Clay Matthews returns to practice field

[Bretsky]

So if Jeremy Thompson turns out to be the next Shawn Merriman, you start Matthews ahead of him because he's a 1st round draft pick? Put the best team on the field regardless where guys were drafted. Besides, the 3-4 gives you all kinds of options, which means a guy can have an impact without being a starter.

Jermey Thompson as Shawn Merriman ?

Give me some of that juice

[rbaloha1]

If CM can not beat out Poppinga the Packers are looking at a potential bust.

TT drafted CM to start.

[HarveyWallbangers]

If CM can not beat out Poppinga the Packers are looking at a potential bust.

TT drafted CM to start.

Poppinga isn't the guy he's currently competing against. Jeremy Thompson is. I'm not ready to proclaim anything about Thompson, but he certainly has the athleticism to fit the scheme. Most don't, but there have been plenty of guys like Thompson who have come out of nowhere to become really good players.

[Joemailman]

So if Jeremy Thompson turns out to be the next Shawn Merriman, you start Matthews ahead of him because he's a 1st round draft pick? Put the best team on the field regardless where guys were drafted. Besides, the 3-4 gives you all kinds of options, which means a guy can have an impact without being a starter.

Jermey Thompson as Shawn Merriman ?

Give me some of that juice

[KYPack]

not every transition/developmental player is gonna work out.

I wouldn't call him transitional or developmental. Clay Matthews was one of the FEW 3-4 prospects on his level of talent that actually PLAYED the position that he'll be playing in the NFL.

As far as NFL-readiness, I don't think he's any more or any less ready for the NFL than almost any other player in that draft. Look at his measureables. He was among the top at his position. Yes, he has lots of room to grow and lots of untapped potential, but I think he's just as NFL ready as any. I'll admit that that part is just my opinion, aside from the factual measureables thing.

You say that TT is hot for him as if it was yet another "Ted Thompson head scratcher" - but he was taken, give or take, where most thought he was going to be taken. It's not like he was Ted's little secret. If we didn't trade up for him, he'd likely would have been gone in the next 5 or so picks. Again, speculation, but it's supported by draft value analysis.

You don't like transitional or developmental, eh?

Well then let's call him what he is, a rookie. Nobody knows how any first year is gonna play until he laces 'em up against NFL players in a regular season game. He looks good in his measureables, but I have an impression that he's a skinny guy who hasn't played that much at his position in college. This is his first camp and his hammy is tweaked already. I don't know if he's gonna have a good first year or not. Neither do you.

I'm more worried about ALL the transition we have goin' on this season on D. We have many guys (all of 'em really) learning new things. Some of these guys will have trouble picking it up.

Will we come up with a cohesive unit on defense by switching to the 3-4? I sure hope so, but it won't be easy, Mathews or no Mathews.

[rbaloha1]

If CM can not beat out Poppinga the Packers are looking at a potential bust.

TT drafted CM to start.

Poppinga isn't the guy he's currently competing against. Jeremy Thompson is. I'm not ready to proclaim anything about Thompson, but he certainly has the athleticism to fit the scheme. Most don't, but there have been plenty of guys like Thompson who have come out of nowhere to become really good players.

Jeremy Thompson is AK's backup and future starter should AK not return.

Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk and Brady Poppinga started as rookies. Is it too much to expect the same from CM?

[KYPack]

If CM can not beat out Poppinga the Packers are looking at a potential bust.

TT drafted CM to start.

Poppinga isn't the guy he's currently competing against. Jeremy Thompson is. I'm not ready to proclaim anything about Thompson, but he certainly has the athleticism to fit the scheme. Most don't, but there have been plenty of guys like Thompson who have come out of nowhere to become really good players.

Jeremy Thompson is AK's backup and future starter should AK not return.

Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk and Brady Poppinga started as rookies. Is it too much to expect the same from CM?

Barnett and Hawk were 1st rounders and did start as rooks.

Brady was our second 4th rounder and was not drafted to start, but to develop. He started all of one game his rookie season when Diggs went down with an injury. Popp then blew his knee out and was lost for the year (the last 3 games).

Thompson is not AK's back-up. Jeremy is the early starter at ROLB.

[rbaloha1]

[/quote]
Thompson is not AK's back-up. Jeremy is the early starter at ROLB.[/quote]

You are correct based on Lori Nickel's blog post. Earlier in the camp JT was backing up AK.

Agree that CM may have difficulty beating out JT.

[SkinBasket]

I don't care what round a guy's drafted in. I hope our team is always good enough that we don't have to rely on any rookie to "contribute a shitload." ."

But we're not

Oh how now brown cow!

Even I, who have a rather less than optimistic outlook on all things Packer defense related, am not going to say that fresh off the boat rookies are in order to improve this defense. We have two holes. A safety spot, and ROLB. I think the right rookie could have been an upgrade at safety (not in this year's draft though), but claiming a rookie is an immediate upgrade over Thompson and Poppinga? That is a sour outlook indeed.

[Bretsky]

I don't care what round a guy's drafted in. I hope our team is always good enough that we don't have to rely on any rookie to "contribute a shitload." ."

But we're not

Oh how now brown cow!

Even I, who have a rather less than optimistic outlook on all things Packer defense related, am not going to say that fresh off the boat rookies are in order to improve this defense. We have two holes. A safety spot, and ROLB. I think the right rookie could have been an upgrade at safety (not in this year's draft though), but claiming a rookie is an immediate upgrade over Thompson and Poppinga? That is a sour outlook indeed.

