2022 NFL Draft Thread

[Kampfgeist]

1 minute ago, CWood21 said:

How many 3rd round picks light their rookie season on fire?  Most struggle.  Doesn't mean you cut them after their rookie year.

I'm NOT advocating cutting him.   Maybe he comes in and sets training camp and preseason on fire - great if he does.  I'm questioning however whether he's a roster lock in the absence of showing substantial improvement.  That's all.   People see him as a 3rd round pick and think that should be enough to secure his spot for years.  I don't.  

[CWood21]

1 minute ago, Kampfgeist said:

I'm NOT advocating cutting him.   Maybe he comes in and sets training camp and preseason on fire - great if he does.  I'm questioning however whether he's a roster lock in the absence of showing substantial improvement.  That's all.   People see him as a 3rd round pick and think that should be enough to secure his spot for years.  I don't.  

Even if he doesn't set camp on fire, you still don't release early draft picks until they're squeezed out.  Can you realistically say there are 5 or 6 WRs that are currently better then him on the Packers' roster?  How about after the draft.  You've got Watkins, Lazard, and Cobb, plus figure in 2 draft picks that would make the roster.  Given that the Packers have carried 6 WRs in 2 of the 3 seasons that LaFleur has been in Green Bay, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect Amari Rodgers to make the cut.  You just don't give up on players you drafted highly this early without them being squeezed out because of numbers.

[Kampfgeist]

People in a bunch over Amari Rodgers as if I'm suggesting cutting him outright today.  Take a breath, relax the fingers a little.   Of course he's going to camp and will have a chance to prove himself.  Hope he does, has always seemed like a good man so believe it or not I'm cheering for him to succeed.     

CWood the only one providing real financial reason he might be perceived as a "roster lock" but there's still -0- to suggest the Packers should pass on a primary slot talent because Cobb and Rodgers are currently on the roster and it might cost them 500k to upgrade (with or without Rodgers also on the roster).

[CWood21]

1 minute ago, Kampfgeist said:

People in a bunch over Amari Rodgers as if I'm suggesting cutting him outright today.  Take a breath, relax the fingers a little.   Of course he's going to camp and will have a chance to prove himself.  Hope he does, has always seemed like a good man so believe it or not I'm cheering for him to succeed.     

CWood the only one providing real financial reason he might be perceived as a "roster lock" but there's still -0- to suggest the Packers should pass on a primary slot talent because Cobb and Rodgers are currently on the roster and it might cost them 500k to upgrade (with or without Rodgers also on the roster).

I mean, there's nothing that keeps Green Bay from taking a slot-only type.  But is there anything suggesting that the Packers are actively looking to replace him?  It goes both ways.

[Kampfgeist]

10 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

Even if he doesn't set camp on fire, you still don't release early draft picks until they're squeezed out.  Can you realistically say there are 5 or 6 WRs that are currently better then him on the Packers' roster?  How about after the draft.  

Yes, yes I realistically think there will be 5-6 WR's better than him on the roster after preseason.   

[Scoremore]

1 minute ago, Kampfgeist said:

People in a bunch over Amari Rodgers as if I'm suggesting cutting him outright today.  Take a breath, relax the fingers a little.   Of course he's going to camp and will have a chance to prove himself.  Hope he does, has always seemed like a good man so believe it or not I'm cheering for him to succeed.     

CWood the only one providing real financial reason he might be perceived as a "roster lock" but there's still -0- to suggest the Packers should pass on a primary slot talent because Cobb and Rodgers are currently on the roster and it might cost them 500k to upgrade (with or without Rodgers also on the roster).

That's a pretty good point.  Wasn't impressed with Amari at all.  Don't view him as a roster lock either. Think they will bring in competition but the slot maybe later on in the draft.  Think they are looking primarily at boundary guys but the Packers have a way of surprising us all.  Agree with Cwood also unlikely he gets cut we did invest a bit into him.  Traded up to get the guy but if he bombs out in camp he could find himself on the outside looking in.  Guys bust it happens. 

[CWood21]

6 minutes ago, Kampfgeist said:

Yes, yes I realistically think there will be 5-6 WR's better than him on the roster after preseason.   

I just can't get behind that unless the Packers invest more into the WR position then I think they will.

[Kampfgeist]

Just now, CWood21 said:

I mean, there's nothing that keeps Green Bay from taking a slot-only type.  But is there anything suggesting that the Packers are actively looking to replace him?  It goes both ways.

I'm openly pondering past posts that suggest the Packers woudn't look to replace him and wouldn't and shouldn't do so because he and Cobb are already on the roster.   I disagree with that suggestion.   I'm suggesting the Packers won't pass on a talented player or a perceived upgrade because they took him in the 3rd last year.   Really not that controversial. 

So how exactly on Apr 15th would I provide proof the Packers are actively looking to replace him?   I can verify I have not spoken with Gute and he has not responded to my emails, letters, phone calls, hot breath and nose imprints on car and house windows....

