities.

3) Jennings will be locked up. Bigby you don't want to lock up long term based on just one good season - think about how many people are bitching about Ryan Grant getting his contract after one season (which I still think is fair, but I can understand the argument against it). Collins is kinda iffy too, because again it's one good year preceeded by several bad ones. Not to mention that he still led the NFL in dropped INT's again this year. I'd lock him up, but it would only be 3 years maybe and it wouldn't be at your average All Pro's salary.

Suprisingly enough, we are not even close to the team with the most cap space this year. There are at least 5 teams with more cap space than us, including playoff teams Arizona and Tennessee (assuming they don't resign Warner and Haynesworth, respectively). After locking up Rodgers, we don't have quite as much under the cap next season as some would assume - Rodgers counts nearly 10 million against the cap next season by himself.

4) It is impossible to accurately predict a college stud transitioning well into the NFL game in his rookie season. You take the player you think will make that transition best, but for every Matt Ryan there's a Tim Couch or a Ryan Leaf. It's a crapshoot, and the best you can do is take your best educated guess and hope you are right. That is doubly important when talking about linemen, either offensive or defensive. I guess my point is that there is no way to draft a college player, OL or DL especially, while being 100% certain he's going to be a game changer right away in his rookie year. It's impossible to know for certain. Best way to plug a hole with a proven player is through FA, and we all know that even FA is no certainty. Which leads to point #5.

5) I would like to see ONE starter through FA. I would like to see either a DT or a DE come via FA, the other drafted on day 1. I don't think the players on our roster are nearly as bad as their 6-10 record suggests. Getting Barnett and Jenkins back on the field will be incredibly huge, and by itself should make a substantial difference in our defensive production. Add one FA DT or DE and one day 1 draft pick on that line and I think we'll be fine on defense, to be perfectly honest. I like our LB's and DB's.

I would like to see TT package our 3rd with the Jets 3rd to move up into the second round, thus giving us 3 picks in the first 2 rounds again. Take the best DL you think is out there at #9, and take a couple of OL with your 2 second round picks. I think the skill positions are set for the future already, so I'd be very disappointed if we select another WR or RB on day one. The offense just needs help on the line, and after I look at that, I think I might go exclusively defense the rest of the way out unless there's a can't miss offensive player available that one would be foolish to pass up.

[bobblehead]

1) Fire Campen Hire Alex Gibbs

2) Offer Fat Albert a Brinx truck...call god, ask him to tell Alber tto sign with green bay.

3) Send Harrell overseas and get him on an aggressive HgH program to heal him up.

4) Hire a nanny for MM so he is more focused on football.

5) Hire a valet for Jolly so he doesn't get arrested again.

Seriously, I'll take the first 2 and be happy. Gibbs is the genius of the ZBS run game and Albert is the best DT in the game and fills our most glaring need. If we got him and stayed healthy our D is 10-15 again, that with a Gibbs running game and the way Arod played, we have a shot to run the superbowl.

[AV David]

1. Add a pass rusher.

2. Add a pass rusher.

3. Find a coach who can get blitzers home. (DC or LB coach)

4. Elite left tackle

5. Elite LB

[Gunakor]

1. Add a pass rusher.

2. Add a pass rusher.

3. Find a coach who can get blitzers home. (DC or LB coach)

4. Elite left tackle

5. Elite LB

It can't be that easy finding several elite players. We don't have as much cap space as you'd think. For example, we have less than HALF as much room to play with as the Chiefs. I'd be happy with one pass rushing rookie, one veteran stud at DT (where the money should go this season IMO), MAYBE one FA OT (if either Cliffy or Tauch can come back, I think Colledge assumes the other starting OT spot - so it's not too important to find an immediate starter unless neither of them can come back), and other than that a bunch of solid picks for depth.

Again, I don't see anything wrong with the LB's we already have, when healthy. Chillar, Barnett, Hawk has potential to be a very dominant LB corps, and Poppinga/Bishop are more than adequate as backups.

[Lurker64]

1. Win an additional game in the regular season.

2. Win an additional game in the regular season.

3. Win an additional game in the regular season.

4. Win an additional game in the regular season.

5. Win an additional game in the regular season.

11-5 would be a pretty successful year, don't you think?

[Bretsky]

Re: List 5 Specific Changes Needed for 2009 Success....

1) Overhaul the coaching staff with a few assistant coaches who have had success in running solid regimes/systems in recent years on the NFL level.

-Shotty, Stock, and esp. Vanilla Bob and Campy....I'm looking at you.

