Eric Walden: turd on wheels

[Harlan Huckleby]

OK, I'd buy the flu explanation if he hadn't been the same player for the previous two weeks.

Two games?

Walden was not so bad at KC as Chicago, the main criticism there was he got fooled in space.

Walden had a stretch of 3 or 4 games prior to KC where he played well. Maybe his weakness (stupidity) just didn't show up.

Walden is better than Zombo, Jones and So'oto. That's the unfortunate bottom line.

[Brandon494]

Walden is better than Zombo, Jones and So'oto. That's the unfortunate bottom line.

I think So'oto is a better player but just needs experience. Having no training camp and the early injury really set him back but I think he'll be a player for us in the future.

[Patler]

Harv, under the new CBA, the cap rules have changed. I think the deadline for allocating money to this season's cap has elapsed. But, I also mean to have read, unused cap money can be pushed into next year. Maybe someone knows more about? I think I read it on either Packers.com or NFL.com.

Under the new CBA:

Carrying Over Room.
A Club may "carry over" Room from one League Year to the following League Year by submitting notice in writing signed by the owner to the NFL no later than fourteen (1 4) days prior to the start of the next League Year indicating the maximum amount of Room that the Club wishes to carry over. The NFL shall prompdy provide a copy of any such notice to the NFLP A. The amount of Room carried over will be adjusted downward based on the final Room available after the year-end reconciliation.

Basically, the new CBA eliminates the need to sign contracts with fake bonuses that everyone knew would not be earned. Now the team simply advises the league how much they will be carrying over.

[KYPack]

There's a series of problems, hopefully we can solve some of it. First, we need Pickett back in there. Ryan has had a spectacular year, up until the concussions. Dom is hosed until he can get pickett back in there. i'd think he'd want to put Pickett back at nose and move Raji out to RDE in a 5 tech.

Then they have to get a crowbar or a hammer and pound CONTAIN into Walden's evidently tiny brain. A huge problem has been that the "wide" team on the right side does not trust Walden at all. This reached critical in the Chief game. Walden was freelancing, not communicating, and giving up contain whenever he felt like it. They benched him, put in Zombo, who proceeded to do the same shit.

We now have two crazy guys (Zombo & Walden) & two green kids. The addition of Pickett as an end or freeing Raji to play end will help a lot. Walden responded to the message the Dolphins sent him last season when they cut him for not focusing. Maybe, he brain will click back into the on position and he will settle down & return to form.

One way or the other, we will see just how good coaches Greene and Capers are.

[pbmax]

Two games?

Walden was not so bad at KC as Chicago, the main criticism there was he got fooled in space.

Walden had a stretch of 3 or 4 games prior to KC where he played well. Maybe his weakness (stupidity) just didn't show up.

Walden is better than Zombo, Jones and So'oto. That's the unfortunate bottom line.

KC was the game where they first ran with complete impunity outside to Walden's side of the field. They ran their monster back wide left (o left) twice to drain the clock at the end of the game after the onside kick failed.

EDIT: KYPack is right, that last drive was with Zombo in the game. But they ran that same play earlier with similar success.

[pbmax]

Under the new CBA:



Basically, the new CBA eliminates the need to sign contracts with fake bonuses that everyone knew would not be earned. Now the team simply advises the league how much they will be carrying over.

I think the deadline for a new player deal, to count versus the current cap year, was also extended. A different side of the same coin. So Finley or Wells could have been signed to a new deal burning 2011 cap space later than previously. The difference was only a week or two and with the "notification" provision Patler mentions, might make the late season deal for a prime soon to be FA less urgent.

[KYPack]

Two games?

Walden was not so bad at KC as Chicago, the main criticism there was he got fooled in space.

Walden had a stretch of 3 or 4 games prior to KC where he played well. Maybe his weakness (stupidity) just didn't show up.

Walden is better than Zombo, Jones and So'oto. That's the unfortunate bottom line.

Walden was so bad against the Chefs (on purpose sp), they benched his ass. Two lousy games is a lot of influenza.

[Zool]

Walden was so bad against the Chefs (on purpose sp), they benched his ass. Two lousy games is a lot of influenza.

Walden is HH's next Newhouse project.

There will be a thread soon.

[pbmax]

You're like the black Partial sometimes.

Wasn't it Partial who did NOT watch the games, but could discern relative player value by newspaper coverage and stats?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Walden was so bad against the Chefs (on purpose sp), they benched his ass. Two lousy games is a lot of influenza.

Walden was worse at Chicago. And you are just dismissing his stronger games prior to KC. He looked like great black hope.

If Walden is so horrible, who do you want to play instead, Jones? Why focus on Walden, jump on So'oto who is worse.


