Packers Training Camp 2019

[ReadyToThump]

 

[CWood21]

5 hours ago, cannondale said:

I think what we're seeing from Gute is the willingness to just cut bait on dead men walking. If you're on the last year of your deal, you better prove your worth or Gute is gonna try to trade you or move on entirely. I kinda like it.

Even if that was the case, you have a hard time selling me that we're clearly better with deGeer or Njiman on the 2019 roster than we are Spriggs.  You don't cut a guy that you invested so much in to prove a point.  That's foolish.  You cut the guys you invested very little in.

[vegas492]

8 hours ago, CWood21 said:

I stand by that comment.  Are there multiple OL (aside from the starters) who are clearly better than Spriggs?  No.  Do we save a significant amount of money by releasing him?  No.  So what's the motivation to release him?

I think it is pretty clear.  He's not performed, or performing, as well as others in the group.  Your statement above about there not being multiple guys better than Spriggs as a backup is not a sentiment shared by the GB coaches and front office.

The move isn't financial in my mind, it's about performance.  Those that thought that he could be a starting tackle in the league and a valuable swing tackle on the club were clearly at odds with GB management and coaches.

I get that you want to stand by your comment.  Overall, I'd say that the statement is true most of the time.  In this one case, though, it was proven to not be true.

 

[Leader]

1 minute ago, CWood21 said:

Even if that was the case, you have a hard time selling me that we're clearly better with deGeer or Njiman on the 2019 roster than we are Spriggs.  You don't cut a guy that you invested so much in to prove a point.  That's foolish.  You cut the guys you invested very little in.

Apparently they decided to (literally) cut their losses.

A dry well will always be a dry well. Sounds to me they determined the guy was a dry well.

[vegas492]

8 hours ago, CWood21 said:

Ereck Flowers signed a 1 year, $3.25M deal.  Spriggs is better than Flowers.

We shall see.  If Spriggs can get $3.25M on his next deal...then I'd say the NFL views them similar.

Draft wise, Flowers was a much higher draft pick.

Each has some pretty poor tape out there.  It'll be fun to watch.

[TheBitzMan]

4 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Even if that was the case, you have a hard time selling me that we're clearly better with deGeer or Njiman on the 2019 roster than we are Spriggs.  You don't cut a guy that you invested so much in to prove a point.  That's foolish.  You cut the guys you invested very little in.

I am guessing the injury has more to do with this than anything. Otherwise I have a hard time making sense of it as well. 

[CWood21]

2 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

I think it is pretty clear.  He's not performed, or performing, as well as others in the group.  Your statement above about there not being multiple guys better than Spriggs as a backup is not a sentiment shared by the GB coaches and front office.

The move isn't financial in my mind, it's about performance.  Those that thought that he could be a starting tackle in the league and a valuable swing tackle on the club were clearly at odds with GB management and coaches.

I get that you want to stand by your comment.  Overall, I'd say that the statement is true most of the time.  In this one case, though, it was proven to not be true.

Are Alex Light, Josh Nijman or any other OT clearly better than Spriggs?  No.  Do the Packers save a meaningful amount of cap space ($1M+)?  No.  You're cutting him to prove a point is one of the stupidest things I've heard suggested out there.  The Packers lose NOTHING by keeping him through the roster cutdowns.  If at the end of camp, you don't think he's one of your 8 or 9 best OL you move on from him.  But releasing him now to prove a point is stupid.  I don't have to agree with the FO.  I think majority of the decisions they do are right, but this one I don't think is right.  I don't think Spriggs is anything special, but you have a hard time convincing me he's the 85-90th best player on the roster.

[CWood21]

4 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

We shall see.  If Spriggs can get $3.25M on his next deal...then I'd say the NFL views them similar.

Draft wise, Flowers was a much higher draft pick.

Each has some pretty poor tape out there.  It'll be fun to watch.

Flowers was literally given a starting lineup, and he flopped horribly.  He still got paid.  The fact is there are still a lack of quality OL in the NFL, and if you've got a pulse you're going to get a run.  Someone will sign him.

