Dom Capers?

[pbmax]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Dom Capers that tough son of a bitch that was really tough on his players? They likened him to a drillmaster, the "Coughlin" before Coughlin was coaching the Giants. That attitude could be just what a defense which really lacked attitude and guts(not to mention talent) last season needs. That resume' isn't too shabby either.

Capers coached tough D, but the drill sergeant was Coughlin in Jacksonville. He had everyone predicting mutiny during his first training camp.

[Bretsky]

I'd be fine with Capers or Haslett or McDermott or Phillips; even Gray or Lewis are alright
lots of good candidates left

Hopefully MM chooses one of them

[Merlin]

I think that MM is pretty open to and possibly set on switching to a 3-4.

The 3-4 is ideal when your primary opponents prefer to run the ball and have quick athletic backs that are good cutback runners. The WCO is its biggest enemy, and was the reason it dwindled in popularity, as the T-2 is the WCO's enemy, and the WCO rose in the 90's. Since then the zone blitz principles have been worked out agaisnt the WCO and it does a decent job with that too.

Our division incidentally is full of crappy QB's and teams that rely on the run with athletic backs. Schwartz's vision in Detroit that he laid out is basing his offense on the run.

We have the most important part. Pickett would be more than adequate at NT, possibly quite good, taking on double teams has been the name of his game since coming to GB, he actually might be better suited there going forward as power is valued over athleticism, and his athleticism is declining.

We have a RDE in Jenkins. Kamp could play LDE (he is similar to Justin Smith, the LDE for SF, who played quite good), though a little more size wouldn't hurt, he too could be traded, but he wouldn't be awful and could excel (Howie Long was 6'5" 265, Kamp is 6'4" 265). There are 2 good 3-4 DE's on the market this FA period if Kamp were to be traded, Canty and Olshansky. Jolly and Harrell would be an acceptable 3-4 DE backups right now, and Harrell could play NT in a pinch (a true backup would be a draft need though, Ron Brace?, though Raji is a Wilfork clone and he started his first year in NE on the nose). We have the 2 ILB's (Hawk, Barnett) and backups (Chillar, Bishop, Lansanah). We have the SOLB (Poppinga) but could use an upgrade. We have 2 backup WOLB's (Thompson, Hunter) but could use an upgrade, Thompson could emerge as a starting caliber OLB on either the weak or strong side.

The biggest needs would be a stud WOLB, Suggs in FA or Brown/Orapko/Johnson in the draft, a backup NT (Brace, Raji, or a few others in the draft (a Michigan DT is a good prospect too)), and possibly a trade of Kamp and signing a dedicated 3-4 DE in FA, plus a DE backup in the draft, and a backup SOLB with starting potential.

We could run it acceptably with out current roster, a few tweaks and we could have a decent one in short order. We have the nose, that is the most important position. At 6'-2" 330, Pickett can handle it. The nose has to be able to take double teams on every play or it doesn't work, and that is Pickett's game.

Another added bonus to a 3-4 is that are more of MM's favorite ST players, 6'5" 265 LB fast guys that can hit, on the roster.

Although I agree with most of what you said, I can't help but notice that you put Harrell as an adequate DE backup and in a pinch NT? Correct me if I am wrong here but don't you actually have to be on the active 53 man roster to play? Harrell is worth nothing, hasn't proven anything, and will never be on the field long enough to do so. He is a bust, plain and simple. We cut KGB (and I agree his contract needed to be redone) for a roster spot for Harrell. KGB at least had an upside when healthy, Harrell's only upside is that he is miraculously still a Packer. I don't see the logic of saying he is worthwhile when every step of the way he has continued to prove he isn't. Time to bring in someone else and fill his roster spot. If KGB had any gas left in the tank, he would have been an awesome OLB in a 3-4, I just don't know if he still has it anymore.

At this point for DC, I would have liked to have Bates back but I don't see that happening. Capers would be an interesting addition as I think he was a good motivator. Hasslet I don't know a lot about but it appears he would be pretty good too.

[Waldo]

Although I agree with most of what you said, I can't help but notice that you put Harrell as an adequate DE backup and in a pinch NT? Correct me if I am wrong here but don't you actually have to be on the active 53 man roster to play? Harrell is worth nothing, hasn't proven anything, and will never be on the field long enough to do so. He is a bust, plain and simple. We cut KGB (and I agree his contract needed to be redone) for a roster spot for Harrell. KGB at least had an upside when healthy, Harrell's only upside is that he is miraculously still a Packer. I don't see the logic of saying he is worthwhile when every step of the way he has continued to prove he isn't. Time to bring in someone else and fill his roster spot. If KGB had any gas left in the tank, he would have been an awesome OLB in a 3-4, I just don't know if he still has it anymore.

