Chastin West

[vince]

Nice! People are crowning West after one play in which he outran a Cardinals 3rd string corner.

For the tenth time, West has been making plays all camp - not just this game. He's made a bunch of leaping grabs in traffic that have caught the eyes of camp observers and the players have noted his impact going back to last year in practice. He has good hands, good movement and looks fast enough to get separation. In a nutshell, he looks promising. I think he'll catch on with someone if he doesn't make the Packer roster.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Nice! People are crowning West after one play in which he outran a Cardinals 3rd string corner.

Careful, I made such a remark and PBmax pointed out that the Chastin West Appreciation Society has been in full swing for a couple weeks. I guess I owe an apology to the early adopters.

[Patler]

I just don't see any room for him on the 53 man roster. Even if they keep only 4 TEs, 9 OL, and release Johnson they have 25 on offense because they will have to keep both Harrell and Flynn.

3 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
4 TEs
5 WRs
9 OL

They could conceivable go with some combination of 24 on defense, leaving an "extra" roster spot for offense, but I don't think it would go to West. A 5th TE is probably of better value on ST and as the "2nd FB". Or, keeping Quinn Johnson would provide the only pure fullback on the roster. Both are probably better options than West as a 6th WR.

you think they're gonna keep 9 o-line patler? i was thinking 8 with they way they like the guys to be able to play multiple positions

and i don't think anyones mentioned it yet. how bout that old guy driver last night? he looked pretty damn good. might be a little premature to put him out to pasture just yet

Possible, I suppose (especially if they can sneak a couple onto the PS), but a couple years the Packers kept 10 to start the season. I think keeping only 8 is pushing your luck. Unlike other positions where you can make adjustments and play without the "normal" number, or move another player into the position as a backup for a few weeks (a CB for a safety or vice versa, a TE for a FB. play with just 2 DL, etc.) you have to have 5 O-lineman on the field, and there aren't typically ways to use other players in place of them. WIth just 8, if one gets dinged up for a few weeks you almost have to make an immediate roster adjustment to bring in another O-lineman.. If you have 9, you can bide your time with what you have.

[Fritz]

I just don't see any room for him on the 53 man roster. Even if they keep only 4 TEs, 9 OL, and release Johnson they have 25 on offense because they will have to keep both Harrell and Flynn.

3 QBs
3 RBs
1 FB
4 TEs
5 WRs
9 OL

They could conceivable go with some combination of 24 on defense, leaving an "extra" roster spot for offense, but I don't think it would go to West. A 5th TE is probably of better value on ST and as the "2nd FB". Or, keeping Quinn Johnson would provide the only pure fullback on the roster. Both are probably better options than West as a 6th WR.

It's an interesting situation for Thompson. On the one hand, he seems to love pure talent - he keeps seemingly odd numbers of guys at certain positions - what, four TE's last year? Crazy! - yet he also likes to keep "ordinary" guys who are demons on ST (J. Bush and Korey Hall last year being the prime examples). My understanding is that West is not a ST demon, but he seems pretty darn talented. So what to do?

You keep him as the 6th wide as insurance in case of injury problems and thus render him a probably game day inactive pretty often. Or, if you're lucky, someone in the AFC who thinks they won't be able to get to him when he's put on waivers decides to send you a 6th round pick for the guy.

Worst case scenario: you end up cutting him and he signs with da Bears or the Vikes or the Lions. Or Tampa. Or Atlanta. Or...

[Fritz]

Possible, I suppose (especially if they can sneak a couple onto the PS), but a couple years the Packers kept 10 to start the season. I think keeping only 8 is pushing your luck. Unlike other positions where you can make adjustments and play without the "normal" number, or move another player into the position as a backup for a few weeks (a CB for a safety or vice versa, a TE for a FB. play with just 2 DL, etc.) you have to have 5 O-lineman on the field, and there aren't typically ways to use other players in place of them. WIth just 8, if one gets dinged up for a few weeks you almost have to make an immediate roster adjustment to bring in another O-lineman.. If you have 9, you can bide your time with what you have.

But do you have nine worthy linemen? I get a feeling TT won't keep certain numbers if he doesn't think the talent is there.

Let's see...Clifton, Lang, Wells, Sitton, Bulaga, then Sherrod, McDonald or EDS, Newhouse, Schlauderaff...who am I missing? And is Chastin West a better talent than, Schlauderaff is at his position?

[Patler]

Accepting that West might be playing well in practice too, can he really beat out any of the 5 WRs ahead of him?

