Jared Cook

[KYPack]

He'll remind us of AJ Hawk if you listen to Rams fans.

Similar players, no doubt.

Solid citizens, relentless, but few splash plays.

JL worth a big contract?

Nah.

If he gets passed over and needs a home after the stupid money is spent by stupid teams?

Yeah, worth a flyer until we can get a home grown guy.

[Freak Out]

He'll remind us of AJ Hawk if you listen to Rams fans.

Never missed a game either.

[Bretsky]

Bretsky, I'd be willing to entertain the idea if you hadn't written "serious" upgrade. How is a guy with Cook's numbers or Bennett's numbers/age a "serious" upgrade? Maybe a minor upgrade. Maybe the potential is higher than Rodgers's. But not a serious upgrade.

Laurenitis seems like AJ Hawk Junior to me, complete with OSU pedigree. How is that an upgrade??

Disappointed in you Fritzy; the thing this team needs out of a TE is a guy who can stretch the filed down the seam. Look by the numbers; Bennett is a huge upgrade. Cook gives us something we don't have. You keep RR as a security blanket and pitch Quarles.

How much have you watched Laurentis play ? If you don't think he's an upgrade over Hawk I guess we can't even discuss this.

[Bretsky]

Bennet's numbers were down this year, but he was playing with fractured ribs before being put on IR for the last 5 games. Unlike Cook, he can block. He's only 1 year removed from a Pro Bowl year. He would be an upgrade.

Bennett is a double HUGE upgrade. I think he has character issues but talent wise if you watch him play it's hard to think he's not the real deal.

[Bretsky]

The running meme of the need for upgrade at TE really has taken hold. I honestly think the problem is not the quality of the TE, but the way he was used. Don't get me wrong, the Packers can do better than Rodgers, and they need more depth for sure, with Q being a shadow. But (for example) constantly deploying Richard Rodgers in the flat was a failure of imagination and a mis-assignment of a player. The scheme can be a whole lot better. Also, Rodgers has to trust that he can throw higher across the middle to Rodgers. It may have been part of his mistrust of his accuracy that prevented such throws.

My bottom line: The TE position is a position of need, but it's not a tire fire.

Rodgers runs decent routes and is a fine complimentary TE or #2 TE IMO. The upgrade scraps Quarless

[Bretsky]

Similar players, no doubt.

Solid citizens, relentless, but few splash plays.

JL worth a big contract?

Nah.

If he gets passed over and needs a home after the stupid money is spent by stupid teams?

Yeah, worth a flyer until we can get a home grown guy.

Agree he is NOT worthy of the stupid money; I don't think TT will spend stupid money on TE's or ILB's..........but there are options to land if we choose

[Patler]

Rams cutting Laurinitas is like the Packers cutting Hawk. If the Rams preferred the $1M dead cap hit to his $6M roster cap hit, essentially he wasn't worth $5M to them. Why should GB want him at any price? Has he been any more productive than Hawk? Isn't he at the same spot Hawk was a couple years ago? Do we want to relive that time?

Cook? Has he ever been anything more than potential? Maybe he didn't have the best QBs, but as a TE he should have been the QB's best friend. A better receiver than Quarless, but apparently a worse blocker. Cook looks like just more treading water. I would prefer taking a shot with an unknown rookie to an under performing 8th year veteran.

Neither one would excite me much, if TT were to sign them.

[Patler]

Just read an interesting article on Laurenitas. They pointed out that his solo tackles have been declining for three years, significantly this year. He isn't getting to the spots as quickly and/or isn't getting guys down without help. As for turnovers, sacks, passes defensed, etc., he never was much more than Hawk in that regard.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I know Cook is a tease, but I wouldn't mind seeing him with Rodgers. The cost would have to be minimal though. I have little to no interest in Laurinaitis (and that's coming from an OSU fan). I want somebody more dynamic. I think there are some decent ILBs in this draft (a mix of the Ryan Shazier types like Darron Lee and Deion Jones and old school types like Ragland and Joshua Perry). I'm not sure Ragland is going to be my top rated guy come draft time--although I haven't really gotten through looking at the ILBs.

[wist43]

It would be interesting to see what Cook could do in a prolific offense in which he was the 4th/5th option.

Seems like every year, the expectations for Cook are high, he comes out and has a couple of big games to start the season, then nothing. His targets dry up, and he becomes an afterthought in the offense. I like Jeff Fisher as a coach, but his philosophy with respect to offense hasn't done Cook any favors.

Still - we all know that TT will never sign Cook, or any other FA TE for that matter.

[Fritz]

It would be interesting to see what Cook could do in a prolific offense in which he was the 4th/5th option.

Seems like every year, the expectations for Cook are high, he comes out and has a couple of big games to start the season, then nothing. His targets dry up, and he becomes an afterthought in the offense. I like Jeff Fisher as a coach, but his philosophy with respect to offense hasn't done Cook any favors.

Still - we all know that TT will never sign Cook, or any other FA TE for that matter.

I thought I was reading about Jermichael Finley, post-injury.

Funny how many posters are hot to sign some of these guys, but when you compare their actual performances to current or former Packers, it doesn't look that much different.

Laurenitis = Hawk, yet there's some sentiment to sign him.

Cook = every Packer tight end of the last four years.

[call_me_ishmael]

I don't really care if this cat catches passes. He is huge and super fast. He is a more athletic version of Finley (on paper). That opens up the middle of the field big time if you believe what MM says (I do).

[pbmax]

I don't really care if this cat catches passes. He is huge and super fast. He is a more athletic version of Finley (on paper). That opens up the middle of the field big time if you believe what MM says (I do).

Well, now we know your are a descendant of Al Davis.

[Deputy Nutz]

From what I see from JL, I see more Chad Greenway than AJ Hawk.

[Bretsky]

Richard Rodgers is clearly one of the top TE's in the NFL based on numbers.............shhhhh.......doesn't matter who the QB is