The first of the mock drafts came out today by Luke Easterling from USA Today Sports. The selections are an indictment on the job that General Manager Ted Thompson has done since the Super Bowl.
No. 1. RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State; No. 2. TE Jake Butt, Michigan; No. 3. EDGE Marquis Haynes, Mississippi; No. 4. G Kareem Are, Florida State; No. 5. CB Brandon Facyson, Virginia Tech; No. 6. WR Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M; No. 7. S Weston Steelhammer, Air Force
The actual player is unimportant, however, TE Jake Butt is interesting because the rumor is former 49ers coach and current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is rumored to be in the mix for Mike McCarthy's job next season.
But lets look at the positions Easterling targeted. The first one is obvious. Eddie Lacy is coming off two unproductive seasons. James Starks has suddenly become terrible and has lost his starting spot to Ty Montgomery, a wide receiver. The third spot has been a wreck since John Crockett was injured in the preseason and placed on injured reserve. First Thompson cut Brandon Ross, who had a good preseason. Then he claimed Jhurell Pressley off waivers from the Vikings and signed Don Jackson to the practice squad.
The Packers opened the season with Lacy, Starks and Pressley at halfback and Aaron Ripkowski at fullback. However, that lineup lasted just 1 game when Pressley was cut leaving the Packers with just two running backs and "Ripper" for 3 games until Starks was injured leaving the Packers with just Lacy and "Ripper" in the backfield for the Cowboys game and the running back position has been a disaster since then.
That backfield didn't even last through the Cowboys game as Lacy was forced to play after being hurt in the Giants game and he re-injured his ankle and was lost for the season.
Thompson then activated Don Jackson from the practice squad and traded (yes, he did make an in-season trade) for Knile Davis from the Chiefs. As one of the peripheral Packer Backers, who is a Ted Thompson Kool-Aid drinker or better known as an officer of the "In Ted We Trust" cult or as I call them "Tedders" told me he was fast and a great pickup that will do great things immediately. I kept saying after every second word, "he's a fourth stringer".
So the Bears game came with Davis and Jackson as the running backs and "Ripper" at fullback. Instead of "Mr. Speed and Greatness" making his Packers debut Montgomery was shifted to running back and started.
Montgomery gained 60 yards on 9 carries (6.7 per rush), but was suffering from an illness during the week before the Falcons game and had to sit it out. It turned out his illness was more serious than we were told (it turned out to be sickle-cell trait).
So with a choice between "Mr. Speed and Greatness" and a practice squadder who was an undrafted free agent that was cut with two games left in the preseason after having no carries in the first two games and brought back on the practice squad prior to the first game of the season the practice squadder Don Jackson started.
Jackson lasted all of 4 carries before injuring his hand. Montgomery returned to start against the Colts and he was injured after 3 carries. Starks came back to start the next four games starting with the Titans game until he was benched last week in favor of Montgomery again.
But that's getting ahead of things. Davis was then cut after two games with just 5 carries for 5 yards with a long of 4 yards. He caught 2 passes for 4 yards. "Mr. Speed and Greatness" wasn't worth a conditional 7th round pick so Thompson cut him before the trade was confirmed (note: he ended up back with the Chiefs where he has 7 carries for 14 yards. Take that "Peripheral").
Thompson then re-signed Brandon Burks, who also had a good preseason, to the practice squad 2 days after he cut Davis before the Colt game. Starting with the Titan game the Pakers backfield had Starks the starter with Montgomery and Jackson his backup and "Ripper" at fullback.
After the Titan game Jackson was placed on injured reserve and Christine "A Boy Named Sue" Michael was claimed off waivers from the Seahawks and, get this, Joe Kerridge, a fullback, was activated from the practice squad.
So with a fresh running back ready to get a few carries under his belt Michael was inactive against the Redskins leaving Starks, "Ripper" and Kerridge in the backfield with Montgomery available for 4 carries for 17 while Starks had 9 carries for 25 yards. "Ripper" had 2 carries for 9 yards.
So for the last 3 games the backfield has been Starks, Michael and Montgomery at halfback with "Ripper" and Kerridge at fullback. Most teams don't have a fullback, but the Packers have 2 because Kerridge is needed on special teams. The roster is so screwed up. Also there are no running backs on the practice squad after Burks was cut 9 days after he was re-signed.
Starks before he got hurt was terrible as the change of pace for Lacy. He went 4-for-7, 7-for-3, 1-for-(-1), and 12-for-33 when Lacy was hurt against the Giants. That was 24-for-42 (1.75 per carry). The last 4 games he has gone 7-for-33, 9-for-25, 17-for-41, and last week 1-for-1 before he was benched. That's 37-for-100 (2.8).
