Nonstopdrivel
14 years ago

Bah, humbug: NFC North post-draft holes 
April, 26, 2010
By Kevin Seifert

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No point in the NFL year is filled with more optimism than the week after the draft, when every team is basking in what it considers undeniable across-the-board improvements. But unless the 2010 season is characterized by a rash of ties, were going to have the same number of losses as we did last year -- some by chance, a few by strategy and many as a result of flawed team building.

So this is my opportunity to play Scrooge. (I believe I was born for the role, but thats another story.) We spent the past four days hyping the additions in Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota. Now, with the draft concluded and the top half of the free-agent market accounted for, we must acquiesce to reality and note where each team still falls short.

(A Scroogism: How shall I ever understand this world? There is nothing on which it is so hard as poverty, and yet, there is nothing it condemns with such severity as the pursuit of wealth.)

[img_r]http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0426/nfl_i_burnett_300.jpg[/img_r]We took an in-depth look last month at Green Bays plans to improve its pass defense. That plan, I think we can safely say, does not include significant personnel changes. In fact, the Packers have added only one player who could impact this segment of their team: Third-round safety Morgan Burnett, and thats if he beats out Atari Bigby for a starting job.

Many of us thought the Packers would target an outside linebacker at No. 23. I cant blame them for passing up Sergio Kindle or Jerry Hughes in favor of left tackle Bryan Bulaga, who filled what might have been the franchises biggest single need. But wrapping up the draft without a single player at the position means that, for now, the Packers will look to Brady Poppinga and Brad Jones at the position manned for much of last year by Aaron Kampman.

The Packers also havent addressed the cornerback position, putting a premium on their belief that veterans Al Harris, Will Blackmon and Pat Lee will all return healthy from major injuries this summer.

I think we got guys that can come in and make an impact, general manager Ted Thompson said. I've said all along I think we have a good team. I think we have a team that's going to be competitive week in and week out. And at those positions, we have some guys that are dinged up, but we don't necessarily think that's going to be an ongoing problem.

Thompson added that the Packers are still doing some work at the outside linebacker spot, but its uncertain if he meant adding rookie free agents or if he would target a veteran. Often a second wave of free agency occurs after the draft, and New England kicked it off Monday morning by releasing veteran Adalius Thomas.

Improving a segment of your team doesnt necessarily mean swapping out players. Last month, coach Mike McCarthy detailed some practice changes and new priorities for his pass defense. For the most part, the Packers will do it with the same players they had last year. Take that for what its worth.

We have to consider Chicagos draft in relative terms; that it sat out the first and second rounds and still got one likely starter in safety Major Wright is impressive. But the Bears werent able to do anything to address their personnel gap at left guard.

As you recall, the Bears have moved Frank Omiyale to right tackle and left a host of young players -- Josh Beekman and Lance Louis among them -- in the mix at left guard. But lets face reality: The Bears tried replacing Beekman last year with Omiyale, and Louis was a seventh-round pick.

General manager Jerry Angelo acknowledged he made a run at trading for Seattle guard Rob Sims, who ultimately landed in Detroit. Angelo also left open the possibility of pursuing veteran Alan Faneca, but also touted his current depth.

Well look into some things like we did before the draft, Angelo said. We looked into Rob Sims. We looked into a couple other guys that didnt work out. So well continue to look. [But] we do like the players that we have here. [Offensive line coach Mike Tice] has told me that. If hes not said it publicly, he certainly has told us in our meetings that hes comfortable with our line. But again, well continue to look.

Tice was an excellent line coach in Minnesota and developed a number of unheralded prospects into full-time starters. So I wouldnt consider what Angelo said as merely lip service. But if the Bears are going to improve at left guard, it wont be as a result of the first wave of free agency or in the draft.

Detroit had across-the-board concerns with its pass defense, and I appreciate the way the Lions have addressed it this offseason. Much like an episode of Hoarders, they began in one corner and started digging themselves out.

That corner turned out to be the defensive line, where theyve improved their pass rush and overall strength by adding rookie Ndamukong Suh to go with Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams. That strategy made their secondary, well, a secondary priority.

The only starter expected to return is safety Louis Delmas, a rising star. But I think even the Lions would acknowledge their depth at cornerback -- not to mention the identity of their other starting safety -- is a concern. They acquired Atlanta cornerback Chris Houston in the offseason to start on one side, and rookie Amari Spievey could figure on the other. Free agent Adam Pacman Jones is still available as well.

To be clear, if I had a choice between overhauling a defensive line and revamping the secondary, I would choose the Lions approach every time. A playmaking front can help a weaker secondary more consistently than the reverse.

Minnesota filled what many considered its top short-term needs with its first two picks, selecting cornerback Chris Cook and tailback Toby Gerhart in the second round. I think Minnesotas roster is relatively balanced and deep, and I think director of college scouting Scott Studwell was just being honest when he said:

Its going to be hard for some young players to make this football team, to be honest with you. Weve built this roster up to the point where its hard to say that five or six or seven draft picks are all going to make it.

But if I had to pick an area of concern, I would focus on the safety position. Tyrell Johnson briefly lost his job last season to seventh-round draft pick Jamarca Sanford, and veteran Madieu Williams had some questionable moments as well. At this point, it will be up to Sanford alone to pressure Johnson and Williams in training camp.

I also think, and Ive probably mentioned it once or twice, that the Vikings have erred by not aggressively pursuing an eventual successor to Brett Favre. With a relatively deep roster, and the apparent conviction that Favre will return for at least one more season, now would have been a perfect time to at least take a swing at starting an orderly transition process.

