General Packers News 2020

[salmar80]

Funchess basically replaces Geronimo. I don't think either move changes the plan that much. I don't see WR a guarantee in the 1st.

I think the biggest need before Funchess was WR. Now that Funchess washes out GMO, it still is.

There comes a time when we need to stop farting around and get Rodgers an immediate impact guy at the WR. The last crop of 3 have left a bad taste in my mouth.

I get that, but does it have to be in the 1st? You don't think an impact guy, in this WR class, will be there in the 2nd round?

No. There is a magical barrier. 1st round WR is guaranteed instant impact. Any after that = Rodgers career wasted.

I get it. We do need a WR, and instant impact would help a ton. But Gutey will never ever go into a draft thinking "in 1st round, only one position is an option. Don't even bother scouting others."

All I'm saying, don't burn down the team offices if we go some other position in R1 (even if there's no one there). If we are going for a AR's last years -push, we might trade some 2020 and 2021 picks to move up in the second to take advantage of a deep WR class.

[TheGreenMan]

I think the biggest need before Funchess was WR. Now that Funchess washes out GMO, it still is.

There comes a time when we need to stop farting around and get Rodgers an immediate impact guy at the WR. The last crop of 3 have left a bad taste in my mouth.

I get that, but does it have to be in the 1st? You don't think an impact guy, in this WR class, will be there in the 2nd round?

No. There is a magical barrier. 1st round WR is guaranteed instant impact. Any after that = Rodgers career wasted.

I get it. We do need a WR, and instant impact would help a ton. But Gutey will never ever go into a draft thinking "in 1st round, only one position is an option. Don't even bother scouting others."

All I'm saying, don't burn down the team offices if we go some other position in R1 (even if there's no one there). If we are going for a AR's last years -push, we might trade some 2020 and 2021 picks to move up in the second to take advantage of a deep WR class.

No, definitely can get one of those guys in the second round. And I would be totally onboard with it too.

I think part of my way of thinking is we're a team that doesn't usually go after or move up for a big, big name..... and I'm just ready for that type of player. We'll do what we always do, and play the patient game, letting things unfold. It's for the most part got us success, but as you mention we're near the end of the Rodgers era, I'm just ready for a splash in the draft.

[YoHoChecko]

I think part of my way of thinking is we're a team that doesn't usually go after or move up for a big, big name..... and I'm just ready for that type of player. We'll do what we always do, and play the patient game, letting things unfold. It's for the most part got us success, but as you mention we're near the end of the Rodgers era, I'm just ready for a splash in the draft.

So not a splash like last year, where we drafted an elite athlete at 12 and then traded up to pick a safety?

[TheGreenMan]

I think part of my way of thinking is we're a team that doesn't usually go after or move up for a big, big name..... and I'm just ready for that type of player. We'll do what we always do, and play the patient game, letting things unfold. It's for the most part got us success, but as you mention we're near the end of the Rodgers era, I'm just ready for a splash in the draft.

So not a splash like last year, where we drafted an elite athlete at 12 and then traded up to pick a safety?

Okay, on defense.

I like Gary, but he wasn't one of "those" names. A lot of other names there that most people thought we could have went for. Let's be honest, Gary was a head scratcher for a lot of folks.

Savage, definitely could be considered one of those I guess. He definitely had an impact on defense this year. How high do you rate safety in terms of "impact" position? Probably not too high, but Savage definitely panned out well. At least so far.

We usually don't find ourselves near the top of the draft, and once again we don't this year. When I mean "splash" I mean someone drafted high..big name.. that has every bit of Aaron Rodgers in mind. We haven't done that in quite some time. That position is WR, and to an extent TE (wanted Fant last year). I want to see this for the offense.

[TheGreenMan]

Like I said earlier... Part of this way of thinking could just be us having, at this point, burned 3 draft picks on middle round WRs and have very, very little to show for it. I just don't want to sit on this position, like we've done with TE over the years, before Jace.

[paco]

We are not taking an ILB at 30...

