Eric Walden: turd on wheels

[Harlan Huckleby]

Walden, who needs to play with his head pulled out of his ass.

As Mrs. Gump said, stupid is as stupid does. I'm afraid Walden's problem is unfixable, teams have scouted him now and know he is easily fooled. But this pony does have a couple tricks: he's physical, and can get decent pressure on QB at times.

[Patler]

Is Walden really regressing, as some have said, or did he simply have a bad game in KC followed by a game in which the after-effects of the flu made him incapable of playing?

Zombo has been on the shelf so much this year that it is like preseason games all over again for him. He needs to get up to game speed and game awareness.

Absent injuries, I suspect So'oto will be inactive for playoff games. So'oto was said to be very raw this week in play from scrimmage, and in the past has been said to be "learning" on special teams with no previous experience. Jones is said to be assignment sure and has played quite well on STs. Zombo has experience, provided some pass rush last year and has played STs in the past.

[Patler]

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.

Ya, I know, but I think some are confusing the first and the third. The first didn't really change, just might have been a little later this year. The third has been all but eliminated under the new CBA.

[pbmax]

Is Walden really regressing, as some have said, or did he simply have a bad game in KC followed by a game in which the after-effects of the flu made him incapable of playing?

Zombo has been on the shelf so much this year that it is like preseason games all over again for him. He needs to get up to game speed and game awareness.

Absent injuries, I suspect So'oto will be inactive for playoff games. So'oto was said to be very raw this week in play from scrimmage, and in the past has been said to be "learning" on special teams with no previous experience. Jones is said to be assignment sure and has played quite well on STs. Zombo has experience, provided some pass rush last year and has played STs in the past.

I have rarely seen a team get outside like that before on this 3-4 like the last two games. One factor could be Pickett's absence and the play of the D line as Nutz mentioned somewhere. With both Raji (1 technique) and Green (3 tech) in different spots in the base D, they may simply not be performing like they would in their normal spots or like Pickett would alongside them. That might make a difference to the ILBs who would then be available to string out the play until the safety and pursuit catch up.

Not to mention that both Pickett and Raji have penetrated to stop such plays before.

But even if that was the case, its a huge weakness to give up the edge to a single block by the TE or FB that easily. Even Matthews gets blocked, but not play after play. It may have exposed a weakness in Walden's game that wasn't as apparent as before.

So he may not have regressed, but been exposed.

[Patler]

Its not like no other team has tried to run wide left before week 15. Teams have been avoiding Matthews all year. Until late November, the talk was that Walden was setting a strong edge against the run all year. The part he was said to be learning (and improving) was recognition in pass coverage. At the time of his arrest, a few on here (and elsewhere) were lamenting his poor timing because he was playing well.

[Fritz]

This leads one to wonder if the off-the-field issues are, well, an issue. However, I tend to think not, at least insofar as the charge is now a misdemeanor. Still, maybe his relationship issues are having an effect. It's hard to say what's going on, but I think we all hope that Patler is right - it's one bad game followed by one "sick" game.

I do think it's going to be Zombo and Walden in the playoffs. They do have the most experience, outside Mr. Jones, and he has done so little as to not be part of the conversation for most of the year.

[pbmax]

Its not like no other team has tried to run wide left before week 15. Teams have been avoiding Matthews all year. Until late November, the talk was that Walden was setting a strong edge against the run all year. The part he was said to be learning (and improving) was recognition in pass coverage. At the time of his arrest, a few on here (and elsewhere) were lamenting his poor timing because he was playing well.

Coverage and he was still getting sucked inside to fast allowing cut backs to runners behind him. It seemed like his list of flaws was getting shorter when he picked up his pass rush mid-season.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Bring back Frankenbacker!

[HarveyWallbangers]

Frankly, I'm not sure I buy that Walden has been setting a strong edge all year. To me it's been a weakness of his since he's been starting. He's athletic and can rush the passer a bit (mostly when it's a disguised blitz and OL aren't quick enough to get back out to him). He seems to be pretty solid in coverage to me. I think his run stopping ability has been average at best. He's a little light in the britches as they say. I will say that I think he had a really nice stretch in the middle of the year. Hopefully, he gets back to that level. The last two weeks have been bad, and Zombo wasn't any better at the end of the KC game.

[pbmax]

Frankly, I'm not sure I buy that Walden has been setting a strong edge all year. To me it's been a weakness of his since he's been starting. He's athletic and can rush the passer a bit (mostly when it's a disguised blitz and OL aren't quick enough to get back out to him). He seems to be pretty solid in coverage to me. I think his run stopping ability has been average at best. He's a little light in the britches as they say. I will say that I think he had a really nice stretch in the middle of the year. Hopefully, he gets back to that level. The last two weeks have been bad, and Zombo wasn't any better at the end of the KC game.

This is where I always get confused about him because wasn't he designated the best edge setter/run defender in the camp competition? Obviously that is relative value, but usually the story was Zombo pass rush, Walden outside run D and Jones in coverage.

[mraynrand]

Apparently, this thing is radio controlled. Would t'were that the same could be said for Walden.

[pbmax]

Apparently, this thing is radio controlled. Would t'were that the same could be said for Walden.

We would need to hack him to improve his Madden numbers.

[KYPack]

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.

I ain't dismissing shit, Harlan. Walden has had his moments, I basically agree with Harve. He's not a run stuffer guy, but can get some pass rush.

He'd be helping a lot if he'd get in position against the run.

This bad streak might be just what the doctor ordered for Walden. He's not a great focus guy. The threat of him losing his gig is now very real. That usually gets any pro highly motivated.

Coach Kevin will do his best job of breaking it down for Walden into bite sized pieces. Let's see if the lad can digest 'em and get his ass going.

Zombo, Jones, and the kids aren't really great options, Walden needs to fold back his ears and haul ass.

[Fritz]

You're right, Kentucky. Walden needs to fold back his ears, not pin them back.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This is where I always get confused about him because wasn't he designated the best edge setter/run defender in the camp competition? Obviously that is relative value, but usually the story was Zombo pass rush, Walden outside run D and Jones in coverage.

This is where it got strange. Our (the fine people on PR) opinions varied considerably. Here's what I said during training camp:

Strange that so many people can see these three in such different ways. My feeling has been:

Zombo - best pass rush potential, decent in the run game, terrible in coverage.
Jones - good in coverage, decent in the run game, not a great pass rusher.
Walden - good in coverage, athletic, tenacious but needs strength to help out his pass rush and run stopping.

Put the strengths of the three together and you have a pretty good LB.