Off-season 2023 Banjo

[Fritz]

From the Packers' perspective, it'd be helpful if some QB whom nobody suspected got picked in the top 14, and if there were also a run on CB's a few picks before Green Bay picks - maybe they could trade back a bit?

But the draft never seems to go the way my wish-list goes. So we'll see.

I'm really curious is Gutes goes fairly early TE and one mid-round or later, or if he just does one high-pick TE and then re-signs Lewis.

Maybe, with the depth of the TE's, this is the year they pick one in the third round - and actually hit on a third-round pick.

[run pMc]

From the Packers' perspective, it'd be helpful if some QB whom nobody suspected got picked in the top 14, and if there were also a run on CB's a few picks before Green Bay picks - maybe they could trade back a bit?

If both Levis and Richardson go early, it could help a player fall to GB. OTOH, if Levis is there at 15, some team might want to trade up for him.

I think Stroud, Young, Will Anderson, Tyree Wilson, Paris Johnson, Skoronski, Christian Gonzalez, Witherspoon, Jalen Carter are gone by 15. There are a few others who are 50/50 shots such as Levis, Broderick Jones, and JSN who could be gone. Maybe Joey Porter Jr., maybe some late riser like Darnell Wright or Van Ness.

I think there could be a mini-run on WR at end of R1 along with TE's : Quentin Johnson, Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison. There should be a decent player available at 15 for GB, and likewise if they move down to 20 and pick up an extra R3.

It's prime lying season, so who knows what any team really thinks.

[run pMc]

Yosh Njiman signs his tender. They have a starting RT for a year.

[Fritz]

With Zach Tom waiting in the wings. Or is he going to be pushing Myers for the starting center job?

[run pMc]

I think he could play C or T. I think he could replace Bakhtiari at LT eventually.
I'm not really sure what the succession plan there is: Tom, Jenkins, developmental player (Rasheed Walker?) or a draft pick. At least they have options.

Personally, I wouldn't be shocked if they traded Bahktiari at the trade deadline if they are out of the playoff hunt by then and they have someone waiting in the wings. Bahktiari has that big cap hit next year so I think he's more likely dealt vs. trading Njiman to a team that signs him to a mid-season extension.
Jenkins can play LT, but I think he's best as a C/G. Tom is interesting as competition at C for Myers. Myers better bring it this year.

[Fritz]

Yeah, when you spend a second-round pick on a center or a guard, I think the expectation is that they'd better pan out, and pretty quickly. For a second-round center, Myers's run blocking is for schitzen. You want a guy to turn out like Elgton Jenkins, not Jason Spriggs (okay, he was a tackle, but you get the idea).

[run pMc]

Yeah, when you spend a second-round pick on a center or a guard, I think the expectation is that they'd better pan out, and pretty quickly. For a second-round center, Myers's run blocking is for schitzen. You want a guy to turn out like Elgton Jenkins, not Jason Spriggs (okay, he was a tackle, but you get the idea).

I think Myers is ok. They ask a lot of him in terms of reach blocks and things like that, and for a center he's pretty tall (6'5") and athletic. He was injured for most of his rookie year and last year was his first full season, so maybe this year he'll be able to make a jump in consistency. I think he can turn out, but this is the year he has to show it. Linsley was such a good center there was almost guaranteed to be some drop off.

At worst Myers is a lower-to-mid level starter. Problem is, Creed Humphrey was on the board and taken one pick later, and he's already gotten plenty of accolades. It's not like there was any secret Humphrey was good either, IIRC he was the top rated C in the draft. The pre-draft hype and performance since makes things look worse in hindsight. I can only assume they thought Myers was a better scheme fit. As APB has told us repeatedly, you don't want to spend a R2 on a Center, but I'd caveat that to not wanting to spend it on a middling one.

Tom would work ok at C because he's smart plus a good technician and athlete. I'd expect he'd have trouble with big NTs and monsters like Dexter Lawrence, but many C's do. That might be where Myers' size could win out. Either way, keeping the pocket clean for JLove will be important. I will be fascinated to see how all things sort out with all these OL already on the roster, as well as seeing what their long-term plan is along the OL. Camp reports on the OL will be interesting.
Very curious if one of Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones, and Sean Rhyan can show anything.

[Fritz]

I think Myers is ok. They ask a lot of him in terms of reach blocks and things like that, and for a center he's pretty tall (6'5") and athletic. He was injured for most of his rookie year and last year was his first full season, so maybe this year he'll be able to make a jump in consistency. I think he can turn out, but this is the year he has to show it. Linsley was such a good center there was almost guaranteed to be some drop off.