[Gunzaan]

Doesn’t sound like a big deal to me... that’s what you do with a guy who is reliable but not explosive or a game changer.

[salmar80]

Doesn’t sound like a big deal to me... that’s what you do with a guy who is reliable but not explosive or a game changer.

Yup, and I highly doubt Pettine would go with the exact same scheme and use his ILBs the exact same way as last year if he had different kinda talent at ILB. If Pettine is that calcified, he won't last long.

We currently have Kirksey, Burks, Bolton and Summers at ILB. Greene is a hybrid. That's not down desperation alley, but not stellar either. Kirksey signing was far from the caliber of the Smiths and Amos last year. Burks is a total . Bolton and Summers would have to come outta left field. Greene was fine in limited action last year, but I don't think he matches up well vs all teams.

I frankly don't understand how the forum has gone from "get an every down ILB at any cost!!!" to "meeeeeh, it's a low-priority position" in one year. I would not be surprised at all if we used a 1st or 2nd rounder at the position.

[go pak go]

Doesn’t sound like a big deal to me... that’s what you do with a guy who is reliable but not explosive or a game changer.

Yup, and I highly doubt Pettine would go with the exact same scheme and use his ILBs the exact same way as last year if he had different kinda talent at ILB. If Pettine is that calcified, he won't last long.

We currently have Kirksey, Burks, Bolton and Summers at ILB. Greene is a hybrid. That's not down desperation alley, but not stellar either.

I frankly don't understand how the forum has gone from "get an every down ILB at any cost!!!" to "meeeeeh, it's a low-priority position" in one year. I would not be surprised at all if we used a 1st or 2nd rounder at the position.

Oh just wait. Everyone here will be screaming in October of "how did we not make ILB a priority in the draft?!!! I have been saying this for years that we need to invest in this position. Anything otherwise is a complete waste of Rodgers talent. lis a good defense is essentially a good offense because it gives Rodgers more cracks at the bat at scoring points."

Mindset in October: Packers will have $60 million and 4 1st round draft picks.
Mindset in March: Sh*t we don't have that kind of capital. Let's pretend it's no longer a need.

[TheGreenMan]

Doesn’t sound like a big deal to me... that’s what you do with a guy who is reliable but not explosive or a game changer.

Yup, and I highly doubt Pettine would go with the exact same scheme and use his ILBs the exact same way as last year if he had different kinda talent at ILB. If Pettine is that calcified, he won't last long.

We currently have Kirksey, Burks, Bolton and Summers at ILB. Greene is a hybrid. That's not down desperation alley, but not stellar either. Kirksey signing was far from the caliber of the Smiths and Amos last year. Burks is a total . Bolton and Summers would have to come outta left field. Greene was fine in limited action last year, but I don't think he matches up well vs all teams.

I frankly don't understand how the forum has gone from "get an every down ILB at any cost!!!" to "meeeeeh, it's a low-priority position" in one year. I would not be surprised at all if we used a 1st or 2nd rounder at the position.

I was actually just thinking this.

It still makes you wonder if the Kirksey signing is going to be the "big" move to change the middle of the defense. The jury is still out on whether Pettine will play differently this go around, if he has another guy in the middle to play with Kirskey (if we draft someone). Or will we see much of the same with Kirskey being the one man army now?

I'd be shocked if we didn't draft someone for the inside. It's absolutely a need still.

[williewasgreat]

We are not taking an ILB at 30...

I played a little middle LB in a 4-3 and I was told to pick the gap that looked like the play gap to me, seldom was I given a specific gap to play. The better LBs make good gap choices.

[Pugger]

I never was, why fix what isn't broken, add some receiver talent, and this offense and Rodgers will be a lot better

Isn't the cap suppose to increase next year? if so we'll be better able to handle Rodgers increase

How is the cap going to increase when the league loses 40% of its revenue due to empty stadiums?