With 5 very capable WRs ahead of him, plus very good receiving talent at TE, what would be the reason to keep him?

Would you keep him as a 6th WR over Quarless, Crabtree, Taylor or Williams?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over the only true fullback, Quinn Johnson?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over Harrell?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over a 9th O-lineman?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over the 4th true safety, whoever it is? (Levine, Jennings, etc.)?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over a 6th CB, knowing the 4th, 5th & 6th will be three of Gordy, House, Bush, and Lee?

To me, it seems that the answers to all of those questions are "No". Unless one of the WRs ahead of him is injured, or one of the TE's goes down for the season, I just don't see a reason to keep Chastin West on the 53 man roster. Too bad, because I would like to see what he can do, but it doesn't look like we will see him as a Packer.

[Patler]

But do you have nine worthy linemen? I get a feeling TT won't keep certain numbers if he doesn't think the talent is there.

Let's see...Clifton, Lang, Wells, Sitton, Bulaga, then Sherrod, McDonald or EDS, Newhouse, Schlauderaff...who am I missing? And is Chastin West a better talent than, Schlauderaff is at his position?

The 9th O-lineman doesn't necessarily have to be on the roster right now, he might come from somewhere else, but I think you need a 9th O-lineman over a #6 WR, especially when you have a great receiving TE and at least a couple other decent receiving TEs to go along with the 5 WRs ahead of West.

[Smeefers]

Somehow we turned into one of those teams that overloads on skill positions but doesn't have enough talent in the trenches. We're a Mike Neal injury away from being in the same position we were last year with the DL. That being said, I can definately see us keeping 6 WR's and 5 TE's.

[rbaloha1]

What other free agent wr would you keep over West? CW is too good to cut. Return man as well. The packers kept Swain around why not CW?

[Patler]

What other free agent wr would you keep over West? CW is too good to cut. Return man as well. The packers kept Swain around why not CW?

Swain was kept as the #5 receiver. Now they have Cobb as the #5. If West was battling Swain for the #5 spot, it would probably go to West. Cobb knocks everyone out of the #5 spot.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

oops

[Brandon494]

We have 5 WR who are locks and Finley. The kid has talent but we just don't have the room for him.

[bobblehead]

Accepting that West might be playing well in practice too, can he really beat out any of the 5 WRs ahead of him?

With 5 very capable WRs ahead of him, plus very good receiving talent at TE, what would be the reason to keep him?

Would you keep him as a 6th WR over Quarless, Crabtree, Taylor or Williams?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over the only true fullback, Quinn Johnson?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over Harrell?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over a 9th O-lineman?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over the 4th true safety, whoever it is? (Levine, Jennings, etc.)?
Would you keep him as a 6th WR over a 6th CB, knowing the 4th, 5th & 6th will be three of Gordy, House, Bush, and Lee?

To me, it seems that the answers to all of those questions are "No". Unless one of the WRs ahead of him is injured, or one of the TE's goes down for the season, I just don't see a reason to keep Chastin West on the 53 man roster. Too bad, because I would like to see what he can do, but it doesn't look like we will see him as a Packer.

To quote TT. You keep the best NFL talent (sort of like drafting the BPA). Position isn't the deciding factor. Personally I keep a talented WR over Crabtree in a heartbeat. I ditch Quinn Johnson in a heartbeat and get Raji some snaps for goal line. I don't let a legitimate talent go (assuming West is a legitimate talent) because he doesn't fit my ideal roster makeup.

[bobblehead]

Somehow we turned into one of those teams that overloads on skill positions but doesn't have enough talent in the trenches. We're a Mike Neal injury away from being in the same position we were last year with the DL. That being said, I can definately see us keeping 6 WR's and 5 TE's.

I disagree. We are flush at WR only. Out of all our TE's only Finley is a legit starter. On the DL our backups are good...for backups. Our OL backups are very good....for backups. Our backup TE's are average. Our backup LB's are average. I don't see us in that great of a position anywhere other than WR, and we are not that bad at any position.

Trust me, if an OL goes down, we won't be code red. We will get one of the guys up to speed and he will be a slightly below average starter. Same on the DL....lets not forget we did ok with Howard Green starting a lot of last season. Now we are in a panic because Neal might get hurt.
Edit: Forgot RB. We are average across the board at RB, starter and backups....unless Grant fully returns to form at age 29, then we are above average at starter and average at backup.

[Brandon494]

Ryan Grant, James Starks, and Alex Greene are all better than average. I believe having them instead of B Jackson, Kuhn, and Nance will have us top 3 in offense this season.