Good Analysis, Wade. I'm pretty sure you meant Boykin at WR instead of Bostick. I agree about the O Line, especially the lack of positivity so many have for Bakhtiari. Ditto for Bulaga last year anyway. As for D, I'm still hopeful for Datone Jones, but I share your pessimism for Perry. I disagree with you on Hayward - still good hope if he can stay healthy, and Richardson - I saw nothing good in him.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

Offense:
WR -- surprisingly, no change. I thought Jennings loss would be bigger, but Boykin stepped up.
TE -- also a surprise. improvement.
RB -- clearly the major accomplishment of the year with Lacy. One draft pick I am really glad to have been really wrong about.
QB -- same. The one place where, IMO, an injury explanation holds. On the other hand, I and others have been pointing out for years that with the Packers OL, its a real risk to happen again. Because:
OT, OG, C -- no change. I thought Newhouse would finally step up, but was not to be; I was wrong there. OTOH, I fail to understand the great optimism re: Bahktiari. He showed me virtually nothing to warrant it. And I've never been as sold on Bulaga or Lang as other people. EDS showed as serviceable long term player, but overall I see no grounds for thinking this unit has any more going for it than it did a year ago. I thought it was (excluding Sitton) a mediocre/serviceable unit then, and I think it is a mediocre/serviceable unit now. Same possible unproven potential as before. Until it gets better, I expect to lose Rodgers for some games every year.
Backups: QB slightly better, RB slightly better prosects, TE wash, WR wash, OL no change.
Overall: better because of Lacy.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

Defense:
DT: Weaker. I've been a Pickett fan forever. But, alas, I think he declined last year. And as for Raji, well, it's past time. I don't know whether Daniels should be considered DT or DE at this point, but I've always put him at DT and so does the Packers roster list, so I'll put him there. And he was a real positive, one of very few on the defensive side last year. So Daniels a big up; Pickett a down and Raji a down, so I'd say weaker overall, since this is a position that needs rotation during games.
DE: No change. Boyd -- flashes suggesting cautious optimism warranted. Jones -- I didn't like the pick, and I'm still underwhelmed. The rest -- bleh.

OLB: No change. Didn't like the Perry pick, still don't. Matthews, injuries notwithstanding, still IMO is a stud. The rest -- same potential, different year.

ILB: Slight improvement, but still mediocre. Improvement: Lighter Hawk looked better; Lattimore definitely looked better. Jones -- don't know if he belongs here or at OLB; regardless, looked, if anything, more underwhelming.
CB: Same. Hyde this year's pleasant surprise after last year's pleasant surprise of Hayward. OTOH, Hayward was disappointing -- I didn't like the draft pick two years ago, last year I thought I was wrong about the pick, and now, well I don't know what to think of the guy anymore. (Since this "before free agency" assessment, I'm counting Shields as still there. If Shields is lost, this position takes a major hit.)

S: Worse. McMillian didn't even last the year and MD Jennings looked worse; a year ago, he still seemed, to me anyway, to offer some potential. Not as optimistic about Burnett either. Richardson -- more optimistic, because with the injury frankly I never expected anything from him before.
Depth? Only at CB and even there it could be better.
Overall: Worse.

Sorry, but the Pickett and Woodson examples are no longer credible examples that Ted Thompson is interested in playing anything other than bargain-basement and third-tier free agency. Both are among my all time favorite Packers, but both were 8 frigging years ago. Two major free agent acquisitions in 9 years -- that is not, IMO, a serious commitment.

I believe you need 3 things:

- A francjise QB (check)
- Some luck
- The right path to reach the SB

Some teams are better prepared to defeat some other teams. Some coaches fit better against some others.

In 2010 we drawed Phily, Atlanta and Chicago. We could defeat those teams and we still can.
San Francisco and the Giants are teams that we can't defeat.

I'm sure we would have defeated Carolina this year, too bad we had San Francisco in the middle.

Originally Posted by: luigis 

Tramon Williams signs extension.(or cut him)

Sign Sam Shields to 4 yr deal(this is a must if Williams refuses to sign an extension)

Can't lose them both.

O-line-fine, plenty of deoth(say goodbye to EDS)

Te's fine(if Quarless is resigned)(say goodbye to Finley)

Rb's/Fb's fine(as long a Kuhn is resigned)(say good bye to James Starks)

Qb's fine (as long as Ted resigns Matt Flynn)

WR's fine (say goodbye to James Jones) A mistake IMO, but Ted knows better than me.

D-line need help(especially if Jolly and Pickett are not resigned)(say goodby to Raji)

(those "old slow fat-asses" as they have been described by some of this forums football geniuses, are needed back 1 more year to transition The Boyd's and Jones's on The Packers roster).

Packers will not sniff a SB without Jolly and Pickett back 1 more year.

LBr's fine, plenty of depth as long as they stay healthy(say goodbye to Lattimore and Francois)

CB's already adressed this at top, Packers will be set if Williams and Shields are both back, plenty of young deoth. Ted loses 1 , then Paxckers are in trouble, they lose both, forget about any SB run.

S need help, Richardson and Burnette can be solid starters(when healthy and play up to their potential), but no depth after that.

Ted will not change his philosphy of draft and develope.

Therefor any talk of a high-priced FA coming to The Packers is pretty much just that TALK.
#1 Packers can't afford it
#2 Not Teds way.

All likelyhood Ted will Turn his 7 picks into 10 or 11(which i think is a mistake).
He will draft 2 S'afeties , 2 - TE's, 2 d-linemn, a RB, a WR, an OT, a LBr, and a QB.

7 of these guys will nake the final 53 man roster, and The Packers will once again hope the Vets stay healthy or these players will be thown into the fire way before they are ready.

The Packers will make a run at The SupeBowl in 2014 if less than 3 starters end up on IR, and none of them are named Rodgers or Mathews.

Originally Posted by: buckeyepackfan 

All I can say is I HOPE you are wrong about how Thompson handles things on about a dozen counts. I don't like what the guy has done with the team, but I give him more credit than most of the shit you are talking about - both prediction and wishes.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

Why do you go completely out of your way to be a sniveling little pussy? Usually a dude likes to be masculine. We all know what you really think about this subject.

I don't think we will be sniffing a Super Bowl until we develop a solid Dline and acquire a much better safety to team up with Burnett. Why they didn't use Hyde more at safety this season is confusing.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

Strong people don't put others down... They lift them up.

Michael P. Watson wrote: