Post Draft Analysis

Tramon Williams May Get Cut

Unlike the uninformed musings of one NFL Network analysis Mr. Mark Dulgerian (see Lombardi's Den 168) I hope to give you some observations that are accurate and informative.

First thing I saw was a throwaway comment made about the trade the Cleveland Browns made with the Miami Dolphins for veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor.

The story said "The Browns, though, need help at the position. Pro Bowler Joe Haden is coming off an injury-plagued season and veteran Tramon Williams had his ups and downs in 2015", so maybe another former Packer may be hitting the open market soon to join wide receiver Greg Jennings, who was let go by the Dolphins on March 5th and inside linebacker A. J. Hawk, who was let go by the Bengals on April 26th.

Hold That Ghost

B. J. Raji is Hoping to See Another Packer Training Camp

The Packers have five pending unrestricted free agents on defense. The biggest one, literally, figuratively and otherwise, is nose tackle B. J. Raji.
 

Raji was allowed to test the free agency waters two years ago and ended up re-signing with the Packers on a 1-year deal. He missed the entire 2014 season with a biceps injury. He didn't find any takers last year and re-signed again on a 1-year deal and played the entire season, but didn't have a breakout season despite being moved, if in name only, back to nose tackle from left defensive end.
 

When the other nose tackle, Letroy Guion, was re-signed to a 3-year deal on Feb. 12, it seemed to indicate that the Packers were ready to move on from their former No. 9 pick overall in the 2009 draft. However, late breaking news has the Packers opening negotiations with Raji during the combines.

You Might Have Missed It, But the Off-Season Began 2 Weeks Ago

February 8 the NFL off-season officially began when players could be placed on waivers. The next day the teams began to sign players whose 2015 contracts have expired, but being Packer Backers this is the time of year we all take a Packers theme cruise with Ted Thompson until April.

However, this year before we all disembarked there actually was a transaction and when I say a transaction I mean it literally.



Ryan Williams When He Was a Miami Hurricane

Despite signing QB Ryan Williams on Jan. 1 and nine of the 11 practice squad players (LB Carl Bradford, DT William Campbell, TE Mitchell Henry, WR Jamel Johnson, DT Christian Ringo, OL Matt Rotheram, T Jeremy Vujnovich, WR Ed Williams, DE B.J. McBryde) on Jan. 18 to reserve/futures contracts Ted Thompson re-signed DT Letroy Guion to a 3-year contract worth $11.25 million on Feb. 12.

Can You Say 2-0, Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

The losing streak is over. The Seahawks have finally been plucked. The Bears (0-2) lost and the Lions (0-2) lost to the Vikings (1-1). After two games the Packers lead the North and are tied for the lead in the NFC and the NFL.

 

Full Disclosure up front. I predicted a 35-24 loss while wishing I was wrong. I got my wish, but you all have to understand something I'm the pessimist in our Packer Backer group while Timmer is the optimist and Andrew jumps off the couch and cusses as he blocks our view of the TV. We all do our jobs. I, of course, AM the "Pouring of the Beer" with help from Andrew, Andrew, the pouring machine.

 

The Green Bay Packers did a lot of good things Sunday night, including overcoming the glaring deficiency of Dom Capers not making adjustments at halftime and the opposing team always coming out and owning the third quarter.

 

However, this time the Packers fans, James Starks, Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb and my vote for game MVP Jayrone Elliott stepped up in the fourth quarter to bring the victory home.

 

Other big time contributors were right tackle Don Barclay (Turkey Leg), wide receiver Ty Montgomery (Turkey Leg), nose tackle B. J. Raji (Turkey Leg), wide receiver James Jones (Turkey Leg), tight end Richard Rodgers (Turkey Leg) and linebacker Nick Perry (Chicken Leg).

 

I also want to give a complete Butterball Turkey dinner to the Packers special teams. Mason Crosby didn't come close to missing a kick from every distance going 4-for-4 on field goals (54, 44, 21, 18) and 1-for-1 on extra points (33). The kickoff coverage team had the Seahawks bottled up inside their 20 on six of his seven kickoffs. Punter Tim Masthay had a good night. Finally and more importantly there was not a penalty on special teams.

I have noticed over the years that the Packer fans at Lambeau Field aren't very vocal and it seemed Coach Mike McCarthy did too, because he made a point during the week to ask for some noise Sunday night. Lambeau Field was rocking, except for the third quarter, but they came back in the fourth quarter when the Packers needed them the most. TWO THUMBS UP WITH A BEER BELLY CHASER.

