Just Who Is AJ Hawk's Competition for Buck ILB?

[KYPack]

You got me on that one, Lurk.

I had to head over to the Urban Dictionary to look up that "cromulent" word.

Now head back to your room, coach.

[Fritz]

If he's cromulent that'll be different than AJ Hawk, who at times looked somnolent.

[pbmax]

If he's cromulent that'll be different than AJ Hawk, who at times looked somnolent.

As for Lurk's assertion, as far as the Packer pass rush and Jones, I am willing to try anything, so I hope he earns some playing time in the preseason.

[RashanGary]

Fritz, that's anything but natural.

I think, honestly, on this team the backup Buck LB is Bishop (if Hawk were to go down for an extended period of time) with Smith taking Bishop's spot.

Are you one of the same guys that said we need to draft natural 3-4 DE's?

Anyone closed minded enough to force their player personnel choices into a box by making them fit a certain mold rigidly is leaving themselves incapable of picking real talent in other areas.

James Harrison is a guy TT always quotes as being too small, too slow, too short, too everything to be a 3-4 OLB. Well, mother fuckers, a player is a player is a player. Welcome to the NFL where 6' nothing QB's like Drew Brees dominate. 238 pound OLB's in a 3-4 scheme tear it up, 5'8" WR's like Steve Smith are at the top of the league (when he had a decent QB of course). . . . .

Sorry to say, there are many ways to skin a cat. Get over your in the box thinking, and you won't be so surprised when other things happen.

[ND72]

I love how we are all picking who will take Hawks spot when not a single article or coach has anything to lead in that direction. Hawk will start all year baring injury.

[Lurker64]

I love how we are all picking who will take Hawks spot when not a single article or coach has anything to lead in that direction. Hawk will start all year baring injury.

He'll definitely start every game if healthy, but I could see them taking him off the field some in passing situations. Either Hawk or Bishop, because the two of them are a pretty slow ILB combo, all things considered. Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising to me if Bishop is the guy taken off the field in pass situations.

[BobDobbs]

He'll definitely start every game if healthy, but I could see them taking him off the field some in passing situations. Either Hawk or Bishop, because the two of them are a pretty slow ILB combo, all things considered. Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising to me if Bishop is the guy taken off the field in pass situations.

God I hope not. Granted I don't know the play calls, but to the naked eye Bishop looks better in coverage and far better coming on a blitz.

[pbmax]

Are you one of the same guys that said we need to draft natural 3-4 DE's?

Anyone closed minded enough to force their player personnel choices into a box by making them fit a certain mold rigidly is leaving themselves incapable of picking real talent in other areas.

James Harrison is a guy TT always quotes as being too small, too slow, too short, too everything to be a 3-4 OLB. Well, mother fuckers, a player is a player is a player. Welcome to the NFL where 6' nothing QB's like Drew Brees dominate. 238 pound OLB's in a 3-4 scheme tear it up, 5'8" WR's like Steve Smith are at the top of the league (when he had a decent QB of course). . . . .

Sorry to say, there are many ways to skin a cat. Get over your in the box thinking, and you won't be so surprised when other things happen.

There are many ways and formation isn't as important as players. But neither extreme works. You can't just pick the highest rated talent regardless of where he fits in a defense either. Otherwise, you end up with a lot of Jeremy Thompson's and nowhere to put him. The other end is a bunch of try hard guys who are productive but can't win any battle on talent or dominate the opponent. See every Marty Schottenheimer team.

The Packers have clearly deviated from the standard Pittsburgh 3-4 model with this draft and plan to spend a lot of time rushing the passer with various groups and alignments. Given three years of data and their offense, that makes sense. Whether that works or not will be determined partly by how well the pieces fit together to make an entire unit. The Packers aren't drafting "real talent" and then picking a defensive scheme, they clearly intend to run something different out there a good portion of the time.

[Upnorth]

As to who would replace Hawk, I have no idea, but if we have a player who is good enough to replace him, that is great for us and I hope it happens. If it doesn't I am okay with Hawk. He is not a 5th pick over all player, but he is not a bust either.

[Guiness]

The comment about him not being worth the 5th pick in the draft is brought up so often - but really, who else in that draft?

Of the 4 guys ahead of him, wouldn't want 3 of them - VY, D'Brickshaw or Bush. Then look at the next 5 - Davis, Huff, Whitner, Sims and (ugg!) Leinhart. From that crew, Davis. Maybe. After that, you've got to go to #12 for Ngata.

I think we got the right guy. Only one of the top ten that's a slam dunk better than him is Williams, and he went #1 overall. Going outside of those top ten isn't really something that was going to happen

[Lurker64]

He is not a 5th pick over all player, but he is not a bust either.

Who is this platonic ideal "fifth overall player" that we're comparing the rest of them to? Is it Levi Brown, Mark Sanchez, or Quentin Jammer? Ricky Williams, Terrence Newman, Glenn Dorsey, or Cadillac Williams? Maybe Curtis Enis?

LaDanian Tomlinson was picked 5th overall, but at the time this was perceived to be a reach, and he's definitely an outlier, yet he has fewer rings than Hawk.

I'm reasonably confident that the fifth best player to come out of a draft has *never* been picked at #5 overall.

[Upnorth]

Very good point. I was kinda thinking about listing the busts around the 1st round but still I would like to see more out of the 5th pick. It may have been a down year, and Hawk maybe better than most of the crappy picks around him, but I demand excellenct!

[Guiness]

Very good point. I was kinda thinking about listing the busts around the 1st round but still I would like to see more out of the 5th pick. It may have been a down year, and Hawk maybe better than most of the crappy picks around him, but I demand excellenct!

That's fine, I demand proper spelling but don't get it. It's "excellency".

[Upnorth]

That's fine, I demand proper spelling but don't get it. It's "excellency".

Then you proabaly have a prablem with must of my posits.

[sharpe1027]

At some point where a player was drafted doesn't make any difference in whether or not they can contribute to the team. That point begins the day after they are drafted. Draft position provides a good conversation point for fans to discuss whether the GM made a good move, it is a bad way to manage a team.