Green Bay Packers 2015 NFL Draft: The Reasons Behind the Picks

When the Green Bay Packers’ turn to pick in the first and second round of the NFL draft came up, there were still several players left on the board who would have provided re-enforcement to the defensive line and inside linebacker positions.

And the Packers selected none of them.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson left many of us scratching our heads after this draft. Who’s he? Why’d they take that guy? Huh? Those questions were uttered by many Packers fans this weekend, particularly after the Packers’ selections in the first three rounds.

To answer some of those questions and hopefully alleviate some of the bewilderment, here are all of the Packers’ draft picks and the reasons why, in my opinion, Thompson made them.

Damarious Randall – Projected cornerback – Round 1, Pick 30 (#30 overall) – Replaces Davon House

Rationale: Ted Thompson and Dom Capers love versatile defensive backs with raw speed and the ability to come on a blitz every now and then. And with Tramon Williams and Davon House gone, the Packers needed to restock the shelf in the secondary.

Versatile, active, good ball skills, fast, center-fielder, blitzer. Do those terms and phrases remind you of anyone? They remind me of Charles Woodson. I’m not in any way saying Randall is the next Woodson, but the Packers love that Woodson type of player, and Randall checks off several Woodson categories.

Micah Hyde and Casey Hayward have Woodson’s skill set as well, but are nowhere near as talented. Could Randall combine that Woodson skill set with an abundance of talent? We’re about to find out.

Quinten Collins – Projected cornerback – Round 2, Pick 30 (#62 overall) – Replaces Tramon Williams (maybe?)

Rationale: Well, the Packers lost two cornerbacks to free agency, so you have to replace them, right? Either that or Thompson has a well-placed source who is telling him that the NFL is going to switch to flag football this season. Collins is another basketball player. Team him with Demetri Goodson and the Packers should be able to win a game of H-O-R-S-E against any other NFL team.

But in all seriousness, Collins seems like a bit of a project. He plays fast, reckless and aggressive — all desirable traits once they become honed. However, he needs work on technique and knowing when to gamble and when to play it safe. Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt will have plenty of work to do with his two new draft picks, but the tools are definitely there for Whitt to build something out of Collins.

According to Pro Football Focus, only three other players received a higher coverage grade and only two other cornerbacks received a higher overall grade than Collins. Sure, it’s  a little frustrating that the Packers didn’t address the middle of their defense in their first two picks, but Thompson has picked up two talented, albeit raw, players to ensure the Packers secondary has a shot at remaining a strength, and maybe even improving.

Ty Montgomery – Projected wide receiver/returner – Round 3, Pick #30 (#94 overall) – Replaces DuJuan Harris

Rationale: It seems like it’s been forever since the Packers had a stud kick and punt returner. Montgomery had a down season as a receiver, but after averaging 28.7 yards on kick returns and 19.8 on punts during his career at Stanford, a lot of scouts projected Montgomery as the best returner in the draft.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Montgomery is given the opportunity to line up in the backfield in a Cordarrelle Patterson or Shane Vereen type of role. Mike McCarthy has yet another chess piece to move around as he looks to create mismatches and finally conquer the tough, physical defenses that have been a thorn in the Packers’ side since winning the Super Bowl in 2010.

In the first three rounds of the draft, Thompson has selected two athletic defensive backs and a receiver with a high ceiling as a returner. At the very least, the Packers special teams should be vastly improved in 2015.

Jake Ryan – Projected linebacker – Round 4, Pick #30 (#129 overall) – Replaces A.J. Hawk/Brad Jones/Jamari Lattimore

Rationale: We’ve been waiting for Thompson to draft an inside linebacker and he finally did! Actually, Ryan played outside his first three seasons at Michigan, but moved inside his final season and was team MVP. Look for him to stay inside in Green Bay.

Can Ryan play right away? Do the Packers need him to play right away? Will he plug the giant perceived hole at inside linebacker? These are all questions people immediately asked after Ryan was picked. The answers are: hopefully, maybe, let’s not put too much on this kid before he’s even signed a contract.

Ryan looks like more of a run-stopper than someone who can blanket a tight end or a running back in coverage, but I don’t have a problem with that. The Packers need more toughness in the middle, and after this draft, they’ve got an overflow of defensive backs to handle pass coverage duties. Let’s see if Ryan can shore up the inside against the run.

Brett Hundley, — Projected quarterback — Round 5, Pick #11 (#147 overall) — Replaces Matt Flynn

Rationale: When Matt Flynn played last season, it was apparent that he didn’t have much left. By trading up to get Hundley early in the fifth round, Thompson gives McCarthy a quarterback project to work on, a competitor for Scott Tolzien in training camp, and extra insurance for his MVP quarterback — who has suffered a significant injury in consecutive seasons.

Hundley has the arm, build, and scrambling ability to play quarterback in the NFL. What he needs to work on is his ability to throw the ball downfield. Fifty-four percent of his passes in 2014 traveled 6 yards or less through the air. He also needs to do a better job of what Rodgers does so well: keeping his eyes downfield as he moves around the pocket, always looking to make a play downfield before running.

The Packers have plenty of work to do to make Hundley into a capable quarterback. Hopefully another Rodgers’ injury doesn’t force Hundley to play before he’s ready.

Aaron Ripkowski — Projected fullback — Round 6, Pick #30 (#206 overall) — Replaces John Kuhn (in a year or two)

Rationale: Notice a pattern to the Packers draft picks so far? All of them should be special teams contributors right away. When McCarthy and Thompson set out to overhaul the special teams, I guess they weren’t kidding.

While Ripkowski works to familiarize himself with the Packers’ offense and whatever Rodgers wants him to do, he should be able to bring some pop to the special teams. Can Ripkowski eventually grow into the type of fullback who can pick up a 3rd and inches or catch a dumpoff pass, if necessary? I’m not so sure. But he does look like a sledgehammer type of blocker, and even played some snaps at tight end.

Ripkowski appears to be the player with the coolest name to come out of this draft for the Packers until…

Christian Ring0 — Projected defensive tackle/long snapper — Round 6, Pick #34 (#210 overall) — Replaces Brett Goode (eventually) and provides depth on d-line

Ringo or Ripkowski: Who’s got the cooler name? It’s a close race, but I’m going with the Pollack.

Ringo put up some crazy good numbers at Louisiana Layfayette, including 11.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles-for-loss as an undersized defensive tackle in 2014. Pro Football Focus ranked Ringo as the most efficient pass rusher in the draft.

Ringo will have to line up as a defensive end with the Packers before he’s small. His ceiling is probably a lesser version of Mike Daniels. If that doesn’t work out, he could become the team’s long-snapper of the future.

Kennard Backman — Projected tight end — Round 6, Pick #37 (#213 overall) — Replaces Brandon Bostick

In today’s NFL, labels don’t mean much. Sure, a player might have TE, WR or RB listed before their name, but it doesn’t mean those labels confine that player to specific duties. This is especially true when it comes to wide receivers and tight ends.

The line is becoming more blurred. Perhaps a more appropriate title for TE/WRs is “pass catcher.” That’s how I’d prefer to label Backman. He looks like a pass catcher. He’s got tight-end size and he’s labeled as a tight end, but I don’t see him blocking much. If he’s going to contribute, it’s going to be as a pass catcher.

 

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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .

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170 thoughts on “Green Bay Packers 2015 NFL Draft: The Reasons Behind the Picks

  1. we all know some of these guys won’t make the team, right? And all the Hundley, Hundley, hey…does anyone remember Scooter Tolzien??? Why in the hell would Hundley be the main back up???

    1. Where in the article did Adam say he’s be the main backup?

      Quote: “By trading up to get Hundley early in the fifth round, Thompson gives McCarthy a quarterback project to work on, a competitor for Scott Tolzien in training camp, and extra insurance for his MVP quarterback — who has suffered a significant injury in consecutive seasons.”

  2. I’ll never again believe TT when he says he drafts BPA. He chased positions all weekend and I believe failed miserably. He had a chance to do something special with the draft.

    1. You should know by now that what Ted says and what he does are two different things. Ted never lets an ounce of true information out. That is the beauty and mystique of Lord Ted. All his interviews are like Seinfeld. They are all about NOTHING!! lol Ted runs a top secret covert operation at 1265. If you can’t shut your mouth you are out of there. That’s why Brett was let go in my professional opinion.
      Ted

      1. I think that’s why a better title would have been “A Rationalization of the Picks”. We’ll never truly know the reasons…

    2. Help me understand what you mean. If a player TT wanted was gone when he made his choice, then he can’t exactly be faulted. If a player is there when he made his choice, then it seems clear that TT didn’t want him. So are you saying that he was chasing linebackers but couldn’t get them (even though they were on the board when he chose)? Or are you saying that TT wanted to acquire corners/safeties, and did so, but that he got little talent with his picks?

      1. According to TT he goes for BPA, I can’t see how he can back that up using this past draft as an example.
        I believe there was value at positions TT wasn’t looking for. I think on several of the picks he was reaching. If he was going for value there were other players to choose. One of the things I appreciate about GB is that they stay ahead of the curve and draft and develop. Just don’t tell me BPA is the draft motto.

        1. “According to TT he goes for BPA”

          Did he actually say that or did you just put those words out there. Can you show me a quote where he actually says he goes for BPA regardless of position?

          From what I understand or heard from Ted this weekend he chose “football players”. I don’t exactly know what he means by that but I never heard him say he strictly goes for BPA.