2) Bring Grant's carries down.

-We have enough talent at RB in Jackson and Wynn that could/need some carries as I'm not a big Grant fan, but we need less 30 carry 91 yard games. Tandems work well at RB in the NFL as the last game showed.

3) Lock up the core.

-Obviously Jennings needs a new contract, but let's not break the bank as everything I've seen out of Jones plays the part and Jordy will be better. Bigby when healthy is great, let's get him a solid long term deal now before he breaks the bank. Collins....well nuff said, he proved many wrong this year and became an elite playmaker. Kampman (our one shining spot) on DL needs a new one. The list goes on and I think we do this easily.

4) Draft a gamechanger/stud with the #9 pick in the 2009 draft.

-Much debate has gone on with who we should pick, but it's obvious any OL or DL pick would be the choice. I really think we need to revamp the OT's as Cliffy and Tauch are in their young 30's and started to get hurt and lose alot of effectiveness. This draft for the past few months projected 3 OT's in the top 5 or at least 10 picks so I'm hopeful we can get a Joe Thomas type to step in on day one for Tauchy as I feel he's gone and Cliffy is on his last legs. We need some youth/burst at OL anyway and this could only help.

5) Get 2 starters in FA

-Woodson has been better than advertised and I'm not advocating throwing up cash for the sake of throwing up cash, but if we can get a stud DL for $10 million, sobeit. Let's do it as there is not much for promising youth at DL right now, and would love to have a stud run-stuffer or pass-rusher for that money to help our shoddy DL out. An OL Faneca type for $8 million All-Pro wouldn't hurt either. Our OL has wallowed in mediocrity for years (maybe that's just Campy's coaching, I dunno).

Thoughts?

1) Stock is already gone. Shotty has produced 2 All Pro's in his group this year, so I don't think there's anything wrong with retaining him based on the performance of his group in 2008. Vanilla Bob and Campy might be given one more year, because I haven't heard a peep either way about that yet.

2) I agree with you, but one must consider that our RB's have dealt with injuries all season long. Grant started out hurt, Lumpkin got injured for the season early on, B-Jax had been dealing with his own injuries, and Wynn wasn't even called up from the PS until the final weeks of the season. I think Grant getting so many carries down the stretch had as much to do with the other guys being hurt as it did getting Grant his opportunities.

3) Jennings will be locked up. Bigby you don't want to lock up long term based on just one good season - think about how many people are bitching about Ryan Grant getting his contract after one season (which I still think is fair, but I can understand the argument against it). Collins is kinda iffy too, because again it's one good year preceeded by several bad ones. Not to mention that he still led the NFL in dropped INT's again this year. I'd lock him up, but it would only be 3 years maybe and it wouldn't be at your average All Pro's salary.

Suprisingly enough, we are not even close to the team with the most cap space this year. There are at least 5 teams with more cap space than us, including playoff teams Arizona and Tennessee (assuming they don't resign Warner and Haynesworth, respectively). After locking up Rodgers, we don't have quite as much under the cap next season as some would assume - Rodgers counts nearly 10 million against the cap next season by himself.

4) It is impossible to accurately predict a college stud transitioning well into the NFL game in his rookie season. You take the player you think will make that transition best, but for every Matt Ryan there's a Tim Couch or a Ryan Leaf. It's a crapshoot, and the best you can do is take your best educated guess and hope you are right. That is doubly important when talking about linemen, either offensive or defensive. I guess my point is that there is no way to draft a college player, OL or DL especially, while being 100% certain he's going to be a game changer right away in his rookie year. It's impossible to know for certain. Best way to plug a hole with a proven player is through FA, and we all know that even FA is no certainty. Which leads to point #5.

5) I would like to see ONE starter through FA. I would like to see either a DT or a DE come via FA, the other drafted on day 1. I don't think the players on our roster are nearly as bad as their 6-10 record suggests. Getting Barnett and Jenkins back on the field will be incredibly huge, and by itself should make a substantial difference in our defensive production. Add one FA DT or DE and one day 1 draft pick on that line and I think we'll be fine on defense, to be perfectly honest. I like our LB's and DB's.

I would like to see TT package our 3rd with the Jets 3rd to move up into the second round, thus giving us 3 picks in the first 2 rounds again. Take the best DL you think is out there at #9, and take a couple of OL with your 2 second round picks. I think the skill positions are set for the future already, so I'd be very disappointed if we select another WR or RB on day one. The offense just needs help on the line, and after I look at that, I think I might go exclusively defense the rest of the way out unless there's a can't miss offensive player available that one would be foolish to pass up.

