Cory's Corner: Le'Veon Bell Isn't Needed In Green Bay
Stop the insanity.
I was fine with legions of people screaming on Twitter demanding that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst should sign the teamless Le’Veon Bell.
Now, it has gone a step too far. Pete Dougherty makes the case for the Packers to bring him into the fold.
Quick, what are the top two offseason needs for the Packers? That’s right, offensive line and pass rushers. In an age of pass-happy offenses, there are two sure-fire ways to win in the NFL: 1. Protect your quarterback and 2. Pressure the opposing team’s quarterback.
Adding Bell to the Packers would be like putting Hershey’s chocolate syrup on top of chocolate ice cream. It’s entirely not needed.
First of all, Bell has sat out the entire 2018 season and the 2017 training camp and preseason as he continued his search for the right deal. This past summer, he wanted to be paid as a top running back and a No. 2 wide receiver. Let’s say that Bell signs a four-year deal with the Packers. If he has a solid season, it’s a good bet that he will be trying to squeeze more money out of his signed contract.
And don’t get me wrong. The players should get every penny they can. The NFL is a violent league and the money they make is why they sacrifice their body and why many retired players have serious injuries.
However, what Bell has done in Pittsburgh is make himself out to be bigger than the organization and that doesn’t work. Sitting out for training camp and preseason games doesn’t just hurt him but it also hurts his teammates that want that precious time to jell and get better.
Secondly, the Packers already have a featured running back on the roster. You may have heard of him; his name is Aaron Jones. Among running backs with at least 90 carries, Jones leads the league with 5.5 yards per attempt. He has 22 rushes over 10 yards, yet he still only has one fumble. Injuries have cost Jones with MCL sprains in both knees last year causing him to miss four games. He missed three weeks of training camp this year with a bad hamstring and now he will miss the final two games because of another MCL sprain. There is cause for concern with the 5-foot-9, 208-pound back, but Denver’s Phillip Lindsay (5-8, 190) is even smaller and is a legitimate Offensive Rookie of the Year threat. Green Bay also has excellent depth with Jamaal Williams to change things up.
Finally, there’s that contract thing. Bell turned down a five-year $70 million offer this past summer and a three-year $47 million offer this fall. He wants to be paid like Todd Gurley, who was given a four-year $60 million deal with $45 million guaranteed. Those are big numbers to swallow, but you cannot have two guys on offense getting paid $48 million a year. The Packers could do some financial limbo and make it work, but the next big-money contract needs to be on defense.
Bell would grab headlines and would be the sexy storyline all summer, but he’s not needed in Green Bay.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (80)
packerbackerjim
December 22, 2018 at 06:32 am
Couldn’t agree more on the primary need to strengthen the OL and DL. In this upcoming draft need and supply should converge. A little more certainty can be found in FA. A sturdy RB will be available for depth. No need for Bell.
blacke00
December 22, 2018 at 09:34 am
Absolutely!
OL or Defense (edge rusher) pulse or minus a few other positions.
Pick one side of the ball or the other then go all out to improve it. Defense would be my choice with FA/ high DCs, keep Pettine. This team has to realize that AR probably will not be able to carry this team like he has in the past. As Rodgers ages we will need a top 5 defense to be competitive. Other teams in the division are already ahead of us in this area. It is time to get serious about.
It's also time to get serious about the OL as well. God knows I've been whining for a long time.
Improve OL with FA and (second round if quality is there), Keep Bulaga! He has only one year left on contract.
If they decide to go with OL first that would be fine with me. The Packers will not be able to do both sides in one year.
Leatherhead
December 22, 2018 at 11:37 am
We already have two pretty capable rushers on the team on their rookie deals. One of them has shown excellent availability and ball security, the other has shown some breakaway ability. Bell is not necessary although we should try to add two more RBs in the offseason, one on the 53 and one on the practice squad.
I absolutely do not understand the continued focus on edge rushers when we're one of the most successful teams in the league at pressuring the QB. We can't put two healthy corners on the field, we've got a 36 year old and a UDFA as our starting safeties, but the answer is getting a few more sacks?
We have Perry, Fackrell, and Gilbert under contract for next year. We can bring back Matthews if we wish. Perry has not had good availability but cutting him would result in a very large amount of dead money on the cap.