          If you have an article of him saying that I would like to read it. I find it hard to believe Ted would say that because that would be giving away certain secrets or how he does business with the media. 99.9% of the time he bull shits us or gives generic statements and that’s fine by me and done always with the best interests of the Packer’s organization in mind.
          Ted

            1. That is true, but as I wrote already, you are drafting players that suits your team. The philosophy of the game you used to build the team. It is not just – he is better player, we will draft him – it is he is BAP for our philosophy of the game. Otherwise you have Jeremy Ross and some other players…

              1. My post was not argumentative. Ted Tomsin asked for a link to a quote – I provided same. As Ted Tomsin might say, the quote leaves plenty of room for argument because TT never reveals entirely what’s in his mind (don’t mean to put words into your mouth Ted Tomsin – hope this is OK with you)!

              2. I just wanted you to notice what I wrote… I confirmed you that what you wrote is true, but also, I think larger impact has that philosophy of the game Packers has…

              3. I read all your posts in their entirety because they deserve to be read, considered, and responded to where appropriate, and to change my mind when you make a telling point.

          1. Plus a lot of GM’s do BPA. I think Ted likes the ILB he got. Ran the 40 at 4.65 or something. It’s not always a guy with the weigh of Riley can move that fast. The first two picks were needs based, and that’s fine by me.

        2. … “I can’t see how he can back that up using this past draft as an example.” …

          That is why Ted Thompson is Executive V.P., General Manager & Director of Football Operations and you are not…

          Case closed!

        3. TT knows how to evaluate players, often finding diamonds in the rough, and just because writers and pundits say we have a glaring need a ILB, doesn’t make it so. The position was a strength at the end of last year, and we have players coming up that we have barely seen play. But Ted has seen them, he knows if Bradford is ready, he has spoken with Mathews, and the Coaches.

          The failure is maybe not in Ted getting the wrong players, but rather others failure to understand BAP and team needs

          1. “…and just because writers and pundits say we have a glaring need a ILB, doesn’t make it so.”

            I think that’s the key analysis, here. We saw how TT and the Packers attacked the defensive backfield issue in rounds 1/2. Clearly they were more than just a little concerned with the current depth at DB. After that, there was very little action at ILB. The selection of Ryan in round 4 was a reasonable pick, but he’s not necessarily the kind of guy I would’ve expected the Packers to pursue based on their deficiencies.

            This is why I think you’re hitting on Bradford, or perhaps they’re going to use Sean Richardson in a hybrid cover/chase LB role, or maybe Matthews plays ILB much more than last year and someone like Elliott or Mulumba gets more snaps.

            I’ve said before that the only time you use two ILB is in base or short yardage situations…less than about 35% of the time according to last year’s numbers (not my stat, someone else quoted that before). If you’re playing almost 65% of the time with only one or no ILB, that probably skews your thinking. Our perception of weakness at ILB, I think, isn’t in line with what’s being observed by Packer management.

            1. Ryan is as good as any inside linebacker available, except for maybe two. He’s got a work ethic and a football IQ and probably won’t duke it out with an assistant coach the way another highly touted ILB did. Face it, character is part of the mix, not just how fast are you at the 40.

          2. Yet how many 1st rounders have made impacts for the Packers drafted by TT? His 1st rounders have been mainly disappointing (Sherrod, Harrell, Perry). Most teams cannot afford to consistently keep missing on their 1st round picks.

            1. 2005 A. Rod (24th overall)
              2006 AJ Hawk (5)
              2007 Justin Harrell (16)
              2008 No pick
              2009 BJ Raji (9), CMIII (26)
              2010 Bryan Bulaga (23)
              2011 Derek Sherrod (32)
              2012 Nick Perry (28)
              2013 Datone Jones (26)
              2014 HHCD (21)
              2015 D. Randall (30)
              Certainly you’ve isolated the most underwhelming picks of the TT era, but looking at his overall body of work, the first round isn’t necessarily a wasteland as you imply.

              1. Dont list this years 1st rounder dummy as he hasnt had a chance to play at the NFL level.

                Datone Jones, Nick Perry, Derek Sherrod, BJ Raji (very underwhelming), Justin Harrell….. thats 5 of the last 7 1st rounders that have not panned out well. Raji had ONE season when he performed well.

              2. That’s MR. Dummy to you…. 😉

                I listed Randall for the sake of being complete. And Raji DID help win a SB with that pretty good season. Last I checked, winning SBs was the point of all of this…

              3. Ok Miss Dummy…..the point is about 1st round draft picks! One decent season out of how many, 6? Thats not a successful 1st round pick! TT has missed a lot more than he has hit on 1st rounders!
                Rodgers was the highest valued player at the time & the BPA (and its Best Player Available NOT BAP Best Available Player). But the Packers did NOT need a QB at that time with #4 still there. This year, TT went after NEED instead of BPA & MOST VALUED. That goes against what he preaches. Get a clue 1st Miss Dummy.

      2. Thompson traded UP for Hundley, he could’ve gotten better talent at ILB by moving UP as he did for Hundley OR just taking an ILB with the 3rd pick instead of Montgomery. This WR/KR is NOT as talented as Cobb, Jordy, Hyde and may not be as good as Janis can be, given the opportunity. He’s NOT gonna fit the roster simply as a KR and WR slot is crowded now. He’s probably practice squad unless a camp injury opens a roster spot or Packers don’t have confidence in Abbrederis or Janis.

        1. To me, drafting Montgomery in R3 was not only at least one round too soon but it spoke volumes of where Janis stands in TT/MM’s eyes despite what they say. If you saw Janis as a great return guy you don’t spend a R3 pick on a KR/WR who is a questionable WR. Montgomery is on the 53 as a KR, pencil it in. Janis is not. Maybe Janis makes it as a 6th WR but Montgomery is our KR, end of discussion.

          1. As I recall, Janis had virtually no return experience in college, and I don’t think anyone really projected him into that role for the Packers. His lack of special teams flexibility was a knock against him at draft time.

        2. He gave up a late 7th round pick to move up for Hundley, so I don’t see that as an issue. Some said that Hundley was the third QB of the draft, even that he might have had first or second round talent but was raw. Others said that Ty Montgomery was developing on pace to be a first rounder after his junior year, but then fell off his senior year. So you could argue that TT took the best player, rather than picking for need. Last time I recall TT moving up to pick for need was when he took Worthy.

          1. I’d have to disagree–Montgomery was specifically picked as NEED to fix special teams. Overlooked is his penchant for dropped passes, he’s some bigger than Cobb but doesn’t have his quickness or speed. Unless they’re ready to give up on Abbrederis or Janis, Montgomery’s not gonna help much on offense especially with his drops ’cause Rodgers won’t throw to him. 54% of Hundley’s completions are within 5-10 yds of line of scrimmage,doesn’t prove much for throwing intermediate or longer routes. He might get Packers some quick first down throws but he’s gonna have to throw it to the right color jersey’s like Tolzien’s gonna have to prove.

            1. So is the argument that TT drafts for need, but not the need the fans felt more acutely? I’m asking as someone who lives outside the US and doesn’t have a good handle on what fans want apart from the comment sections. It seems like a lot of people are criticising TT for sticking to his BAP approach, and others criticising him for addressing a need rather than taking the BAP, and still others for taking a player who a) doesn’t address a need, and b) isn’t very good. At the end of reading all this, I just defer to the professionals–especially the guy who built the team that beat the eventual champs and dominated the NFC champs for much of the game.

              1. Welcome as a Packers fan Phillip. As a LONG time Packers fan, since the 1962 Champions under Vince Lombardi, I was one of those who suffered through those 25 YEARS with only 5 winning teams and two playoff appearances in that time. This current team has an offense that can BEAT anybody, anytime but their defense has consistently given up playoff wins for 4 CONSECUTIVE years now. They just can’t close out big games against top teams very well–look at last year vs. Falcons, Patriots and loss to Bills. No matter how well offense produced, they MUST outscore by a large margin to beat top opponents ’cause this defense is weak in the middle of field–both the LB’s and secondary is susceptible to big production there. I thought for once, with Pack so good on offense and needing just 2-3 key player positions on defense, THIS would be the year Thompson would move UP by trading a couple of late picks and getting 3-4 of those “best available athletes”. Accepting the two DB’s in first/second rounds, imagine a LB core that included Eric Kendricks, or Denzel Perryman, Benardrick McKinney, Ramik Wilson, or Stephone Anthony filling out that ILB position with Jake Ryan INSTEAD of selecting Ty Montgomery with the 3rd pick. IF Thompson was willing to trade a 7th pick to get Hundley, he didn’t see “VALUE” for trading the 5th or 6th or combination to get one of the top FIVE other ILB’s to really improve this defense? This is ONE draft that Packers could trade a couple picks, move UP and get some of the better talent they always lose out on, while still having a couple of late compensatory picks for roster depth or special teams needs.

              2. I felt the same going into this draft. Shore up the D line and LBs. Maybe because we go back as fans to 62 we see it better. I can only hope Bradford, Thomas and Hubbard show something we are not accounting for. Our chances to win it all will depend on a much improved D..

              3. All these Packers fans who want to criticize ’cause we have a different view–those are same kinds of fans who saw Vic S’oto and Dez Moses as the next stars in GB, last I heard neither is even in the league right now. Like you I’m hoping to see this team win another SB, even back to back opportunities but they need help on DEFENSE, period. We saw Robert Francois show up a couple of games and fans were saying he shoulda’ been playing instead of AJ Hawk–Hawk’s still playing, Francois hasn’t been seen since Pack released him. We all want to see each player be the BEST, reality is they aren’t but this team is OH SO CLOSE, people! I’ll take the two DB’s, they can make a difference but inside LB and the D-line production is what Pack needed most improvement from. Taking an ILB like Kendricks, McKinney, Perryman, Ramik Wilson, Huerrera–ONE of these players instead of Montgomery in the middle with Jake Ryan, gives me more confidence than play from what others (Palmer, Mulumba, Bradford, Elliot) have show so far. Just my opinion but Randall, Rollins, Ryan and an ILB from draft list above would make a better difference than production I think we’ll see from Montgomery whom they took with 3rd pick. The Packers have an opportunity that only a few top teams have–so close to SB title and compete over and over–take that STEP UP and get the best 3-4 players instead of finishing with 8 that doesn’t improve them enough to make that step.

