Who The Packers Should Take
Cheesehead TV is proud to present the final NFL Draft article from long time CHTV reader Chris Squire. In his final post in the series, Chris gives us his take on who he believes the Packers should take in the first round of tonight's draft.
By PackerAaron
Cheesehead TV is proud to present the final NFL Draft article from long time CHTV reader Chris Squire. Big thanks to Chris for doing this and we hope you’ll let him know what you think in the comments section.
Football Insiders Gary Horton had this to say about the Packers front office:
Decision-makers: This is a very steady front office with a lot of titles and fairly big egos, but it seems to work and the individual roles seem to be clearly defined. It starts with Ted Thompson, Executive VP, GM, and Director of FB Operations, who has all the power -- but he lacks a big ego.
He is a football guy who still watches a lot of tape, and that makes his opinion more informed. The coaches, including head coach Mike McCarthy, have input, but they are not decision-makers. That leaves a duo of veteran front-office guys with considerable input into personnel decisions: John Dorsey (Director of College Scouting) and Reggie McKenzie (Director FB Operations). The scouts are veterans with keen scouting eyes, and Thompson listens to them. This is a surprisingly young roster, and the Packers have a front office that is not afraid to make draft moves.
Asymmetry of information deals with the study of decisions in transactions where one party (GM’s and Scouts) has more or better information than the other (NFL fans and ‘Draftniks’). Organizations spend hundreds man-hours pouring over coaches tape (vastly superior to ‘YouTube’ or the broadcast we’re accustomed to), interviewing players, teammates and their coaches. Interviewers press players to test their resolve/restraint, physicians scour the medical records and physicals exposing every anatomical flaw, and general intelligence (dubbed the ‘Wonderlic’) testing is applied. You start to get the picture why the actual scouting community is somewhat amused by the amateurs. Little do they know, I amuse myself:
- I’m praying Earl Thomas slides – Plays both corner and safety, would help flex Charles Woodson back to the line of scrimmage (where he earned that MVP). Highly unlikely, but a guy can dream…..
- I’ll applaud the acquisition from any of the CB trio; Kareem Jackson, Kyle Wilson or Devin McCourty. I like all three MORE than Joe Haden (no joke, love their upside and flexibility on special teams).
- Jerry Hughes > Sergio Kindle and Brandon Graham. He will have a better overall game by year 3 as a pro.
- That being said, Brandon Graham is tenacious, competitive and by all accounts a great teammate and leader. I’ll take him…..
- Mike Iupati – He needs refinement and coaching but what a physical presence. One thing being lost in a passing league and pass-happy teams: A offensive line mentality where the first innate desire is to shift your weight to the balls of your feet and blow somebody off the line of scrimmage, not rocking back to your heels in pass pro.
If you don’t see your name above it doesn’t mean I don’t love you, I’m just not in love with you.
Thus concludes Chris’s final and random stream of pre-draft thoughts, Go Pack!
Cheers, and enjoy the event……
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Comments (40)
April 22, 2010 at 09:19 am
Anyone! As long as its' an OT that can learn fast.
April 22, 2010 at 09:21 am
OMG, someone agrees with me. (Actually, lots of someone agrees with me, but I think this is the first time ANag has put it in writing. Could be wrong though.)
I've followed the draft more closely this year than ever before, thanks to you guys, but I still have a lot to learn - that said, all of these names sound like good ones.
PackerAaron
April 22, 2010 at 09:23 am
CHRIS put it in writing - not me ;)
April 22, 2010 at 09:29 am
Plausible deniability…..You should be in politics, Aaron:)
April 22, 2010 at 09:23 am
The names i see over and over and over... hughes, kindle, graham, brown, wilson, robinson, mccourty, jackson... which means it'll be none of those guys.
-
my bet (and hope) is on a move up to get pouncey.
April 22, 2010 at 02:32 pm
McGinn writes: "Other than quarterback, the link between the Wonderlic and successful performance might be stronger in the offensive line than at any other position." Later on he writes "Intelligence is valued highly at all five offensive line positions but none more so than center."
Pouncey scored 14 on the test.
So given how Ted Thompson likes smart football players, and the current depth at Center on our roster, i highly doubt for this move.
April 22, 2010 at 04:05 pm
But then today McGinn suggests the Packers really do like Pouncey. The Packers are usually pretty tight lipped, so I'm not sure how McGinn would really know this. Not a rip on McGinn either. Half the stuff that comes from the org's this week is a complete smokescreen, and filtering through it all must be great fun!