I am not buying So'oto's alleged upside. He is kinda stiff, a straight-line guy. Haven't seen enough to be sure, of course, but he is no more than another prospect. Walden looked like Superman in spurts too. Zombo had moments.

Packers need to draft or sign free agent talent, in all likelihood.

[Brandon494]

HH doesn't like So'oto, he's a lock to be a future pro bowler now! Lmao

[Fritz]

From what I can tell, it is crucial in Capers' scheme that guys are assignment-sure. So'oto said he did some good things against da Bears but also noted that he blew some assignments. You just can't have that - especially in the playoffs - so I think So'oto will not be the short-term godsend we'd like him to be.

Walden may have lost seven pounds, two of which appeared to have been in the cranial area. I'm not sure why, after a season to learn, he's regressing, but he seems to be.

Apparently Jones is more assignment sure but brings nothing to the table.

And it appears that Zombo is not exactly Mr. Consistency.

And Jarami Lattimore is also a raw rookie, and a light one at that.

So it seems to me that there are no good options - just the best of a bad bunch. And that appears to be either Zombo - who needs to prove he can stay on his assignments while tackling well - or Walden, who needs to play with his head pulled out of his ass.

I hope both understand that - especially Zombo, whom I fear will try to show coaches he's good by making a big splash, maybe taking chances to try to make a play instead of being assignment-sure. We need someone to play - dare I say this? - like AJ Hawk plays his spot.

[Harlan Huckleby]

HH doesn't like So'oto, he's a lock to be a future pro bowler now! Lmao

how did 32 GMs like So'oto on draft day?

An undrafted defensive lineman moved to 3-4 linebacker ain't a lock for anything, even with benefit of my skepticism.

I have a TV, I saw So'oto rush around a couple defensive tackles in preseason. Maybe he can make it, but put the jar of vaseline away for now.

[Patler]

I think the deadline for a new player deal, to count versus the current cap year, was also extended. A different side of the same coin. So Finley or Wells could have been signed to a new deal burning 2011 cap space later than previously. The difference was only a week or two and with the "notification" provision Patler mentions, might make the late season deal for a prime soon to be FA less urgent.

We need to be careful not to confuse separate issues:

- Renegotiating a current player contract to include a change in his current year salary. Under the old CBA, they could change current year salary through about the middle of the season. I believe that date was a little later this year. Whether that is permanent or just for this year I'm not sure. After the cutoff date, you can still renegotiate and extend a contract, but it can't include a change to current year salary. Doing it before the cutoff gives a team maximum flexibility in giving the player an acceptable level of guaranteed money while splitting the salary cap hit in a way the team wants by dividing the guaranteed money between current year salary (all counted against the current cap) and signing bonus (allocated over the years of the contract.)

- Renegotiating a current contract to include extended years, with bonuses, etc. but no change to current year salary. I believe this can be done through a cutoff day in week 17. Obviously, this late in the season, it might take more to sign a player that is in the last year of his contract because any discount for risk of injury is minimized. The team has less flexibility in determining how the guaranteed money hits a salary cap. There is little incentive for either the team or player to do it now as opposed to waiting to the off season.

- Renegotiating a current player contract to include a performance bonus in a "likely to be earned" category, but one that you knew the player would not earn. This was done for the sole purpose of pushing unused salary cap space into the next season cap. Under the old CBA this could be done until just before the last weekend of the regular season. The new CBA eliminates the need for this. In the off season, just before the end of the league year, the team merely needs to advise the league of the amount it will push forward.

[pbmax]

We need to be careful not to confuse separate issues:

- Renegotiating a current player contract to include a change in his current year salary. Under the old CBA, they could change current year salary through about the middle of the season. I believe that date was a little later this year. Whether that is permanent or just for this year I'm not sure. After the cutoff date, you can still renegotiate and extend a contract, but it can't include a change to current year salary. Doing it before the cutoff gives a team maximum flexibility in giving the player an acceptable level of guaranteed money while splitting the salary cap hit in a way the team wants by dividing the guaranteed money between current year salary (all counted against the current cap) and signing bonus (allocated over the years of the contract.)

- Renegotiating a current contract to include extended years, with bonuses, etc. but no change to current year salary. I believe this can be done through a cutoff day in week 17. Obviously, this late in the season, it might take more to sign a player that is in the last year of his contract because any discount for risk of injury is minimized. The team has less flexibility in determining how the guaranteed money hits a salary cap. There is little incentive for either the team or player to do it now as opposed to waiting to the off season.

- Renegotiating a current player contract to include a performance bonus in a "likely to be earned" category, but one that you knew the player would not earn. This was done for the sole purpose of pushing unused salary cap space into the next season cap. Under the old CBA this could be done until just before the last weekend of the regular season. The new CBA eliminates the need for this. In the off season, just before the end of the league year, the team merely needs to advise the league of the amount it will push forward.

This is the change I was referring to.