I'm not real excited about either of them. I suppose Houston sounds slightly better than Jones. The good news is that they apparently don't care about Raji. The bad news is that there was not one word about the Packers going after Ward, Byrd, or any other Safety, or any LB either.
Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker
It’s not a strong free-agent class at linebacker. Brian Orakpo and Jason Worilds are off the market. I'm guessing Pittsburgh cuts Lamarr Woodley and Dallas cuts DeMarcus Ware, so those are potential options. You could also look at Anthony Spencer on a one-year deal. None of those guys fit Ted Thompson’s criteria, but things need to fall in place before a potential linebacker emerges.
Houston is one of the best free-agent defensive linemen available. He’s a tremendous run defender. He has improved considerably since his days at Texas. You have to defend the run to beat Seattle and San Francisco. Getting a player like Houston is a good first step. His pass rush isn’t bad, either. I still believe Green Bay wants Datone Jones and Mike Daniels to rush in their sub packages, but Jones could move to outside linebacker, and Houston could lineup with Daniels.
Arthur Jones is also pretty good. He’s a quality run defender, who can get an occasional push as a rusher. He‘s the cheaper alterative. In my assessment, Green Bay needs one defensive lineman, one (maybe two) linebackers, and a safety this off-season. I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment, but Houston’s a big first step toward improving the defense.