Who to Fire/Release

[texas]

I was sort of saying this year that depending on how the playoffs went, we should fire Pettine. He's a step up from Dom but it's that usual methodology that I use: if we just picked a new DC at random, how likely is it we would do better vs do worse. And I can't really say for sure either way, so getting someone new wouldn't be the worst idea after 3 years.

But then watching our defense tonight just solidified my opinion for me, and then when I commented in the other thread, I talked myself into an entirely different possibly sufficient reason: MLF needs to act soon on stopping complacency from setting into this team like MM allowed to fester before it eventually became one of our defining qualities (and still sort of is).

Plus Wade Phillips is just sitting there on the sidelines talking about how he wants to come back, and I think it's a no brainer because whatever you think of Wade Phillips, his recent defenses have absolutely dominated.

Also Kevin King's gotta go. Sorry buddy. Not a bad player but can't have a game like that on a stage like that. Plus it's time to give someone else a shot because he's always injured, and as with Pettine, we know his ceiling and floor and it makes sense to roll the dice because an upgrade would be nice at that spot.

So, who do we get rid of, if any? I'm putting the scapegoats of today on the list as well as Preston Smith, who, although I think is decent still, almost has to be a cap casualty.

[lupedafiasco]

Mennenga is enemy numero uno for me. You cant go through the whole season and be in charge of a unit so bad. If thats the military youre gone for loss of confidence in your ability to lead. Scott has been inconsistent but youve gotta find some way to smooth him out. I just cant believe Mason cant kick the ball out of the endzone anymore. Its gotta be a coaching decision. To have that backfire so many times and not learn from it... youve gotta have some type of mental disability. Other things to that just cant happen at the professional level. Blocked punts, kicks, jacked up exchanges, snaps. The coverage units were BAD! The return units blocking was BAD! At times players didnt know when to return and when not to. Just all around things that bad teams do. Luckily the offense and defense bailed them out.

King goes without saying. Ive been saying for years he sucks. For as big and as fast as he gets cooked. Pan fried noodles. Not only that but his tackling is BAD. He actually tackled well a few times in the NFCCG but normally he just throws a blind shoulder at the legs and whiffs. Hes gotta go. You draft a 1st round CB or even a 2nd round CB and its addition by subtraction.

Pettine is next. Like Mennengas bitch ass there are just too many blunders not to place blame here and try to do better. Im not sure where you go from here. I really hate 3-4 defenses. I dont want my edge guys ever in coverage. I want them big and athletic and I want fast/athletic linebackers. Things will get better without King but Pettine just makes too many questionable calls.

Im on the fence about Preston. On one hand Gary needs to be starting with Z but Preston is making 16mil next year. The dead cap vs savings is * mil each if I remember right. That could go a long way keeping Jones or Linsley. Hopefully Keke is a starter at DT next year with Clark and you can start Z and Gary outside. We will see. Im impartial here. Gun to my head I say keep him. He wasnt so bad to lose 8 million on an already tight cap.

Chandon would make the most sense to keep. Letting him go shouldnt even be on the table. Hes an RFA and a decent nickel. Thats cheap production. He got beat a bit today but at the worst for the price youre getting a great nickel/dime back.

[salmar80]

I see no hope for Mennenga.

I kept waiting for a game where the STs would have a positive overall performance. Not even great. Would've settled for being even a bit better than the opponent's. That game never came.

We consistently bled yards, totaling to hundreds of 'em over the course of the season. Kudos to Crosby for a perfect FG season, but his individual performance should not save Mennenga. We were god-awful at everything else: KO returns, KO returns allowed, net punting, punt returns, punt returns allowed. And the roster wasn't nearly injured enough to have that as a legit reason, not even an excuse.

Pettine is teetering on the edge. On one hand, we did have clear roster weaknesses at ILB and in secondary depth, and yet the D was at least OK and even had a winning stretch vs at year's end (until the NFCCG). I honestly expected worse. On the other, LaFleur sure didn't seem happy with how Pettine performed. Frustration was evident during games and even in press conferences. Our O scheme took visible steps forward, while the D scheme seemed...stagnant, even as the results weren't horrible.

We're kinda late to go hiring, but I could see Pettine replaced if LaFleur has someone specific in mind.

I'll wait for season grades before going into players. Except for Redmond. I can not remember a single positive play by him all season. Not one.

[Scott4Pack]

Pettine. I'm actually a toss up for him. I had expected him to be more aggressive once he got his players, but he hasn't been, He prefers to take timely moments to blitz and create pressure. (The Savage blitz that turned pressure into a INT last night was a perfect example. That was VERY effective.) But Pettine makes it clear that he likes his defense to "bend but not break" while our offense scores points. Maybe that's the best thing to do with an offense like ours. But I really enjoyed watching the Tampa D and how it created pressure from many spots and did so often. I do think Pettine will stay. But now he needs to desperately find a CB to compliment Jaire. He needs better depth there too. I'm sure that at draft time, we'll talk a lot about needing to use draft capital on the defense - again.

King. The dude is toast. He thinks he is better than he is. And he does still make SOME wonderful plays. But his consistency is decreasing. And that play before half was singularly worthy of being cut TODAY. He receives a paycheck and he should never have let that happen. Make an example out of that and do it TODAY. He was fortunate when Evans beat him easily later in the game, that Evans dropped a good pass.

Menninga. Any time that you bring in your RB2 to make sure the kickoffs are not fumbled is a bad thing. And what punt returns have we had? While Crosby is automatic this year on figgies, how many PATs were missed. And too many long returns were made against us. It was just bad overall.