Quick Takes From Chi-Town

The quickest take from the win over the Bears was same old, same old. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions and Jay Cutler threw an interception at a crucial time. Result: Packers 31, Bears 16, oops I mean 23 (more on that later).

 

The next quickest take is the win snapped a three-game opening game losing streak. If you've been reading I was worried about this game and being down 13-10 at the half didn't give me much confidence.

 

Now for some slower takes. Rodgers and the offense was rusty. Rodgers and the offensive line hadn't played together since the second pre-season game. I don't care what you pampered, over-paid prima donnas say pre-season games do mean something. Football is the ultimate team sport that depends on 11 men (so far) playing in rhythm to be successful. One game (as our Mr. Rodgers wants) is not enough to develop that rhythm and today's game proved that in spades. The second half was when Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood started to click.

James Jones finds the endzone not once but twice

Speaking of rusty James Jones wasn't. The old rapport with Rodgers was there and it resulted in the first two of what I hope is many touchdowns. He caught all four balls thrown his way (two with spectacular catches) for 51 yards with a long of 34.

Post-Game Analysis: The Defense - Wart Hog Report

The defensive line is a mess, but you all can take solace because in a Dom Capers defense you don't need a defensive line. The starting defensive ends were out (2012 No. 4 (132) pick Mike Daniels with an ankle and 2014 free agent from the Vikings Letroy Guion with a hamstring) and this week in practice backup defensive tackle Bruce Gaston (who was signed off the Arizona practice squad last year) has been out with an illness.

 

B.J. Raji Closing Off the Middle

The game opened with three down lineman of 2013 No. 5 (167) pick Josh Boyd at left end, 2009 #1 (9) pick B.J. Raji at nose tackle and defensive tackle turned out of necessity right end 2014 undrafted free agent Mike Pennel, who played real well. He finished with 2 tackles and one for a loss and Boyd had one tackle. Raji controlled the middle so much so the Patriots didn't run up the middle.

Mike Pennel

 

Pennel then moved back to the middle when Raji came out with 2013 No. 1 (23) pick Datone Jones taking over left end and 2014 No. 3 (85) pick Khyri Thornton at right end. Jones had a good game with 2 tackles, but both were sacks (although they came against the reserves) and Thornton, who along with Jones is fighting for his life, had an assisted tackle.

 

Khyri Thornton Tasting It

Thornton slide over to left end when (another player out of position) Gaston played right end. Later 2105 No. 6 (210) Christian Ringo (another defensive tackle) also played right end and Gaston went to left end and 2015 undrafted free agent Lavon Hooks took over in the middle.

 

None of the other down linemen had any tackling stats, but that's no surprise because in a Dom Defense they aren't supposed to make tackles.

 

Now that was some what misleading because the only time Capers uses three down linemen is on first down. Most of the time he goes with two down linemen and an extra defensive back.

 

I absolutely hate two down linemen. I would like to go back to a 4-3 and control the line of scrimmage, which would solve two of the many problems the Dom Defense has had - stopping the run and rushing the passer. You would say that seven sacks would seem to a good stat, but most of those sacks came against the reserves.

 

I know you guys think there would be no place for Clay Matthews, but just think how much better he would be as the fifth rusher coming in free. Think about it. How much better would the Packer defense be if you had a front seven comprised of Datone Jones at left end, B.J. Raji at nose tackle, Mike Pennel at defensive tackle and Mike Daniels at right end with Matthews at one outside linebacker, Julius Peppers at the other outside backer and Sam Barrington in the middle.

 

To sum it up Pennel played well and looks like he will be in the rotation. Raji looked good pushing the center back and clogging the middle. Boyd hasn't looked good since he was a rookie and was so-so against the Patriots. Thornton was ok, Jones looked good against reserves, Ringo looked good in spots as did Gaston and Hooks. I thought the line played well, so it would be interesting to see how they play against the Steelers.

Do the Raji

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNgMnsT63xY

 

The first week of training camp has started and the reviews are positive, very positive about the return of B. J. Raji to the field. In fact, everybody's favorite punching bag, except mine, has had such a good start to camp that Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers are more than considering moving Letroy Guion to left defensive end.

 

Making the move more intriguing is that 2013 No. 1 draft pick Datone Jones, who was slated to occupy the left defensive end spot has been suspended for the season opener leaving just Josh Boyd as the only other player with experience after Luther Robinson was released during the summer.

 

I DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE MISSION TO GO ON A FOOL'S ERRAND

You will find a 100 different mock drafts with this or that scenario leading to the 30th pick in the first round. When it comes to the other 31 teams, or maybe the other 30, since the Raiders seem to defy logic a lot of time, most of them are very logical and end up picking someone at a need position.

