Igor Olshansky

[Joemailman]

My recollection is that Partial has it right. The Packers were dissatisfied with KGB for quite a while. However, it wasn't until late in the season that they felt Jenkins was healthy enough to be inserted in the starting lineup.

[Lurker64]

I think we do need to take a step back and re-evaluate how we're thinking of defensive end. In the 4-3 defense, defensive ends are superstars and playmakers, they have to be able to rush the passer and they have to be stout against the run. If your 4-3 DE does not get sacks, that is a problem and that guy generally needs to be replaced. In the 3-4, defensive ends are not pass rushers. They are basically big bodies inside that are stout against the run and will periodically cause a little bit of inside pressure (rarely sacks, though).

If Cullen Jenkins plays up to his 2007 "oft-injured" form, he'll be perfectly fine in the 3-4. He was a disappointment in 2007 since he just wasn't getting much in the way of sacks and pressures. But in 2009, nobody will be expecting him to get much in the way of sacks or pressures (Canty is getting $7 million per year coming off a year in which he got 3.0 sacks in 16 games, while Cullen Jenkins got 2.5 sacks last year despite only playing in 4 games). But even when he was playing hurt, Jenkins was consistently stout against the run at his end, which is really all that anybody is asking of him next year. But the best 3-4 DEs in the league only get between 1 and 8 sacks in a 16 game season, if Cullen manages 2.5 next year, that will be perfectly serviceable. 6-8 sack seasons by 3-4 DEs are rare, the best 3-4 DE in the league (Richard Seymour) has only managed more than 6 sacks in a season twice in his career. The most athletic 3-4 DE in the league (Luis Castillo) has only managed 6 or more sacks in a season once in his career.

[pbmax]

My recollection is that Partial has it right. The Packers were dissatisfied with KGB for quite a while. However, it wasn't until late in the season that they felt Jenkins was healthy enough to be inserted in the starting lineup.

Whatever health problem he had that year, it was KGB that was holding him out of the starting lineup. Against San Fran in one of the first two series, after KGB gave up another long run by rushing too far upfield, Jenkins took the field at RDE and was there for first and second down the rest of the season. KGB lost that job mid-game after McCarthy ordered him out, the trigger wasn't Jenkin's health.

[Joemailman]

It may be that that was the point in the season that Jenkins was finally healthy. So it may have been a combination of KGB's poor play against SF and the fact that Jenkins was finally healthy.

What I know is that one of the Packer coaches (don't remember which one) was asked why Jenkins wasn't inserted into the lineup at DE earlier. The reason given was that he had not been healthy enough.

[Partial]

What I know is that one of the Packer coaches (don't remember which one) was asked why Jenkins wasn't inserted into the lineup at DE earlier. The reason given was that he had not been healthy enough.

I remember reading this too.

[Waldo]

My recollection is that Partial has it right. The Packers were dissatisfied with KGB for quite a while. However, it wasn't until late in the season that they felt Jenkins was healthy enough to be inserted in the starting lineup.

Whatever health problem he had that year, it was KGB that was holding him out of the starting lineup. Against San Fran in one of the first two series, after KGB gave up another long run by rushing too far upfield, Jenkins took the field at RDE and was there for first and second down the rest of the season. KGB lost that job mid-game after McCarthy ordered him out, the trigger wasn't Jenkin's health.

I remember them talking about doing it for a while that season, but Cullen had a sprained ankle (or something of the sort), they wanted to wait until it healed up until he slid over to end.

I get the sense that that move, more then any other, is the reason we've spent the last two years running this defense. I always thought that MM was a hairs breath away from firing Sanders the first year, that the progress shown the last month was the only reason he was given another chance. And much of the success the last month came from an increased ability to stop the run, largely due to Cullen at DE.

[Packgator]

But to spout off about the offense and qb needing an upgrade ?

