I know people like sacks. Sacks are a semi important stat. I also know what people don't like. People don't like it when the runner, be it the RB, a WR or a scrambling QB, breaks it outside and the OLB is no where to be found because he has dipped into the middle of the field looking to try and sack the QB and the runner rambles for 15-30 yards downfield before one of the DBs come up to make the tackle.

There are certainly a bunch of times when it is acceptable for the OLB to look for the sack. On those occasions his duty is contain. It's someone else' job to stay home. I am not talking about those times. Only the times when he should have protected the outside and didn't. You can't always tell what the assignments are but there are times when no one else is around and you have a hunch who is supposed to watch.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

Rashan Gary = Nick Perry 2.0

A player taken this high in the draft (#12) should be ready to step onto a football field and start. If Gary is to play LB as his selection announced, he will be lucky to be a 2nd string backup LB. As for being a pass rusher, GB's GM went to the FA market and hired Preston Smith. He and Kyler Fackrell will team up with Daniels and Clark and (Za'Darious) Smith should provide an aggressive pass rush. These veterans should have no real struggle forming into a solid unit. Dean Lowery and Tyler Lancaster will not readily allow Gary to move them out of their slots as the primary DL backups. So Gary is will have a long row to hoe if he expects to start at LB or DE.

Being a physical beast is just not enough. Professional players know all the nuances of playing their position. Gary might already have good football knowledge, but developing him into an effective LB or DE will be a project.

Had GB used this draft pick to take a much needed TE like Noah Fant, they could have traded or not traded the #30 pick and still picked a good DE/OLB. Hopefully Alabama's Irv Smith (TE) will still be available with GB's #44 overall pick.

Originally Posted by: Smokey 

I think you are reading far to much into the announcement of him being a LB. Most likely it was a bookkeeping error or simple mistake. I don't think the Packers wrote "we are taking Rashan Gary and playing him at LB" on the card

Originally Posted by: sschind 

For the record I was agreeing with you.

Originally Posted by: sschind 

Packers said Gary will start out in the OLB room.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

To me, feels like we could have gotten him later, that it was a stretch to take him at 12.

Would have preferred trading down if possible--but it requires two to tango.

In the absence of a trade down, I wasn't too excited about any of the other players left at that point. Maybe Brian Burns.

For whatever reason, this pick keeps making me subconsciously think about Justin Harrell...so I'm a little bit uncomfortable with it...

Originally Posted by: macbob 

Originally Posted by: Mucky Tundra