nick perry

[Harlan Huckleby]

Walden has really come on. Perry brings pass rush off the bench. It's a good situation.

It's a mildly disappointing situation. You give a first round draft pick a chance to start and he doesn't show the skills to play the position. It's true he is making a difficult transition, but like Aaron Kampman, we may find that Perry can't excell at linebacker. I was listening to some of the sportswriters on the radio, and they said he has tree trunk legs and stiff hips, he just looks wrong in practice trying to play linebacker. But Perry does have power and burst. I expect they'll figure something out, but pretending that they didn't expect Perry to be quick upgrade over Walden is head-in-sand.

[mraynrand]

but pretending that they didn't expect Perry to be quick upgrade over Walden is head-in-sand.

Yes. They expected - at least - that he would be a serious upgrade in the run game. But his errors there are correctible. Can't sell out inside when you are the edge contain guy. That's just a transition mistake; thinking like an end when you are an OLB.

[mission]

I really don't think he's played poorly at all. Again, you can't have a rookie OLB standing up in the slot against Michael Crabtree. He'd make Clay look silly too.

You guys are reaching.

[rbaloha1]

It's a mildly disappointing situation. You give a first round draft pick a chance to start and he doesn't show the skills to play the position. It's true he is making a difficult transition, but like Aaron Kampman, we may find that Perry can't excell at linebacker. I was listening to some of the sportswriters on the radio, and they said he has tree trunk legs and stiff hips, he just looks wrong in practice trying to play linebacker. But Perry does have power and burst. I expect they'll figure something out, but pretending that they didn't expect Perry to be quick upgrade over Walden is head-in-sand.

First round picks are often given a starting job (Tauscher does not agree in handing a starting position to a rookie). Recall Sherrod was given the number one left guard position last year.

Be patient with Perry.

At the end of the day, if the olb position does not work-out NP can bulk-up and replace start at de next to Matthews next year.

IMO this is not another Kampman which was like watching a giraffe go backwards.

[mraynrand]

I really don't think he's played poorly at all. Again, you can't have a rookie OLB standing up in the slot against Michael Crabtree. He'd make Clay look silly too.

You guys are reaching.

I agree with you on some of the plays - they got out-schemed by SF. But he's made some unforced errors of his own. Nothing serious, nothing that can't be 'fixed.' I can only speak for myself, but I see a lot of potential there; way too early to make long term proclamations. But the Packers did want him to be good enough to start in place of the post-GF abusing Walden of last year.

[mission]

I agree with you on some of the plays - they got out-schemed by SF. But he's made some unforced errors of his own. Nothing serious, nothing that can't be 'fixed.' I can only speak for myself, but I see a lot of potential there; way too early to make long term proclamations. But the Packers did want him to be good enough to start in place of the post-GF abusing Walden of last year.

I want a lot of things too!
It's not like he was a top 10 pick. Looks the part to me... like a talented rookie not quite fully up to speed. That's what you get outside of the top 10-15 in the draft.

[KYPack]

I really don't think he's played poorly at all. Again, you can't have a rookie OLB standing up in the slot against Michael Crabtree. He'd make Clay look silly too.

You guys are reaching.

Disagree, Mish. It's easy to be critical on a kid LB making his first NFL start, but most of the criticism in Perry's case is 100% warranted. He had one of the worst games I've seen a Pack lb have. He was worse than Popp ever was making his tranisition. I do agree he was put in situations in which he wasn't going to be successful, but he also made a whole pile of mistakes that really hurt the ball club. His play on the Gore TD was enough to earn him a spot on the pine.

His pass rush method is strictly a bull rush. Sometimes he takes the bull rush wide and thats what passes for his edge rush. That's it, no rips, swims or spin moves, he just bores straight ahead.

He'll be spotted in some situations until he can learn the ropes. He's got some physical attributes, but it's still a toss-up whether he'll ever be more than that.

