jleisher Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Sources for this mock are OzPackerfan, PFF draft simulator and NFL Draft Buzz for scouting purposes. I hope I did a better job with the restructures and cap space. Here we go! Gutes and Russ get busy on the salary cap. As of this mock, Packer's salary cap is at $5,897,520. (Spotrac) Matt adds three coaches to his staff in surprise moves. Randell Cobb is added to the staff as Players Relations Manager. Kind of like Rob Davis did for McCarthy. Jim Leonhard as Assistant Defensive DB coach. Wade Phillips is hired as Senior Defensive advisor. This is in place so if the defense starts the season under achieving, Leonhard will take over as DC with Phillips as his tutor. I bet you thought I was bringing in good old Rod Marinelli, didn't you? Roster Cuts: Garvin, Hamilton, Hanson, Jean-Charles, Rhyan, Delance, Cotton and Franklin. Total cap saved, $7,254,963. Restructures: Rodgers: 1yr. $42m with extra void year. Cap saved $5,790,000. Bakhitiari: Roster bonus converted to signing bonus. Cap saved $9,823,521. Smith: Per NFL Transactions, cap saved $9,456,000. Alexander: Per NFL Transactions, cap saved $6,668,000. Douglas: Roster bonus converted to signing bonus. Cap saved $2,450,000. O'Donell: Roster and workout bonuses converted to signing bonus. Cap saved $700,000. Campbell: Roster bonus converted to signing bonus. Cap saved $3,305,877. Savage: $3,000,000 of base salary is converted to a signing bonus. Cap saved $3,000,000. 2023 Cap space after restructures and roster cuts: $54,345,881. Extensions: Clark: 3 yrs. $66m with $26m as signing bonus, cap hit $$13,333,333. Cap saved $10,639,667. Gary: 5 yrs. $111m with $50m as signing bonus. Cap hit $12,200,00. Cap space spent - $1,308,000. Love: 5 yrs. $120m with $50m as signing bonus. Cap hit $6m. Cap space spent -$2,059,811. Total cap space after extensions: $61,617,737. Packer Resigns: Amos: 2 yrs. $14m with $4m as signing bonus. Cap hit $5,000,000. Nixon: 3 yrs. $20m with $5m as signing bonus. Cap hit $ $5,000,000. Nijman: 4 yrs. $20m with $4m as signing bonus. Cap hit $4,000,000. R. Ford: 2 yrs. $5m with $1m as signing bonus. Cap hit $ 4,000,000. Lewis: 1yr. $2m. Cap hit $2,000,000. Crosby: 2 yrs. $6m with $2m as signing bonus. Cap hit $2,000,000. Wilson: 2 yrs. $5m with $2m as signing bonus. Cap hit $1,500,000. Hollins: 2 yrs. $8m with $6m as signing bonus. Cap hit $5,000,000. Total cap space after Packer resigns: $33,117,737 Outside Free Agents: Jakobi Myers WR New England. 4 yrs. $56m with $16m as signing bonus. Cap hit $8,000,000. Mike Gesicki TE Dolphins. 4 yrs. $48m with $20m as signing bonus. Cap hit $6,000,000. Julian Love S NYG. 3 yrs. $18m with $6m as signing bonus. Cap hit $4,000,000. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo Edge Texans. 3 yrs. $21m with $9m as signing bonus. Cap hit $4,000,000. Zach Allen DE/Edge Cardinals. 4 yrs. $36m with $20m as signing bonus. Cap hit $4,000,000. Total 2023 cap space after Free agency: $7,117,737 2023 Packer's Mock Draft. #15. Packers select: Brian Branch DB Alabama 6' 193lbs. QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 87.7 TACKLING: 100% RUN DEFENSE: 96% COVERAGE: 89% ZONE: 87% MAN/PRESS: 87% He’s excellent in zone coverage, showing a great understanding of routes and the ability to close quickly. Has the length and speed to emerge as a starter two or three years down the line. Branch has quietly developed into the best cover corner in the nation in 2022 who is equally adept at man and zone. Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #62. He wrote, "Brand, at 6 feet, 194 pounds, is a strong DB, squatting 565 and power-cleaning 335. He’s also got a lot of speed, having clocked 22.3 mph on the GPS system." Super versatile can play in the box as a strong safety, corner, nickel or even deep free safety. Outstanding tackler who is a physical run supporter in the Antoine Winfield mold with short-area explosiveness to leave his mark on ballcarriers. His ball skills are very good. Branch tracks the ball well downfield and has the hands and coordination to come away with interceptions even when he isn’t targeted often. Stays low in his backpedal and shows the click-and-close ability to break up plays in front of him. Branch can move well laterally and shows excellent instincts when looking into the backfield in zone coverage. Does a good job getting his head around in time when playing with his back to the line of scrimmage. Has the ability to cover quickness underneath. He’s long and strong enough in his core to steer receivers to the sideline with his hands when playing inside technique. #45. Packers select: Luke Musgrave TE Oregon St. 6'6" 225lbs. QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 93.0 HANDS: 60% SHORT RECEIVING: 73% INTERMEDIATE ROUTES: 76% DEEP THREAT: 81% BLOCKING: 56% Luke Musgrave is a super polarizing prospect