[CWood21]

1 minute ago, Kampfgeist said:

I'm openly pondering past posts that suggest the Packers woudn't look to replace him and wouldn't and shouldn't do so because he and Cobb are already on the roster.   I disagree with that suggestion.   I'm suggesting the Packers won't pass on a talented player or a perceived upgrade because they took him in the 3rd last year.   Really not that controversial. 

So how exactly on Apr 15th would I provide proof the Packers are actively looking to replace him?   I can verify I have not spoken with Gute and he has not responded to my emails, letters, phone calls, hot breath and nose imprints on car and house windows....

I think you'd have the proof by the body types that the Packers drafted.  If they draft smaller slot guys, then that would be proof that they were actively trying to replace him.  If they stick with their "mold" at WR, I think that is enough proof that the Packers still value him highly.

[Kampfgeist]

3 minutes ago, CWood21 said:

I just can't get behind that unless the Packers invest more into the WR position then I think they will.

That's fair.  We have a different evaluation of the player.  In this case I'll be happy and hopeful to be wrong.

[Shanedorf]

31 minutes ago, Kampfgeist said:

What did he show last season that makes you doubt he completely bombs? 

Ben Fennell put up some clips of Amari Rodgers after the catch, said he looks really good/comfortable with the ball in his hands. Right now, he's thinking too much. 

Its really hard making the leap from college-> NFL and its even harder when you have to learn all 3 spots in the passing offense, the entire running game and several of the ST units. Its really tough being a gadget player
That's a lot to put on the plate of anybody, but especially a rookie
I think he'll play faster/better as he gets more comfortable- and that's not uncommon.
Jordy struggled his first season too.

I always go back to this video with AR - running through a hundred things in a few seconds pre-snap. Now imagine what that's like for the rookie WRs...they have to keep up with AR pre-snap and all that thinking hinders their ability to perform at a high level. Some QBs just "run the play", but not in GB - so that sheds a little light on the extended development time we see for WRs in Titletown
 

We've heard every single player in the NFL talk about how " the game slows down" once they have their shining moment of epiphany. Amari has skills, athleticism and football smarts and his NFL story is far from written - all we have so far is the prologue and the table of contents.

Enjoy the ride...

[OneTwoSixFive]

12 minutes ago, Kampfgeist said:

People see him as a 3rd round pick and think that should be enough to secure his spot for years.  I don't.  

Depends on how many years 'for years' is, and what position the player is at.  For a WR two years seems a fair shot, by which time you should at least be seeing regular improvement. If you don't see any improvement through a second year of OTAs, training camp and preseason, then cutting someone before regular season 2 is not out of order. If they are improving, then they likely get the full second season where you hope they keep getting better on the scout team or in spot duty and/or on ST.

After two years you should know what you have, so while the guy who never improved got bounced just before his regular season two started, the guy that has improved, but has either hit his ceiling or has flaws too serious to keep any longer, gets cut at the end of season 2. If the position played was RB, you might have a quicker hook on them, due to it being a more instinctive position.

And before people say "Yes but it took Adams/Nelson/whoever until year three to be good", both were showing steady improvement with no sign that either had topped-out in their second year (and you must also factor injuries into how long you give a guy). I recall a certain player taken in round two by the Packers never making it out of preseason in his second year.............A QB of all picks. There is also a QB that took 3 years behind Favre before he got his chance - so who is in front of a player, is also relevant. The Packers have pulled the trigger quickly in the past on players who have proved hopeless, but they don't do it often.

A common tactic is to try a draft pick somewhere else before releasing them, a solid-built WR to a RB or a good sized corner at safety. Even a LB/TE switch is possible.

TL:DR Plenty of things factor into how quick a hook a team should have. Time-on-the-team, is just one of them.

[thrILL!]

3 hours ago, PackFan4Life said:

Any chance we can pry away Michael Thomas from the Saints for a 3rd this year and a 2nd next year? Definitely not going to give away Davante draft capital, but still......the only downside I could see here is #12 locking in on Thomas the way he did Tae.

You want to give a 3rd and a 2nd for a player who has caught 40 passes in the last 2 yrs combined??  If we wanted yet another broken down WR after signing Watkins, we could sign Julio rather than trade valuable picks.  Hard pass. 

[incognito_man]

1 hour ago, Kampfgeist said:

What did he show last season that makes you doubt he completely bombs?   What flashes or glimpses on the field in preseason or regular season?  I ask that in all seriousness.  I don't remember any -or remember any camp coverage reports about his successes but maybe someone else does?    We didn't trust him on the field and he was a disaster on special teams.   I'm normally a very optimistic guy and want very much for Rodgers to develop so if the Packers keep him I'm all for it, but Amari was a big disappointment to me last year and I just don't view him as some roster lock or someone that can't be perpetually upgraded.

I think he tried to do too much, too many roles. He's a coach's kid and the staff probably threw the book at him.

I like him to look better once it all slows down for him. I also trust he and the staff will get his body better this year. He looked like he was trying to bulk or did leg day, every day or something and looked sluggish.

I just think he's a better player than he showed last year and I suspect the reasons are that he overdid things (rather than underdid them).

[Packerraymond]