              4. Shavager, not to ad more to angst, a Bleacher report writer just rated the Packers defense 29th, overall. If this will be so, I’ll stop being a Packers fan. The meltdown made me stop believing on the coaching staff.

              5. Peter, I don’t think they’ll be quite that bad but too many fans already think this team is SB ready. They can compete with ANYBODY on offense but for 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS they’ve not been able to beat anybody but Vikings in playoffs. They nudged out Cowboys in a game that will always be based on a ref’s call instead of whether Packers actually won–though the call on Dez Bryant’s DROP was correct. I think they will start season somewhat weak in middle and secondary–Ryan needs some experience at ILB meaning Matthews will start out inside again. Secondary should be close to as good as last year’s–Williams won’t be missed that much and they have enough depth to overcome loss of Davon House. With Guion and Raji in the middle of D-line, Matthews moving to middle to help Barrington, this defense should be slightly better than what they finished with. I expect they rate in 20-25th right now, higher before season’s end.

              6. If they can improve the secondary, it’s off to the SB. It’s a matter of coaching the younger guys. We’ll see how the offense moves without MM calling the plays. I think better, overall. I hope we function well on the road against very strong defenses. If we can beat Seattle game two, that will be a rallying cry.

              7. Amen, that game should set a tone for this team. McCarthy’s teams are notoriously slow starting off. The ’10 SB team was sloppy, mistakes, penalties, poorly disciplined in first half of season but by time they blew out Giants in season game they were on roll for the 6 straight to win the SB title. More important is NOT having to win so many of the toughest games but keeping division title in focus–getting a bye week in playoffs for the best record can help or hurt, some teams don’t come off bye in playoffs as hot as they were. McCarthy usually keeps this team focused on season goals beginning with improving play and winning division before anything else. I think secondary will be OK, I still worry if they can protect middle without Matthews having to spend so much time there and it’s been a weakness for a longggg-time now.

              8. If defending the run has been a problem for the Packers for a long, long time, that was on MM. He should have know better and also on special teams. He’s going to take a hands on attitude now and they should start strong. ST’s should be improved. I’ts the ridiculous problem of us losing against teams with really strong defenses on the road. I hope the new offensive play caller is a bit more gutsy than MM and can fix our troubles in the red zone. Our success is based on Aaron staying healthy.

              9. Not just McCarthy, Peter–McCarthy called out his team in ’10, ’11, ’12, again in ’13 and said BEFORE camp last year, this team WOULD tackle better. At HALFTIME of the first game against Hawks–the sideline reporter asked him what he needed to improve to keep Packers’ competitive in the second half–he said “WE NEED TO TACKLE BETTER”. Later in season he blamed poor tackling in the Bills loss and especially the Saints loss where McCarthy publicly said “We have to TACKLE THE DAMN BALL CARRIER”. FIVE consecutive seasons he’s called out his defense for poor tackling–THAT was the biggest problem in the run game defense–poor tackling. Once a ball carrier got by the D-line, it was worse production from LB’s and secondary–only one-two DB’s did very good job at tackling and it was NOT Tramon Williams. I think they will improve on special teams–Zook’s not gonna play around–produce or somebody’s gonna pay for it and Slocum let too much get by without accountability until the fumbled kick return in the title game last year. Can’t continue to tolerate breakdowns or mistakes at crucial times and McCarthy’s been negligent in demanding from his players–see the brawl with Cowboys the first playoff game and then Daniels taunting on the kick return fumble that Morgan Burnett got from Hawks that cost the 15 yd unsportsmanlike conduct on Daniels and put the ball on the 26 yd line instead of the 11 yd line and eventual FG again. STUPID plays by players that aren’t being held accountable by head coach. Can you imagine Mike Holmgren or Vince Lombardi coaching a team that made mistakes or tackled poorly for 5 YEARS? Somebody’s head woulda’ rolled LONG before now. For all his techniques and experience, it doesn’t say much for Capers as DCoordinator for such lackluster production in tackling for this many years–especially after the Head Coach promised better tackling, then had to call out defense THREE times during the season. THAT was the real key for Matthews moving to middle–give AJ Hawk HELP in the middle to stop the run game. Even though Hawk’s production dropped–they saw practically nothing from Brad Jones except mistakes and penalties and until Matthews moved over and Barrington got some playing time before run defense improved–that’s why I think Matthews will spend a lot of time in middle again this season.

              10. I agree, but I believe that if there is a bad trend for years, then responsibility has to go to the coaching staff. Why was Slocum kept for so long? Because he was MM’s buddy. MM refused to replace him with a tried and true expert at the position (ST’s). The new coordinator and MM go way back, so are these jobs about providing your friends with high paying jobs or recruiting the best coach with the best proven record? Nevertheless, I can’t fault the offense and as long as Davante improves and Aaron is injury free, that offence will shine, thanks too, to Lacy and the running game.

              11. Well, I think defense being called out for 4 CONSECUTIVE seasons for poor tackling, then giving up their 4th CONSECUTIVE loss to teams in playoffs that they should’ve beaten IS the coaching staff’s fault, starting with McCarthy and Capers. Despite the st’s giving up too much return yds and TD’s, it still has been defense that’s cost them wins–the OT game vs. Vikings in ’14, Matt Flynn relieved Tolzien with GB 16 points DOWN, brought’em back to 3 point LEAD in OT before defense could NOT stop Ponder and Vikes on one 3rd down play and it ends in tie. McCarthy’s pathetic strategy was main reason for Turkey Day meltdown against Lions–he didn’t give Flynn ANY no-huddle and sit by aimlessly on sidelines while Lions freely substituted fresh players–game was over in first half, nearly the same happened in the following weeks vs. Falcons and Cowboys with Flynn saving both games in second half for Packers using NO-HUDDLE to keep both opponents from substituting fresh defense. McCarthy has a bad habit of getting lead, especially against the tougher opponents and then going “conservative”, instead of continuing to attack opponents–he’s willing to try and run out clock with a run game that the defense KNOWS is coming. You could see it in the NFC title game last year, that was exactly what he tried and it cost them the game late. He has the best QB and one of best offenses in game–NO reason to let off until the clock is ticking down to end especially with a team that has a better defense and competes on offense. Anyway, looking forward to a new season and new philosophy/strategy on offense and hopefully a defense that’s at least as capable as the unit that played 3/4 of last year’s title game.

              12. I see it like you do. I believe MM’s conservative attitude is bad overall, I think the Packers ought to shed ’till the last moment, obviously without high risk involved. I’m not sure Tolzien could really replace Rodgers and win games, though.
                Hopefully the defense improves enough where we could be in the playoffs again. I can kind of see it.

              13. Peter, they’ve had THE offense to win SB’s since the ’10 championship team–that’s an incredible run for going on 6 years now. DEFENSE has always been their weakest link as long as Rodgers is at center and even when Flynn had to fill in, he did his job and got them close enough for Rodgers to seal a playoff appearance with that last minute win over Bears in ’13. When you only need to improve DEFENSE–and continue to infuse some offensive players here and there–it’s TIME to focus on defense and instead of Thompson using ONE draft to get that 3-4 TOP players from a draft they know would have some talent available that couldn’t miss–like the ’11 draft, he just sticks with that ONE pick in first round and trying to select from “scraps” to get a decent 2nd, 3rd to fill out his roster. That’s what I meant earlier about a focus on moving UP to get 3-4 of BEST athletes that fit drastic needs and settle for just those picks at expense of trading several away. They had the comfort of 2 compensatory picks in 6th round–take that TE, QB or D-lineman that could possibly compete to start or provide good depth. At this point it’s NOT offense again that will be their weakness–this year’s success will once again be determined by DEFENSE–for the fifth consecutive year. I like some of the picks, I know MONEY is the biggest reason Thompson won’t make that jump–that means investing contract money on 3-4 players at higher rate for their pick than filling out roster with 1 potential ‘star’ contract in first, a very good in 2nd and potential good players with cheaper contracts for the “depth” players that later rounds ultimately have been.

              14. Well, I just hope the defense won’t be # 29 like I read at Bleacher report or one of the other websites. On defense, the rookies are going to need a lot of training.

              15. I’ve already seen one draft analysis that puts Packers draft results in bottom half of league–I’m not one for drinking green and gold koolaid and just because Ted Thompson selected a player doesn’t mean I’m gonna fawn over those players. He selected a couple of DB’s in first two rounds that have limited experience at positions they will be playing and we all know–college play does NOT guarantee success in NFL. They rated LB Jake Ryan as a potential upgrade based on his experience/ability and Ty Montgomery as a plus for special teams but didn’t necessarily expect much from the other picks at this point.