I'd like to add an edge rusher, maybe in free agency or the draft, but it's hardly a priority. We need to get Rodgers replacement on the roster and start developing him. We need a starter at safety. We need some help on the offensive line. And given King's lack of availability and Jackson's up-and-down performance, we probably could use a corner still as well, because pass defense starts with guys who can cover.
And we lost Wilkerson and Daniels isn't getting any younger. There's plenty of places where I'd look for guys before edge rusher.
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 12:12 pm
Please not another off season that lets the offense decay even further. 2018 showed that catches up on you, even with a HoF QB. You need balance on both sides of the ball. You have to be able to win 17-14 and 35-31 games. I think the Packer defense is there. Sure they could be better but they are good enough and young enough to reasonably expect further improvement. The offense is not there.
You're right that the o-line needs a major talent infusion. LG has been below average and RG has been an absolute train wreck. Opinions vary widely on Bulaga. At the very least they need a sound "Plan B" at RT.
TE is a bad joke.
Outside of Adams, the WR group has not shown much beyond potential.
It may or may not develop.
At RB, they have a star-caliber player in Jones but he's had major availability issues.
Even the HoF QB has looked way off his previous standards.
They should not ignore adding defensive talent where they can. But the bigger swing needs to be on the other side of the ball.
Rak43
December 22, 2018 at 11:56 pm
Packers need to address the O-line, TE, and RB positions through the draft or FA but they definitely need another big RB who can run and catch more effectively than Jamal Williams to take some weight off of Aaron Jones who is currently sidelined with his 3rd MCL sprain in the past 13 months.
Barnacle
December 23, 2018 at 05:17 am
Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Aaron Rodgers are all HOF QBs. Will any of those three lead a team to the SB or playoffs this year? How about last year? Maybe none of them are worth being paid now for what they did many years ago.
Our brain trust is paying one of them to play now like they did before and even blew up the salary cap to make sure it happens. Now the highest paid NFL player wants to risk all of that salary cap in a meaningless game to show “leadership”.
Make sure you listen to NFL radio the day after the game. Whether our “leader” gets hurt or not, most commentators will say it was an unwise risk. It may also make some free agents and coaches wonder if they should join a team with foolish decision makers.
TKWorldWide
December 22, 2018 at 01:09 pm
@Blacke: You had me at “pulse or minus”!
Gave me palpitations, even!
Hawg Hanner
December 22, 2018 at 02:19 pm
While I normally enjoy Dougherty's musings, he is out of his head in going after Bell. Huge ego and even bigger contract demand. I predict his holdout will not bring him the contract he thought he deserved. We need help at RB but can get far more economically than Bell, who would be nice to have at say $6mil
Donster
December 22, 2018 at 06:40 am
Spend the money towards a couple other free agents that would better help fill the real gaps the Pack has. To me Bell, though a damn good player, isn't what the team needs. Now the new head coaches system may say otherwise. Plus the fact that Bell is all about himself, not a team guy. He has proven that the past two years. What is not to keep him from playing the same game with the Packers, if he has a successful season or two? Don't think he is worth that risk IMHO.
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 06:46 am
I think RBs take such a pounding that it would be foolish to invest so much in a FA player. Recent history is showing that good RBs can be found deep in the draft.
While AJones is demonstrating that he has a hard time staying on the field, and that the Packers will likely need a 1b type back to play alongside him for the offense to be at its best, I don't think $14M AAV to Bell is the right way to go about that.
splitpea1
December 22, 2018 at 11:04 am
I would look for one of those small speedy types like the Bears and KC have somewhere in the middle rounds if they're available.
SoCalJim
December 22, 2018 at 02:26 pm
At this point, I’m not sure I’d complain too much about Aaron Jones’ availability. We need to see him work with a quality OL and, hopefully our next HC & OC know that they have a blocking TE and are willing to use him.
CoachJV
December 23, 2018 at 08:09 am
Hopefully the next HC brings in a new Strength and Conditioning staff. I'd wager that if that happens, the availability of our entire team gets better... right along with Jones' MCLs.
Minniman
December 23, 2018 at 01:50 am
I think that the league agrees with you Dobber - It's the position that takes the biggest pounding.
A team that has a HOF QB and a consistent O-line can MAKE a RB.
That said, "god willing and the creeks don't rise" if Bell passes through the early weeks of FA (teams must be red-flagging his attitude) and the Packers address other positional needs and have the budget, then why not make a play for him.........the only counter-argument to that would be that they didn't know in 2018 how to use the backs or tight ends that they have consistently, why would this be different?