At worst Myers is a lower-to-mid level starter. Problem is, Creed Humphrey was on the board and taken one pick later, and he's already gotten plenty of accolades. It's not like there was any secret Humphrey was good either, IIRC he was the top rated C in the draft. The pre-draft hype and performance since makes things look worse in hindsight. I can only assume they thought Myers was a better scheme fit. As APB has told us repeatedly, you don't want to spend a R2 on a Center, but I'd caveat that to not wanting to spend it on a middling one.

Tom would work ok at C because he's smart plus a good technician and athlete. I'd expect he'd have trouble with big NTs and monsters like Dexter Lawrence, but many C's do. That might be where Myers' size could win out. Either way, keeping the pocket clean for JLove will be important. I will be fascinated to see how all things sort out with all these OL already on the roster, as well as seeing what their long-term plan is along the OL. Camp reports on the OL will be interesting.
Very curious if one of Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones, and Sean Rhyan can show anything.

I think the end of your post is what's exciting and interesting. They did seem to load up last year on guys with potential - the guys you mentioned. So I'm really curious how they approach the draft. What if they think their next left tackle is already on the roster? The draft might tell us a lot about what they think about guys like Walker and Jones, and maybe even Rhyan. Though ugh. That guy.

[run pMc]

Sometimes the Detroit Lions are gonna Lions

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/04/nfl-players-detroit-lions-gambling-suspension-explained

[Fritz]

Sometimes the Detroit Lions are gonna Lions

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/04/nfl...sion-explained

I love it.

I thought Cephus had a good year for them, but as I looked it up, it wasn't much. The safety, Moore, didn't do much either.

And six games for their last year's first rounder, Williams.

Cool.

Maybe this is what they mean by Dan Campbell being a "player's coach."

Bring on the prostitutes in the locker room!

[run pMc]

I realize sports gambling is widespread and big business, but after the Calvin Ridley thing you'd expect players to be smarter about that.

That said, it's kind of crazy that you can be suspended longer for placing a bet on your old alma mater from your locker than from beating up your baby mama.
PORTECT TEH SHEELD ROGER

[Fritz]

I realize sports gambling is widespread and big business, but after the Calvin Ridley thing you'd expect players to be smarter about that.

That said, it's kind of crazy that you can be suspended longer for placing a bet on your old alma mater from your locker than from beating up your baby mama.
PORTECT TEH SHEELD ROGER

This is it, exactly. The NFL made a big push several years ago to "clean up" its image because too many players were involved in domestic violence, or just violence in general, or they were drinking and driving, and so on. But it's more important to protect the conglomerate from any whiff of fixing the games than it is to show that violence/domestic violence is not okay.

[Teamcheez1]

I realize sports gambling is widespread and big business, but after the Calvin Ridley thing you'd expect players to be smarter about that.

That said, it's kind of crazy that you can be suspended longer for placing a bet on your old alma mater from your locker than from beating up your baby mama.
PORTECT TEH SHEELD ROGER

Gambling is the NFL’s golden goose.
TV revenue, ticket sales, merchandising are all secondary.
Gambling feeds all their other revenue streams.

They don’t care about the fan who watches for the love of the game. There is no money in that.

[Fritz]

That's a good point. Just look at absolutely how many ads there are for gambling sites. It's everywhere.

But this is a scuff on the sheen of the "up-and-coming-Lions" narrative that is currently playing everywhere, it seems.

But I'm going to guess the coach will go down that old, tired, tried-and-true coach cliche road, and say that it's just another set back to overcome, and the kid (Williams) just didn't know the rules, but the won't tolerate rule-breaking (thus they cut the non-productive guys), that it just puts a target on their backs and a chip on their shoulders, and all that crap.

[NewsBruin]

Gambling is the NFL’s golden goose.
TV revenue, ticket sales, merchandising are all secondary.
Gambling feeds all their other revenue streams.

They don’t care about the fan who watches for the love of the game. There is no money in that.

I dunno. Online gambling seems like the new shiny revenue stream, and maybe that it's electronic and handheld will keep it a manageable addiction, rather than "I just mortgaged the house" levels (Online platforms will cut off or limit big-money winners to cool them). It comes off to me like ride-hailing or crypto services that get flooded with venture-capital money and turn over that money to every possible advertising or sponsorship outlet. I think the gambling numbers will peak from novelty and then settle in about 3-5 years.

I don't see the NFL's take from gambling coming close to broadcast/streaming-network income. Gamblers may watch more games whose teams/players they wouldn't have any other connection to, so there may be a ratings bounce.