Jim Bates

[BallHawk]

Will Charles Woodson and Al Harris be ready for that challenge? If the "O" improves. Teams will certainly go to the air more against us.

As long as they can stay healthy, Yes.

Will Marquand Manuel be recovered from injury enough to displace Mark Roman?

Who can't displace Mark Roman? I think he will.

Is Ryan Pickett the answer, or an upgrade over Grady Jackson?

I expect big things from Pickett this year. He's just as good as Grady, just more fit and younger.

Will Michael Montgomery or Kenny Peterson step up his game to offset the limitations of KGB on running downs?

I'd have to say I have more faith in Peterson, though I would not be surprised to see Montgomery contribute.

Can Aaron Kampman take his play up another notch?

No question. Yes

Where is Ahmad Carroll's head this season?

I think the better question would be where are his hands?

Do we get the best Defensive Backs and cut the chaff, to provide real depth behind Al Harris and Charles Woodson?

I like Blackmon a lot. Hawkins is a question mark, but I think we'll be OK.

[Joemailman]

I can't believe nobody hired this guy. He painted himself in a corner by insisting on a HC job. I wish he would've stayed our DC. You can hear him wishing he would've taken the DC job here. With the new players, he's have 'em going at a fast pace.

I guess there weren't a lot of head coaches who wanted to hire a DC who 2 years in a row walked out because they wouldn't make him the head coach.

[MadtownPacker]

Why harsh on Bates, Mad? The dude had a dream of being an HC, he wasn't getting any younger, this was his shot, so I suspect he indicated to the Packers, look, pick me or say goodbye.

Maybe not a smart tactic, but I can certainly understand it, being an old guy myself with increasingly limited opportunities. You young bucks can afford to be all "what the heck"; wait 'til desperation and disappointment take bites out of your ass.

Anyway, I digress. I dig how Bates is being supportive of the team and not cracking on any of the coaches or players. I'm thinking, as I always did, that he's a class guy. And I wish he did get that HC gig.

We are hardest on those we love most.

I have no problem with him attempting to get a HC job but for him to just up and quit when he didnt get the Packers job was BS. He had a good thing going in GB, a fat contract and would likely have had complete control of the D. A dream is one thing, being pigheaded is another.

[woodbuck27]

" Bates took his shot, and for whatever reason, decided he couldn't stay. Now my take has been that TT should have handled the situation better and shown a lot more love to the guy once the decision to go with M3 was made. But that's another thread." Noodle

Noodle. We'll have to wait to read - Ted Thompson's -

" The TRUTH in Green Bay "- one day.

[woodbuck27]

Why harsh on Bates, Mad? The dude had a dream of being an HC, he wasn't getting any younger, this was his shot, so I suspect he indicated to the Packers, look, pick me or say goodbye.

Maybe not a smart tactic, but I can certainly understand it, being an old guy myself with increasingly limited opportunities. You young bucks can afford to be all "what the heck"; wait 'til desperation and disappointment take bites out of your ass.

Anyway, I digress. I dig how Bates is being supportive of the team and not cracking on any of the coaches or players. I'm thinking, as I always did, that he's a class guy. And I wish he did get that HC gig.

We are hardest on those we love most.

I have no problem with him attempting to get a HC job but for him to just up and quit when he didnt get the Packers job was BS. He had a good thing going in GB, a fat contract and would likely have had complete control of the D. A dream is one thing, being pigheaded is another.

Mad. This is a difficult topic or Issue in OUR recent past to speculate on as I see it.

Undeniably, Jim Bates has a strong personality, and I'm sure his ego had alot to do with his departure - when we certainly needed his strength to come to the forefront for US !

I cannot find against your disappointment in Jim Bates.

Today in Bob Sanders we TRUST. A differnt man - the same plan with a few twists and better players to work with, as I see it today.

GO PACKERS !

[Harlan Huckleby]

Will Michael Montgomery or Kenny Peterson step up his game to offset the limitations of KGB on running downs?

I'd have to say I have more faith in Peterson, though I would not be surprised to see Montgomery contribute.

The reason why Peterson showed much improvement last year is that they played him almost entirely at tackle instead of end. That clearly is his position. It is a shame they didn't find another DE for the rotation - although perhaps one of the no-name guys will make the roster.

[woodbuck27]

Will Michael Montgomery or Kenny Peterson step up his game to offset the limitations of KGB on running downs?

I'd have to say I have more faith in Peterson, though I would not be surprised to see Montgomery contribute.

The reason why Peterson showed much improvement last year is that they played him almost entirely at tackle instead of end. That clearly is his position. It is a shame they didn't find another DE for the rotation - although perhaps one of the no-name guys will make the roster.

Wist43 has been trying his BEST to hammer just that point home to us.