April 22, 2010 at 04:48 pm
I see, i just read this partly on espn's north blog that came earlier this week.
April 22, 2010 at 05:12 pm
It's not the direction I would think they'd go either. Who knows though? Thompson's not known for being predictable.
April 22, 2010 at 09:24 am
I like all these guys. I think Devin McCourty could be the best CB taken out of this draft.
April 22, 2010 at 09:24 am
Should have known - read the tagline and not the first part where credit was given to that wise, wise man. But you had to agree with it generally or you wouldn't have put it out here! ;)
I like Chris better and better. lol.
April 22, 2010 at 09:27 am
I'll take any of those guys. Thanks for the draft coverage, Chris.
April 22, 2010 at 09:33 am
My dream for the first round is another trade up to the mid round for Jason Pierre-Paul. Can you imagine what Kevin Greene could do with talent like that? Brent Favor wouldn't know which side hit him first.
April 22, 2010 at 10:26 am
No thanks, I'd rather have Hughes. JPP looks like a bust:
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/nfl-draft/2010/introducing-sackseer
April 22, 2010 at 09:46 am
Stay where we're at in round 1 and trade up in round 2. At least one of those guys that Chris named should be there at 23 and if we trade up in the 2nd round, we might get two of them.
Let's kick this pig. Go Pack!
April 22, 2010 at 12:06 pm
trade up and get eric berry
April 22, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Pack were 4 - 4 with a deficient Oline Barbre, Spitz at Center and Clifton hobbling through recovery.
Pack were 7-1 when Clifton stablized, Wells stepped in at C and Tauscher sent Barbre to the bench.
Only one choise here, an OT that can learn the pro system FAST. Clifton and Tauscher are a virtual lodk on missing some time. Lang is the only legitimate backup available.
April 22, 2010 at 01:06 pm
Charles Brown or Jerry Huges.
April 22, 2010 at 02:29 pm
A choice that woiuld cause me to open a Fox Head 400 or two.
April 22, 2010 at 02:44 pm
or 400.
April 22, 2010 at 03:17 pm
You know of my favorite beer? The worlds cheapest beer. Of the 50's and 60's vintage that is. Let's get the show on the road. I hate waiting for disappointment.
April 22, 2010 at 02:56 pm
I can't wait anymore! Goddammit, 3 hours till the draft!
April 22, 2010 at 02:20 pm
OT or OLB in round one...maybe rounds one AND two. That's all I want.
April 22, 2010 at 04:35 pm
TT will do us well. I think last year he was just warming up. Go Pack!!!
April 22, 2010 at 05:32 pm
Do you think Hughes could handle the left side? Seems much more in the CM3 mold to me. You need a guy more like Graham who can handle the mass on the left side.
April 22, 2010 at 06:48 pm
J-E-R-R-Y
H-U-G-H-E-S
GBP 4 LIFE
April 22, 2010 at 09:15 pm
Bulaga - is a good choice at 23.
April 22, 2010 at 09:24 pm
Our choice of Hughes and Kindle and we go with midget-arms-McGee, Really?
I would be fine with it if Bulaga was to be our future LT... I don't see it.
I guess you can never have enough solid lineman... hope Brad Jones is 'THE GUY'.
GBP 4 LIFE
April 22, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Wow! I didn't have Bulaga on the radar cause few (other than fringe) had bulage slipping past the 49ers 1st pick in round one. Worst case scenario, as I've said before, the kid is a future all-pro at guard or right tackle. Now you have Sitton, Wells/Spitz, Lang AND Bulaga that are angry/ornry in the run game. Love the pick. Even if he doesn't pan at LT you've hedged a great bet w/Bulaga. What the hell were those mid-round picks (Raiders - Eagles0 thinking? Especially Bills? No line, QB, WR, 3-4 personnel thinking? Spiller will see 9 guys in the box and get beaten like a drum for 3 years. Wow....
April 22, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Chris,
He adds some much needed depth and talent to the line, nobody can argue that. But man, Hughes AND Kindle fell into our lap, I'm having trouble swallowing that one. Could've had CM3's 'partner in crime' for the next 5-10 years.
I know it's a smart, safe, value pick (but why did all those teams pass on him, midget arms?), but I think the RT of the future is already on the squad, and I don't think BB is the successor @ LT... make me feel better dude. Please.
