Rank the FA Screwup

[run pMc]

Could Tretter have played guard for us instead? I think we are basically happy with Linsley at center.

Keeping Linsley at C over Tretter was the right call. He hasn't missed a snap in something like 2 seasons.
Tretter probably wasn't strong/big enough to hold up at guard...he's 6'4"/307. Having him as a backup tackle/utility OL was nice, but he was going to get starter's money from another team and they had to pick between him Linsley. Lane Taylor and Jahri Evans played G capably with McCray overachieving at times.

[call_me_ishmael]

I'm going to play the contrarian and say I don't really think any of them outside of Hayward and maybe Hyde was a mistake.

[texaspackerbacker]

None of these escapees seemed like they were worth the big money to keep them at the time. Sure, some of them have gone on to justify the money they got - shit happens. Who among us, though, can honestly say they opposed letting most or all of them walk at the time the decision needed to be made?

[Fosco33]

Someone find/bump the ‘packers on other teams’ thread.

I liked Hayward. Mostly bc a friend went was close to him in college.
S
Hyde got 5y/30m contract - looking back - hard to say he’d be worth that.

Look at Morgan Burnett. We let him walk and he just asked for his release last week from PIT.

Our challenge on D is there are what - 5 guys making more than 2.5m/yr? Hard to attract talent with that as recent history.

[Patler]

Here is the list:

CB Casey Hayward
S Micah Hyde
C J.C. Tretter
TE Jared Cook
EDGE Julius Peppers
G T.J. Lang
S Morgan Burnett

Most I consider no mistake at all, and therefore will not be "ranked" These include, with my comments:

CB Casey Hayward - No one thought this was a mistake at the time. Some owned up to it, like McGinn:

McGinn:
"My conclusion is the same now as it was nine months ago. Thompson made the right call not to re-sign Hayward."
https://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...move/94811276/

Others second guessed it with the excuse that Thompson/McCarthy should have known better For example:

Dougherty:
"It’s safe to say if the two still were with the Packers, Hayward would be their best cornerback and Hyde their top safety. So how did Thompson and McCarthy blow the call so badly not just once, but twice?
...
"So full disclosure: When the Packers let Hayward leave in free agency in 2016, I considered it the right move. They already had a true No. 1 (Sam Shields) and the promising cornerbacks Thompson had drafted with his first two picks in 2015: Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins."
https://www.packersnews.com/story/sp...way/981940001/

C J.C. Tretter - mistake only if they intended to let Linsley go. Word from writers and people on here was that neither Tretter nor Linsley was a long term option at guard. You can't pay two centers at a starters level on a second contract. One of them had to go.

EDGE Julius Peppers - My recollection is different than some others, above. My recollection is that the Packers were interested in having him back, but Peppers made it clear his preference was to return home to the Panthers, and that he would negotiate with GB if that didn't work out. FA started at 4:00 pm on March 9 and the morning of March 10 it was announced that he was going back to Carolina on a very cheap one-year contract. I believe he made no FA visits. Makes sense, he was born and raised in N.C., played college ball in N.C. and started his pro career there. I don't think resigning him was an option

G T.J. Lang - No mistake at all. Has played just 19 games the last two seasons, and was game time decision for many of those. He was breaking down from head to foot, and the Packers knew it.


The "mistakes," if any, in my opinion fall in this order from biggest mistake to smallest:

S Micah Hyde - I was concerned about this at the time, just because of his versatility. Over the course of a season, with injuries and different defensive alignments, a team needs at least four guys who can play outside, at least four who can play safety and at least 3 who can fill the different variations teams like to use. Lots of guys have the physical ability to be not awful at numerous positions, but fewer seem to have the brains to pull it off. Hyde had shown the ability and the brains. Then there was always the talk of his potential as a real safety, but he never really got the chance in GB. In short, there were a lot of reasons to try and find a way to keep him.

TE Jared Cook - Bennett playing as he had for most of his career should have been an overall upgrade, but his personality seemed like an odd fit for Green Bay, especially over a period of years. Cook had seemed to develop a "relationship" with Rodgers, even with having missed a good portion of the season. Cook seemed like a more certain commodity for more years than Bennett.

S Morgan Burnett - I would almost classify this as not a mistake at all, but with the questions already surrounding HHCD last off season, the failure of Jones to make a decent impression at all in 2017 and the rawness of the remainder of the roster at safety, I am willing to consider this as a minor mistake. However, with not having played a full season since 2012, and missing an average of about 3 games per years since then, a deal with a cost efficient "out" somewhat like the Steelers gave him, but maybe at a bit of a home team discount would have been in order.

[bobblehead]

I do't think Tretter is all that good at guard and TJ Lang has been hurt.