Bearmeat
December 22, 2018 at 06:47 am
LOL at this crazy idea by Demovsky. In a perfect world, sure. In the world of reality, with a salary cap? HELL NO.
Guam
December 22, 2018 at 07:30 am
Agree with all of the above. Bell is a good RB but far from the Packers greatest needs. That money can be spent more productively elsewhere (RG, RT, S).
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
December 22, 2018 at 08:11 am
Ditto with all above comments!
Nice luxury to have but bigger needs. Plus, we already know Rodgers doesnt like check downs.
JonathanSpader
December 22, 2018 at 08:25 am
"Quick, what are the top two offseason needs for the Packers? That’s right, offensive line and pass rushers. In an age of pass-happy offenses, there are two sure-fire ways to win in the NFL: 1. Protect your quarterback and 2. Pressure the opposing team’s quarterback."
If this was true why aren't the Cowgirls better?
I see OLB and safety as 2 of the biggest offseason needs for the Packers.
Packer_Fan
December 22, 2018 at 08:38 am
I agree. We need depth on the OL, pass rushers and receivers. Focus on those things that help the overall team. We have the big name star under contract. Fill out the roster below him with quality players.
JonathanSpader
December 22, 2018 at 09:12 am
Why do people see WR as a need for GB? We have an elite WR in Adams. We have Moore, MVS, ESB for the 3 rookies 2 of which have quite a bit of experience and one who needs to overcome drops. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Cobb, Allison, Davis, Kumero. There's also Graham for what that's worth.
We've seen Rodgers in his prime elevate the talent of his WRs. I'm hoping 2018 was an off year for Rodgers and he returns to form in 2019. After drafting 3 WRs in 2018 I just don't see WR being as big of an area of need for the Packers as RB where we have Jones and Williams and that's it. At safety we have Brice and Williams maybe Josh Jones/Greene. At OLB Perry was MIA in 2019, CM3 is a FA, Gilbert was great in preseason JAG during the season, is Fackrell a late bloomer or how much of that was from Pettine?
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 09:22 am
It's been cited here many times that Ron Wolf said one of his greatest regrets was not giving #4 more high end tools to play with. I tend to agree that it's important to provide pieces rather than hope. I think BG thought he was doing that last spring by signing Jimmy Graham. I'd love for two of ESB, MVS, and Moore to turn into solid NFL players, but the odds don't argue in favor of it.
Coldworld
December 22, 2018 at 10:03 am
Kumerow, Allison ... plenty for now. We will take a prospect or two later on, have another on the roster now. I am fine with where we are. In terms of big spending or high draft pick at WR, no please, unless it is a truly special player.
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 10:29 am
Kennard Backman, Malachi Dupre, and Charles Johnson have been prospects taken later on, along with several other names most would have to look up to remember. Many of us thought Jarret Boykin was going to turn into a player. Lesser hopes were placed on Brett Swain, Jeff Janis and Jared Abredderis at various times. None panned out.
Rodgers has never found sustained success with a pass catcher that was drafted after day 2 or not drafted at all. Adams, Jennings, Jones, Nelson, Cobb and Finley were all picked in rnds 2-3. If you want to throw Jared Cook into the success story group, he was still a round 3 pick of the Titans.
Maybe Gute can strike gold ala Donald Driver, who is the one exception with Rodgers. Maybe he already did with ESB and/or MVS. Maybe Allison will be a star. Or maybe he'll be another Boykin. Either way, the pattern is clear. And it argues strongly against having much success with guys that were not premium picks coming out of college.
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 10:03 am
"We have Moore, MVS, ESB for the 3 rookies 2 of which have quite a bit of experience and one who needs to overcome drops. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Cobb, Allison, Davis, Kumero. There's also Graham for what that's worth.'
Davis offers nothing as a WR. Kumerow is 26 years old and has yet to play a 16 game season. He's proven nothing beyond the ability to be a pre-season wonder. Cobb offers very little as a WR. Graham is worth keeping if he takes a significant pay cut. But I doubt that will happen. Counting on anyone from this group to produce big in 2019 is a mistake, IMO.
MVS, ESB and Moore have combined for 707 yards to date. They have shown promise and a year 2 jump is certainly possible. But counting on this group to elevate as much as they really need to elevate is a dicey proposition.
Allison was showing himself as a solid #3 WR or borderline #2 before he got hurt. If he can produce over 16 games like he did in the first 4, he's fine. But that remains to be seen.