If Vanilla Bob is the DC next year my opinion of MM will go down

Completely agree on packaging the two thirds for a 2nd.

As many picks as we had last year I was surprised how little those rookies gave our 6-10 team

[texaspackerbacker]

What a bunch of stupid shit!

First and foremost, we need to get back and keep healthy the large portion of the team whose injuries ruined the past season and spelled most of the difference between 13-3 and 6-10.

Second, the Packers need to have the various other aspects of LUCK go our way--at least to the point of getting an even break--including but not limited to: catching teams at the optimum time of their schedule (from our point of view), not the worst, and having bounces, spots, calls, etc. go our way--the remainder of the difference between 13-3 and 6-10.

Third, stabilizing the offensive line--getting one more decent year from Clifton, having Colledge, Spitz, and Sitton continue to develop, and having at least one out of Barbre, Giacomini, or a newcomer contribute--assuming Tauscher, Moll, and Wells are pretty much through.

Fourth, either signing Haynesworth, having Harrell play to the level of a mid first round pick at least as a run stopper, having Jolly play like '07 instead of like '08, or having the LUCK of a pleasant surprise from a mid round newcomer or Malone or a cheap free agent or whatever. Solidify DT, and DE will take care of itself with the personnel already on the team.

Fifth, trusting Rodgers a little bit more in the play calling--using the pass to establish the run, not vice versa.

The real key is what must not be done--NOT succumbing to the abject stupidity of some who want to see the defensive scheme changed or the ZBS done away with.

Coaching changes? Get real! The only thing that should be done apparently already has been done--a more effective special teams coach--or was that just a rumor that Stock was gone?

[The Shadow]

No one seems to be concerned with the possible loss of Mark Tauscher, either to injury or fre agency, but I am. Year after year he's delivered reliable, yeomanlike performance - and many are now confident that we can just plug in a replacement at RT.
If he can come back with that rehabilitated knee, I'd sure like to have him back.

[Joemailman]

Re: List 5 Specific Changes Needed for 2009 Success....

If Vanilla Bob is the DC next year my opinion of MM will go down

Completely agree on packaging the two thirds for a 2nd.

As many picks as we had last year I was surprised how little those rookies gave our 6-10 team

If a guy like Raji is still available late in the 1st, I might try to package a 2nd and a 3rd to move into the 1st.

As for the rookies, Thompson, Lee and Sitton were hit by injuries. Finley has some growing up to do, but showed potential late. In my opinion, only Brohm was a major disappointment, and he wouldn't have played anyway.

[Gunakor]

No one seems to be concerned with the possible loss of Mark Tauscher, either to injury or fre agency, but I am. Year after year he's delivered reliable, yeomanlike performance - and many are now confident that we can just plug in a replacement at RT.
If he can come back with that rehabilitated knee, I'd sure like to have him back.

I'm only concerned if Cliffy is unable to play next year as well. I think Colledge is capable of taking over at one of the OT positions when needed.

That said, I'd start looking at drafting another OT sooner than later just in case Giacomini doesn't work out. I know his deal this year was that he had that big 6'7" frame but needed to put on muscle to match. I guess I'm still holding out hope that once the training staff of the Packers gets him into the proper shape and build, he'll be more than adequate at the other OT spot. He must be at least a little talented, or I couldn't see this team holding on to him all season long without ever suiting him up for a game - especially considering Taucher's injury.

[Tony Oday]

1. Sign Jennings
2. Sign a Pass rusher
3. Sign a "fat" DT to plug the hole
4. SS! Wouldn't be a bad upgrade
5. Junk the Zone Blocking or practice it in training camp
6. Trade down in the draft to pick up some more top tier prospects on both lines, as we have all seen, if you dont think you need them you can always trade them.

[The Shadow]

1. Sign Jennings
2. Sign a Pass rusher
3. Sign a "fat" DT to plug the hole4. SS! Wouldn't be a bad upgrade
5. Junk the Zone Blocking or practice it in training camp
6. Trade down in the draft to pick up some more top tier prospects on both lines, as we have all seen, if you dont think you need them you can always trade them.

I would also like to see this. Having all the quick, athletic guys is great - sometimes. But we play in the NFC North, and sometimes you need those hogs -both on the o line and d line to hunker down in the trenches.
I noticed old Grady Jackson is still playing on the Atlanta line and is a free agent. How much does he have left in the tank?