[mission]

Disagree, Mish. It's easy to be critical on a kid LB making his first NFL start, but most of the criticism in Perry's case is 100% warranted. He had one of the worst games I've seen a Pack lb have. He was worse than Popp ever was making his tranisition. I do agree he was put in situations in which he wasn't going to be successful, but he also made a whole pile of mistakes that really hurt the ball club. His play on the Gore TD was enough to earn him a spot on the pine.

His pass rush method is strictly a bull rush. Sometimes he takes the bull rush wide and thats what passes for his edge rush. That's it, no rips, swims or spin moves, he just bores straight ahead.

He'll be spotted in some situations until he can learn the ropes. He's got some physical attributes, but it's still a toss-up whether he'll ever be more than that.

And that's the reason I feel fine with him. Coming out of college, the knock on him was that he didn't bull rush and didn't play to his strength. So IMO, he obviously has more in his arsenal and coaches have him going back to basics and developing that strong side OLB they need out of him. Something is working if they already have 11 sacks on the year. Clay and Perry are completely different style'd players.
Sure, he contributed to a long TD, but I also remember him staying home on something outside on a 3rd down and making and athletic play. Definitely did not see that in the KC game last year from Walden on the same play.

Easy to nit pick that first game for everyone. I'm just not putting too much into it. Get in Thursday night's scheme with the same personnel groupings and we're having a completely different conversation. Environment means everything.

[mraynrand]

KY Pack:


I don't like the way your views are heading!

[Harlan Huckleby]

thread jacking:

speaking of highly drafted rookie linebackers called on to start: whatever happened to Clay Matthews' brother?

[Pugger]

thread jacking:

speaking of highly drafted rookie linebackers called on to start: whatever happened to Clay Matthews' brother?

Casey is on the Eagles' roster but I don't know if he's starting or not.

I think a lot of us are being rather harsh on Perry. We have to remember he's playing a new position from what he played in college. I am not ready to throw him under the bus after 2 professional games.

[denverYooper]

"Since Capers has come to Green Bay, all we get are these cutsie packages and clever alignments, but whenever we have to play a hard-hitting team that can run the ball, like Atlanta and Pittsburgh, we invariably get killed because the other teams just run us over with their power. Capers will never be successful in Green Bay because he is too soft and tries too many crazy schemes"

Sincerely, Wist

I see what you did there.

[denverYooper]

And that's the reason I feel fine with him. Coming out of college, the knock on him was that he didn't bull rush and didn't play to his strength. So IMO, he obviously has more in his arsenal and coaches have him going back to basics and developing that strong side OLB they need out of him. Something is working if they already have 11 sacks on the year. Clay and Perry are completely different style'd players.
Sure, he contributed to a long TD, but I also remember him staying home on something outside on a 3rd down and making and athletic play. Definitely did not see that in the KC game last year from Walden on the same play.

Easy to nit pick that first game for everyone. I'm just not putting too much into it. Get in Thursday night's scheme with the same personnel groupings and we're having a completely different conversation. Environment means everything.

Isn't a big part of Perry's gig in that Capers D to slam into the Tackle on the strong side?

[pbmax]

And that's the reason I feel fine with him. Coming out of college, the knock on him was that he didn't bull rush and didn't play to his strength. So IMO, he obviously has more in his arsenal and coaches have him going back to basics and developing that strong side OLB they need out of him.

That's a good point. In fact, his bull rush is so effective, I wonder how that came to be absent from his game at USC.

Perhaps he had trouble stringing moves together and they wanted that particular move from him. If that is the problem, then its going to take an adjustment and learning curve from him to change that part of his game. I hope to see some signs of that this year. That would be enough for me. He is strong enough to hold the edge on contain.

He started only one year at USC and came out a year early. Matthews had a year of college on him and in his rookie season he a mediocre bull rush and a great outside dip, plus a non-stop motor. If Perry can make one addition to his game, that might be all he needs for the rookie campaign to be a breakthrough.

[pbmax]

Isn't a big part of Perry's gig in that Capers D to slam into the Tackle on the strong side?

Yes. But then he needs to disengage and get to the ball/QB.