Off-season 2023 Banjo

[run pMc]

Agree he can set the edge, it's a matter of doing it consistently. There were times both he and Preston sold out on the pass rush and guessed wrong, letting someone run right through the area they should have been.
That's partly coaching and partly player execution. I'd like to see a little more discipline by the defense -- there was too much freelancing, bad communication, and penalties.

Gary's gotten better at edge-setting, but I don't think it will impact his ability to get a big contract. He's a crazy athlete who can rush the passer. Now I don't think he's worth Top 5 money, but he's worth Top 10 money given his age, production, and work ethic.

[Fritz]

Agree he can set the edge, it's a matter of doing it consistently. There were times both he and Preston sold out on the pass rush and guessed wrong, letting someone run right through the area they should have been.
That's partly coaching and partly player execution. I'd like to see a little more discipline by the defense -- there was too much freelancing, bad communication, and penalties.

Gary's gotten better at edge-setting, but I don't think it will impact his ability to get a big contract. He's a crazy athlete who can rush the passer. Now I don't think he's worth Top 5 money, but he's worth Top 10 money given his age, production, and work ethic.

So does Harvey Korman:

[Fritz]

Wow. Who knew that Harvey Korman, in a movie rated PG, would be age-restricted by YouTube? Wow.

[run pMc]

Kids these days just don't understand humor.

[run pMc]

On a serious note, the weird penalties, especially on defense, tell me there's a lack of discipline. Rasul walking up on that FG and then retaliating & Quay getting ejected in Week 18, Quay two other times (BUF, and MIN games) as well. Not playing your called coverage right, poor run defense fits, keeping Savage & Lowry out there when struggling. Don't feel like there's enough accountability either. I put that on the coaches as much as on the players.

Margin for error is small -- look at what the penalty on Ossai meant for CIN. I don't feel like this team is sharp enough to avoid those or overcome them. Maybe they come back in 2023 with better discipline, poise, and tackling, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Deputy Nutz]

How do you know that the Edges where actually the Force player or the Edge setter on certain plays? They could be playing a spill technique or there could have been a gap exchange going on with the edge and possibly the LB or even the safety. Roles and jobs responsibilities change based on play calls and offensive formation.

[Fritz]

How do you know that the Edges where actually the Force player or the Edge setter on certain plays? They could be playing a spill technique or there could have been a gap exchange going on with the edge and possibly the LB or even the safety. Roles and jobs responsibilities change based on play calls and offensive formation.

Geezuz, Nutz, you remind me of Patler here, trying to inject a knowledgeable post that asks people to consider the reality of the situation.

What the hell is wrong with you? If I say Gary sucks at setting an edge, then it must be true, because I think it's true.

You and your damn facts.

[texaspackerbacker]

Gary sets the edge fine a lot of times. When he doesn't, it's a matter of scheme to go all out on pass rush with somebody else responsible for the edge. I think Z. Smith got burned a lot more often than Gary on the edge, maybe because he freelanced sometimes when he shouldn't have. Ultimately, it probably comes back to Barry in almost all cases.

[Tony Oday]

Sign Gary to a contract, get a TE in FA like Evan Engram, Add a WR like Jakobi Meyers, DT in the vein of Rankins. Lets go all the hell in, restructure everyone and get ready for cap hell in three years

[run pMc]

How do you know that the Edges where actually the Force player or the Edge setter on certain plays? They could be playing a spill technique or there could have been a gap exchange going on with the edge and possibly the LB or even the safety. Roles and jobs responsibilities change based on play calls and offensive formation.

Fair question. There were numerous instances of Gary rushing upfield and the offense just running right at the vacated area. Maybe there's supposed to be someone filling in or rotating and they are either blocked or not executing. Maybe it's a shitty play call by the DC. It's happened enough with Gary where it would be quite the coincidence if that were the case.

The regression of Campbell and Walker being a rookie certainly contributed to run issues. There were a lot more missed tackles this year which is a problem -- a defense that can prevent yards after contact is more likely to force a punt and get off the field.

[bobblehead]

How do you know that the Edges where actually the Force player or the Edge setter on certain plays? They could be playing a spill technique or there could have been a gap exchange going on with the edge and possibly the LB or even the safety. Roles and jobs responsibilities change based on play calls and offensive formation.

Agree, we can't always know. But sometimes I can watch a play unfold and see what a player is trying to accomplish to understand his responsibility on a given play. Once upon a time I said my big fear was that Gary would be really good at whatever he was told to do, but not be able to transition (for instance, setting the edge, but then pushing to a rush when the QB dropped back). He is actually better at it than I ever thought he would be. I think he is a fantastic player. Better than I dreamed him becoming. I also have always been a huge Mike White fan for developing 3-4 OLB. We missed him last year already.

[Fritz]

So if this is the list of "his guys" that Favre - err, Rodgers - wants back, which ones are most important to him, and which would he be willing to play without? (I'm not including Bakhtieri because he's under contract and I'm pretty sure the Packers are bringing him back no matter who the QB is going to be):

Tonyan
Lewis
Lazard
Cobb

Here's what Rodgers said to McAfee a few weeks ago:

“This game is about relationships,” Rodgers said. “It’s about the guys you rely on, even if they don’t show up huge in the stat book. A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with, you know? If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world, if he wants to keep playing, in my locker room. Guys you can win with. Allen Lazard, Bobby Tonyan..."

So of those four, who are the Packers most and least interested in retaining? Your guesses and thoughts?

[Joemailman]

Lazard the most. Cobb the least.

[sharpe1027]

Lazard the most. Cobb the least.

This, but none are critical.

Rodgers can retire and apply for a GM position somewhere. Otherwise, stop adding to the media drama.

[Fritz]

I wouldn't mind seeing Tonyan back on a cheap deal - does he need to sign one more "prove it" contract, or has he done enough that some team is willing to invest more in him than the Packers would be?

I love Mercedes Lewis. I think there's always room for a guy like him in any locker room.

Alan Lazard is very good in his role, but I don't think that role - the third receiver, the great run blocker - is worth a big contract.

Cobb does have utility as that third-down guy, but I don't think the Packers want him back, and I can understand why.