[Cdragon]

Mennega is a no brainer. STs continued their abysmability far beyond anything thought possible.

Preston Smith you save 12.5 million dollars againt a 4 mill cap hit for cutting him. That pays for Linsley or a good chunk of Jones. Way to much money for the production we are getting.

Pettine, you just can't call single high at the end of the half. You've got to have at least 3 deep. That's enough to can you. Get somebody better.

Let King walk unless he finds no market with the tight cap and resign him for nothing.

You keep Sullivan till you have something better since he's minimum salary.

[Acrobat]

Before everyone blows up at me for saying this, I don't necessarily think we should do this, but...along with the other blunders that occurred yesterday, I came away with the similar feeling I had after the last 4 NFCCGs we've lost: Rodgers just wasn't "Great". I don't know what it is about the NFCCC, but for what people consider a "GOAT", he hasn't just taken over even one of these games like you've seen other greats in the past. I get that it's a team game so I'm not trying to take a Skip Bayless kind of opinion, nor do I know if Jordan Love would come in and do any better, but just a feeling I have coming away from yesterday's loss.

[German_Panzer]

Pettine has to go, but only if we get a real deal like Wade P. That's the main point, all the others are footnotes compared.

[salmar80]

Pettine has to go, but only if we get a real deal like Wade P. That's the main point, all the others are footnotes compared.

Yes. A 73-year old or nothing!

[Labrev]

Mennenga for sure gotta go. Pettine was not as bad as I had thought earlier when I was on the bandwagon for firing him, but even when he was okay, I kinda wanted some other coordinator/scheme on D. And yeah, if Gregg Willams get fired for that call, I have to think Pettine does, too.

Can't keep King after that game. He regressed this year in general.

Hot take: not convinced Linsley should be kept. OL play was better with him in, but did not fall off that much without him. I rather use that money on a CB2 that can hold their own. Finding a replacement C or G is not as hard, move Jenkins accordingly. It may already be on the roster.

I could see the value of bringing Jones back, but probably better to let him walk and let Dillon be the guy we spent a 2nd on.

I'm like 50-50 on Preston, but I think I lean to keeping him for one more year. Gary has to overtake him, though, even if not officially.

[Pckfn23]

I would think all of the listed people will be on other teams next season.

[paco]

I would think all of the listed people will be on other teams next season.

Sullivan is the only one I didn't mark. Don't see why he wouldn't be back. He's a RFA, more about his cost I guess. But I like him, just not as a #2.

[lulu]

As for the two coaches, I've seen enough to know they aren't the answer. As for the players, I think it comes down to their cost. Do King and P. Smith have value at the right salary? Probably, but they aren't starting material and shouldn't be paid as such. If someone wants to pay King then let them. Renegotiate Smith or send him packing. Chandon I'm ok with despite getting torched yesterday. To the same notion above, if he's cheap then keep him around at least through camp and let him battle it out for a roster spot next season.

[Pckfn23]

I would think all of the listed people will be on other teams next season.

Sullivan is the only one I didn't mark. Don't see why he wouldn't be back. He's a RFA, more about his cost I guess. But I like him, just not as a #2.

That's kind of true. I could see him back for cheap too.

[lulu]

FYI...

CB’s NFL Qb rating when targeted yesterday.

Jaire: 3.3
Chandon Sullivan: 71.7
Kevin King: 140.5

[go pak go]

I mean I don't know how the entire team can't be absolutely pissed off at Kevin King.

Which what's honestly weird is he was effective at tackling yesterday. Usually when he is good at tackling it leans to him having a good day overall.

[kyle.mccarroll]

I mean I don't know how the entire team can't be absolutely pissed off at Kevin King.

Yeah, that was a 'lose the lockerroom' type of performance yesterday. I don't think we'd re-sign him if he gave us a huge bargain at this point. A perfect game to make Gute's offseason one decision easier.

[Crazylegs Starks]

Before everyone blows up at me for saying this, I don't necessarily think we should do this, but...along with the other blunders that occurred yesterday, I came away with the similar feeling I had after the last 4 NFCCGs we've lost: Rodgers just wasn't "Great". I don't know what it is about the NFCCC, but for what people consider a "GOAT", he hasn't just taken over even one of these games like you've seen other greats in the past. I get that it's a team game so I'm not trying to take a Skip Bayless kind of opinion, nor do I know if Jordan Love would come in and do any better, but just a feeling I have coming away from yesterday's loss.

I hope you don't get blown up, because the facts say that the NFCCG is Rodgers' kryptonite. This was his best one by far, considering the INT probably should've been negated by penalty.

[German_Panzer]

King is an above average CB, but not elite like Alexander or when Woodson was our CB. He didn't have a good game but that can happen in just one game - even to the very best. Don't judge a guy just by one bad game!

[lupedafiasco]

I mean I don't know how the entire team can't be absolutely pissed off at Kevin King.

Yeah, that was a 'lose the lockerroom' type of performance yesterday. I don't think we'd re-sign him if he gave us a huge bargain at this point. A perfect game to make Gute's offseason one decision easier.

That decision was easy before yesterday. Kings whole career he’s been either injured or bad. Most players when they have an off game they play poorly. Kings off game is when he actually decides to play well. The dude sucks and I’ve been telling you he gets cooked for years.

[paco]

King is an above average CB, but not elite like Alexander or when Woodson was our CB. He didn't have a good game but that can happen in just one game - even to the very best. Don't judge a guy just by one bad game!

King showed himself to be far from an above average CB all season long. Not just 1 game. I still think he is and could be decent. But unless he comes at near a extremely low 1 year deal, he's not worth bringing back.