GBP 4 LIFE
April 22, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Honestly, this is one of the few prospects I've watched since he was recruited. I'm an Iowa alumn. Finished graduate school there in 04'. Bulaga can be a 'good' guard or RT in year 1 and he JUST turned 21. All this 'reached his peak' talk is crap. Bottom line: you have a young core of lineman, Lang, Sitton and Bulaga that can RUN BLOCK and finish in a nasty way. Haven't had that since Wahle or Rivera. This is heding your bet. He can be a competent LT, perhaps more. He can be an All-Pro guard or RT within 3 years. I'm telling you, the talk of this kid having peaked is crap. Only a young 21. I work in the medical field. His condition was draining when he faced Schofield and Graham. He is a stud. At the end of the day, I love Hughes and Wilson (only other logical picks) but Bulaga has the work ethic, nasty disposition and desire to be a constant on this line. He also has teh flexibility the Packers covet. He's compared to Gallery out of laziness and convienence. Differnce is, he's not 1 overall, he's 23. Gallary is considered an All-Pro guard at this point. I think Bulaga is twice the athlete with more upside. This is quality meets value meets need. Not being a homer, this is really solid!
April 22, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Anybody that's ever had mononucleosis (mono) would understand what it was like during his undiagnosed 'down-time'. You are drained of energy and strength. Not making excuses, but his lethargy against the early Big Ten competition was exactly that. He will show up hungry, angry and with an attitude. This is a positive shift. Don't buy into the medical (it's addressed) or being beaten early on by some. He beat down some damn good competition.
April 22, 2010 at 11:28 pm
You're an Alum, I'll take your word for it (I know the kid was highly touted, just get sketched out when so many teams pass on a guy).
He said he was over his illness week 8 (Mich. ST. *see Link*). There are references in the article that Schoefield and Graham worked him over pretty good. Since O'Brien got hurt Senior Bowl week, I'll assume he worked him over week 7 when BB was still weak (give him the B.O.T.D.), But I thought I remember Graham 'handling' him with relative ease @ the Senior Bowl, or do I have that twisted, was it week 6 against Michigan (in the middle of his recovery)... that's a big difference. Do you remember?
Link - http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/91875179.html
BB 09 Schedule - http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-09/big-ten/2009-iowa-hawkeyes-football-s...
GBP 4 LIFE
April 23, 2010 at 05:35 pm
Bulaga is a Junior, not in the Senior Bowl.
April 22, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Aaron, et al...My 8 week old daughter and I were alone this evening. wanted to be on the chat, she's my priority! Hope you all had a blast!
PackerAaron
April 22, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Dude, that's awesome. Hope YOU had a blast.
April 22, 2010 at 11:10 pm
"aaron_nagler I can't stress this enough: @BBulaga is Packer People. "
Sorry Aaron, actually he's much more "bayur People" (another reason to worry about this kid... his judgement):
"Bears fan growing up? "I like the Bears, yeah -- I'm from Northern Illinois, but I think my allegiance has changed for sure now!""
Link for confirmation - http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/91876414.html
Welcome Bryan, but take that P.O.S. name of the team you 'used' to root for out-cho mouth for good.
GBP 4 LIFE
P.S. - I'm from Northern Illinois as well, that's no excuse to root for the quears (I came up right). Hopefully he can overcome this blatant judgment problem.
April 22, 2010 at 11:14 pm
And if he's willing to ditch his life-long team in a matter of minutes...
can't wait to see what this kid's made out of.
I'll be pulling for him, but he's got a couple of strike's against him, right off the bat (beigher fan, stump arms).
April 23, 2010 at 11:13 am
Yeah, he slipped in the draft, but it's not like there were a gob of offensive linemen drafted before him or that he was making a stretch like trading up to draft Ahmad Carrol or something. OK, so he has small arms... I guess that means that he's not as "gifted" as Tony Mandarich. Teddy has made another good pick. Now I'd LOVE to see him trade up and get Sergio Kindle like he did with Matthews last year. We don't need any more depth, we need someone that can step in and play!
April 23, 2010 at 01:51 pm
"We don’t need any more depth, we need someone that can step in and play!"
Amen.
"Now I’d LOVE to see him trade up and get Sergio Kindle like he did with Matthews last"
A-f'ing-men