Adams is a true star #1 WR.
That's a lot more questions than answers, IMO.
Coldworld
December 22, 2018 at 10:05 am
As there almost always will be in the salary cap age with top QB salary. Greatest return on our dollar is unlikely to come at WR.
JonathanSpader
December 22, 2018 at 10:31 am
Hank,
You're viewing this WR group from a MM scope. Davis did nothing as a WR in MM's system doesn't mean that a new OC/HC won't be able to get production out of him as a WR. There's always going to be ?s on a roster and the Packers are in flux and have more ?s than answers across the board atm. My point is we have a lot of athletes with potential and that Rodgers in the past has been WRs like Jennings and Jones better players then they were outside of GB. We have plenty of athletic WRs and if Rodgers doesn't return to form it doesn't matter how good or had the WR group is.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 10:49 am
The Packers have developed way too many receivers for it to just be a system thing either Davis has it or he doesn’t James Jones and Allison are good examples of less athletic receivers that developed with good route running Jones even had to overcome drops then lead the league in TDs one season as a 3rd option. Trevor Davis is a one trick pony.
HankScorpio
December 23, 2018 at 10:30 am
Agreed about Davis, in particular. He's had plenty of time to show if he had anything. Anything is possible but it is hard for me to like Davis' odds of being productive in the pass game.
Allison, MVS, ESB and J'Mon Moore are different stories. Even Cobb, who I have criticized heavily, might look like a new player in a new system.
HankScorpio
December 23, 2018 at 10:25 am
Jonathan,
That's a really good point. No doubt that I am looking for a cosmic shift in the offense. They need to get away from it taking 2-3 years to bring a pass catcher up to full speed. That's way too long. It is possible that fixing that will fundamentally re-shape perception of the Packers pass catchers.
If the new HC says he can win with what they have after he takes a good hard look at the video, I'd be willing to give it a chance to see if he's right.
CheesyTex
December 22, 2018 at 11:30 am
"a dicey proposition", but IMO at least 2 of the 3 will emerge.
In particular, EQ came out early and was not NFL ready. He will make a big jump in '19.
Thegreatreynoldo
December 22, 2018 at 02:54 pm
The NFL is a passing league.
The NFL is a passing league.
Every team has questions on the roster, but no team can have too many question marks at WR. Why?
The NFL is a passing league.
Packerpasty
December 22, 2018 at 08:49 am
Bell wants to play in Indy, Bell does what he wants. Bell has never said he would play in GB. Bell to GB simply not happening and someone just trying to start a conversation. Dumb one at that.
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 09:03 am
Being the kind of guy that thinks team members suit up and play along with his teammates whenever possible, I wouldn't give Bell a vet min deal. I don't want a guy that doesn't have a strong desire to be there for his teammates at all times anywhere near the locker room. That's a recipe for a "Me before team" attitude to take root, a concept that should be foreign in that room.
It's not lost on me that PIttsburgh is not exactly struggling without Bell.
NickPerry
December 22, 2018 at 09:04 am
The Packers will have somewhere between $45 and $55 Million in salary cap space depending what they decide to do with Perry, Graham, and Bulaga. Personally I'd like to see Bulaga at RG, I think he'd make a hell of a RG but obviously his health is concern.
I say that to say this...The Packers have a S### load of needs and for once quite a bit of cap space. They'll also have 4 picks in say the first 75 choices barring any other trades by Gutekunst.
Now imagine if they sign Breeland, King stays healthy and Jackson moves to saftey. The Packers could have a top 10 secondary and be able to fix a quite a few of those problems and needs.
No to Bell, just NO!
Bravo Cory, Bravo!
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 09:24 am
"Personally I'd like to see Bulaga at RG, I think he'd make a hell of a RG but obviously his health is concern."
When healthy, he makes a pretty good RT. Why move him? I get the "when healthy" part leaving people thinking they may need to move on. I'm not sure I understand keeping him and moving him inside. It seems easier to find a RG than RT.
Bert
December 22, 2018 at 09:45 am
Penciling in Bulaga as a starter at ANY position is foolish at this point. RG, RT, punter doesn't matter. He is going to get hurt and miss games.
Coldworld
December 22, 2018 at 10:06 am
Not really, but the need to develop behind him is obvious I agree.
Packers0808
December 22, 2018 at 10:33 am
And who says nobody else will, no matter who is there?
