Packers watching orakpo closely

[Lurker64]

Why is it that Packer fans are still bent out of shape about the Harrell pick, while Vikings fans aren't bent out of shape on missing on both Troy Williamson and Erasmus James, Bears fans aren't bent out of shape on missing on Cedric Benson, and Lions fans aren't bent out of shape about missing on... well... it's the Lions.

I mean, unlike Williamson, James, and Benson, Harrell is still in the league and with the team that drafted him. He was also a lower pick than Williamson (#7) and Benson (#4).

Sometimes you miss on draft picks, it happens. You shrug your shoulders and move on. It's not as though Harrell couldn't make an impact this year, and it's not as though he didn't make an impact when he was on the field.

Bad pick? Possibly. Moronic pick? Absolutely not, he was drafted to fill the hole that would be created by the departure of Corey Williams, and he was drafted about where he was graded.

[Fritz]

If he doesn't play this year, or plays a bit and gets hurt, you could then say he was a bust - if the injury is the one he had in college.

And you could say he was a bust in hindsight.

So okay, all you smarty pants out there who think it was "moronic." Go ahead. Pick a guy who'll be chosen in, say, the top 20, whom you are sure will be a "moronic" pick.

Surely if TT was making a pick worthy of a moron, it will be easy for you to spot the moronic pick before the season begins, instead of two years later.

Go.

[The Leaper]

In reality the Jags were the smart team to steal and extra pick and nab the guy Leaper wanted form the start

Too early to call Harrell a bust...the guy hasn't been on the field enough to make a fair assessment. I'm willing to give him one more year.

But I'm still missing me some Reggie Nelson.

[Bretsky]

Why is it that Packer fans are still bent out of shape about the Harrell pick, while Vikings fans aren't bent out of shape on missing on both Troy Williamson and Erasmus James, Bears fans aren't bent out of shape on missing on Cedric Benson, and Lions fans aren't bent out of shape about missing on... well... it's the Lions.

I mean, unlike Williamson, James, and Benson, Harrell is still in the league and with the team that drafted him. He was also a lower pick than Williamson (#7) and Benson (#4).

Sometimes you miss on draft picks, it happens. You shrug your shoulders and move on. It's not as though Harrell couldn't make an impact this year, and it's not as though he didn't make an impact when he was on the field.

Bad pick? Possibly. Moronic pick? Absolutely not, he was drafted to fill the hole that would be created by the departure of Corey Williams, and he was drafted about where he was graded.

He was drafted the year before Corey Williams left

If you are arguing that TT drafted him knowing he was going to let Williams leave....some might agree with that

[Tarlam!]

He was drafted the year before Corey Williams left.

Well, I remember vividly the boobirds at Curlies Pub when the pick was anounced.

I remember thinking to myself at the time, if I am Harrell, I only show up in my contract year and until that day, I will hybernate.

Then, I hit UFA one day regardless of what GB offer, collect my payday elsewhere and become all pro.

Then, when I am interviewed, I remind the GBP fans of the boos, and I smile sweatly....

So far, my vision seems to be on track.

[Lurker64]

If you are arguing that TT drafted him knowing he was going to let Williams leave....some might agree with that

That is precisely what I am saying, yes. Thompson correctly predicted that the salary Williams would command on the open market would far outstrip what he's worth (just look at that contract Cleveland gave him!) and that the only way to keep him around would be to tag him (also more than he's worth), and thus anticipated losing him and drafted accordingly.

This is particularly a good idea, because vanishingly few college DTs are successful in their rookie year. It's just that the specific player Thompson picked hasn't worked out, to this point.

[Partial]

Value is relative. If we had a great back-up in place, is CWill worth big bucks? No. But at some point you need to field a competitive team.

[Lurker64]

Value is relative. If we had a great back-up in place, is CWill worth big bucks? No. But at some point you need to field a competitive team.

