Bench Him

[Teamcheez1]

Ha Ha is getting paid just shy of $6M on his 5th year option. The big question for me is how much is he really worth as a safety? I don't think the Packers would even consider paying him a dime more unless his play picks up this year. Is he hedging his bets that they won't offer more than $3-5M for him to come back?

[texaspackerbacker]

He's playing for a big contract. It's not really relevant if he thinks (probably correctly) that the Packers won't give him the money going forward that he thinks he deserves. He has either played better or lucked into being in the right place this year better than the last couple of years. Just take advantage of that, then lowball him in the off-season and let him get paid big by somebody else. That seems to be the Packer way, and I don't really have a problem with it.

Regarding Josh Jones, I remember people claiming Nick Collins was too dumb to play decent in his early years also, and he shaped up very well. Hopefully the same will happen with Jones. I wouldn't give up on him yet.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Yo, since my friends Nutz and Woody are MIA, lemme post for 'em:

Why the fuck didn't Gute draft Derwin James, S, Florida State? The rookie sensation is a-looking fine and dandy. Fast. Can blitz (currently has 3 sacks). Can cover. Loves gang bangs. The antithesis of Dix.

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-chargers/post/_/id/25000/chargers-derwin-james-showing-traits-of-an-elite-safety

(Speaking of safeties, I still despise Todd for taking Perry over hip-hop saftey Harrison Smith. )

[gbgary]

gotta put the best 11 out there so he's got to play.

[gbgary]

He's playing for a big contract.

he'd better get going then. he'll end up with a raise purely on the market but no one's going to get stupid based on his last 21 games.

[Gotarace]

HaHa took the entire season off last year and is on pace to do it again. The guy is super gun shy for playing saftey in the NFL. He would rather avoid contact than disrupt a play. Looks like another year of the Packers burning high draft choices for secondary help while the rest of the team suffers.

[pbmax]

That plus the turnover in the secondary over the last couple of years -- Hyde, Hayward, Randall, Burnett.

That is the hard part to swallow. Randall was crowing about his new defense today at cleveland.com somewhere.

Additionally, there is a chance that Pettine and Gutey want a different type of safety. Dix is not a speedster and doesn't always look natural deep. Brice is faster but less reliable. Both are better athletes than Jim Leonard, but it never looks clean or quick back there. I read something, that despite Leonard's reputation as a coach on the field, the safety's responsibility under Pettine/Ryan were not overly taxing.

Who knows.

But it sure looks like they want to move on. Dix was bad enough last year that I don't really question not giving him a longer term deal if he is not the ideal Pettine safety. This is one reason sticking with Capers and waiting for a down year to change the staff is a terrible idea. Just puts off tough decisions. Like a lost year.

I sympathize with Finley and Dix because I can put myself in the mind of someone trying to balance the here and now and versus staying healthy and viable for a future deal. You basically have to ignore one important aspect of your life to stay sane.

[mraynrand]

Yeah, he's flapping his gums. Be he's probably right.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/ind...rt_river_index

Cleveland has two legit pass rushers; Packers have none.

[denverYooper]

Yeah, he's flapping his gums. Be he's probably right.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/ind...rt_river_index

Cleveland has two legit pass rushers; Packers have none.

The Packers won't have any for a while if they keep having to pick new CBs and Safeties every year to replenish their defensive backfield.

[pbmax]

The Packers won't have any for a while if they keep having to pick new CBs and Safeties every year to replenish their defensive backfield.

Another reason to go BPA and live with some limitations elsewhere. If they draft another 2 DBs in the first four rounds next year it will leave serious holes elsewhere on the D.

Especially when you can't get Josh Jones on the field.

[bobblehead]

Another reason to go BPA and live with some limitations elsewhere. If they draft another 2 DBs in the first four rounds next year it will leave serious holes elsewhere on the D.

Especially when you can't get Josh Jones on the field.

Couldn't agree more. you never can be sure where need is going to suddenly pop up due to injury or other. You take TJ Watt instead of Kevin King and the next year maybe Josh Jackson slips to your pick in round 2. Hell, you take Derwin James and maybe Josh Jackson slips to your pick in round 2. But you always get the best talent you can cuz you never know.

[red]

Couldn't agree more. you never can be sure where need is going to suddenly pop up due to injury or other. You take TJ Watt instead of Kevin King and the next year maybe Josh Jackson slips to your pick in round 2. Hell, you take Derwin James and maybe Josh Jackson slips to your pick in round 2. But you always get the best talent you can cuz you never know.

but then you might end up taking 3 rb's in 1 year when you have other needs, or 3 cb's in the first 2 rounds in back to back years, or 3 wr's in one draft when you have other pressing needs

so, a double edged sword

and last year with watt vs king. pass rush and cb were both huge needs. but since perry was drafted one has seemed to be neglected more then the other

[pbmax]

but then you might end up taking 3 rb's in 1 year when you have other needs, or 3 cb's in the first 2 rounds in back to back years, or 3 wr's in one draft when you have other pressing needs

so, a double edged sword

It would be OK if it just happened once. But it keeps repeating for DBs.