2022 WR's

[Foosball]

Toure can hang out on the practice squad and hone his skills

So the real question is do the Packers keep Amari or Winfree?

[APB]

Who was the other dude like 8-10 years ago that claimed to have inside knowledge of the team. Name started with an A?

You talking about the mad insider himself, Joe Arrigo?

[Yoop]

Who was the other dude like 8-10 years ago that claimed to have inside knowledge of the team. Name started with an A?

Sounds familiar...

Here's the thing. Back when Ron Wolf retired, he and his family moved to my hometown, Annapolis, MD. My dad and Ron Wolf developed a friendship at Navy football games. My dad suggested that I take Eliot out to lunch since he was new in town and we were the same age. We hung out a couple times when we were both in Annapolis for summer during college, and that was enough to be facebook friends and keep in touch for a while. My connections with the Wolfs and another Annapolitan--John Dorsey--led to me having a week-long "internship" at the 2005 combine, where I helped the team with various things from recording morning weigh-ins to taking lunch orders from the scouts positioned in different places around the complex to tracking down players in their downtime for "informal" interviews with position coaches.

I've written on this forum before about working with the team briefly in 2005 becaise it was a really cool experience and I gained a lot of firsthand knowledge of guys in the front office who are mostly now gone (though Gutey was there (don't remember him) and it was Jon-Eric Sullivan's first or second year with the team I think). But even then, I waited a while to talk about that because I wanted no online public information that made it appear as though my opinions were actually news or insights from the team.

My friendship with Eliot Wolf, which stuck around for a while (we had lunch together when I passed through GB in 2017, last I saw him), I never discussed openly while it was ongoing. I PMed JustJeff to reveal to him that some of the things I knew were things I knew. For whatever reason I trusted JustJeff with it, and we PMed about it from time to time. That's how I knew TT was really struggling with his mental capacity toward the end, though I didn't crow much about it. I simply agreed with people who were making such theories. But that's it.

I tell this story, even though it sounds like PackerNation is now gone, simply to say that if you're name dropping guys, it's probably bs. Because if you ACTUALLY had insights and information from team insider sources, you wouldn't be so careless to reveal not only the info, but the source. You just wouldn't. Or at least, you shouldn't.

I remember parts of this from before, always thought Eliot would be a GM sooner rather then later, really felt he was ready a few years back, guess not.

My uncle was friends, close friends, with Jack Vanisi back then, I've name dropped him a few times, nobody seemed to impressed

if ya go to a forum to fight, you'll probably get into one, it's to bad.

[Pckfn23]

Who was the other dude like 8-10 years ago that claimed to have inside knowledge of the team. Name started with an A?

You talking about the mad insider himself, Joe Arrigo?

Yes!!

[go pak go]

Yeah but Arrigo was at least entertaining as hell.

[go pak go]

Who was the other dude like 8-10 years ago that claimed to have inside knowledge of the team. Name started with an A?

Sounds familiar...

Here's the thing. Back when Ron Wolf retired, he and his family moved to my hometown, Annapolis, MD. My dad and Ron Wolf developed a friendship at Navy football games. My dad suggested that I take Eliot out to lunch since he was new in town and we were the same age. We hung out a couple times when we were both in Annapolis for summer during college, and that was enough to be facebook friends and keep in touch for a while. My connections with the Wolfs and another Annapolitan--John Dorsey--led to me having a week-long "internship" at the 2005 combine, where I helped the team with various things from recording morning weigh-ins to taking lunch orders from the scouts positioned in different places around the complex to tracking down players in their downtime for "informal" interviews with position coaches.

I've written on this forum before about working with the team briefly in 2005 becaise it was a really cool experience and I gained a lot of firsthand knowledge of guys in the front office who are mostly now gone (though Gutey was there (don't remember him) and it was Jon-Eric Sullivan's first or second year with the team I think). But even then, I waited a while to talk about that because I wanted no online public information that made it appear as though my opinions were actually news or insights from the team.