          1. His big criticism from last year was DROPS, which do you think’s more important–getting another 5-15 yds per return or a better defense that can actually STOP opponents from answering score for score against Packers? The Falcons, Patriots, Dolphins and Bills games as well as Cowboys and Title game with Hawks proves this defense MUST be better for Packers to win a SB unless you want to count on “luck”. It wasn’t “luck” that kept Falcons or Patriots in those games or allowed the Dolphins to storm back against Pack in second half or couldn’t stop a weak Bills offense. They quit playing defense late in the Title game, giving up the winning TD pass to Hawks over league’s WORST DB for TD pass completions with NO help–no safety over top to help Tramon Williams, the DB with the WORST pass completion rate and WORST TD pass completion in the League. With Myles White, Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Jordy and Cobb as WR’s already on the roster, unless Montgomery’s gonna beat out one of these guys, Janis, Cobb, Micah Hyde could do the return jobs. Remember McCarthy said NOBODY would sit if he thought they would help special teams–including starters. Pack would’ve been better served with another ILB selection at the 3rd pick instead of Montgomery–they had several more picks for this position but the best ILB’s were gone after Pack’s 3rd pick.

            1. The best were gone? Jake Ryan did better than most at the combine. Dawson has character issues and did poorly at the combine. Kendricks is too small. McKinney, foot quicness below average, a liability against the pass and below average agility. Stephone was very good, very fast, but below average take-on skills. Plays with poor leverage, slow to process and recover. Struggles if isolated in coverage…….and so on. They all have faults and passes. So Thompson’s pick of Ryan, especially where he got him. He runs a 6.5 40, was the best performer in his class in the 60 yard shuttle, and has the right size and weight. He studies film and never quits. So what’s not to like about this one. Beats most of the other ILB’s on a work ethic. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having picked Ryan.
              Montgomery is a better return man than anyone else on the team. Abbrederis has never played pro bowl, neither has Janis. Will they be stars, noone knows. I think Abbre won’t even make the team.

              1. WHO discounted the Ryan pick? Here’s Packers’ problems–4 CONSECUTIVE playoff losses-WHY? DEFENSE and it was on full display in the collapse at Hawks and near loss to Cowboys. Which unit gives Packers best opportunity to dominate and win a SB with improvement–defense or special teams returns? DEFENSE, this team constantly gives up scores immediately after Rodgers and offense scores. IF the choice is between a KR upgrade and DEFENSE–DEFENSE wins championships, rare is the special teams player like a Desmond Howard. McCarthy’s already said he would play STARTERS on special teams IF that’s what it takes–Cobb, Jordy, Janis, Hyde–numerous options without Montgomery but they don’t have the same options for ILB upgrade like the option for a Kendrick, McKinney, Perryman, Wilson or Huerrera–the first three were in top 5-6 BEST ILB’s in draft and Wilson and Huerrera would still be an upgrade for Packers over Bradford, Palmer and Mulumba right now. DEFENSE wins championships, NOT special teams–they found a way to LOSE one with special teams failures last year. The positives for another ILB for this defense is higher than what picking Montgomery offers especially with his drops last season.

              2. This is something you have to take up with TT. Also with MM and Dom and maybe other coaches. I need to see how they play their first 4-5 games, then we’ll talk. If they can’t beat Seattle second game, I’m giving up. It could be that Seattle’s head coach is smarter than MM. But I think they’ll beat Seattle. Big problem may be experienced corner backs. I think Riley will prove very worthy, Montgomery? Let’s see him play.

              3. Peter, I’m not sure McCarthy is such a great coach-he’s been outcoached many times because he didn’t adjust quickly enough against opponents when the plan ain’t working. And Capers ain’t as good as many would like to believe–Harbaugh and 49ers KNEW every scheme he used against them for the past 4 losses. And that includes McCarthy having to send his entire defensive staff to Texas A&M in 2013 to learn how to stop Kaepernick after he blew out Pack’s defense with NFL RECORD run yardage in the ’12 playoffs. What was laughable–NFL was primarily a RUN GAME LEAGUE in early years, Kaepernick and Niners are only doing what the early age teams were doing back then and what college teams have been running for last 15 years. I think there was more to it than him deciding to give up the play-calling–there’s more pressure from upstairs Pack management than anybody’s willing to say. Don’t get me wrong–McCarthy’s one of top Pack coaches of all time but he gets into a rut with calls sometimes especially with keeping his players in control of emotions and the game in hand. IF you are a Pack fan for MANY years, it will shock you when the time comes and Rodgers can’t win by himself and the team takes a quick dive. That was a LONG period of frustration when Lombardi’s last team won SB (25 YEARS) before Wolf traded for Favre and signed Reggie and made GB a national name again. THAT is why long-time fans know the urgency of getting THAT player and making THAT step to SB win, it can be “here today and gone tomorrow” so fast you have to look at last year’s statistics to remember what it was like. I like MOST of the picks, though I preferred Petty over Hundley and they could’ve gotten him in third but still miss out on the best ILB’s before Ryan pick. Just think Montgomery’s not gonna make enough difference over what another ILB with Ryan in middle could. Maybe Thompson’s got his eyes on a couple of cheap FA’s ’cause Barrington and Ryan can’t get the job done without more help and I’m not sure Mulumba, Palmer or Bradford will help much.

              4. Shavager, you and I see it pretty much the same. And there is a bit of noise going around that the defense is going to really stink for 2015. I think Ryan was a great pick, Montgomery will be a return man and may be a good receiver sometime and Hundley needs to be completely brainwashed so he learns the position over again. It’s like every year, some picks good, some picks bad. MM won’t be calling the offense (good) and the defense may make the Pack lose their division.
                I am not hyped by some MM calls, to say the least. I think Rodgers has made MM shine, and not the other way around. Don’t know enough about football to know if Dom should be there or not. Football has gotten extremely complex with all the different packages and all. But I don’t see what can save the defense without experienced “been there, done that” corner backs, do you?

              5. Peter, it just seems Thompson has had some opportunities in drafts since the ’11 season–a move UP here and there for some selections he let slide to somebody else would’ve made this team THE dominant team in NFL like a Lombardi team. I looked up some players he could’ve gotten, it would take giving up some picks late–but he did it before to get Matthews and a couple of others, he did it again to get Hundley who I don’t think will be here in 3 years–imagine GB’s ’11 team coming back after the title season with a defense that would include somebody like a Patrick Peterson, Aldon Smith, JJ Watt, Nick Fairly, Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Jordan, or Cameron Heywood–while Thompson patiently waited till AFTER Heywood was picked to take Derrick SHERROD! That’s a LOT of talent sitting on board that got away while Thompson sat on Sherrod pick in ’11. In ’12 Luke Kuechly, Dontarie Poe, Fletcher Cox, Bruce Irvin, Quentin Coples, Dre Kirkpatrick, Shea McKlellan, Chandler Jones, Donta’ Hightower were all selected before Thompson took Nick Perry while Harrison Smith was selected immediately afterward. They’re so enthused about Perry’s production they are letting him play out his contract this year. Packers couldn’t make too many moves but any two-three of those “stars” named above would make this defense far better than it has been in past 5 years with the selections and stockpile of picks that Thompson accumulated over that time. As for their secondary–just seems like Tramon Williams had ONE great season–’10 SB season, he got the shoulder injured against Saint’s in ’11 and was never the same again. He finally showed up some late last season–what did ya’ expect–it’s a CONTRACT SEASON and he knew it. He was still rated the WORST in NFL for QB completion rates and TD passes completed–so that shows WHO the opponent was gonna throw at–just can’t understand WHY Capers wouldn’t know that. It damn sure showed up in last game vs. Lions when Stafford threw TD to Calvin Johnson and when Wilson threw to Kearse in NFC title game. Sometimes I think coaches are so involved in their own schemes and strategies they fail to look at REAL STATS–MLB managers keeps stats on pitchers and batters and tendencies against opponents, you’d think for all this expertise Capers has for defense, he’d KNOW who where his team’s own weaknesses are and be prepared better for the attack against them. NO WAY, on the winning drive by the Hawks that somebody would be playing DEEP to assist on the Kearse TD pass, especially since Capers had to see Williams on the coverage and knowing his weakness for giving up the NFL’s MOST TD passes. NO, I’m not a fan freaking out over draft picks, just think Thompson spends too much time stockpiling to get 7-9 players, half who aren’t on team in 3-4 years while he could focus on 3-4 BEST athletes to fit his weaknesses and achieve a defense that’s on par with how good their offense is.

  3. Draft grades… Fans freaking out… It’s all ridiculous… Over anxious Packer fans need to calm down and trust in Ted and Mike..Every GM misses on picks…They know more than we do, and Adam Czech, this is the only draft article I’ve read so far that didn’t make we want to scream.. Trying to grade a draft when it hasn’t even been three days when truly grading a draft takes about three years. LOL good read Adam

    1. yes and thank you. I’m sick of the terror and panic.

      ILB: Matthews can again be the best ILB in the NFC next year if we need him to. Peppers will be back and allows us to go that route. Jack Ryan should give up some good rookie minutes there even if he doesnt play well enough to displace Matthews to fulltime OLB this year.

      We also got some exciting under-the-radar 2nd years guys like Jayrone Elliot, Carl Bradford and Khyri Robinson. One or two of them may pan out. We couldn’t buy ourselves another year at DB, we needed young talent so we got it.

      The pick I find the toughest to swallow is Ty Montgomery. Not because I don’t think he could be an excellent KR/PR and jack of all trades in the offense, but because it means that one of our WR draft picks from last year will be gifted to another team after coaching them for a year. Abbrederis and Janis could very well get cut by us and go have productive careers with other teams. Hopefully not in the NFCN.

      The other pick that troubled me, Aaron Ripkowski. It just doesn’t seem like we have the roster space to have 2 fbs. this leads me to believe we’ll only use 2 true rbs this year and that kuhn will back up as rb3.