Hyde got a rep for INTs that pass rush generated. I think he's overrated.

Like the quick hitter he took to the house against Dallas?

Unquestionably:

Hyde
Hayward
Tretter
Cook

All 4 were proven productive and all 4 created big holes through their departure. Tretter absolutely can play guard. He played LT and didn't shit all over himself. Peppers was 57 years old so it was time to move on. Lang was showing the wear and tear. Burnett flat out sucks.

[bobblehead]

None of these escapees seemed like they were worth the big money to keep them at the time. Sure, some of them have gone on to justify the money they got - shit happens. Who among us, though, can honestly say they opposed letting most or all of them walk at the time the decision needed to be made?

I absolutely opposed letting Hyde walk. I very much opposed Hayward and Tretter. I thought we upgraded from cook to bennett, but that was asupc (assuming stubby used player correctly). Also, bennett is a punk so good riddance.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Like the quick hitter he took to the house against Dallas?

.

Don’t confuse D-Rand with that abomination, Mr Hyde. That abomination has never produced a pick 6 against Tex’s 2nd favorite team, the Cowgirls.

Hyde was such an abomination at corner, nobody in the NFL wants to play a Caucasiod at corner again. Glad Todd told Mr. Hyde to fuck off.

[Patler]

Tretter absolutely can play guard. He played LT and didn't shit all over himself.

I don't think your second sentence necessarily supports your first.

[pbmax]

Its hard to hold Tretter against the personnel guys because he hasn't gone elsewhere, moved positions and been successful. If you are the Packers, it would be a significant second contract for a player who has been injured with an eye on him playing a position he hasn't proven himself at. I think he could have adjusted, but can't know for certain.

In light of today's Packers, his loss left a gap he might have filled.

Hayward is the reverse, he went elsewhere, played a little more zone and was a very effective starter at outside CB. Packers projected him inside at slot. This may have been a scheme problem, as Hayward might not have ever played lights out wide man coverage like Capers and Pettine like to use. This scheme issue was the biggest obstacle with the Packers D, the scheme could never be coherent and adapt to other skills. The scheme drove the personnel. So finds like Hyde and Hayward were always awkward fits.

Hyde to me just seems to be a bad decision. He may not be an All-Pro, HoF arc safety. But he is more than competent. I think they could have solidified one of two positions had they kept him and dumped Burnett. Maybe you can only afford one of Hyde or Hayward, and Hyde would be nice to have now.

Cook was a loss but no one understood how big of one. He wasn't going to block like McCarthy wanted, but what a target. Not sure if LaFleur and Hackett will want a pass catching TE.

Peppers was more pass rush than they had waiting in the wings.

[texaspackerbacker]

I absolutely opposed letting Hyde walk. I very much opposed Hayward and Tretter. I thought we upgraded from cook to bennett, but that was asupc (assuming stubby used player correctly). Also, bennett is a punk so good riddance.

I also had a high opinion of Hyde, but they said he wasn't fast enough to be good in the NFL. That's one reason I'm hopeful for Josh Jackson now - a knack in college at least for making a play, same as Hyde. Still, if he wanted too much money, I can see how they could let him go. Hayward was similar - always making plays and you wonder how he did it, plus he was hurt a lot. Those were mistakes in hindsight, but understandable ones. I thought from the start, Tretter wasn't as good as Linsley even though he was drafted higher. Not paying him seemed wise at the time. I agree 100% about Bennett, and I didn't expect Cook to leave and do as good as he has done. He also did not seem worth the money at the time that it woulda taken to sign him.

[pbmax]

Mack Brown @CoachMackBrown
“Tell me what the guy can do, don’t tell me what he can’t do, and we’ll find a way to put that positive skill set in the defense and not ask him to be in a position where he can fail.” Bill Belichick

[Rutnstrut]

Packers are probably no different - but sure feels like we got hit with career injuries to very key people - Nic the pick, Finley, Shields, Raji...

Raji wasn't a career injury. He just didn't really like/love playing football and had made enough money.

[bobblehead]

I don't think your second sentence necessarily supports your first.

Not necessarily, but it does when taken with all the facts. He had the strength to play C and the size and athleticism to play LT, so I am very confident he could play guard sort of in the mold of Mike Wahle.

[bobblehead]

Don’t confuse D-Rand with that abomination, Mr Hyde. That abomination has never produced a pick 6 against Tex’s 2nd favorite team, the Cowgirls.

Hyde was such an abomination at corner, nobody in the NFL wants to play a Caucasiod at corner again. Glad Todd told Mr. Hyde to fuck off.

My bad, was thinking of this play which was a huge pick...although it wasn't a pick 6

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/1/15/14280778/2017-nfl-playoffs-packers-cowboys-micah-hyde-interception-dak-prescott