We must improve OUR QB pressures, plug the middle with OUR DL and exert inrense pressure on the opposition's QB with a better Rush.Too often the oppositions RB finds a huge hole between their tackles and the middle of their OL. We have to force the run wide and then the quality we perceive in OUR LBer's will be most effective.

This year on Defence with OUR limitations at DE. We have to play it all in - and not so much put that short gain up there for the pure taking. I want to see overall a conservative "D" as we saw last season but more frontal attack on behalf of the CB blitz and LBer drive through the hole in the middle.

I want to see the swarming tackle come back ( an all men to the ball approach and attitude) and hits I can hear all the way up here in Canuck Land.

I want to see the word's - exciting and fear - put back into OUR Defence.

[gureski]

Unless I'm mistaken, the Packers are still paying Bates. If Sanders views him as a mentor of some form and if Bates really wants to, what's to stop him from coming back and taking over the D-coordinator duties in G.B.? Sanders only got the job because Bates didn't want to come back.

Time heals wounds and that might be what Bates needed. You never know. All I'm saying is that he's being paid right now to be a D-coordinator. He's under contract. He's just not being asked to show up for work. If they worked out their problems, he could show up tomorrow and take over the defense.

[woodbuck27]

Unless I'm mistaken, the Packers are still paying Bates. If Sanders views him as a mentor of some form and if Bates really wants to, what's to stop him from coming back and taking over the D-coordinator duties in G.B.? Sanders only got the job because Bates didn't want to come back.

Time heals wounds and that might be what Bates needed. You never know. All I'm saying is that he's being paid right now to be a D-coordinator. He's under contract. He's just not being asked to show up for work. If they worked out their problems, he could show up tomorrow and take over the defense.

guerski:

Your post I believe goes more to the heart of the issue.

Jim Bates wanted more than T2 was obviously willing for him to be for 'the Packers'. There had to be alot of disappointment in Ted Thompson when his man on "D" decided to bail.

Yet the packers still pay him for his decision to desert?

To me this is really unusual, and the truthful (factual) story behind it may - one day be told?

[bbbffl66]

Noodle, I agree. What's not to like about Bates other than his age? The guy obviously is a motivator on defense and his ability to take little talent and turn in a pretty good defense (i.e. the Pack of 2005) is downright amazing. Given what we have this year I can only imagine how things would have been.

Initially I was angry that Thompson hired M3 over Bates and didn't understand the logic other than Thompson wanted to go young. Since that time though I like M3's approach (versus Childress who I view as a Marine sergeant and control freak) and am somewhat optimistic that things will pan out.

Ideally yeah, Bates would have come back as DC and we'd have a legitimate shot at being a top 5 defense this year with the additions on paper but who knows, Sanders may be the man as well.

I wish Jim Bates nothing but the best and am damn happy he came through Green Bay on his tour of coaching. He is in my opinion what a coach should be. A flat out motivator and so passionate that it bleeds on the field. Lombardi comes to mind just thinking about it.

Who knows, if M3 flops or the defense greatly regresses we may see him again next year. Not that I want that to happen (I honestly think we're going to make nice strides this year) but then again the Rhodes experience failed miserably and nobody saw that coming.

Does anyone think that as a HC he might have been like Rhodes or more accuratly Buddy Ryan? High energy DC, great results, but over his head as HC?

[woodbuck27]

Noodle, I agree. What's not to like about Bates other than his age? The guy obviously is a motivator on defense and his ability to take little talent and turn in a pretty good defense (i.e. the Pack of 2005) is downright amazing. Given what we have this year I can only imagine how things would have been.

Initially I was angry that Thompson hired M3 over Bates and didn't understand the logic other than Thompson wanted to go young. Since that time though I like M3's approach (versus Childress who I view as a Marine sergeant and control freak) and am somewhat optimistic that things will pan out.

Ideally yeah, Bates would have come back as DC and we'd have a legitimate shot at being a top 5 defense this year with the additions on paper but who knows, Sanders may be the man as well.

I wish Jim Bates nothing but the best and am damn happy he came through Green Bay on his tour of coaching. He is in my opinion what a coach should be. A flat out motivator and so passionate that it bleeds on the field. Lombardi comes to mind just thinking about it.

Who knows, if M3 flops or the defense greatly regresses we may see him again next year. Not that I want that to happen (I honestly think we're going to make nice strides this year) but then again the Rhodes experience failed miserably and nobody saw that coming.

Does anyone think that as a HC he might have been like Rhodes or more accuratly Buddy Ryan? High energy DC, great results, but over his head as HC?

" Does anyone think that as a HC he might have been like Rhodes or more accuratly Buddy Ryan? High energy DC, great results, but over his head as HC? "bbbffl66

Your questioning whether or not, he would have been able to sustain the job health wise ?

He had enough just as the Defensive Co-ordinator.

T2 isn't stupid, and he also appears genuinely sensitive with compassion.

Ted Thompson is a deep Man. He is so very guarded too.