      1. I love the Ty Montgomery pick! He was a Consensus All American in 2013. In 2014 he had some injuries that limited him somewhat but still was a effective returner and caught 60 balls. New England beat Seattle with a lot of quick short passes to Vereen, Edelman, and Amendola and let them run with the ball and pick up yards. Montgomery is extremely fast and excels with the ball in his hands. You put this kid in the backfield like the Packers did with Cobb, get him the ball in space and watch the show. You’ll love him even more when the Packers are starting at the 30 or 35 yard line instead of the 18 like last year with Harris.

        I don’t think Janis is going anywhere but I do wonder about Abby, maybe he’s not progressing like they thought.

        1. In the end, how many TE/RB do you carry? Maybe one of those spots gets “flexed” into a WR if they all perform. That’s the key, I think: performance will dictate how many WR they take into the season.

        2. Problem with Montgomery as a WR is he had a disappointing senior season and senior bowl week (lots of drops etc.). Hard to justify a R3 pick and roster spot for a pure return guy. Now maybe he is more than that and at first I thought I liked this pick but if he proves to be a return guy only, he will have been overdrafted in R3. Time will tell.

          1. I thought that Brad Jones being gone meant that field position change on kicks/punts would get immediately better by 10 yards…

          2. He explained that. If you make some efforts it is not hard to find reasonable explanation he gave for drop of the stats… But, much easier is to just be against the pick…

            1. Yes, but you hate to have to rationalize things. You’d rather have a guy be a slam-dunk.

          3. I’m with you. As for the drops, what does “lots of drops” mean? I see that he had 16 over three years. Does that mean that he had 5 or 6 his senior year or that he regressed? The knock on James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb has been the drops. Is he in their territory, and can it be fixed? If I remember things right, people were howling about taking Jordy as their first choice in his draft, and the same with Cobb for a 2 in his draft. Nelson was the first pick of a team that had Pro Bowl Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and a popular Ruvell Martin. Clearly there was no need to use their first pick on a WR. Cobb’s draft report said: “Lacks bulk for a running back. Does not possesses great top-end speed and not overly elusive in the open field. Does not have the strength and power to carry the load or push the pile. Only possesses adequate overall ball skills as a receiver. Struggles to sustain his blocks.”

          4. I think the reason he had a down season, senior bowl, and combine was he had a lot of nagging injuries in 2014. He was a Consensus All American in 2013 so I believe the talent is there. At his Pro Day he was 11 pounds lighter, down to 210 lbs and he blew it up.The 221 he was at the combine was just too much weight for him to carry and be effective IMO. Montgomery could be a really interesting piece in this offense because they can line him up anywhere. Put him in the backfield and he could actually be effective running the ball, he’s strong enough. He’s best in space so with Nelson, Cobb, Adams all on the field, Montgomery will present a whole new bunch of problems for defenses.

          5. I agree, but there was no other return guy highly competent, Cobb and Hyde are too important at their spots.

          6. Could be he’s a bit insecure, after his injuries, could be they’ll start him only as a return guy first year. That’s what I think.

        3. Nick, I’m kinda neutral on Montgomery. I see what he brings to GB as a KR. He is a maybe as a WR to me. TT took him with the 30th pick in rd. 3. So, technically, he’s a 3rd rd. choice, but I have far less problem with the pick if I think of it as practically, almost a 4th rd. or if I think of it simply as the player taken at #94.

        4. Montgomery has 17, yes 17 foster siblings. Never in my life did I even hear of that.

      2. He’s a superb run blocker and Lacy needs someone like this. But most of the league doesn’t use fullbacks anymore, right?

      3. I don’t see Hundley improving for two years, so I was perplexed by that. Montgomery is a return stud and more of a running back. I hope he doesn’t suffer from insecurity issues.

  4. It is well that in the text of the article you wrote that the reasons provided are in your opinion, as I was tempted to get snarky and suggest that unless TT or someone in the war room gave you a frank interview, the proverbial “How do you know these are the reasons GB drafted this or that player” or “Did you see TT’s draft board” would have been possible.

    This is a good article that nicely encapsulates what GB seems to think each prospect can be and how they can help the team.

    1. “Christian Ring0 — Projected defensive tackle/long snapper — Round 6, Pick #34 (#210 overall) — Replaces Brett Goode (eventually) and provides depth on d-line”

      Gosh, I hope they don’t plan to use a guy they see developing into someone who can play regular snaps on the DL as their long-snapper. Might save a roster spot, but when he blows a knee in the first quarter of a key game, then what?

  5. Good Article Adam. Just to put 2 notes. Do not overlook Scott Tolzien. There is very few QB in todays NFL who would be able to come to the team and without TC or without any snap with the team and in his second game kept that team in game for large part of the game… Scott was played excellent considering that he had no preparation and only 3 limited practice before game in which he started…
    Second… Kennard Backman! That guy was accused that he does not play physical football… He is more wide receiver. He does not know how to block! I’m not so sure. That guy played in younger categories as DL guy. I’m sure that lot of his marks regarding blocking comes from the fact that his coaches at UAB did not asked him to block, not from the fact that he do not know or he is not willing… But, yes, he is project. At the moment I saw him only at ST if he made roster…

    1. croatpackfan: planning on visiting Croatia this month. Staying in Rovinj and using it as a base for sightseeing. Anything you recommend as a point of interest? Sam

      1. You will love Rovinj… It is small town (an old one) in one part of Croatia we call Istria… There is a lot of what to visit in Istria, but I will recommend you to go to city of Pula and check one of the best preserved Coloseums from Roman time… Also, there is the smallest town on the Earth, named “Hum”…

        http://www.istra.hr/en/attractions-and-activities

        Go here, see what interests you, then send me message to discuss what is reachable…

        I think that would be the best!

        1. Thanks, I will do that. This is the wrong forum to carry on this discussion, so how do I communicate with you?

  6. Packers LOST an opportunity for the best ILB’s by taking Montgomery with third pick–what this author doesn’t mention is Montgomery’s penchant for dropping passes–will he be Jeremy Ross II with fumble-itis on punts? I think this is a stretch that cost them opportunity to fix ILB. IF they valued NEED for a QB, why not take Petty with the third pick instead, that keeps him out of Jets hands and gives GB a better talented QB to groom. Thompson proved he will draft NEED over best available athlete, he also wasted a pick to move up for a QB nobody was apparently interested in until very late. I’d call this draft a “C” at the highest. They didn’t get much value for the picks used with exception of secondary picks. There might be a star in later picks, can anybody say they selected talent better than what they already have?

    1. Again there is the reason why Ted Thompson is Executive V.P., General Manager & Director of Football Operations and you are not… With all my respect to you and your knowledge!

      1. I might just apply for his job–Pack has watched SB at HOME for 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS ’cause he’s drafted or signed 45+ players to FIX defense and hasn’t got the job done yet! Their first 4 picks could’ve been handled differently and made this team a sure SB winner–CB’s, ILB, one D-line player help. That means trading 5th and 6th round picks and using 2 compensatory picks as roster depth. P.S., I’ve watched’em suffer 25 YEARS without much success (5 winning teams and two pathetic playoffs-one and done) before Wolf traded for Favre and signed Reggie, how many Buffalo Bill years you wanna see Packers have? Hint–Bills went to 4 SB’s in a ROW under Marv Levy and HOF QB Jim Kelly without a single win–right now Packers are equaling Bills in consecutive playoff losses, NOT SB appearances.

        1. Well you have my strong support to apply for the job… We will see who will win the job! Good luck!

          1. C’mon croatpackfan, admit it–you got some reservations about these picks too don’t ya’? Rollins in second round’s probably better than Randall in first was and Montgomery’s got a drop problem, that’s all Packers need is another Jeremy Ross fumbling away punts. I like the Jake Ryan at ILB pick but Thompson coulda’ got better talent at ILB with a third round pick instead of Montgomery and still drafted Ryan if they like him that much. I’ve seen Hundley play a game or two, think Petty’s better, taking him with 3rd pick worked better than giving UP a pick to get Hundley in 5th. Packers didn’t necessarily need all picks to fill out this team, this would be a year to trade a couple (5th/6th) to move UP for a better rated ILB. C’mon, admit it, keeping the Randall and Rollins picks and filling them out with Ryan and a Perreyman, Kendricks, or McKendrick for ILB puts better talent on field than what the remaining picks will actually give GB in production. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, that’s what they need now. Upgrading ILB and secondary that can cover better makes this team dominant. Tramon Williams was rated the WORST in league for opposing QB completion rating and WORST for TD completions against him–he’s Cleveland’s problem now. If they don’t give him help over top–he’ll give up more TD passes that cost games, here’s hoping these two new DB’s can fix that problem for GB–P.S., I thought Tramon WAS a great player–he’s not the same talent after the shoulder injury vs. Saints in ’11–I think it especially affects his tackling vs. TE’s and RB’s who are bigger and more physical.

            1. I can not fill your urge. I’m not on the same page as you are… First of all. I do not have long football history, even when you consider I’m 55. I following NFL and NCAA football for 8 years now. But as in every sport there is some common “rules”. You are not picking player just because somebody else says he is good. You are picking players which suits well in your philosophy of the game. That is 1st and most important instance when you are evaluating what players Packers chose. Also, I noticed one thing. From 20 “the best players” in every draft you have 18 busts and 1 good and 1 excellent player… And than you find out that player who played bad with one team suddenly blossom with another team. That is because philosophy of game suits that player better than was the case with previous team.