[CWood21]

3 minutes ago, TheBitzMan said:

I am guessing the injury has more to do with this than anything. Otherwise I have a hard time making sense of it as well. 

I really hope that's the reason.

[vegas492]

2 hours ago, Uffdaswede said:

Gute’s Kid: Daad?

Gute: What?

Gute’s Kid: Where’s the dog? I can’t find Duke.

Gute: I figured with three years left realistically on Duke’s longevity, and given the associated carrying costs, we should be able to maintain the positive benefits of pet ownership at a lower cap number going forward so we went in another direction. 

Gute’s Kid: Well that explains the hamster in my room. 

Gute's Kid:  Daad?

Gute:  Yes?

Gute's Kid:  Where's the dog?  I can't find Duke.

Gute:  (Sigh)  I know you thought you had a real dog.  But, in reality, you had a dead hamster in a cage.  You called him a dog, and it was cute for a while, but you are growing up fast and it is no longer cute.  And...the hamster was dead.  

Gute's Kid:  Why do you have to be so mean?

Gute:  It's my job.  And...here's your new puppy.  It's awkward.  A little clumsy.  But, if we take care of it the right way, you may soon have the real dog that you wanted.

[Cheesehawk]

My guess is Spriggs will get at least 6m a year once he has the opportunity to sign somewhere else. His body type and athleticism alone will get him that. Half the league is looking to upgrade their T depth.

[ReadyToThump]

Just now, CWood21 said:

I really hope that's the reason.

 It's the only reason that would make sense to me. 

[CWood21]

1 minute ago, Cheesehawk said:

My guess is Spriggs will get at least 6m a year once he has the opportunity to sign somewhere else. His body type and athleticism alone will get him that. Half the league is looking to upgrade their T depth.

Pretty much.  There's not nearly enough supply of OL.  I don't think he gets that much money, but he will find a job quickly IMO.

[vegas492]

2 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Are Alex Light, Josh Nijman or any other OT clearly better than Spriggs?  No.  Do the Packers save a meaningful amount of cap space ($1M+)?  No.  You're cutting him to prove a point is one of the stupidest things I've heard suggested out there.  The Packers lose NOTHING by keeping him through the roster cutdowns.  If at the end of camp, you don't think he's one of your 8 or 9 best OL you move on from him.  But releasing him now to prove a point is stupid.  I don't have to agree with the FO.  I think majority of the decisions they do are right, but this one I don't think is right.  I don't think Spriggs is anything special, but you have a hard time convincing me he's the 85-90th best player on the roster.

Look, I know you love to think and argue that you are right.  I get it.  And I"m not saying that you are arbitrarily wrong, as I agree that MOST of the time, you carry rookies, higher drafted rookies, though their initial contract.

But that clearly wasn't the case here.  Spriggs had shown this camp to not be as good as some others.

I never said they are proving a point, don't you dare insinuate that I did.  (and maybe you are not)

What I said is that if it wasn't financial, then it was performance related.  We know his tape wasn't stellar.  We know he hasn't practiced much.  Obviously the guys that see the development in players have determined that Spriggs was no longer one of their top backups.

I think, and go with me on this for a second, that maybe, just maybe, GB feels like they are better at swing tackle with Lane Taylor, or Billy Turner, given that Jenkins appears like he can handle some duties inside.  Or maybe it is Jenkins that can flip out. 

Turner and Jenkins give GB a lot more options than they had last year.  It isn't all about LIght, Nijman or even Madison.  It is about options.  And they feel like they have better ones than Spriggs.

[vegas492]

6 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Flowers was literally given a starting lineup, and he flopped horribly.  He still got paid.  The fact is there are still a lack of quality OL in the NFL, and if you've got a pulse you're going to get a run.  Someone will sign him.

Yah, but will he get $3.25M is the question.  You set that as the worth when you said that he's better than Flowers.  Not that I really care either way, but I think it will be interesting to see if he is picked up and at what contract, as that will tell me how the NFL views Spriggs.  Also....watching Flowers to see if he makes it out of camp with that contract.