So I was looking through old posts...

[Lurker64]

I think a top tier OLB, another OT, and a punt and kick returner who's not only competent by occasionally a threat are the biggest immediate needs.

[Smidgeon]

In todays game I'm a huge fan of doing this if you draft in the latter part of a round. For instance if we draft 32nd and we can trade a 2nd for next years first its huge. Add to this that many teams the figure to draft late NEXT year end up picking rather early....see Dallas and Minnesota this year.

I'm pretty sure TT's been on the record before saying that he doesn't see much point in trading for future picks as he wants players who can upgrade his team now. I could be wrong, but that seems to be what I'm remembering. Anyone have anything to confirm/deny that?

[Bretsky]

DL? Are you expecting them to keep Green? Or get Jolly back? If they do there isn't a big need even if Jenkins leaves, but an upgrade is always good.

Safety? - Remember the name Anthony Levine. I am giving him my nod as a player to watch next year. Call him Patler's "Atlas Herion" nominee for 2011. Should be the kiss of death for him as a player!

I do like Green, but I don't see them keeping him next year. Hasn't he been around a while ? I see TT always looking for younger blood with more upside and we do have Raji and Pickett as big bodies vs. the run. Jolly....who knows....just not counting on him. .........it should really be our duty to get in touch with Levine and tell him if he wants a football career he needs to go elsewhere.

You've just put the Curse of Atlas on Him !

[Bretsky]

I think a top tier OLB, another OT, and a punt and kick returner who's not only competent by occasionally a threat are the biggest immediate needs.

It'd be pretty cool to get Matthews Brother and get him on the outside.

I remember back when we had Sterling Sharpe and I LOVED Shannon Sharpe coming out of college. The NFL missed the boat on how good that guy was going to be.

[Bretsky]

I think a top tier OLB, another OT, and a punt and kick returner who's not only competent by occasionally a threat are the biggest immediate needs.

TT put in a claim for Logan from Detroit. It's too bad we didn't nab him or draft Jacoby Ford. That guy is an explosive buzzer as well.

[Lurker64]

It'd be pretty cool to get Matthews Brother and get him on the outside.

I remember back when we had Sterling Sharpe and I LOVED Shannon Sharpe coming out of college. The NFL missed the boat on how good that guy was going to be.

From what I've seen, Casey Matthews isn't near the prospect that his big brother is (I watch a lot of Pac-Ten football, as I'm an alumnus of the other Oregon school) and is best suited to playing interior linebacker (in the "Jack" position, the same one that Barnett and Hawk have played this year). Still, he'd be a quality special teams player and may bloom into a player a few years down the line. Wouldn't take him before about round 4 though.

Personally, I'd like to see them spend their first two picks on an OT and an OLB in whichever order the board suggests, then drafting BPA but making sure to take at least one WR, RB, or DB who is an accomplished kick returner. Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson, and Sam Shields are too valuable to the defense to have them back there returning punts/kicks on a weekly basis, and nobody else on this roster seems to be worth a damn returning kicks or punts.

Though, I will admit that I consider OT to be less of a need after seeing how well Lang did in spot duty replacing Clifton against the Bears. He wasn't perfect, but he'd probably be better next year at RT than anybody we'd draft at #32 or #64.

[wootah]

TT doesn't draft guards .

He even takes them in the 1st.

[swede]

Still, he'd be a quality special teams player and may bloom into a player a few years down the line. Wouldn't take him before about round 4 though.

And that's the problem with "wouldn't it be cool if" scenarios with players that we like a lot. There are 31 other teams that will jump Casey Matthews objective draft value just to have Clay Matthews little bro on their team.


I'd love to have Pouncey's brother as a guard/center in the next draft also, but he won't fall to us for the same reasons.

[Smeefers]

I actually think Jordy Nelson has really stepped it up the last couple of weeks and has been a go to guy for Rodgers lately. He seems a lot more consistant than JJ, just not as explosive. Perhaps I'm looking at him through rose colored glasses though, am I wrong? We need to pick up OL like they're going out of style. One of them would have to end up being good enough to be a starting LT or RT (if Bulaga is up for the LT job), right? I don't think our team has ever drafted someone to specifically be a returner, but this would be the year to do it. Hell, i'd be happy if we spent a first rounder on the guy. I'd even be happy to move up in the draft to do it.

[wootah]

I don't think our team has ever drafted someone to specifically be a returner, but this would be the year to do it. Hell, i'd be happy if we spent a first rounder on the guy. I'd even be happy to move up in the draft to do it.

Cory Rodgers from TCU was drafted in the 4th round in 2006. They tried to change his way of catching punts, it didn't work out...

I'm all for drafting a return specialist, but not in the first rounds; history shows that decent ones can be had later on.

[Packers4Glory]

They don't need a WR if they keep JJ. Jones could rival GJ as the best WR on the team if he can find any level of consistency. If they go the WR route, go late and perhaps look at the small school guy which has worked well for us.

but of course you almost gotta go w/ the strategy of drafting the BPA in the 1st round where we will be picking.

[Tony Oday]

kicker, LT, RB, CB

[Smidgeon]

From what I've seen, Casey Matthews isn't near the prospect that his big brother is (I watch a lot of Pac-Ten football, as I'm an alumnus of the other Oregon school) and is best suited to playing interior linebacker (in the "Jack" position, the same one that Barnett and Hawk have played this year). Still, he'd be a quality special teams player and may bloom into a player a few years down the line. Wouldn't take him before about round 4 though.

Personally, I'd like to see them spend their first two picks on an OT and an OLB in whichever order the board suggests, then drafting BPA but making sure to take at least one WR, RB, or DB who is an accomplished kick returner. Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson, and Sam Shields are too valuable to the defense to have them back there returning punts/kicks on a weekly basis, and nobody else on this roster seems to be worth a damn returning kicks or punts.

Though, I will admit that I consider OT to be less of a need after seeing how well Lang did in spot duty replacing Clifton against the Bears. He wasn't perfect, but he'd probably be better next year at RT than anybody we'd draft at #32 or #64.

Hang on a tic. I thought Hawk and Barnett played different ILB positions. What am I missing?

[Lurker64]

Hang on a tic. I thought Hawk and Barnett played different ILB positions. What am I missing?

At the beginning of the year, Barnett and Hawk played different positions because they were on the field at the same time. After Barnett's injury ended his season, Hawk took over Barnett's role and Bishop took over Hawk's old role.

Think of the ILB positions as follows:
The Jack (Barnett to start the season, Hawk now) is the defensive signal caller, the chaser, and the tackler.
The Buck (Hawk to start the season, Bishop now) is the thumper, block eater, and gap filler.

[Smidgeon]

At the beginning of the year, Barnett and Hawk played different positions because they were on the field at the same time. After Barnett's injury ended his season, Hawk took over Barnett's role and Bishop took over Hawk's old role.

Think of the ILB positions as follows:
The Jack (Barnett to start the season, Hawk now) is the defensive signal caller, the chaser, and the tackler.
The Buck (Hawk to start the season, Bishop now) is the thumper, block eater, and gap filler.

Okay. I didn't know Hawk took Barnett's position when he took the playcalling. I thought Bishop was Barnett's backup and just took that position (but not the playcalling) when Barnett went down.

Thanks for the clarification.