NickPerry
December 22, 2018 at 01:55 pm
I actually read something recently where if the Packers bring him back it would be at RG. When I read it, it made me think about it and I actually liked the idea. Bulaga struggled more this year than any. Yes he's a damn good RT but something tells me he may make a better RG. But this thought all came from something I read somewhere.
CheesyTex
December 22, 2018 at 03:00 pm
As I recall, the book on Bulaga coming out of college was that he profiles as best suited for guard -- arm length, etc.
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 03:57 pm
Originally he was projected as a LT and a top-ten pick. Then questions on whether he could play on the left side started a slide.
Skip greenBayless
December 22, 2018 at 09:04 am
This is a conversation that should not occur until after we found out who our next head coach is. If it's another Mike McCarthy than no. If it's Chuck Noll than maybe. Either way we need better border/line security for Rodgers going forward. I think everyone agrees on that at least.
egbertsouse
December 22, 2018 at 09:05 am
Anyway, the Guter needs to save cap space to get another couple of slow tight ends with bad hands. You can never have enough.
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 09:07 am
I'm waiting for a call.
Roadrunner23
December 22, 2018 at 09:29 am
BUILD THE WALL!
Around Aaron Rodgers that is!
Protect the franchise!
GO BIG OR GO HOME GUTE!
That is all.....
HankScorpio
December 22, 2018 at 10:08 am
"BUILD THE WALL!"
A big, beautiful wall. And make the Bears pay for it. We can't have guys like Khalil Mack invading our backfield and committing crimes against our offense.
Skip greenBayless
December 22, 2018 at 10:33 am
Absolutely agree Hank. We definitely need tighter security protections on the line. Call it a wall call it whatever you want but we have a lot of bad dudes crossing our line untouched in many cases and getting home causing all sorts of problems including injuring very important people like Aaron Rodgers weakening our team and costing us millions and millions of dollars every year in lost production due to injury. We've been talking about this for years and yet we spend very little upgrading our o-line/ border. Spriggs is an example of a cheap fence. We have Mack trucks going right thru it and we've all seen it first hand. Now TODAY is the day we make a stand. We finally put some money into our offensive line for next year and save this franchise from being run over and turned into a permanent shit hole team that nobody wants to play for. Laveon Bell can wait.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 09:49 am
Don’t bring up the contracts he turned down and forget to mention they were both fluff both being guaranteed for less than 20 million if I’m not mistaken. And are you guys seriously saying that an offense that struggled all season doesn’t need another playmaker? You know those “check downs” that Rodgers hates so much? Yeah Bell is pretty good at those.Bell can do everything the Packers running backs can in one player which is run the ball, catch out of the backfield and pass protect but for some reason the idea of getting him is ridiculous? I’m not even saying they should pursue but it’s far from a crazy and unnecessary idea.
CheesyTex
December 22, 2018 at 11:51 am
Bell was under contract -- he selfishly wanted a long term extension.
He chose not to report because he feared injury and its effect on his longevity. He wants to take the $ now and dump the risk on the team.
His gripe should be with NFLPA for not negotiating a better upfront deal for running backs' rookie contracts.
Why the hell would any employer, bound by agreement with an employee association that specifies $ by position, take on such a risk?
I know many will cite the Khalil Mack case where he did (essentially) the same thing, but LBs have much better longevity than. RBs. And, guess what, the Steelers didn't get any worthwhile offers for Bell.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 12:38 pm
What does that have to do with what I said? Y’all kill me with that under contract bull the same folks that want Jimmy Graham cut right? The same folks that want players to restructure their deals right? Hello Nick Perry and Bulaga! I believe those players are under contract but you would think it just if Gute cut them for not restructuring knock it off.The guy vastly outplayed his rookie deal and wanted security and the Steelers played hard ball and offered him a fluff $70 million contract. Earl Thomas went through the same thing ended his holdout and got hurt. You’re talking about players that put their health on the line and just want to be compensated for it yet everyone wants to demonize them but an owner can cut/trade a player at will and it’s just business? That under contract crap is such a narrow minded argument
CheesyTex
December 22, 2018 at 01:09 pm
I guess you are right. There should be no long term contracts for players and they should be compensated year-by-year. That way players get their $ and teams do not have the risk of long-term injury.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 01:19 pm
Well that’s just silly and chaotic. How about this everyone just honors the contract meaning for the players:you play well, we give you money, you “out play” it so what we’ll negotiate when this contract is up and don’t worry about what the next man got. For the owners you pay them, they play if they get hurt or underperform so what we’ll talk when this contract is up. If both sides can agree on a extension or pay cut then fine but no hold outs and no cuts/trades.