Michael has been here 3 games with 1 carry against the Eagles for 4 yards and 9 carries for 19 yards against the Texans. That's 10-for-23 (2.3).
Montgomery has 2 starts and has 35 carries for 187 yards (5.3). "Ripper" has 4 starts and has 22 carries for 87 yards (4.0). Kerridge has no carries in 4 games.
It seems nobody thinks the Packers backfield situation is acceptable so drafting a running back at No. 1 would seem wise. Many also feel Lacy will be cut (I don't). I also think Starks...I don't know what to think of Starks. Michael should be given a chance to show his stuff to see if he is a keeper. Montgomery may just be a running back. I guess we'll find out the next 4 weeks.
The 2nd round pick is interesting because after running back tight end is the second screwed up position. Butt just won the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in the nation. He would be a good selection.
The Packers started the season with 3 tight ends on the 53. Jared Cook, the prized free agent signing (although he was a street free agent not an unrestricted free agent just like Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion, who were also cut by their former teams) from the Rams; Richie Rodgers and Justin Perillo after Andrew Quarless was allowed to leave in free agency to the Lions (he was cut 16 games later after serving a 1 game suspension for firing a gun a few years ago) and Kennard Backman last year's No. 6 #213 draft pick was waived off injured reserve with an injury settlement.
Cook started his Packers career missing all of the off-season with a foot injury and has played in only 6 of the 12 games because of an ankle injury starting 4 with 16 catches for 184 yards (11.5) and 1 TD. Rodgers, who Thompson and McCarthy hate, has played in every game starting 5 with 25 catches for 219 yards (8.8) and 1 TD. Perillo played in 9 games with 1 start and had 4 catches for 35 yards (8.8) and 0 TD before he was cut before the Redskins game.
Thompson has 2 rookie tight ends on the practice squad Devon Cajuste and Beau Sandland. Neither are considered prospects.
Now the rest of the draft. An edge rusher Marquis Haynes at No. 3. Haynes is a great pass rusher from defensive end and would be a great pick at No. 3 at either linebacker or safety.
However his pick is interesting like tight end after Thompson has spend 2 No. 1's Nick Perry and Datone Jones and 2 No. 2's Mike Neal and Jerel Worthy since drafting Clay Matthews No. 1 in 2009 trying to find a complement to him on the other side.
Perry was finally working out leading the team in sacks until hurting his hand last week. You all know we have been waiting him to get injured. Peppers has been a good signing (although expensive), but most of his time here had Matthews in the middle.
Then you have a guard to replace T.J. Lang and then a cornerback and that is another position Thompson has invested a lot of draft picks and undrafted free agents on.
He has drafted Damarious Randal 2015-No. 1, Quinten Rollins 2015-No 2, Pat Lee 2008-No. 2, Casey Hayward 2012-No. 2, Davon House 2011-No. 4, Micah Hyde 2013-No. 5, Demetri Goodson 2014-No. 6.
Of those Randall became a starter as a rookie. Rollins hasn't been able to crack the starting lineup. Lee never became a starter and was cut. Hayward began his career with 6 interceptions from the slot, but regressed since then and lost an entire season with a hamstring injury and when he is rookie contract was up was allowed to walk and currently leads the league with 7 interceptions and a pick-6 with the Chargers. House was also allowed to leave after his contract was up and signed with the Jaguars. He was a starter last year and has been benched this year. Hyde replaced Hayward in the slot and Goodson was a project who just suffered a serious knee injury.
The current roster at cornerback has Randall and undrafted free agent LaDarius Gunter as starters on the outside; Rollins and Hyde in the slot; and 2 more undrafted free agents Josh Hawkins and Mankiton Dorleant as the backups. This is another screwed up position.
The final 2 picks are a wide receiver and a safety. Wide receiver is another screwed up position with nobody who can get separation or open down field and safety is interesting with No. 1 pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at free safety replacing Nick Collins and Morgan Burnett, a solid, but unproductive, strong safety.
Burnett's claim to fame is sitting down after an interception in the "Great Seattle Collapse" under the urging of Peppers allowing the Seahawks to win the game and go to the Super Bowl instead of the Packers. Ironically, or not, the Packers have sucked since that loss.
Inside linebacker is another screwed up position, but Easterling doesn't draft here, with 2 No. 4 draft picks Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez as the starters and undrafted free agent Joe Thomas as the pass backer with no backups until injuries hit and No. 4 draft pick Carl Bradford, who couldn't make the 53 was called up from the practice squad. Clay Matthews was moved back inside with the injuries to Ryan and Martinez. But Matthews is also injured, so Thomas and Bradford have been playing the majority of the time.
What this all means is Thompson has fallen down on the job leaving the Packers woefully thin on talent and numbers at several key positions with running back, wide receiver, cornerback and inside linebacker screwed up positions. IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO RETIRE. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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