My friendship with Eliot Wolf, which stuck around for a while (we had lunch together when I passed through GB in 2017, last I saw him), I never discussed openly while it was ongoing. I PMed JustJeff to reveal to him that some of the things I knew were things I knew. For whatever reason I trusted JustJeff with it, and we PMed about it from time to time. That's how I knew TT was really struggling with his mental capacity toward the end, though I didn't crow much about it. I simply agreed with people who were making such theories. But that's it.

I tell this story, even though it sounds like PackerNation is now gone, simply to say that if you're name dropping guys, it's probably bs. Because if you ACTUALLY had insights and information from team insider sources, you wouldn't be so careless to reveal not only the info, but the source. You just wouldn't. Or at least, you shouldn't.

I remember parts of this from before, always thought Eliot would be a GM sooner rather then later, really felt he was ready a few years back, guess not.

My uncle was friends, close friends, with Jack Vanisi back then, I've name dropped him a few times, nobody seemed to impressed

if ya go to a forum to fight, you'll probably get into one, it's to bad.

Oh you mean John Eric Sullivan wouldn't be pissed that a "friend" went on a forum and was leaking a Packers poker hand on a potential roster move to look good in front of an argument with YoHo?



But that is super cool Yoho. And I can vouch about the Wolfs and Dorsey being an Annapolis connection. I had a fund conversation with the owner of Chick and Ruths about John Michael Dorsey and Ron Wolf when he found out I was a Packers fan. Also, I know I have said it before, but I love Annapolis. Super cool town. Grew up a Terps fan too for basketball because they were the fun turtle team who beat Duke in the early 2000's. Probably only South Dakotan who loves Maryland.

So at least you got one other person who knows you ain't lying.

[Labrev]

Arrigo would connect Green Bay to countless draft prospects -- like, laundry list -- every year and he would never get a single one right. I think his big moment was correctly calling Clay Matthews. He would always talk up USC guys. That one hit gave him like a 0.0001 batting average lol.

[Pckfn23]

Arrigo would connect Green Bay to countless draft prospects -- like, laundry list -- every year and he would never get a single one right. I think his big moment was correctly calling Clay Matthews. He would always talk up USC guys. That one hit gave him like a 0.0001 batting average lol.

He would also be very active in the free agent and roster moves mill. He would find the thinnest connections and trumpet it to the rafters as a varified source. Got called out here, but REALLY got hit hard on Twitter over it.

[Yoop]

Sounds familiar...

Here's the thing. Back when Ron Wolf retired, he and his family moved to my hometown, Annapolis, MD. My dad and Ron Wolf developed a friendship at Navy football games. My dad suggested that I take Eliot out to lunch since he was new in town and we were the same age. We hung out a couple times when we were both in Annapolis for summer during college, and that was enough to be facebook friends and keep in touch for a while. My connections with the Wolfs and another Annapolitan--John Dorsey--led to me having a week-long "internship" at the 2005 combine, where I helped the team with various things from recording morning weigh-ins to taking lunch orders from the scouts positioned in different places around the complex to tracking down players in their downtime for "informal" interviews with position coaches.

I've written on this forum before about working with the team briefly in 2005 becaise it was a really cool experience and I gained a lot of firsthand knowledge of guys in the front office who are mostly now gone (though Gutey was there (don't remember him) and it was Jon-Eric Sullivan's first or second year with the team I think). But even then, I waited a while to talk about that because I wanted no online public information that made it appear as though my opinions were actually news or insights from the team.

My friendship with Eliot Wolf, which stuck around for a while (we had lunch together when I passed through GB in 2017, last I saw him), I never discussed openly while it was ongoing. I PMed JustJeff to reveal to him that some of the things I knew were things I knew. For whatever reason I trusted JustJeff with it, and we PMed about it from time to time. That's how I knew TT was really struggling with his mental capacity toward the end, though I didn't crow much about it. I simply agreed with people who were making such theories. But that's it.

I tell this story, even though it sounds like PackerNation is now gone, simply to say that if you're name dropping guys, it's probably bs. Because if you ACTUALLY had insights and information from team insider sources, you wouldn't be so careless to reveal not only the info, but the source. You just wouldn't. Or at least, you shouldn't.

I remember parts of this from before, always thought Eliot would be a GM sooner rather then later, really felt he was ready a few years back, guess not.