CheesyTex
December 22, 2018 at 02:54 pm
I agree. As you state, Bell should "play well, we give you money, you 'out play' it so what we'll negotiate when this contract is up..."
My point was that if Bell is unhappy with his rookie contract he should gripe to the NFLPA for negotiating it badly (in his opinion) on behalf of the players it represents.
With running backs it's all about longevity, and they should negotiate for the most GUARANTEED money they can get over the term of the contract.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 03:01 pm
That’s not what I said though you took something I made from a point and applied it to something else (sneaky stuff there) that would be under a new agreement about honoring contracts where BOTH SIDES have to honor it so no Bell shouldn’t have to do any of that.
stockholder
December 22, 2018 at 10:33 am
No to Bell.
Johnblood27
December 22, 2018 at 04:27 pm
Bell NO
one word shorter than you stockholder...
Packers0808
December 22, 2018 at 10:36 am
Watch the Packers fall flat on their faces whether they have Bell or not! Losing McCarthy is going to be a horrible mistake after the new regime coming in goes nowhere. This Gute guy is the wrong choice, just look at the "bombs" he missed on in FA! {Now all the dislikes can proceed}
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 10:42 am
He only had about 15 million to work with last off season what did you expect him to do? One of his FA signings was hurt by a safety that’s always hurt and MM thought was worth a roster a starting roster spot.
stockholder
December 22, 2018 at 12:52 pm
Doubt the packers Fall on their faces. But I agree on MM being let go was a mistake. Especially since the praise is coming out for his staff now. People like Pettine and Philbin. If they are retained, it looks bad for Murphy. We all have to give Gute a chance on his draft. But I only agree with the first two picks and St.Brown. Still, he signed Graham and others that helped. Gute is expecting the Rookie WRs to turn out better than the FA pros he could of had. Mistake. A-Rod just doesn't like Rookies and neither did Favre. The other was the Randall trade now. Two things went bad on this. 1. Kizer can't develop under MM, He's gone. 2. Dix got traded, and Randall could have played safety knowing Dix wasn't going to be signed. But let's go back to the draft. Burks is No CM3. (He didn't justify giving up a 3/ 4th. ). Why? the depth behind the OL is in question. He took one in the fifth, and should of drafted another rookie OL in the 3rd. We had Ryan! And Thomas Te Indiana was a perfect development pick there. As things work out, Burks won't be a starter ever. And when a player is drafted for back-up, it's a poor pick. Every player with hard work , should have the capability to become a starter. A quick example of what to do was when TT drafted 3 RBs late in the draft. Arron Jones starts now. Gute cannot spread his drafts out. The Picks will fail! TT s mistake was not stock piling some positions. { Gute's will be the same mistake.} Draft the hole, not holes. Sign FAs for the Back-ups. There are many different ways to approach the vacancies. If Gute Bombs, it will because Murphy hires the wrong HC. And he tries to plug a hole, instead of stock piling it. Gute must stock pile the Cbs. Signing Breeland will make up for Randall. Drafting the right players shows leadership.
CAG123
December 22, 2018 at 01:10 pm
Side note Burks wasn’t drafted to be CM3 he was drafted because Jake Ryan is too slow footed to cover RBs and TEs. Ted not wanting to give the MLB position the respect it deserved is why they needed a coverage LB I believe the count was like 13 or maybe even 15 failed LBs he drafted. Burks was put behind early by that shoulder injury.
stockholder
December 22, 2018 at 01:45 pm
He was drafted to replace Thomas. Not Ryan. Ryan was a safety/Lb in college. To say he was to slow is BS. The Te's are 4.5 in the NFL, most Lbs run 4.6 or later. I wanted a faster ILB. Burks and Morrison don't do it. Burks was behind Martinez until last week. They now switched. 2. TT - picks true. two guys he could have drafted would have solved it. 1. Deion jones Atl. instead of springs.. 2. Jatavis Brown instead of Davis.
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 04:00 pm
Ryan played DE, OLB, MLB in college.
stockholder
December 22, 2018 at 07:32 pm
Ok, scheme then.
Thegreatreynoldo
December 22, 2018 at 03:06 pm
MM = Good.