              I’m honest. I will say you that I did not follow first 2 days of draft. It was in the middle of the night in my country… And on Friday morning (my morning) I said WTF when I saw unknown name and listed as S. But before I become nuts I google the player. And I liked what I saw. On Saturday morning I started what the… than I stopped and google again. And, again I liked what I saw. Than I start to read comments. And I was so angry on all of you for thinking that you know better. There is the guy who wanted Malcom Brown, another one wanted Kendricks, Perryman, whoever… I was thinking of the last year Borland. How the Packers Nation would react if TT drafted Borland and later find out that contract does mean nothing to him… He just left the team… Would you consider that success or failure for TT? Draft is not science, it is something else…Those scouts live football 24/7 and we, fans, live football well 5h/7days mostly. And not few months, but years and years. Also, their work and their opinions makes difference in their wallets, not in ours (except if you are gambling). I think their evaluations are much, much more important and precise than yours or mine… That is why I trusting them. Also, you see this year draft! They see this and at least 2 years in advance. They are calculating with future opportunities. You are not. I really like one sentence Ted Thompson said. That sentence is very important for those who are listening – You do not know what is the position of greatest needs before season starts! You can not predict injuries. What if you lose 3 players because of injuries from the position you considered deep. Suddenly, it becomes thin!

              That is very true and pure wisdom. But I guess, because TT said it, you will not consider that true!

              Now, when we have almost all players on board (drafted ones and UDFA) I claim Packers are much better team than last year! And, they are No 1 candidate for win SB 50!

              http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/5/2/8534321/2016-nfl-mock-draft-prospects-cardale-jones-joey-bosa-christian-hackenberg-connor-cook-?_ga=1.99493982.1368229131.1427960474

              Check here who will keep Pick #32 in 2016 draft!

              1. Dear Croatpackfan, I have no problem with criticizing TT even though I think he is a very good GM, and I have no problem writing that he should have taken Brown. I can honestly say that I agree with every other thing you wrote. Eg., it may be that Perry will do better as a DE for another team (IDK that for sure though!). In the US, we can criticize authority figures while at the same time giving then due respect. I have never said that there is a GM better than TT – I’d put only a couple of them in TT’s class (eg. Ozzie Newsome of the Ravens) and I assure you that TT and Ozzie are very secure in their positions. There is no chance that their teams will fire them.

                Finally, I, too, am 55. I’ve been watching NFL football for about 50 years. So what! I’ve only read scouting reports and watched film of prospects for the last 5 years or so. And there are people who see things on the film that I don’t see – scouts, and people who are just plumb better at it than I am. Your 8 years stacks up just fine! It is probably better than 95% of the people who post here. I can point to folks who have watched the NFL for decades who know little about football. There is no reason to worry about your credentials: your point of view is perfectly valid.

              2. Croatpackfan, I think your analysis of the top 20 players is way off–most of these top picks turn out to be very good to great. As the talent level falls off after the first few rounds, you can always find players who fit team’s need OR schemes that can work out but a majority are usually backups–there’s a big reason they are BACKUPS unless a roster spot opens and team declines to spend money for somebody else’s FA as the Packers choose not to do most times. Borland’s talent and ability did NOT play into decision not to finish his contract–his fear of injury was stronger than will to compete–he got millions to sign, he can afford to quit–in a few years I’d like to know if he still feels same. You BUILD a team with best starting roster, to keep salary costs down and have CAP room to re-sign players next season they have to keep contract costs in mind, THAT makes decisions on taking higher rated talent as much as opportunity does. Most teams can’t afford a roster of stars–salary cap would blow up in contract costs. But when you draft and replace to keep young team as much as Packers do, they can afford to trade up when they have a SB quality team that only needs 3-4 QUALITY players instead a draft of 8-9 players, most of whom will finish rookie contracts, get cut and replaced in the next draft. Yes, Thompson has a “system” but he needs TALENT and players that can make that system work. FIGURE THIS–Ted Thompson has ADDED 45+ NEW PLAYERS through the draft, free agency and signing players that were NOT drafted–aka “street free agents”. Despite that many NEW players–enough to MAKE FOUR NEW DEFENSES, they still have NOT built a defense as good as the team’s 2010 Champions. Croatpackfan–in the football world, that’s A LOT OF BEEF they’ve spend money and picks on and STILL NO SB Title from it. THAT is where the system is falling short–TALENT on defense not able to reach the pinnacle of success from 2010. Several of this year’s picks can be great for this team, several others taken with different strategy could make them even better IF they were willing to pay the price.

              3. Nice chattin’ with ya’, here’s hoping this is SB WIN #5 for Packers on the 50th Anniversary of Lombardi’s Packers first!!

              4. Yes, it was nice… We said what we think and I think, regarding this issue we can agree that we disagree! I’m looking for further discussion with you in future…

                Stay well!

              5. Peter, maybe you got a point–I scratch my head WHY Thompson let some better talent get by without trying to trade up in ’11 and ’12 when I thought they were on verge of dominating offense and couldn’t stop some college team offenses with their poor defense. I can remember back to ’10 when they ran off 6 consecutive wins and SB Title–early in that season McCarthy’s team was undisciplined, made too many mistakes/penalties, just didn’t have their heads in the early games–what was it 18 penalties, fumble by JJones that cost Bear loss early in season, 2 OT losses to Redskins and Dolphins and McCarthy publicly going off about how poorly his team tackled in the loss to Falcons during the season when Michael Turner just ran through all the defensive players in victory. It was ONLY moving Clay Matthews inside last season that helped STOP such “poor tackling” by this defense–and Capers is STILL the coach after 5 CONSECUTIVE years of McCarthy having to call out his defense every season for POOR tackling? If you remember, McCarthy PROMISED last year at camp–this team WOULD tackle better. Then he had to call’em out about poor tackling in the opener against Hawks, again after Bills and Saints losses—makes you wonder IF Capers can even TEACH fundamental tackling, NFL STYLE, since this defense forgets how too many times. Anyhow, I think they “patched” the ILB problem with Jake Ryan right now–don’t know how much play time he gets unless he shows up as the next Nitschke or Dave Robinson in camp ’cause he’s got to get acclimated to their schemes and some experience. I don’t expect’em to just designate him starter with Barrington so look for Mulumba, Bradford, Palmer. Secondary might be shaky early this year but expect them to get better as they go IF this defense can get pressure, especially against the tougher opponents and the younger guys getting more exposure. DEFENSE or lack of it when most needed, has knocked them out every year–unless Raji or Guion gets injured–D-line looks far better–IF Capers gets help over top on opponent’s TOP WR’s when game’s are close at the end, secondary should hold it’s own–the MIDDLE should be GB’s coverage weakness again–Capers’ needs an answer for the middle and Pack fans ain’t got Hawk or Brad Jones to blame anymore.

              6. Sorry Croat, I just don’t think the Pack will have a good defense 2015, But I did like most of the picks. Only problem most rookies need grooming before they start playing. That may be a year and corner back may be a very big problem this year.

              7. Why? Because packers lost A. J. Hawk and Brad Jones in FA? Or because Packers lost injury prone Davon House and aged Tramon Williams (btw responsible for TD in overtime of the NFC game)? We will have much better D this year and, what is not unimportant, much, much better ST…

                I do not get this obsession with old players. I respect every and each of player that become aged while playing for Packers (even Brad Jones I respect!). But, I think, when time come to go apart, time come. Packers showed always classy attitude towards released players, and most of the players showed the same (one case of specific personality I will not count in that!)…

                We are already better than last year!

              8. Not sure Croat, an article in Bleacher report graded us 29th for this coming season. if this is so, forget winning against teams with very strong defenses.

              9. And I read report that predicted 2016 draft. Do you know at what position Packers are suppose to take pick in next draft? At 32nd in the first round! That prediction is, also, much more reliable than Bleacher report. Do you really think that 2 players (ROOKIES!) are making that much of difference? I remember last year praying that TT draft Eric Ebron, taken by Detriot… Not much to show did he?

            2. The first two picks are not 4 year college players, So they will have to go to grooming school. Both are very talented, though.

              1. I’m with ya’ on that. Capers gonna have to give’em some time in games but don’t think he can pencil either in for dominant playing time until later in season. We all know he’s gonna have Randall playing DB more than safety and I think Rollins would have an advantage to start. Peter, you think they’ll backtrack and bring Jarrett Bush back? He’s never been a great cover guy but can’t ignore his experience in system and excelling on special teams, I’m surprised they didn’t re-sign him after the lost Williams and House. I thought they’d pass on him only IF they re-signed House–I was sure Williams was gone based on money.

    2. He’s better than Jeremy Ross…certainly bigger, stronger and more polished. Besides, if you haven’t seen, Ross has played pretty well for what he is since leaving GB.

    3. “Packers LOST an opportunity for the best ILB’s by taking Montgomery with third pick”

      Actually, truth be told, he lost the opportunity for the best ILB by drafting Randall. Saints then ran to the podium to take Stephone Anthony.

      1. Opportunity lost when they selected Randall – check. Anthony was best ILB prospect (if that’s what you meant) – not sure: it depended on my mood (how’s that for being a professional, disciplined commenter/scout) but I liked Anthony.

      2. Jersey Al–I’m with ya’, I think ROLLINS as first pick fits team and talent better than Randall pick does, that leaves Anthony or next best–Kendricks or McKinney, maybe Perryman still available for Packers and THEN making Randall the third pick instead of Montgomery. I don’t think Thompson valued ILB’s like us fans do, but WE ALL KNOW this team MUST get better in the middle or continue to see teams move up and down field like Falcons, Patriots, Dolphins did last year.

        1. Shavager, don’t belive the pundits when and where they rate them. A lot has to do with personal character. Who would have thought Lindsey worked out as well as he did. Besides, one of the first three picks at ILB duked it out with an assistant coach. Even if they shine with physical attributes, you can’t discount character issues.

