wpr
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4 years ago



Go back and watch the Packers Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears last season. It was probably the best game the defense played all season with the possible exception of Week 16 against the Vikings. There was one player who was a big part of what the defense did in that game who was missing for the rest of the season: safety Raven Greene.
Greene went down with a season-ending injury in the third quarter of the Packers Week 2 win over the Vikings. The defense certainly felt his absence both when defending the pass and trying to stop the run. Before he was hurt, Greene played in roughly 77 percent of the Packers’ defensive plays despite not being listed as a starter.
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine explained what Greene’s loss meant to the defense. “It was tough. He’s a versatile player who was able to do some good things for us in 2018 and it was unfortunate that in the second game, he went down with an injury. I mean he was going to be a big part of what we were doing, just kind of that hybrid linebacker/safety type. His versatility, his explosiveness, was something that we missed and we’re looking forward to being able to take advantage of it this year.”
That hybrid linebacker/safety type has been something Pettine likes to utilize because it gives him flexibility on defense and the ability to disguise coverages and to run different coverages out of similar formations. Pettine values versatility on defense in part for that reason. Greene can step into the box to help stop the run while the Pack is still using six or even seven DBs or he can help cover opposing tight ends, something that the Packers struggled to do all season in 2019.
Thus far, Pettine is pleased with what he sees from Greene in training camp. “He looks good. He’s smart, he’s tough, I mean he’s always been able to pick up stuff very quickly and we’re certainly expecting big things of Raven this year,” Pettine added.
The former undrafted free agent out of James Madison played eight games for the Packers in 2018, Pettine’s first season as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. He was in on five total tackles, forced a fumble and recorded a sack while playing in just four percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Last year, he was on the field for 70 defensive plays in a little more than six quarters of action before the injury ended his season.
Greene is 5’11” and weighs 197 pounds. But his ability to both stuff the run when playing that hybrid position and to cover or blitz on passing plays allows Pettine the ability to play his smaller packages which feature six or seven defensive backs and still be confident that they can stop the run well enough to avoid disasters like last year’s NFC Championship Game which saw the 49ers gain 285 yards on the ground and run for four touchdowns.
Several players tried to fill Greene’s shoes over the course of the season, but none of them had the impact that Greene provided when he was in the lineup.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is eager to get Greene back in the lineup this season. “Raven is a very versatile player,” LaFleur told reporters during a recent conference call. “Whether it’s at dime linebacker or in the safety position, we’ve got a lot of confidence in him and his ability to help communication on the back end, play his responsibilities to the best of his level. We’re really looking forward to seeing what he can put together this season.”
Backup quarterback Tim Boyle also expressed confidence in Greene. “He is a talented player, super smart, knows where to be, and is just one of those guys who has a knack for the ball,” Boyle told Packer Report last month. “He is very instinctual. Hopefully, he is back and ready to go. I think he’s going to have a big year on the defensive side.”
If Greene can stay healthy for the season, he will provide the Packers with excellent depth at safety. Between starters Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage, Greene and possibly Will Redmond and rookie seventh round pick Vernon Scott, the Packers have a talented and mostly young group at the position with a diverse skill set.
Keeping Greene healthy and available could go a long way to helping the Green Bay defense improve in 2020 and that could help the team take the next step forward in their quest for another championship.

Continue Reading @ CheeseheadTV 

CheeseheadTV wrote:



A healthy Greene will be a huge factor in the defensive scheme.
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beast
4 years ago
Teams need coverage LBers or physical/tough 3rd Safeties, without Greene the Packers seriously didn't have that last year as Burks seems to be a bust on defense... SS Campbell getting healthy and coming back helped some, especially against Panthers McCaffrey.

The team got Greene back, and added Kirksey (which if healthy), Pettine says he can play the coverage LB role well, both of which will add versatility, as now we can have one ILB formations where two interior LB roles (ILB and dime DB) can cover and have two ILB formations with one coverage ILB that's actually a LB, neither of which we had last year.


Also found out that he really liked using Z. Smith in the interior, if Gary steps up that will allow them to continue that, and Gary is big enough that he should be able to play both like Z. and they could both be used on stunts, adding more versatility.

I don't know, but I think the Packers have big plans to use formations with 3 OLBers a lot, at least on passing downs, which is why it might of been smart to sign Everson Griffen (one year, six million with the Cowboys now).

But this verstility and grow of players (sounds like Josh Jackson is stepping up), are the main ways they're going to improve this season, even if the results look worse.
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beast
4 years ago
Ravens released Early Thomas' contract for personal conduct that has adversely affected the team.

Bringing this up here, as anyone whom claims or signs Thomas surely would have a talented safety that allows for.mote verstility.

Thomas' contract left is a 3 year, 33 million deal. With 2020 base salary of $10 million being guaranteed unless you can prove he did something to negative affect the team (which is why the Ravens are reporting that's why they released him).