Rodgers overall passing ranking = 6th (Pro-Football-Reference.com)
Rodgers overall Fantasy Ranking = 7th (Pro-Football-Reference.com)
Green Bays offense overall ranking = 5th (Pro-Football-Reference.com)

Don't forget the following stats that Rodgers finished in the top 10.........

28 TD's............................................4t h in NFL
4,038 Yards......................................4th in NFL
16 pass plays of 40 yds or more.........1st in NFL
48 pass plays of 20 yds or more.........5th in NFL
341 Completions...............................7th in NFL
63.6 Completion PCT.......................10th in NFL
7.5 yds. per......................................9th in NFL
182 1st down passes.........................9th in NFL

[HarveyWallbangers]

What I know is that one of the Packer coaches (don't remember which one) was asked why Jenkins wasn't inserted into the lineup at DE earlier. The reason given was that he had not been healthy enough.

I remember reading this too.

Jenkins missed 2 games. The San Fran game was the 6th game after that sprain. I don't buy it. KGB had been a long time starter, but they had fallen out of the playoff race and just had been gauged by Shaun Alexander (200+ yards), something called Cedric Houston (100+ yards), and gave up the huge run right at KGB in that game. I think KGB getting destroyed in 3 straight games and being out of the playoff race was the impetus.

[KYPack]

The Viking game that season was a real joke. that big ass purple line was blowing KGB up every play. They ran left at will. He was benched soon after.

[red]

well, it looks like we aren't even showing any real interest in the guy

look under short yardage

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/40760507.html

packers are not currently involved in discussions, they have not made him a priority at this time

why am i not surprised?

[Deputy Nutz]

Why should Packer fans come to expect anything different?

[Pugger]

You have to wonder why, if this Igor guy was all that hot a commodity, is he still available? And why is SD not resigning him? There are reasons why some guys are UFAs.

[retailguy]

In 2007, he played hurt the entire season and coached ripped him for not being at all effective.

True

In 2006, he was playing injured the entire beginning of the season, and when he was finally healthy enough to play a lot of downs, they put him in the starting lineup.

That's not the way I remember it. KGB was so ineffective as a run defender the first half of that year they finally gave up the notion that he was an every down player. More than at any other time, teams exploited KGB in the run game. I think he only ended up starting the last handful of games.

[/quote]

Take a look at this article:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/29342384.html

It doesn't say that. It says:

In his first start at end against the Detroit Lions, Jenkins had three sacks.

Until then, he had struggled with an ankle injury suffered against St. Louis Oct. 8, missing two games and being used sparingly in the weeks after that.

[retailguy]

You have to wonder why, if this Igor guy was all that hot a commodity, is he still available? And why is SD not resigning him? There are reasons why some guys are UFAs.

There are reasons for everything. Some good, some bad. With this guy, the biggest knock is that he has a track record for being a bit lazy.

Honestly, I think Ted still believes that Harrell will be ready to go... I agree, Justin will be ready to play... for about a week.

After that, it's anyones guess. Come week 3 if Olshansky is healthy, he'll be better than Harrell. Maybe we can get Cleditus Hunt out of retirement?

[Waldo]

PU opines (or heard through the grapevine) that the player that is keeping FA interest low is not Harrell or Jolly, it is in fact Alfred Malone, the guy we had on the PS that we signed late last season, that played in a few games for us.

Here's why:
He was added as a UDFA to Texas' team in 2005, as a 3-4 DE, under Dom Capers. He made it to the practice squad, then was signed late, and played in 2 games, including a whale of a game where he had 6 tackles and a sack. Malone is the one that Capers is high on. The kid's measurables are almost exactly the same as Marcus Spears from the Cowboys, though he can jump higher. That pool video with Gilbert.......Malone can do that too (in fact so can Jolly, he jumped 34" inches at his pro day, probably why the Pack drafted him).

Malone is in fact, athletically and physically, the most ideal 3-4 DE on the team (and experienced), even moreso than Harrell who is quite close to the ideal as well.