But as I wrote Saturday, Ill stop banging the drum on that one. Really. I mean it.

A final Scroogism: There is no such thing as rich enough; only poor enough.


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Stevetarded
14 years ago
I guess I don't think it's as critical to replace Brad Jones as everyone else does. He came in as an undersized late round pick in his rookie year and put up 4 sacks. Sure his pass rush could use some work but during the period of time that Jones got his 4 sacks Clay Matthews had 6 and he is considered a very good pass rusher. I could understand considering him a big weakness had he been bad vs the run or in coverage but he was actually pretty good in those areas too.

I'm all for some good training camp competition but I don't think beating out Jones would be as simple as some seem to think.
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nerdmann
14 years ago
Jones wasn't as great as Clay, but he was an upgrade over Kampman at the position. We can get it done with those two guys. My issue is I'd like to see some depth there. What if we lose one (or lord forbid BOTH) of those guys?
My depth chart:
Right side: Clay, Chillar, Havner, Poppinga.
Left side: Jones, Obiozor, Havner, Poppinga.
“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.”
djcubez
14 years ago
My first problem with this article is he called Pat Lee a veteran. What? Sure hes been on our roster all of TWO YEARS. Has he really even played in a regular season game? I never really understood why Seifert wrote or ESPN. The guy does offer good analysis but whenever he tries to state something as fact it's almost completely off-base.

And I also have a problem with the fact that he considers pass defense positions solely in the defensive backfield. What? A good pass rush doesn't improve a good pass defense?

He doesn't even mention that the Packers brought in THREE OLB UDFA's. Annoying. The sad part is my goal in this post is not even to defend the Packers as a Packers fan. I'm defending them as a football fan. It's annoying to know that a writer on a network as big as ESPN can ignore such big factors in his columns.

Oh and one more thing. We have eight cornerbacks on the roster including those coming off of IR. Am I really the only who knows this? Did we really need to get another one?

[/drunk rant--I just was at the bucks playoff game. A bit euphoric/drunk]
PackerTraxx
14 years ago
If we had 3 or 4 first round picks we could probably address all our nedds. Like many other teams could.
Why is Jerry Kramer not in the Hall of Fame?
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Zero2Cool (12-Feb) : Keisean Nixon is trying to get Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams lol
Mucky Tundra (11-Feb) : Yeah where did it go?
packerfanoutwest (11-Feb) : or did you resctrict access to that topic?
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Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Tua’s old DC won a Super Bowl Year 1 with Tua’s former backup
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : *winning MVP
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Funny observation I've heard: Carson Wentz was on the sideline for both Eagles Super Bowl wins w/guys supposed to be his back up winning
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : NFL thought it would get more attention week preceding Super Bowl.
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Yes, the Pro Bowl. It was played Sunday before Super Bowl from 2010-2022
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : pro bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : From 2010 to 2022, it was played on the Sunday before the Super Bowl
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : They moved it to the BYE week before Super Bowl several years ago.
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : it was always after the SB.....
beast (10-Feb) : Though I stop following pro bowl years ago
beast (10-Feb) : I thought the pro game was before the Super Bowl?
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : ok now for the Pro Bowl Game in Hawaii
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : If I was Philly I would try to end it instead of punting it
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : VICTORY! We have (moral) victory!
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Hey they mentioned that we 3-peted
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : seems to me the 49ers should have traded Aiyuk when they had the chance
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : if the Eagles get it down to the 1, do they Tush Push or give it to Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : 49ers have a money problem if they want to sign their QB
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Wait for real? Didn't he just get an extension two years ago?
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : 49ers gonna trade Deebo. Interesting
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Replays always never seem to show the holdings
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Great throw by Hurts
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Where Carter falls prey to bad off the field influences (to be clear, not saying he'd clip someone though)
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Had Carter not gone to Philly were they already had a lot of old college friends, he ends up in a similar spot to Aaron Hernandez
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : I think some of his coaches told scouts to stay away
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : the street racing incident+conditioning and motivation problems
beast (10-Feb) : Then Carter was street racing, where the other car crashed and people died... and other teams were scared to pick Carter for some reason
beast (10-Feb) : I think the Saints traded up, giving their next year 1st to the Eagles, and then they sucked and Eagles got the 10th overall pick
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : wtf Barkley?
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : Getting Carter and Nolan Smith in the first round in 2023 was pretty darn good
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : for some reason i'm thinking of a draft where the Eagles where in the mid 20s and a top player fell all the way to them
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think so. I would need to look it up. Think it may have been Carolina's pick.
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : i'm not sure who i'm thinking of now
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : oh fuck me i messed that up
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Jordan Davis was 13th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Carter was 9th overall
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles had 15th and 10th selections, moved to 13 and 9 to get Davis and Carter back to back
Zero2Cool (10-Feb) : Eagles traded up for Carter, didn't they?
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Obviously he was a huge risk but getting a top 5 talent on the dline in the mid 20s is fortuitous
Mucky Tundra (10-Feb) : Jalen Carter falling into their lap certainly helps
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : And we could only wish to have this type of D
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : It's not like Philly has had low draft picks, but has managed to get themselves a top notch pass rush. We spend so much draft capital of D
packerfanoutwest (10-Feb) : another crap halftime show
TheKanataThrilla (10-Feb) : I think it is over, but then I think of Atlanta and want Philly to go in with the same intensity in the second half
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