Earl Thomas and a teammate got in a scuffle, after Thomas blew a coverage. Sounds like there have been on going issues.

https://mobile.twitter.com/IA1057TheFan/status/1296877090197983234?s=20 


I don't know where Thomas is mentally (normally people have spoken very highly of him mentally), but physical, he's still one of the best coverage Safeties in the NFL.

According to PFF, Thomas allowed only six completions in his coverage on 14 targets in 15 games. That’s not a typo - just six receptions.

That’s a 42.9% completion rate, the lowest mark of Thomas’ ten-year career. Those six receptions went for 110 yards.

He notched two interceptions on those 14 targets, with a third being called back on a questionable Tony Jefferson DPI call. Considering Thomas lined up at free safety 593 times in 2019, opposing passers avoided Thomas like he had a cold sore at the homecoming dance.

By their tracking, Thomas was thrown at 14 times in 547 coverage snaps. That equates to 2.5 of every 100 passes going Thomas’ way. Pro Football Reference kept a different book on Thomas, showing 11 completions allowed on 25 targets for 113 yards and two interceptions.

That amounts to a 24.2 QB rating. That was the lowest figure in the NFL in 2019. Throwing the ball in the dirt is a 39.3 QB rating. In those 25 passes thrown at Thomas, he had two interceptions and four pass deflections. Six plays on the ball in 25 passes, nearly one every four times the ball way thrown his way.

baltimorebeatdown.com/  wrote:




Yeah, it's not going to happen, if he's going to be claimed, it'll happen before the Packers...

And if he's not claimed, to then he'll still probably choose somewhere he knows, like the NFC WEST or his home in Texas.

Though Earl Thomas did say that before the Ravens got involved, and made a last ditch offer to him when he was a FA, which came out of no where. It sounded as if he was going to sign a one year deal, somewhere that he really didn't want to go, I always wondered where that was... he never gave any hints.
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KRK
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4 years ago
It would seem to me that the staff likes what they see with who we have, esp with Greene, Jackson stepping it up, and the 7th rounder impressing. Plus, Alexander and Amos have a year more experience.

If so, why bring in a malcontent esp one who will not come cheap?
In Luce tua Videmus Lucem KRK
beast
4 years ago

It would seem to me that the staff likes what they see with who we have, esp with Greene, Jackson stepping it up, and the 7th rounder impressing. Plus, Alexander and Amos have a year more experience.

If so, why bring in a malcontent esp one who will not come cheap?

Originally Posted by: KRK 



Why would you try to bring one of the best football player on board when you are trying to win football games?

Seems kinda like an obvious answer to me.

And as this article talked about, adding talent and verstility.... not that Pettine wants to play single high FS, but if he did, the only guy we have that can do it well is Savage, Thomas would be able to do it, and with his experience probably could help teach Savage the role.

And Thomas would free up Savage to play nickel CB in Woodson's old role could maximum Savage potential. Where currently Sullivan, an UDFA, who shows great effort and seems smart, is currently, schedule to start. While we're all hopefully, Sullivan is mostly an unknown, yes he did well last season, but he barely made a number of the plays he did make.

Packers have talked about using Savage I'm the slot since drafting him, but taking Savage away from S would severely hurt the safeties. Having Greene and the 7th rounder helps with that, but they aren't on the same level.

I'm not saying we should claim Thomas, but just that they surely should discuss it.

Especially since Gute's right hand guy Milt Hendrickson just spent 14 seasons with the Ravens and probably has darn good connections, and Packers and Ravens often are looking for similar type of players. And Pettine was a consultant for the 2017 Seahawks, which Thomas played for then.

Also, can we really label Thomas malcontent yet? As he seems happy other than he was told to stay home (he wasn't happy about not being allowed to practice). Thomas has been accused of showing up late and free lancing, which Charles Woodson showed up late at times, and openly admitted he free lanced (while his CB coach attempted to over rule him in telling them none of his players free lance).

While yes, there absolutely more to this story to get them tussling, and being released, we really haven't heard anything too bad (yet).
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Zero2Cool
4 years ago
I wasn't thrilled with Earl Thomas during his final seasons with the Seahawks. He's an amazing talent, but there's something about him that rubs me wrong. Then he flipped off his coach after he was injured. Yes, I understand why. That move is a "look at me" move, selfish move. Now a team that signs him for 4 years and $55 million (not sure the exact numbers) cuts him after one season? That's a huge tell that the dude is trouble. Maybe Thomas did it on purpose with the hope of landing in Dallas?

I don't want Earl Thomas.
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KRK
  • KRK
  • Veteran Member
4 years ago
Missing practices, late back from bye weeks, punching teammates, disrupting meetings.....no thanks.
In Luce tua Videmus Lucem KRK
nerdmann
4 years ago
Too many new contracts coming up.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member Topic Starter
4 years ago

Too many new contracts coming up.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 



Hey nerd welcome back. We decided to exercise our option on you and keep you for another year.
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yooperfan
4 years ago
Raven Greene and Equinimious St. Brown both inactive for the opener!
What's up with that?
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