Williams wasn't even a starter, with the deal he got or the value of the tag, he would have been the highest paid player on the defense. That's not reasonable.

[Partial]

I don't know that I agree.

He was basically a starter. He was a starter in the same sense KGB was a starter. He was the starter and premiere player for his role, which is a very valuable role.

It just so happened that he would be more effective in his role coming off of the bench.

Clearly, when he left, the pass rush took a step down. What changed from the previous year? We had a hurt and ineffective Jenkins both years... so... Uhh... Was Kampman suddenly much worse? Maybe. But I'd say that Williams was pretty important too our team.

[Fritz]

Guess if TT makes a pick @ #9 my favorite pick would be Raji.

[Gunakor]

I don't know...

That's fairly obvious.

Williams was not a starter until mid 2007. Most of his sacks came before that time. After he was named a starter he fell back into mediocrity, where he's lived ever since. When Cleveland offered a 2nd round pick to Green Bay for the rights to pay Williams a starters salary, it didn't make sense for Green Bay to try to keep him here. The second round pick alone carried more value than did Williams, and the fact that we would not have to pay starters salary for a backup made the decision even easier.

It just so happened that he would be more effective in his role coming off of the bench.

Exactly. Which is why when he was offered starters salary we could not afford to keep him here. You don't pay that much money to a backup or situational player. I'd think we fans would have learned that when KGB was given that rediculous contract extension by Sherman. How would giving Williams a similar contract for similar production been any better than that?

Clearly, when he left, the pass rush took a step down. What changed from the previous year? We had a hurt and ineffective Jenkins both years... so... Uhh... Was Kampman suddenly much worse?

In 2007, the final year Williams was a Packer, KGB had something like 9 sacks coming off the other side. That might have had something to do with it. The pressure coming from the other side wasn't there in 2008 either, not just the pressure from up the middle.

But let me ask you this, had we resigned Williams to remain a Packer and made him a starter, do you really think he'd have made that much of a difference? I mean, how much of a difference did he make for the Browns when they made him a starter? That's what you get from him. Which is far less than you'd expect from a starter being paid a starters salary. He is what he is. Overpaid. Be happy it's someone else overpaying for him and not the Packers.

[Tarlam!]

Thanks for posting what I was thinking, Gun.

In fact, most people around here have accepted that williams was doomed as starter, that KGB was going nowhere fast and without Jenkins the DL would struggle.

It amazes me that someone who obviously understands football as well as Partial would profess that letting Williams go under the circumstances was a mistake.

[wist43]

I think the bone of contention in letting Williams go was in terms of not pursueing a preemptive signing... TT made the decision b/4 that draft, when CW still had a year on his contract, that he was going to boot CW out the door.

In the end, and even the homers can't argue against this, a productive member of the DL rototation is gone; and has been replaced by a non-productive blob... and a 1st round pick was used in the process.

You guys keep trying to defend it all... but that's the end result.

[Tarlam!]

In the end, and even the homers can't argue against this, a productive member of the DL rototation is gone

Nope. Disagree. It was known VERY early by the public that Williams was hell bent on becoming a FA. That would mean TT knew even earlier.

William's agent came out and stated TT had approached him, IIRC.

[Gunakor]

I think the bone of contention in letting Williams go was in terms of not pursueing a preemptive signing... TT made the decision b/4 that draft, when CW still had a year on his contract, that he was going to boot CW out the door.

In the end, and even the homers can't argue against this, a productive member of the DL rototation is gone; and has been replaced by a non-productive blob... and a 1st round pick was used in the process.

You guys keep trying to defend it all... but that's the end result.

You keep forgetting about cost here wist. Would you have paid Williams what it would have cost to keep him here, even knowing that his production would not warrant that cost? That's the crux of the deal here. Williams is being overpaid. He was going to be overpaid by us, or be overpaid by someone else. It turns out he's being overpaid by someone else. Isn't that a good thing?