Do you believe the league will go with a full season but have empty stadiums? The NBA and MLB could have kept playing but they didn't. I have a gut feeling come May we will see a decline in new coronavirus cases and things will return to normal by summer.

[YoHoChecko]

Hahaha, Martinez is complaining that he was told to read the play and rely on instincts instead of being told exactly what to do each down. Ok, buddy; we agree, that didn't work out... but it's a knock on him, not on the defense asking him to do so.

[texas]

Yeah, if the Covid-19 shutdown continues into the NFL season then I can't see how it won't have a negative impact on the 2021 cap.

Because the NFL won't allow it. There is no way the NFL is playing games to empty stadiums. If this is still an issue in August and September, I think the NFL will postpone games until its deemed safe to play to full houses again. They are not losing that revenue and by extension, then, the TV deals can continue to be negotiated where I think we all understand the only way those will go is up.

The NFL got super lucky with the timing of the Covid-19 pandemic. 5 months to go 'til the real money-makers - regular season games - are supposed to start.

If the regular season is affected, I expect the league to work out some kind of exceptional cap compromise.

If the cap were to go down, most teams could get under it rather easily, but the UFA class would be ENORMOUS due to teams not being able to re-sign their stars. The Eagles, Bears and Saints would likely be forced to some heavy cuts, other teams not so much.

Plus everyone is going to be starved for sports normalcy by then, even if this thing wraps up sooner than expected, the other sports leagues are already impacted a lot

[paco]

Martinez is now saying he didn't say all those things. HaHa seems to be backing him up (take that for what it's worth). Doesn't matter really. He's a Giant now. A team that has now supposedly said their GM has 1 year to turn it around or be fired.

[Pckfn23]

Martinez is now saying he didn't say all those things. HaHa seems to be backing him up (take that for what it's worth). Doesn't matter really. He's a Giant now. A team that has now supposedly said their GM has 1 year to turn it around or be fired.

Interesting. Was going to say, that would be a terrible way to play Martinez as he isn't the most explosive ILB. Also what he said would explain the AWFUL OLB play in the NFCCG. SF exploiting them because they are doing whatever they want. It would make sense if what he said was the truth, but that makes me a bit let down by Pettine. Oh well, we will never know.

[Yoop]

Doesn’t sound like a big deal to me... that’s what you do with a guy who is reliable but not explosive or a game changer.

Yup, and I highly doubt Pettine would go with the exact same scheme and use his ILBs the exact same way as last year if he had different kinda talent at ILB. If Pettine is that calcified, he won't last long.

We currently have Kirksey, Burks, Bolton and Summers at ILB. Greene is a hybrid. That's not down desperation alley, but not stellar either.

I frankly don't understand how the forum has gone from "get an every down ILB at any cost!!!" to "meeeeeh, it's a low-priority position" in one year. I would not be surprised at all if we used a 1st or 2nd rounder at the position.

Oh just wait. Everyone here will be screaming in October of "how did we not make ILB a priority in the draft?!!! I have been saying this for years that we need to invest in this position. Anything otherwise is a complete waste of Rodgers talent. lis a good defense is essentially a good offense because it gives Rodgers more cracks at the bat at scoring points."

Mindset in October: Packers will have $60 million and 4 1st round draft picks.
Mindset in March: Sh*t we don't have that kind of capital. Let's pretend it's no longer a need.

you don't know what people will be saying then, can't you understand that there are priority's, you just did a dang mock draft where you prioritized a big safety to play the will backer position, why are you putting others down now because they want a WR, a position we need just as badly, and has always held a higher priority.

the top 3 ILB's are gone, you can bank on that, and even if there not, if one of these top 5 or 6 WR are then thats my choice, I want a ILB just as much as anyone, but I also know which position will help us win the most, and it sure as &%$@ isn't ILB.

[salmar80]

Yup, and I highly doubt Pettine would go with the exact same scheme and use his ILBs the exact same way as last year if he had different kinda talent at ILB. If Pettine is that calcified, he won't last long.