Need to blow off a little steam about the hated pick?

Of course this is assuming he returns to health, which is still a possibility. Were he 100% healthy he would be taken before any DT in this draft. He does have a place in a 3-4 if he does get healthy though. We can't cut him anyway, he costs 1.7M to keep, 4.2M to cut. He'll be IRed before being cut.

[Packers4Ever]

i'm fine with him. if they like him they need to offer him the job and stop looking or someone else will get him. MM shops like a women. go everywhere, touch/smell/taste everything, can't decide.

Hey hey hey !!! I resemble that remark !

Now if I wanted to, I could do a darn good description

of a male shopper, sooo funnny !

J/K

[Pugger]

i'm fine with him. if they like him they need to offer him the job and stop looking or someone else will get him. MM shops like a women. go everywhere, touch/smell/taste everything, can't decide.

Hey hey hey !!! I resemble that remark !

Now if I wanted to, I could do a darn good description

of a male shopper, sooo funnny !

J/K

Packers4Ever beat me to it!!!

I got a little excited when I heard MM was going to interview Capers. Capers may not be the best HC in the world but he seems to have had success as a DC.

[texaspackerbacker]

Don Capers
Vs
Hasslett

I take Capers.

WOW!

These comparative stats are amazing!

Haslett 82-110; Capers 96-112 with 30-79 the last seven years; Sanders 27-21--with the last one ruined by injuries.

I'm sure the irrational HATERS will conjure up all kinds of reasons to continue to spew hate about Sanders, but the stats don't lie.

[Fritz]

I hate Sanders! He had funny looking ears!

[RashanGary]

Sanders stutters. I hate him too.


Really though, Capers was on some teams with some really bad offenses (which tends to make it even harder to have a good defense) and he still had some of the best ranked defenses of anyone we've considered so far.

I obviously don't know enough to make a decision like this, but from what we are able to gather, this guy looks like he could be the real deal. I love that he coached with the hoodie the last couple years too.

[bobblehead]

BATES.....call him, beg him, offer him HC money and assistant HC job. He turned our defense around once already and I think its time to set ego's aside and get the master of the bates system back.

edit: Just read his wikipedia. He still lives in wisconsin. He also got bumped in '07 as DC of the broncos for...get this....bob slowik. The broncos defense went from 9th to 29th. Nice.

I've thought of this one too, but he seemed pretty disgruntled that he didnt get the head spot over McCarthy.

And this is the difference between the NFL and the real world. If MM were a CEO and Bates an out of work VP it would be a slam dunk.

"JIm, this is Mike. Heard you were out of work. I know you were hurt you didn't get the top job a few years back, but how about a cool million to come in and fix what your boy Sanders messed up. 4 Mil for 4 years garaunteed."

"I don't know Mike, you guys really hurt my feelings and I have no desire to make you look good. I'm thinking I'll wait around for the next guy to offer me a job and then undercut me for Bob %@#^ing Slowik."

"4 MILLION DOLLARS you dufus. Let me talk to your wife, see what she has to say!!!"

"OK OK, don't bring my wife into this, I'll be there in the morning"

[wist43]

I think that MM is pretty open to and possibly set on switching to a 3-4.

The 3-4 is ideal when your primary opponents prefer to run the ball and have quick athletic backs that are good cutback runners. The WCO is its biggest enemy, and was the reason it dwindled in popularity, as the T-2 is the WCO's enemy, and the WCO rose in the 90's. Since then the zone blitz principles have been worked out agaisnt the WCO and it does a decent job with that too.

Our division incidentally is full of crappy QB's and teams that rely on the run with athletic backs. Schwartz's vision in Detroit that he laid out is basing his offense on the run.

We have the most important part. Pickett would be more than adequate at NT, possibly quite good, taking on double teams has been the name of his game since coming to GB, he actually might be better suited there going forward as power is valued over athleticism, and his athleticism is declining.