My uncle was friends, close friends, with Jack Vanisi back then, I've name dropped him a few times, nobody seemed to impressed

if ya go to a forum to fight, you'll probably get into one, it's to bad.

Oh you mean John Eric Sullivan wouldn't be pissed that a "friend" went on a forum and was leaking a Packers poker hand on a potential roster move to look good in front of an argument with YoHo?



But that is super cool Yoho. And I can vouch about the Wolfs and Dorsey being an Annapolis connection. I had a fund conversation with the owner of Chick and Ruths about John Michael Dorsey and Ron Wolf when he found out I was a Packers fan. Also, I know I have said it before, but I love Annapolis. Super cool town. Grew up a Terps fan too for basketball because they were the fun turtle team who beat Duke in the early 2000's. Probably only South Dakotan who loves Maryland.

So at least you got one other person who knows you ain't lying.

I heard about Yoho doing the combine gig, you lost me with Sullivan though, if it was a inside straight I doubt he'd share that info with anyone at the table

I always think about who ever it was that new the grounds keeper/ custodian, and would share insider info about 6 or so years back, some of it came true, I'll just bet that was PN with another user name

[Yoop]

some good news, Watson will get a chance to strut his stuff.

Splash play, impressive adjustment and mental improvements highlight Christian Watson’s return

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/splash-pla ... 05118.html

[wallyuwl]

Screenshot_20220823-222833_Facebook.jpg (415.6 KiB) Viewed 414 times

[YoHoChecko]

It's funny because it's been true for a while and clearly the Packers have little interest right now. This isn't the first time Still has mentioned this.

I'd bet his workouts have not been great. Or maybe it's just the personal red flags aren't worth the player who is probably no better than Doubs already.

[bud fox]

Yeah but Arrigo was at least entertaining as hell.

All made up and it was hilarious ... we need an Arrigo insider character here. Definitely will add value.

Yoho or packernation look like options.

Yoho has the wolf connection and PN has the made up connections. Rise to glory PN.

[APB]

PackerNation upon hearing Samori Toure is taking ST reps at the other end of the practice field...sorry, Jon-Eric, gotta go!

[BSA]

I didn't go back through all of this thread, so sorry if this was already covered, but I had a ton of windshield time to ponder this

There's a great article up at The Athletic (pay) about the evolution of slot WRs. I'll post a few snippets below because its germaine to all of our WR discussions. And these are just snippets, the article is really long/detailed

"The popularity of 11 personnel was here to stay, and most NFL coaches had a crystalized vision for what type of player belonged in the slot: they looked and played like the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Welker. In 2017, undersized players who survived on short-area quickness — like Golden Tate, Danny Amendola and Adam Humphries — were among the league leaders in slot snaps.

But if the past few seasons are any indication, the parade of Welker clones holding down that position has started to slow.

In 2021, Cooper Kupp won receiving’s triple crown and Offensive Player of the Year honors while playing nearly two-thirds of his snaps from the slot. Kupp’s production inside was unprecedented, but that’s not all that sets him apart from slot receivers of the recent past.

Kupp is 6-foot-2, nearly six inches taller than Welker. He’s also one of the best blocking receivers in football, and his presence allows the Rams to align in 11 personnel but tap into run concepts typically reserved for sets with multiple tight ends or a fullback. By reimagining what a slot receiver is capable of, the Rams have added an extra layer of deception to their offense.
And they aren’t alone.

...Expand the scope to part-time slot players and the physical profile gets even bigger. Allen Lazard — who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 227 pounds — spent 42 percent of his snaps in the slot for the Packers. Around the league, the image of a slot receiver has grown before our eyes. The rise of the “power slot” is here, and that evolution — combined with the way defenses are poised to respond — is yet another expression of the larger schematic arc that continues to define the NFL.


Over the past few years, a particular variation of a classic NFL run design has made its way around the league.

Most of the offensive players block like a normal Duo run — a scheme that involves two sets of double teams by the offensive line. But now, instead of the slot receiver trying to dig out a safety from his normal alignment outside the tight end, teams have asked him to insert between the tackle and tight end to act as something of a lead blocker. It’s an ask that’s become both more feasible — and more effective — for bigger, stronger slot players like Godwin and Lazard.

