Packers are signing Whitney Mercilus

[Pckfn23]

[lupedafiasco]

This is what I’m $%@# talking about Gutey.

[salmar80]

We're gonna have a silly stable of rushers when everyone gets healthy.

It may seem like too many mouths to feed, but if we do have everyone up, this enables more inside rushing from Z and Gary.

[go pak go]

I have almost 0 hope of Z playing this year. Maybe a surprise if he's available end of the year or for the playoffs. No inside info there, just gut feeling.

Agreed. I think we saw the last snaps of Z in a Packers uniform in Jacksonville.

[Pckfn23]

I have almost 0 hope of Z playing this year. Maybe a surprise if he's available end of the year or for the playoffs. No inside info there, just gut feeling.

Agreed. I think we saw the last snaps of Z in a Packers uniform in Jacksonville.

Talk about Debbie Downers!

[lupedafiasco]

When I saw Mercilus was released I thought it made sense to pursue if he was willing to take the minimum. Hes not a dominant force anymore or anything but hes a veteran presence. Barry clearly wants to play his best edge defenders on 3rd downs. This gives you Mercilus and Garvin on early downs which is a good enough duo to keep Preston and Gary fresh.

[lupedafiasco]

I have almost 0 hope of Z playing this year. Maybe a surprise if he's available end of the year or for the playoffs. No inside info there, just gut feeling.

Agreed. I think we saw the last snaps of Z in a Packers uniform in Jacksonville.

I think if we are playing in the Super Bowl he plays. Maybe even the NFCC.

If Terrell Owens can play with a broken leg Z can get out there for 10 or so 3rd downs in the biggest game of his life.

[BF004]

I feel like Campbell was the only type of signing Ted did (other than Woodson/Peppers splashes). The Christian Kirksey signing is what Ted would never do.

Campbell just seems weird because it is working out really really well, especially for the price we are talking about. No one in their right mind could have been more bullish on Campbell than Kirksey at the beginning of TC.

[lupedafiasco]

I absolutely thought Campbell was maintaining the status quo at ILB.

[go pak go]

I have almost 0 hope of Z playing this year. Maybe a surprise if he's available end of the year or for the playoffs. No inside info there, just gut feeling.

Agreed. I think we saw the last snaps of Z in a Packers uniform in Jacksonville.

I think if we are playing in the Super Bowl he plays. Maybe even the NFCC.

If Terrell Owens can play with a broken leg Z can get out there for 10 or so 3rd downs in the biggest game of his life.

Even if he plays, I think playing effectively is a whole other thing. Who knows how much he can do right now in terms of strength training with his back surgery.

I haven't seen him on the sideline since his surgery so I have no idea what he is up to at this point

[APB]

I feel more favorable to the Mercilus signing than Jaylon Smith but, as a matter of impact, I think his addition will also prove to be relatively minimal. Mercilus wasn't playing a backup role in Texas because they had simply decided to go to a youth movement. He was a backup because he was being outplayed by his youth successors.

Will a move to Green Bay provide a spark for him? I suppose it's possible but I'm not betting it will. He's an aging albeit experienced player who can maybe provide some situational play for us. If he provides an occasional 3rd down stop or a timely sack, I'll be satisfied.

[YoHoChecko]

I mean, what we have here, without a doubt, is an upgrade over Ladarius Hamilton. He will compete with, and probably supersede Garvin. By then, perhaps Preston will be back and the "Garvin" role will be what is currently the "Hamilton" role.

It's clearly-improved depth at a position that has been decimated by injuries, losing our #1, #3, and #4/5 from the start of the season.

You can love this move without expecting anything near the name value. That's how I feel.

[APB]

And that's basically what I'm getting at, [mention]YoHoChecko[/mention].

Assuming Preston gets back healthy, we can expect Mercilus to, at best, replace Garvin in his role. The same Garvin who has been receiving accolades from the staff and this forum for his play. If Mercilus exceeds his production, it's a win. However, he wasn't doing that in Houston, though. He was being outplayed by the young up-and-comers.

As I said, I like this signing but with limited expectations. I like it more from a sense of injury insurance. I'm not complaining, simply setting my personal expectations at what I expect will be for minimum impact.

[Yoop]

No such thing as to many edge rushers or CB's

Older vets, Belichick won SB's with older vets, if your adding players mid year then ya need quick study types, guys that can pick up a system fast, mercilus and Smith should be able to do that.

[lake shark]

See, I am not the only one with a little wait and see attitude on this. I do hope the downturn is mostly due to Texans being a dogpile of an organization.

5 pressures but 3 qb hits and all for sacks? Very efficient and anti-Gary. Perhaps the two combined will work out well.

[BF004]

He's talking with the media now.

Seems like a cool guy. Verifies he took less money and wanted to come to Green Bay.

[Pugger]

"taking less to sign with the Packers..." is not something i hear often. Cool.

I can understand a veteran like him would want to join a winning team with an elite QB.

[Pugger]

Not to be a debbie downer, because I do like kicking the tires...
*snip*

Yeah, but we are not asking him to be "the guy" for us, just an upgrade over our third-stringers.

Also, there's a difference between guys who are young and still trying to figure it out versus a guy who is not what he once was but knows how to win through wits/experience. It's nice to have a guy like that in an otherwise-young position group, especially if Preston will be out for a while (which I am inclined to believe he will be if this signing is any hint).

I think this more about Z Smith than Preston Smith.

We needed a #3 so we can move Gary around more and have less snaps with Garvin being your top guy on the field. Garvin has been a pleasant surprise but it will be an even more pleasant surprise to not seeing Hamilton or other JAGs out there.

I love this signing so much.

You can't have too many pass rushers.

[go pak go]

Yeah, but we are not asking him to be "the guy" for us, just an upgrade over our third-stringers.

Also, there's a difference between guys who are young and still trying to figure it out versus a guy who is not what he once was but knows how to win through wits/experience. It's nice to have a guy like that in an otherwise-young position group, especially if Preston will be out for a while (which I am inclined to believe he will be if this signing is any hint).

I think this more about Z Smith than Preston Smith.

We needed a #3 so we can move Gary around more and have less snaps with Garvin being your top guy on the field. Garvin has been a pleasant surprise but it will be an even more pleasant surprise to not seeing Hamilton or other JAGs out there.

I love this signing so much.

You can't have too many pass rushers.

Oh but you can.

[APB]

He's talking with the media now.

Seems like a cool guy. Verifies he took less money and wanted to come to Green Bay.

Probably feels guilty over the last contract he finagled out of Houston...