We currently have Kirksey, Burks, Bolton and Summers at ILB. Greene is a hybrid. That's not down desperation alley, but not stellar either.

I frankly don't understand how the forum has gone from "get an every down ILB at any cost!!!" to "meeeeeh, it's a low-priority position" in one year. I would not be surprised at all if we used a 1st or 2nd rounder at the position.

Oh just wait. Everyone here will be screaming in October of "how did we not make ILB a priority in the draft?!!! I have been saying this for years that we need to invest in this position. Anything otherwise is a complete waste of Rodgers talent. lis a good defense is essentially a good offense because it gives Rodgers more cracks at the bat at scoring points."

Mindset in October: Packers will have $60 million and 4 1st round draft picks.
Mindset in March: Sh*t we don't have that kind of capital. Let's pretend it's no longer a need.

you don't know what people will be saying then, can't you understand that there are priority's, you just did a dang mock draft where you prioritized a big safety to play the will backer position, why are you putting others down now because they want a WR, a position we need just as badly, and has always held a higher priority.

the top 3 ILB's are gone, you can bank on that, and even if there not, if one of these top 5 or 6 WR are then thats my choice, I want a ILB just as much as anyone, but I also know which position will help us win the most, and it sure as &%$@ isn't ILB.

I understand fans see the team having priorities, but also that fans' view of those priorities can change on a dime. Many fans are like horses with blinders, fixated on the one obvious road (need) right in front of them, while real GMs driving the carriage have to look at the entire scenery and think ahead.

WR is a logical March priority. I fully agree it's highest on the list. Looks great on a depth chart on paper, since depth charts on paper rarely sustain injuries.

But if Wagner falters and ARod takes a pounding, that shiny WR doesn't get catches and the priority should've been RT. If middle of the defense leaks like a sieve or Kirksey gets hurt early, and that shiny WR can't produce enough to compensate, priority should've been ILB...

That said, I think it's very likely we draft a WR high this year. Whether it's original pick R1, trade up or down, original R2 pick, trade up or down, I dunno. Depends on what other teams do in the draft.

I do know there's no way in that Gutey goes into a draft thinking about only one position round one. There are too many potential scenarios that can lead to a player at another position being the best talent available - whether by there being a huge run on WRs mid-round 1, a talent unexpectedly falling, et cetera.

[Scott4Pack]

I get that, but does it have to be in the 1st? You don't think an impact guy, in this WR class, will be there in the 2nd round?

No. There is a magical barrier. 1st round WR is guaranteed instant impact. Any after that = Rodgers career wasted.

I get it. We do need a WR, and instant impact would help a ton. But Gutey will never ever go into a draft thinking "in 1st round, only one position is an option. Don't even bother scouting others."

All I'm saying, don't burn down the team offices if we go some other position in R1 (even if there's no one there). If we are going for a AR's last years -push, we might trade some 2020 and 2021 picks to move up in the second to take advantage of a deep WR class.

No, definitely can get one of those guys in the second round. And I would be totally onboard with it too.

I think part of my way of thinking is we're a team that doesn't usually go after or move up for a big, big name..... and I'm just ready for that type of player. We'll do what we always do, and play the patient game, letting things unfold. It's for the most part got us success, but as you mention we're near the end of the Rodgers era, I'm just ready for a splash in the draft.

Part of me wants to agree with you. (We haven't really "splashed" since trading up for Clay, but that was still a little splash.) If we look 5 years down the road, who do we have at QB? Of course we don't know. But chances are pretty good that the level of play will not be as good as with Aaron. So, if there's any reason to justify pushing more chips forward, this is probably it.

But then the question is whether Guty would put risk on his career to do such a thing.

[Scott4Pack]

Hahaha, Martinez is complaining that he was told to read the play and rely on instincts instead of being told exactly what to do each down. Ok, buddy; we agree, that didn't work out... but it's a knock on him, not on the defense asking him to do so.

Isn't it something when a guy complains about playing to his instincts? Maybe he realizes that they aren't really very good.