With more teams around the league using two-high shell coverages on early downs — even against a team with Jonathan Taylor — the nickel back has become a crucial part of stopping the run for sub-package defenses. By putting a big-bodied receiver on a traditionally smaller cornerback, teams like the Colts can create a physical mismatch in the running game.

“When you have 11 personnel on the field, you’re limited with how you can block the extra defender in the box, whether it’s the nickel or the safety,” Reich said. “And with the way we want to run the ball, it’s an important deal.”

Nathanial Hackett quoted:
“For my philosophy, Matt’s philosophy, Sean’s philosophy, we want to run and do play pass,” Hackett said. “So we always want a more physical slot player. If you look at the Buffalo Bills, they’re taking more agile pass guys. So I really think it just depends on what your offensive philosophy is. For me, I want a big dude who can go in there, do all those things, like a Cooper Kupp, like Allen Lazard.”

And here's the payoff from the defensive side:

Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero — who previously served as the Rams’ passing game coordinator before being hired in Denver earlier this year — had a daily, up-close view at the impact Kupp had on McVay’s offense.

“You have a guy like Cooper who has all that route savvy, and he’s so smart and he’s so tough that he does a lot of that dirty work that fullbacks and tight ends do. You’re in 11 personnel, but you’re getting 12 (personnel) run game.
“If you don’t have the right nickel CB in there who’s ready to play linebacker, you’re gonna have some issues.”

(This is why GB has looked at Rasul and Savage in the slot, to combat the Power Slots
But I digress. Back to the offense and why these Big Slots matter so much)

You’re in 11 personnel, but you’re getting 12 (personnel) run game.

This is HUGE. When the offense comes out in 11 personnel, the defense will match with nickle or dime - and that's exactly the package you want to run against ! Using a Big WR the way that McVay/MLF and others have done allows them to run into a lighter box if they want and they still have the 3 WRs on the field if they choose to pass. It puts the defense in a really tough spot. Run or pass with a passing personnel package that forces the defenses' hand. And let AR sort it out at the LOS.

This is what makes Lazard so valuable and why Fulgham, Shenault and others are of interest to GB - its a brutal position and Lazard et al will get dinged up. MLF doesn't want to get caught short again.


tl/dr
The slot position and the guys who play it are evolving - and that evolution has huge impacts on both the offense and the defense.
.

[Drj820]

There was someone who doesn’t post tooooo much..acrobat??? Who said they went down to Tennessee and heard from a family friend that Lafleur was going to be head coach. Something like that.

That poster nailed it

[bud fox]

Lazard definitely better suited for slot for his blocking and not great getting separation. The open field at slot makes it much easier for him to get some space and use his body.

[lupedafiasco]

I used to be a small slot WR kind of guy but have also switched to the big slot mindset. They’re better down the seam with their size for big play potential. They block better on outside runs. If they separate and understand coverages they can get open as well as other slots by using their size and strength.

I really hope the Packers don’t play Lazard outside but if they do keep him in the slot what do you do with Cobb and Rodgers?

[NCF]

I used to be a small slot WR kind of guy but have also switched to the big slot mindset. They’re better down the seam with their size for big play potential. They block better on outside runs. If they separate and understand coverages they can get open as well as other slots by using their size and strength.

I really hope the Packers don’t play Lazard outside but if they do keep him in the slot what do you do with Cobb and Rodgers?

Jet motion, backfield, or bench.

[salmar80]

I used to be a small slot WR kind of guy but have also switched to the big slot mindset. They’re better down the seam with their size for big play potential. They block better on outside runs. If they separate and understand coverages they can get open as well as other slots by using their size and strength.

I really hope the Packers don’t play Lazard outside but if they do keep him in the slot what do you do with Cobb and Rodgers?

Jet motion, backfield, or bench.

There's still use for traditional slot types on pure passing downs, where you aren't threatening to use the slot as a blocker.

If the opponent fields a bigger nickel, Cobb/Amari could match up better than Lazard

Theoretically we could go 4 wide, motion Amari to RB and run it vs dime D.

That was a cool article, thanks [mention]BSA[/mention] !