    4. Based on how the draft picks progressed, I don’t think Ted Thompson thought too highly of many of the ILBs on the board. Many draft evaluators were very down on this year’s ILB class, giving out mostly 2-3 round rounds on the best ones. Plus, as often as the Packers play sub packages (> 50% of the time), unless Thompson felt an early ILB could develop into an All Pro, it made little sense to pick one before he did in the 4th round. Why burn a 1st or 2nd on someone who will play maybe 25% of the snaps?

      1. Jay, I’m not sure that is true. It is a tough fact to substantiate. Here’s my best shot: Per Football Outsiders, GB played 1093 defensive snaps (i.e. not including STs or offense snaps). There are two ILB positions, so there are 2186 potential snaps at ILB. Hawk played 837 snaps (76.6%); Barrington played 355 snaps (32.5%); Lattimore played 281 (25.7%); and Brad Jones played 209 snaps (19.1%). Those total 1682 snaps. I can’t tell how many CM3 played at ILB as opposed to OLB. I shouldn’t think that Hawk, Barrington, Jones, or Lattimore played very many snaps at a position other than ILB. 1682 divided by 2186 = 76.9%. If CM3 played 10 snaps a game at ILB after the bye week, then there were two ILBs on the field 81% of the time. If anyone sees a flaw in my methodology, please point it out, because I am a little surprised by my own conclusion. Yet, the snaps were played by these individuals. As a side note, while doing this, I ran a control on NT. Pennel and Guion played 32% of the defensive snaps (they may have both been on the field together sometimes). NT thus better fits you theory of what position should be devalued.

        Edit: Dear Mr. Reuter: here is a chance for you to pick out the flaw in my methodology, ask me to run the numbers a different way, analyze it again and re-write my post! [Inside joke if you don’t get it.]

        1. Good post. If your numbers are correct, my point was correct–I just wrote it up quickly and didn’t elaborate. Barrington played 32.5%, Lattimore played 25.7%, and Jones played 19.1%. They weren’t drafting to replace Hawk’s snaps–that person is already on the roster. They can’t rely on a rookie to call the defense. Barrington goes into Hawk’s role, taking his 76.6% of the snaps. Ryan will be competing for 25% of the snaps.

          1. I feel like I am monopolizing this thread. And I have to go. Had this conversation with Since ’61 recently. IIRC, Hawk, Jones, and Lattimore played 1317 snaps last year. If GB uses the same scheme, those snaps need to be replaced by and large. Barrington played 355. He can increase his snaps by 600 or 700 if you will. Someone else needs to replace the other 600 or 700, Could be CM3 in part in a pinch, or a rookie or a 2nd year player. Point was more about the facts than whether ILB should be devalued. The value of the position (that is, what resources a GM needs, or should use, to fill out ILB) is another argument altogether. And you might well be right. I certainly did not want TT to blow pick #30 on any of those ILBs, or trade up to get one since that is always expensive. But it is not about whether 2 ILBs are on the field at the same time. Thanks for the compliment. I live with a teenage son, so compliments have been a trifle rare lately! The hell of it is I don’t disagree with your basic point, Jay.

            1. I’m at work multitasking while dealing with students, reading papers, and culling through this comment section. I should have fleshed out my argument more, but it appears that we are on the same page. I didn’t mean for it to come across as the ILBs only see the field 25% of the time. I was trying to make the point that whoever Ted drafted as an ILB this year would likely only see the field for about 25% of the snaps, so it didn’t make sense to burn a high pick on a crop of ILBs that many pundits were very low on. If there was a Ray Lewis type sitting there, Ted would have spent his pick. Your first and second picks are expected to be immediate contributors and potentially All Pros, and none of the ILBs there were, but Randall and Rollins will see the field plenty. Those picks were a better value and will have more long-term impacts.

              1. Very true, but I can’t see the first two picks getting a lot of time. They’re a bit inexperienced, super talented, perhaps. They spent time in college playing other games.

      2. I gotcha’ back on the first part Jay–I think he went for some quality at DB with first two picks. I woulda’ preferred to get a Kendricks, McKendricks, Perryman, Ramik Wilson or Huerrera along WITH Jake Ryan for the ILB INSTEAD of taking Montgomery with the 3rd pick. Montgomery’s production fell off last season with too many passes dropped and unless Abbrederis, Janis or even Myles White or all of’em are not on Pack’s list for WR roster spots, it looks like he’s a special teams fix. DEFENSE is far more important than getting another 10-15 yds of return yardage, especially with Aaron Rodgers at QB. Thompson traded a pick to get Hundley, with the team only 3-4 quality players for ILB’s and DB’s away from a dominant defense–at least as good as the 2010 champs, getting a couple of better talents at ILB seems a better choice than needing all the other picks after the fourth round. Don’t be surprised if Mulumba, Palmer, Bradford don’t pan out and Matthews has to move inside again depending on the opponent, Thompson let a few better talented ones get away while taking a WR too early.

    5. I would argue that they “lost” nothing. They chose to go in another direction.

      1. Dobber, they’ve gotten TD run-backs from Cobb on kickoffs and Micah Hyde on punts, they could’ve stuck with this like McCarthy said they would look at–STARTERS on special teams returns. Choosing Montgomery–WR with a disappointing season for DROPS last year-over a second potential ILB to pair with Ryan limits their opportunity to shore up middle of field defense, probably will force Matthews to inside if they’re not getting enough production in run defense or receiver out of backfield. It’s NOT “special teams” KR’s costing them playoff victories the last 4 CONSECUTIVE YEARS–it’s DEFENSE and Montgomery don’t play defense. Which choice would you take–Montgomery or a Ramik Wilson, Huerrera, maybe a Kendricks or Perryman at ILB instead? DEFENSE wins championships–the last 5-6 straight SB’s were won by defense more than offense. Remember–it was Pack’s DEFENSE stopping the Steelers in 2010, NOT Aaron Rodgers and offense, but given a little more clock time–even THAT defense had proven they couldn’t stop Big Ben and Steelers all game. Montgomery’s no Desmond Howard, IF he drops the ball like Jeremy Ross did, he won’t be in green very long and Ryan will still need help in the middle.

  7. I understand the rationale for many of these picks. I actually have warmed to the 1-2 Randall and Collins picks, and I can understand the case being made for Montgomery. Ryan is a solid, if unspectacular, pick…some analysts say the Packers overdrafted him a little bit. Hundley reminds me a little bit of Aaron Brooks: athletic, strong, live arm, inconsistent throwing the ball…if they can tune up that side of his came, he could be a coup in round 5. Maybe he never plays any number of meaningful snaps for the Packers, but he could net a meaningful return in trade.

    What bothers me is what we’re hearing from analysts. Many are saying that the Packers have a fairly complete roster and that TT had the luxury of “tinkering” in the draft. I sincerely hope that wasn’t the approach to this draft for GB. With how the worm turns in the NFL, I don’t think any team EVER has that luxury. The draft is the greatest resource for talent each team has. You can’t squander it.

    1. He drafted football players and that is all that matters. Except he didn’t, he drafted baseball and basketball players. I’m confused.

      1. I’m a pinochle player and my phone rang on Saturday from a caller in the 920 area code…I didn’t get to it and they didn’t leave a message. Oh well.

    2. “Many are saying that the Packers have a fairly complete roster and that TT had the luxury of “tinkering” in the draft. I sincerely hope that wasn’t the approach….”

      Umm… that sounds a bit like me. My exact position was that TT should treat the 1st round as a complete luxury pick (but not the whole draft). I acknowledge we have some holes. Oh well.

      1. Actually, I wasn’t thinking of you in this context, but I did get this from Bob McGinn of JSOnline this morning, just as an example…

        “When a football team is powerful and on the precipice of the Super Bowl, it can take chances on non-essential pieces that a weaker squad cannot. This might be remembered as the year that the Green Bay Packers drafted extraneously.”

        1. I think McGinn’s comment doesn’t described what occurred. I suspect TT knows GB is inches from the Lombardi trophy. Another GM might buy a FA to fix a hole. TT, being TT, drafted to fix the holes. I view this draft as mostly a need draft. Pick 1-4, need. If TT thinks the window is 2 or 3 seasons, 5 and 6 are arguably need picks too.

  8. Grading draft picks and complaining that we could have picked this or that player instead is like all the mocks drafts, pure speculation. As I see it the Packers entered the draft with the following needs, ILB, DB depth, DL, TE, improve STs and a 3rd QB. Their first 2 picks restored their depth at DB and will help STs. Ty Montgomery will help STs and add depth a WR and maybe RB, Jake Ryan will become part of the answer at ILB and probably play on STs, Hundley provides insurance against another 2013 nightmare QB scenario, Ripkowski may become the future Kuhn and an ST player. Ringo may add DL depth and Backman TE depth and maybe STs. If we look at it fairly TT addressed the Packers’ needs except at DL and TE where the picks are questionable at best. How well the DBs, Montgomery and Ryan develop into their roles is the same as any player drafted by any team at this point. I think that the Packers are trying to build a defense with versatile players who can stay on the field as they face more no huddle, up tempo offensives and are unable to get their situational packages on the field. Not a WOW draft but could be a very solid group in 2-3 seasons. Thanks, Since ’61

    1. I upvoted your well-reasoned post, but I want to explain w/o foolish argument how I can do that given my various criticisms of this draft (which I don’t hate). I agree that TT did a good job of plugging holes. If TT thinks that we have an excellent chance of winning some super bowls this season and the next few seasons, as I do, and thus took need into consideration a bit more than perhaps he usually does, then this draft takes on a new complexion. (See link to TT quote on need vs. BPA below).

