Nickel/Dime

[HarveyWallbangers]

Kind of interesting stats from the Press Gazette. It shows how important a nickel corner is, and it shows how much help having good LBs can be. Dendy played a lot of the defensive snaps. However, because both Hawk and Barnett never left the field, the Packers didn't use a dimeback after week 4 of last year. I'm not sure a lot of teams would feel comfortable doing that. That means you better have three good ones (or four, in case somebody gets hurt), but they don't need to be quite as deep as the average team. We need one or two (to feel comfortable about an injury replacement) young corners to really step up this year.

Anyone who doesn't consider the No. 3 cornerback spot a critical one should consider this: Last season, Dendy ended up playing 40.3 percent of the Packers' defensive snaps. Sanders is again expected to rely heavily on his nickel package on obvious passing downs and when teams use more than two receivers. He didn't use the dime (six defensive backs) after Week 4 of last season.

[Rastak]

Re: Nickel/Dime

Kind of interesting stats from the Press Gazette. It shows how important a nickel corner is, and it shows how much help having good LBs can be. Dendy played a lot of the defensive snaps. However, because both Hawk and Barnett never left the field, the Packers didn't use a dimeback after week 4 of last year. I'm not sure a lot of teams would feel comfortable doing that. That means you better have three good ones (or four, in case somebody gets hurt), but they don't need to be quite as deep as the average team. We need one or two (to feel comfortable about an injury replacement) young corners to really step up this year.

Anyone who doesn't consider the No. 3 cornerback spot a critical one should consider this: Last season, Dendy ended up playing 40.3 percent of the Packers' defensive snaps. Sanders is again expected to rely heavily on his nickel package on obvious passing downs and when teams use more than two receivers. He didn't use the dime (six defensive backs) after Week 4 of last season.

I completely agree. The Vikings pass defense was bad last year for a couple of reasons. No pass rush but also their 3rd DB absolutely sucked and teams looked all over the field for him. Solid nickel = better pass defense.

[Freak Out]

Speaking of CBs...how is Walker doing in camp so far? We need that signing to pan out big time.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Well, we need one or two of the candidates to pan out. I don't care if it's Walker, Will Blackmon, Patrick Dendy, Jarrett Bush, or whomever. We need at least one guy, and probably two, to really step up this year.

[wist43]

I think the bigger issue wrt nickel and dime is having players in those positions that are being groomed to take over for Woodson and Harris when they get to the end of the line.

Of the players vying for the nickel spot, the only one that might have enough upside to eventually be a starter is Blackmon.

I like Dendy as a role player, but don't think he'll ever be a starter; Walker is a career backup; Bush??? Don't really know enough about him at this point.

Would really have liked to see TT draft a CB with upside - McCauley was at the top of my wishlist. Of course, he went to the Vikings. Yes, he's a boom or bust guy, but if he pans out, he has pro bowl athleticism and skills.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Of course, to draft McCauley we would have had to pass on James Jones or Brandon Jackson.

[run pMc]

I agree with wist.

[woodbuck27]

Of course, to draft McCauley we would have had to pass on James Jones or Brandon Jackson.

Yup hinsight is. . . but to go there.

16 16 Green Bay ## Harrell, Justin DT 6-4 305 Tennessee

17 17 Denver (from Jacksonville) Moss, Jarvis DE 6-6 251 Florida

18 18 Cincinnati ** Hall, Leon CB 5-11 193 Michigan

19 19 Tennessee Griffin, Michael FS 6-0 195 Texas

20 20 N.Y. Giants ** Ross, Aaron CB 6-1 192 Texas

We had big time need at RB (Jackson) and WR (Jones) but:

What about one of ** these guys ** instead of this guy ##?!

or best. . .

We draft Brady Quinn with the intention of dealing him to Cleveland for their pick and then draft WR Dwayne Bowe and on top of that have another first round pick in 2007.

Wouldn't that have been brilliant (astute) or maybe even a move of some genious?

[wist43]

Maybe Hall, but in general I wasn't looking for a CB in the 1st round.

I just wanted a developmental CB that has big upside. To me, McCauley fits the bill.

Most national people agree that Jones was a reach in the 3rd round, and some even argue that Jackson was a reach in the 2nd... Can't remember what they got back with trading down in the 2nd, but McCauley in the 2nd, Jackson in the 3rd, and Jones in the 4th???

I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect that Jackson and Jones would both have been available later. And if they weren't??? So what, I doubt either is a world beater.

Jackson would probably have been taken somewhere in the 3rd round, but Jones probably would have lasted well into the 4th round, maybe even the 5th. I haven't seen anyone come out and say the Jones pick was a stroke of genius.

It's all relative... even if you value a player highly, if nobody else does, you don't need to jump early for the guy.

[wist43]

Of course, to draft McCauley we would have had to pass on James Jones or Brandon Jackson.

Yup hinsight is. . . but to go there.

16 16 Green Bay ## Harrell, Justin DT 6-4 305 Tennessee

17 17 Denver (from Jacksonville) Moss, Jarvis DE 6-6 251 Florida

18 18 Cincinnati ** Hall, Leon CB 5-11 193 Michigan

19 19 Tennessee Griffin, Michael FS 6-0 195 Texas

20 20 N.Y. Giants ** Ross, Aaron CB 6-1 192 Texas

We had big time need at RB (Jackson) and WR (Jones) but:

What about one of ** these guys ** instead of this guy ##?!

or best. . .

We draft Brady Quinn with the intention of dealing him to Cleveland for their pick and then draft WR Dwayne Bowe and on top of that have another first round pick in 2007.

Wouldn't that have been brilliant (astute) or maybe even a move of some genious?

TT came out and said he doesn't care about next year, "...too many things can happen between now and then"... I think that's pretty close to his quote.

I bet when the '08 draft comes around, he wouldn't be complaining about having two top 15 picks.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect that Jackson and Jones would both have been available later. And if they weren't??? So what, I doubt either is a world beater.

There's absolutely no way of knowing, so that assumption won't work. In fact, it's likely not to be true--despite what the talking heads think. Jackson had a early 3rd round grade on him. Some teams liked him more. Some teams liked him less. I doubt the Packers were the only team that like Jones either. There are a lot of GMs and personnel people from around the league that got their scouting knowledge from the same "source." Kind of like the Bill Walsh school of coaching. I'd have to think many of them saw some of the things Thompson did.

Ron Wolf was an Al Davis disciple. So are many others. Thompson is a Ron Wolf disciple. So are others. I'm sure a lot of these guys look for similar things in players.