Reality Bites

And our Safety position is probably stronger than the interior DL as well

Just another reminder

OUR OTHER FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK WILL NEED TO CONTRIBUTE A SHITLOAD TOO

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090610/PKR01/90610169/1058

"He’s a big, big, strong, fast kid — guy, dude, whatever,” fellow linebacker Brandon Chillar said of Matthews, the 26th overall pick out of Southern California.

“I think he’s got a lot of talent. He’s been hurt, so we haven’t got to see too much of him, but he’s definitely showed some flashes, and obviously, he’ll probably continue showing those as he’s on the field more.”

[HarveyWallbangers]

packers.com article, so take it for what it's worth.

http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2009/06/10/1/

Thompson Appears Fit For New Position
by Mike Spofford, Packers.com

When the 2008 season ended, the initial evaluation of Jeremy Thompson was that he'd need to add 10 to 15 pounds to his 270-pound frame to become a more all-around player at defensive end.

But with the switch to the 3-4 defense, and a position change for Thompson to outside linebacker, the weight issue shifted gears. During the offseason strength and conditioning program, Thompson dropped roughly 10 pounds to help with his speed and agility, and ever since then a trimmer, leaner Thompson has been No. 1 on the depth chart as a starting outside linebacker opposite Aaron Kampman.

"I have a big frame, but I'm pretty lean, pretty athletic," said Thompson, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and said after really strenuous workouts might weigh 255. "So I think body-wise I'm a pretty good fit. I just have to get my mentality to be an outside linebacker. I think I'm doing a pretty good job of that right now."

Thompson didn't shy away from the position switch in the slightest. Called a "natural fit for this defense" by Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Thompson used the one-on-one time with outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene during the offseason program to dive right in and learn everything he needed to.

As a defensive end in college at Wake Forest, Thompson had on occasion been assigned to drop into pass coverage like an outside linebacker does. So adding that to his duties defending the run and rushing the passer wasn't a foreign concept for the 2008 fourth-round draft pick.

But as a pure 3-4 outside backer, the additional pass coverage skills are needed more than just sparingly, and Thompson knew that in addition to shedding a few pounds, he would have to not only learn the techniques for dropping into coverage but also master them.

"He's been very conscientious along those lines," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "Which always makes an impression on me, because I think a big part of a guy developing in any scheme is what type of time he's willing to commit and do all the little things that maybe some guys won't do, and he's certainly done all those things.

"He's made progress and, through just a short period of time we've been around him, has been encouraging. I think he has the ability to play the position."

Capers cautioned not to read too much into who's taking snaps with the No. 1 unit during this month's OTAs, because there's expected to be significant competition for the job in training camp. Veteran Brady Poppinga and rookie first-round draft choice Clay Matthews, who are currently working with the No. 2 defense, will be in the mix and get their chance.

But to this point, more than halfway through OTAs, Thompson has stayed with the first unit, and that has its benefits. On Wednesday with the defense working on several pressure packages, he knifed through for what likely would have been clean sack of the quarterback during team (11-on-11) work.

"I think in terms of knowing the plays, it's pretty much the same -- the 1's and 2's get the same reps," he said. "But just working with the 1's, you kind of develop a chemistry with the other guys out there, and I think that will be good for me.

"They gave me the opportunity early, and I just tried to bone up on all the plays, know what I'm supposed to do, know where I'm supposed to be, and just try to do my best out there."

Thompson's rookie season at defensive end had its ups and downs. He was a healthy inactive for the first four games but then started to flash his ability at midseason, totaling eight of his 13 tackles on the year in back-to-back games against Seattle and Indianapolis.

But three weeks later he injured his groin, missing two games, then injured his knee and ankle upon his return and sat out another contest. Between the injuries and limited snaps the rest of the way, he didn't record a tackle over the season's final seven games.

That prompted the evaluation from then-defensive ends coach Carl Hairston that Thompson needed to bulk up a bit to become more effective and also endure the long pro season. But with the change in defensive scheme he was immediately pegged by the new coaches as an outside linebacker candidate, and thus far he's made the transition relatively smoothly.

"Through practice there's going to be two or three plays, all right, that things (won't go well) just because he's never seen them before," Capers said. "But I think he's one of those guys that once he sees them, he normally responds to it, and you learn from it.

"He's working extremely hard at it. He's doing a good job mentally. I think he can be a physical presence out there, and I think when he gets in situations where backs have to block him, it will be tough duty for them because of his size and athletic ability. Once we get the pads on him, hopefully we feel the same way."

So does Thompson, who would love nothing more than to go from such a limited role as a rookie to a starter in his second year. That would be a dramatic leap, to say the least, and while there's a long way to go before anything is decided, Thompson's quest has begun as well as anyone could have hoped.

"They've giving me an opportunity to compete for the starting job, and I want to take that opportunity and try and run with it," he said. "For whatever reason last year things didn't click for me, but now it's a new year, and I'm ready to look forward and do things the right way this year.

"Right now I see myself as a work in progress, but by the time camp comes I want to be one of the best."

[Ryche]

I hope this works... Whats up people ? I have read but not posted... i feel that TT drafted clay as the one to take over for Kampman when he is gone next year so you will have both clay and jeremy as OLBS... Ted will get picks for trading Kamp.. and we will have two outstanding OLBS

[Bretsky]

I hope this works... Whats up people ? I have read but not posted... i feel that TT drafted clay as the one to take over for Kampman when he is gone next year so you will have both clay and jeremy as OLBS... Ted will get picks for trading Kamp.. and we will have two outstanding OLBS

Welcome to the forum ! Is that you in the pic with two hotties ? If so I already look up to you.



Cheers,
B

[Ryche]

yes i really dont know how that pic got there i did not send it ... but it is me ... i love me