      I agree with your assessment of needs, though I’d have listed CB, then ILB, etc., and I think that can be and was done while improving STs. Tramon and House played 1417 snaps – Hayward & Hyde can increase their snaps by perhaps 700 to 900. That left at least 500 of these “hey they really count in actual NFL games” snaps. (This assumes that Hayward and Hyde play well in their new roles). So TT took 2 CBs high figuring he’d get the snaps he needs from them or from Goodson, or even a UDFA. Need filled. If a rookie blossoms at outside CB, even better, and Hayward and Hyde can play slot where they are proven commodities. We lost Hawk (837), Jones (209), Lattimore (281) or 1327 snaps. Barrington (355 snaps) can increase his by maybe 600. Need 727 snaps that count. I can’t find a source breaking down CM3’s snaps by OLB vs. ILB, but if it’s really necessary, he can play a lot more snaps at ILB. I can’t read TT’s mind, but he might know/think Bradford, etc., can play, or figured that a later pick (Ryan) can play, etc, or if worst comes, CM3 can play many of the needed snaps. TT might think Peppers, Perry, Elliott, Neal, etc. can handle OLB well enough. IDK. As for the actual #30 pick, it might be that TT liked Randall a lot better than whoever he liked best of the “big 5” ILB prospects. He might think that the quality of the 1327 snaps he got at ILB from the cut players was sooo low that they can be more easily replaced than the lost CB snaps. Fair amount of speculation here, I grant. I do think TT might get his 3 starters out of this draft, which is the Ron Wolf standard for a good draft; I just think he gave up on his best (but not only) chance to hit a home run.

      http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/green-bay-packers-ted-thompson-the-way-to-draft-is-to-take-best-player-042215

      1. Reynoldo – a good post as usual. I appreciate our analysis of the snap counts, well done! I think TT feels that with Joe Thomas, Josh Francis, Nate Palmer, and Bradford he has ILB covered and not add Jake Ryan into the mix. Obviously, he and MM are expecting at least 2-3 of those guys to step up in 2015. OLB also covered with Neal, Malumba, Elliott, Peppers and of course CM3. I also think that he took MM’s input on the need to improve STs very seriously as I see 4-5 of these picks contributing on STs. As for the DL, again they are expecting the players already on the roster to step up. Beyond that we have the UFDAs who may add some depth and even a surprise starter. Impossible to know how it works out until the season. Thanks, Since ’61

        1. I must seem schizophrenic. Think GB is loaded. Thought there were good CBs available 2nd and 3rd rds. Thought ILBs would be gone by the before we picked at #62, and TT would have trouble getting need to match BPA w/o expensive trade up. Thought TT could use #30 as a complete luxury pick and go for the home run. Draft played out well I thought and Brown dropped to us (I was hoping Dupree would be the one to drop). OTOH, I think we’re close to winning the Super bowl, and maybe just plug a hole or two is the way to go. Some GMs when they’re close buy a FA – figured TT’s way was to draft for need a bit more. I was torn. Gotta go now!

    2. If Randall turns out better than Malcom Brown then TT wins. Else, not.

      The No-Brainer Packer Draft:

      1 – Malcom Brown
      2 – Trade up using R3 pick for ILB Eric Kendricks

      2 instant starters in front 7 vs what we got – two maybes who are tweener types, projections to new positions, barely big enough and fast enough for the NFL. I’ll take my no-brainer picks over TT’s handiwork every day of the week.

      1. hahahahahahahah instant starters…

        Ted Thompson won already, 10 years ago…

      2. “If Randall turns out better than Malcom Brown…”

        I don’t know how you make that comparison, but I agree that, at the time, Brown or Goldman seemed like a no-brainer pick.

      3. Archie – in the end it’s all a crap shoot. Brown and Kendricks might have been the better way to go, but there are no guarantees. Look at Clowney last season, on IR before playing one full season. Until any of these guys get on the field in a real NFL game it’s all speculation. TT and his scouts do this every day,plus watch hours and hours of film and they know their team better than we do. Does that make them right all the time, no, but in this era of the NFL they have consistently produced excellent results on the field, sometimes in spite of a ridiculous number of injuries. Thanks, Since ’61

    3. With all nickle and dime packages, GM’s are now seeking hybrid safety/corner back types.

  9. It sounds like lipstick on a pig to me. Malcom Brown fit a need and was one of the steals of the first round at pick 32. Yet TT passed him over at pick 30 for a projection tweener type that may be out slot CB if we’re lucky. That right there ruined my draft day.

    1. Brown really projected to the nose. I felt the Packers had a greater need for a traditional 3-4 DE with length. ‘Course, they didn’t take either…

      1. I saw conflicting reports. Some thought he, and Eddie Goldman, another possibility at #30, had some versatility. Edit: I wasn’t sure when i watch film. Don’t care tho, I think Brown can be elite. Just too good to pass on.

        Dobber: Re: TT addressing need vs. BPA here’s a link. Essentially he says he drafts BPA mostly, with a tincture of need taken into consideration. Don’t know just how big that tincture is, though. Guess that’s the debate.

        http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/green-bay-packers-ted-thompson-the-way-to-draft-is-to-take-best-player-042215

        1. I saw that…I thought it was a very creative use of the word “tincture”. 🙂

            1. It’s a good thing the semester’s over…I haven’t gotten jacks#!t done for the last week or so…

    2. Malcom Brown isn’t a 2-gapper. It comes down to that. Capers runs a 2-gap 3-4 and NE runs a 1-gap 4-3. The last time the Packers tried forcing a 1-gap DE into a 2-gap scheme was Jerel Worthy. How did that one work out?

      1. Well, you’re right about the 2-gapping, but if we really want to be fair I think we need to that Worthy was quickly cut by the Patriots, and that he has done exactly zilch for KC, where I think he is now on the practice squad. I’m sure the blown out knee didn’t help him at all, but Worthy seems to be one of those guys who got drafted and then shut it down. It was a bad pick by TT, and I’m not sure that it would have been much better in a 1-gap system.

  10. The picks are solid players but were they the right ones? Who knows? Thompson has been doing this for many years so he has way more credentials than any of us. Myself I felt the first pick should have been Jalen Collins he is a taller corner that could have come in day one to play on the outside where Randall will be a project, I’m not saying he is a bad choice because he looks to be a solid center fielder but if Hayward does not work out on the island who else do they have now? Goodson?

    I believe this draft was solely for depth and special teams purpose which kind of amazes me since McCarthy has said many times they don’t draft players for ST only. Bottom line each player selected with the exception of Hundley will contribute to ST year one but that is all they are good for this year.

    1. I think you’re going to see either or both of Randall and Collins get a significant number of snaps this year. TWill and House leaving means that they’ve only got 3 corners who finished last season on the 53-man roster. We can point to the PS guys, but these two players are much better. The Packers like to use their CB depth…I don’t see that changing this season.

      Given how thin ILB looks with the departure of Hawk and Jones, I would expect someone like Ryan would have a good opportunity to be a contributor.

    2. McCarthy was shamed by ST play. And I can’t see the defense improving much this year but Riley will improve the middle.

  11. I am going to wait until practices start and get the daily reports of who looked good or bad then. My 1st pick would have been Stephone Anthony. He looked big, lean and strong but he had been to camp and the Packers chose a DB instead. Not all players with the hype are good, remember Mandrich? The Packers are Super Bowl contenders every year (thank you Rodgers) so the organization must do most things right.

  12. Hundley was a best value developmentally. I would rather have him than Jay Cutler but the Packers get a back up QB and if he should develop into a starter quality and Rodgers is still healthy, then Hundley could be traded for a greater value draft pick. I do not see this as an immediate value this year. It is a building for the future with vast possibilities.

    1. Many had him rated as the third-best QB in this (admittedly weak) draft class…some scouts even had him ahead of Mariota.

  13. LET SEE: 1ST ROUND PICKED AN UNDERSIZED SAFETY WHO IS NOT FAST AD MISSES A LOT OF TACKLES (COULD OF HAD A NOSE TACKLE (NOW WITH BEARS) SECOND ROUND PICKED UP A CB THAT HAS POTENTIAL BUT NEEDS WORK. IN THIRD ROUND PICED UP A WR THAT HAS BAD HANDS AND CANNOT RUN ROUTES CORRECTLY AND FUMBLES A LOT. (WHILE TWO RECIEVERS PICKED UP LAST YEAR SIT ON THE BENCH) HOW DOES TT KEEP HIS JOB?

      1. Because the majority of Packer fans are happy with just above mediocre. We don’t need no stinkin superbowl…

        1. Name other team except Patriots who has better record than Packers in last 6 years! Then come here again and repeat Packers are mediocre…

          1. Actually the record doesn’t mean much, it is the number of rings that you use to measure success…

            1. I agree. So you are the wealthiest and most loved and with lot of best friend surrounded person… Because nothing less is acceptable… If it is less you are failure… Is it what you are trying to tell me?

        2. I don’t think it matters what we are happy with. TT has shown time and again he could care less about public opinion.

          1. TT could care less about anything except who is coming in the back door to date his sister…

  14. American corn farmers? Adam should get a laugh over my last name then, the word for “corn” in Spanish. But actually, my last name is Basque and it’s just a coincidence that Maiz means corn. But Adam’s explanation is a great summation of this year’s draft. I hope MM can turn Hundley into a streamlined QB, a tall order per se. And hope Joe Whipp really has the teaching talents he has a reputation for.

    And a question for Allen…should GB keep the fullback format? A lot of offenses have put that position to sleep.
    Overall, TT might have decided on our new ILB from a while back which gave him the freedom to take cornerbacks, which if so, was pretty brilliant. Ryan will upgrade the problem with pass rush sooner rather than later, in my opinion.

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