You are perfectly willing to be a bomb-thrower who assails any passing target that might have negatively affected MM.
stockholder
December 22, 2018 at 08:00 pm
@ Thegreatreynoldo = The next coach Zac Taylor?
Lare
December 22, 2018 at 03:15 pm
You guys just need to quit replying to Packers0808. He's a Vikings Troll who only comes here posting foolish stuff to get Packers fans to respond.
Ignore him, hopefully some day he grows up and goes back to Minnesota where he belongs.
dobber
December 22, 2018 at 04:01 pm
I figure he'll go away after 8 when his parents make him go to bed.
Lare
December 22, 2018 at 04:36 pm
Or after 8:08.
Packers0808
December 22, 2018 at 05:49 pm
And you to bed when your boy friend tells you too!
Packers0808
December 22, 2018 at 05:48 pm
Wrong all the way I have been a Packer fan since 1958 and believe me you have got a lot of knowledge to learn! There aren't many who hate the Vikings more than this guy. I just have seen too many bad Packer teams in the 70s-90s and I see the same thing happening here the lack of talent and leadership! McCarthy no matter how you feel about him was the best coach here ince Lombardi and will be so for a long time to come! get ready for a lot of complaining and mediocrity for a long time to come!
JonathanSpader
December 22, 2018 at 08:58 pm
GET OFF MY LAWN
Houndog
December 23, 2018 at 07:33 am
A Fan since 1958? Really?
OK then, so maybe your real problems are senility or dementia.
Thegreatreynoldo
December 22, 2018 at 03:13 pm
Bell would consume most of the snaps at RB. He is a volume guy: he needs lots of snaps, lots of carries, and lots of targets. Bell is good, though. We might still see some of Aaron Jones were we to sign Bell.
Still, for a variety of reasons, Imma agin it.
Denise Chanterelle
December 22, 2018 at 03:35 pm
No Bell for Christmas please!
PAPackerbacker
December 22, 2018 at 06:02 pm
Absolutely no Bell in Green Bay!! He will command more money that could be spent where it is needed more, OL, LB, Edge Rusher. Besides, Bell has proven he is not a team player but more of a me player. The Packers have good RB's but need help elsewhere. Bell would not be a good fit in Green Bay. Let him go make rap videos.
Archie
December 23, 2018 at 09:18 am
I'm all for upgrading the offense, including another RB, a couple of OL, a TE or two, and a top WR but LeVeon Bell? No. To much ego and too much money. We need to replace Ty Montgomery.
As far as defense goes, brig back Pettine and Matthews on a team friendly deal. Go after the best edge rusher we can get in R1. The 2nd R1 pick will depend on who's still there. In fact, I could see the Pack trading both their 1s for lower picks. One thing that is perfectly clear in GB, the cupboard is bare. We don't know what Pack's board will look like when their first pick comes up but if they have several guys they really like, trading down or even down and back up like last year, could land a nice player and a bonus pick in R3. Towards the bottom of R1, there's usually a good number of guys available that are about equal in talent. So trading that pick could make sense too.
ps - I've got my eyes on both Iowa TEs top to middle of R2.
rstain99
December 23, 2018 at 09:18 am
another year under Pettine and cb's will be fine they need Lb's who can cover, a pass rusher and smart safety Tramon is doing ok but they need to communicate better trading Ha Ha was fine always a step late missed tackles. Eric Reid was there for how long would have fit in great. I hate to say it but D Randall was being played out of position for 2 years here he is good in Cleveland pain in the butt I know but would have been answer here. Right tackle could use upgrade, quick throw offense could help means changing the old West coast ideas long over due.
Archie
December 23, 2018 at 09:24 am
Oh yeah, one more thing: S Landon Collins in FA is a no-brainer for Pack.
Fire_Gute
December 23, 2018 at 09:50 am
No to Bell. One more reason is that he is only one weed related incident away from being suspended for an entire year. He's not exactly a team player, I don't think he would clean up his act because his teammates are depending on him
HankScorpio
December 23, 2018 at 10:44 am
With the movement in the nation toward legalization, I think the NFL is going to drop the penalties for smoking weed before long. They should. I recently read that weed is legal in 10 of 50 states (proportionally that is 4/20 BTW). That is a significant amount of places where a player could legally serve pot brownies to guests but couldn't consume any. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Until they do drop the penalties for weed, Bell is an increased risk.