We have a RDE in Jenkins. Kamp could play LDE (he is similar to Justin Smith, the LDE for SF, who played quite good), though a little more size wouldn't hurt, he too could be traded, but he wouldn't be awful and could excel (Howie Long was 6'5" 265, Kamp is 6'4" 265). There are 2 good 3-4 DE's on the market this FA period if Kamp were to be traded, Canty and Olshansky. Jolly and Harrell would be an acceptable 3-4 DE backups right now, and Harrell could play NT in a pinch (a true backup would be a draft need though, Ron Brace?, though Raji is a Wilfork clone and he started his first year in NE on the nose). We have the 2 ILB's (Hawk, Barnett) and backups (Chillar, Bishop, Lansanah). We have the SOLB (Poppinga) but could use an upgrade. We have 2 backup WOLB's (Thompson, Hunter) but could use an upgrade, Thompson could emerge as a starting caliber OLB on either the weak or strong side.

The biggest needs would be a stud WOLB, Suggs in FA or Brown/Orapko/Johnson in the draft, a backup NT (Brace, Raji, or a few others in the draft (a Michigan DT is a good prospect too)), and possibly a trade of Kamp and signing a dedicated 3-4 DE in FA, plus a DE backup in the draft, and a backup SOLB with starting potential.

We could run it acceptably with out current roster, a few tweaks and we could have a decent one in short order. We have the nose, that is the most important position. At 6'-2" 330, Pickett can handle it. The nose has to be able to take double teams on every play or it doesn't work, and that is Pickett's game.

Another added bonus to a 3-4 is that are more of MM's favorite ST players, 6'5" 265 LB fast guys that can hit, on the roster.

Nice analysis...

I'm a 3-4 advocate, but I'm not sure the Packers as an organization are ready to commit to switching.

They have some personnel that could be used interchangably in multi-look fronts, but there is still a woeful lack of talent in that front seven. Poppinga showed to be lacking in instincts, and really hasn't been very dynamic rushing the passer; and, Hawk and Barnett are fairly pedestrian in terms of providing pass rush from the LB position.

I heard LeRoy Butler prattling on about Kampman as a rush LB, but I can't see that in a 3-4. I think Kamp would have to bulk up and man down the LDE position. He's stout at the point of attack and can stack effectively, but all in all, given his salary, and what is asked of a LDE in a 3-4, he wouldn't be a good fit.

They would need to find a dynamic guy off the edge from the LB position. I haven't scouted the draft much yet, but I have seen a couple of games with Orakpo... and, he looks like he might be a good candidate as an OLB in a 3-4. At least I'm starting to look at him that way. Just a thought.

[pbmax]

WOW!

These comparative stats are amazing!

Haslett 82-110; Capers 96-112 with 30-79 the last seven years; Sanders 27-21--with the last one ruined by injuries.

I'm sure the irrational HATERS will conjure up all kinds of reasons to continue to spew hate about Sanders, but the stats don't lie.

C'mon Tex, you are better than the Hater language! Measuring a coordinator by wins and losses is like measuring a WR by his 100 meter dash time. Sure, they are related, but there are other factors involved.

Other coordinators had injuries (including Philbin/M3) and still maintained playoff caliber performance. You cannot wait to have playoff runs until you are injury free.

[RashanGary]

If I had to use the current Packer team in a 3-4, I would go like this:


Jolly LDE
Pickett NT
Jenkins RDE

Jeremy Thompson OLB
AJ Hawk ILB
Desmond Bishop ILB
Aaron Kampman OLB (I'd ask him to really focus on cutting weight. He's such a great pass rusher that you are incompetent as a coach if you don't put him in a position to succeed where he is best)


Harrell would be a backup DE
Raji could be drafted as a backup NT (resign Pickett, it would be nice to have two)

[RashanGary]

I'm more than OK with the Tennessee/Eagle/Giant type version of the 4-3. I was OK with the SB Packer version too.

It's all about players. If you have shitty players the 3-4 will suck. If you have shitty players, the 4-3 will suck. 4-10 years ago, it was very easy to get 3-4 players because only a couple teams ran it. Now more and more teams are running it. It's getting to the point where 3-4 OLB's, NT's and DE's are becoming some of the highest demand, highest paid and highest drafted players in the NFL. I don't think 3-4 has quite the advantage it did a few years ago when NE and Pitt were consistantly putting out top tier defenses at a fraction of the price and drafting great players late in the draft.

[gbgary]

i'm fine with him. if they like him they need to offer him the job and stop looking or someone else will get him. MM shops like a women. go everywhere, touch/smell/taste everything, can't decide.

Hey hey hey !!! I resemble that remark !

Now if I wanted to, I could do a darn good description

of a male shopper, sooo funnny !

J/K

when i go on a jean/shirt/shoe hunt i have something in mind and get a kill first time out. there's no need go looking all over the place and come home with nothing, or settle for something else, later when i saw what i wanted right away and thought i could get it cheaper or whatever.