 

But in the case of the Packers it's a fool's errand to predict what General Manager Ted Thompson is going to do, so the art of predicting is a very imprecise. But I will try anyway because...I'm the smartest guy in the room and...whoops, you heard that. I didn't realize I was thinking out loud. Be that as it may let's continue.

 

First let's look back to see what Thompson has done over the past 10 drafts. He has the reputation (through his own words prior to each draft) of drafting the best athlete available (BAA) regardless of position, but does he deserve it? Let's see.

 

Ted Thompson in the War Room

 

2005: 1-24 (QB Aaron Rodgers) - Needs: guard, safety, defensive end, strong side linebacker and running back. However, Brett Favre was nearing the end and the only quarterbacks on the roster were future Hall of Famers (tongue deep in both cheeks) J. T. Sullivan and Craig Nall, so when Rodgers had dropped from No. 1 overall to be available at 24 a future replacement for Favre became the biggest need. NEED.

DRAFT REDUX

The 2015 NFL Draft is a week away and it's time for me to take a look at how General Manager Ted Thompson has done over the course of his 10 previous drafts.

Aaron Rodgers not a happy camper when finally drafted

Thompson's first draft was in 2005 and his first pick was a huge hit. The Packers were coming off a 10-6-0 season where they lost in the Wild Card round to the hated Minnesota Vikings 31-17 under General Manager/Head Coach Mike Sherman. Thompson was hired when Sherman was stripped of his General Manager hat. The pick was the 24th and after an embarrassing drop - this individual was being talked about as possibly being the No. 1 overall - Thompson snagged quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest is history (after a three year apprenticeship behind Brett Favre).

His second pick was also a hit. Free safety Nick Collins was picked in the second round with the 51st pick and he became an immediate starter. Ironically, it took three years for him to play up to the level of the man he replaced (Darren Sharper), but he did and would have been as good or better, but a bruised spinal cord suffered in the second game of the 2011 season ended his promising career.

The rest of the 2005 draft was undistinguished at best. Outside linebacker Brady Poppinga (No. 4-125) and defensive end Mike Montgomery (No. 6-180) could be listed as serviceable. Poppinga started 44 games over six seasons before leaving in free agency and Montgomery was a solid backup for five seasons.

Tragically five of his 11 picks had their Packer careers or their after-Packers careers cut short by injury. The second No. 2 pick wide receiver Terrance Murphy was taken seven picks after Collins and his career ended in the third game of his rookie year with coincidentally a bruised spinal cord.

Strong safety Marviel Underwood (No. 4-115), guard Junius Coston (No. 5-143), cornerback Michael Hawkins (No. 5-167), cornerback Kurt Campbell (No. 7-245) and guard Will Whittacker (No. 7-246) also had their careers compromised by injury.

B.J. Raji

The recent trials and tribulations (maybe I'm jumping the gun on the term trials) of nose tackle Letroy Guion brings me to one of my favorite subjects, B.J. Raji.

 

I love him as a person and loved him as a high draft choice when I saw how much power he had to manhandle a center when crushing the pocket as a nose tackle. Now that is important to remember he was a great nose tackle coming out of Boston College and a good nose tackle his first two years in Green Bay.

 

Raji's first year was also the first year Dom Capers took over the defense. The Packers moved Aaron Kampman to outside linebacker (which turned out to be a disaster and basically ended Kampman's career) when Capers converted to the 3-4.

 

Raji made one start as a backup to Ryan Pickett at nose with Johnny Jolly at left end and Cullen Jenkins at right end. He played in 14 games and made 25 combined tackles with one sack. I think he had a good rookie season.

His second season Raji took over at nose tackle as Pickett was moved to left defensive end. It was also the year Jolly got in trouble and Jenkins had injury issues eventually giving way to Howard Green, who had a great game in the Super Bowl. But I digress, as I seem to do at times or maybe many times.

 

Raji came into his own during the Super Bowl season starting all 16 games at nose tackle with 39 combined tackles and 6.5 sacks. He intercepted a pass in the conference playoff game against the Bears (picking off Jay Cutler's replacement after he suffered the mysterious knee injury and sat out the remainder of the game. Typical Cutler response when he is having a bad game, but again, I digress) and scoring a touchdown where "The Raji" celebration dance was born. Check out the clip of his touchdown or his guest appearance on an Aaron Rodger's State Farm commercial. He's the man.

 

 

Touchdown Dance