and is a classic potential vs production evaluation. There is no doubt Musgrave has huge potential, he has ideal height, long arms, soft hands, and elite speed, he, however, has never produced at a high level with any consistency - which for many many scouts raises serious red flags especially drafting him early.If Musgrave blows up the combine as we expect, it's easy to see him being selected at the end of the first day, although to us this seems a little too rich for a boom/bust unproven prospect. Currently, we consider Musgrave a late second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Pro typical size for the position and athleticism - standing 6-6 and weighing in at 255lbs, and having NFL bloodlines - his uncle was a pro QB in the 1990s Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #27. He wrote "He also excelled at lacrosse and in alpine skiing. This offseason, Musgrave vertical-jumped 36 1/2 inches, broad-jumped 10-1 3/4, clocked a 4.51 40, and did 4.21 in the pro agility — all terrific numbers for a tight end this size." He’s a fluid athlete with excellent short-area quickness; Musgrave should be able to create separation, and he has the straight-line speed to threaten down the seam. His lack of college production has been much more a result of bad luck rather than poor play - 2020 was limited due to COVID and 2022 was impacted by a serious knee injury which limited him to just two games. Played in a very inconsistent offense and was misused resulting in underwhelming production. Musgrave also has value as a catch-and-run threat, running hard and consistently picking up yards after the catch. Looks great in contested catch situations - shields the ball and dominates DBs at the catch point with his elite height/li> First tight end at the Senior Bowl to break the 20 MPH in practice drills. Soft, reliable hands center the big target for quarterbacks. He Shields the defense and will let the ball into his pads to protect it when about to absorb a big hit over the middle. Runs precise routes with mostly crisp cuts. Very difficult to cover gets separation consistently. He combines good speed with his size, and he accelerates off the line better than most big receivers. Musgrave plays with smoothness and balance, and he shows a knack for setting up defensive backs. #78. Packers select: Sam LaPorta TE Iowa 6'4" 249lbs. QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 80.3 HANDS: 64% SHORT RECEIVING: 87% INTERMEDIATE ROUTES: 85% DEEP THREAT: 83% BLOCKING: 57% Sam LaPorta while having a long way to go as a blocker is an effective first down converter. He will flourish in an air raid offense such as the Chiefs or be underutilized in a run-heavy offense such as the Titans. At his best, he is used to creating mismatches against lbs. At his worst, he is used as a run blocker. He showcases above-average IQ which will translate well as he begins learning from NFL coaches. While he currently lacks in blocking technique, that is easily fixable and he shows great willingness to learn. Being that he is one of the only bright spots in his offense, his stats are not reflective of his true talent.At his current draft value, consider him great value in the third round and beyond. He’s a reach in draft rounds one and two. Runs WR routes in addition to TE. His route tree is massive showcasing his football IQ. Very reliable target on passing downs. Very rarely drops a pass. Is great using his length to adjust to throws that are either under or overthrown. Great after the catch and frequently takes advantage of mismatches against LBs. Great athletic build for a TE. Expect a high RAS score at the combine. #116. Packers Select: Karl Brooks DE/Edge Bowling Green 6'4" 303lbs. 10 sacks. TACKLING: 63% PASS RUSH: 91% RUN DEFENSE: 88% Brooks has an excellent feel for working off blockers and knowing how and when to counter as the play goes on. Played with good leverage, even on the nose, despite average bulk. Hustle defender with a good bull rush inside that can close and get home when quarterbacks leave the pocket. He’s quick to react and locate the ball, and Brooks shows enough speed to succeed in backside pursuit. Brooks plays with excellent balance and a strong, flexible core, rarely ending up on the ground. He’s ready for the physicality of the NFL; he has a stout build, strong core and powerful limbs to step in right away as a three-down player. Combines strength and footwork to fill holes inside, as well. Recovers from cut blocks or falling on his way to make a tackle. He’s long but has a powerful lower body and plays with impressive leverage considering his tall frame. #151. Packers select: Andrei Iosivas WR Princeton 6'3" 212lbs. QB RATING WHEN TARGETED: 118.1 HANDS: 89% SHORT RECEIVING: 93% INTERMEDIATE ROUTES: 95% DEEP THREAT: 98% BLOCKING: 61% Andrei Iosivas is an interesting prospect who has a chance to be the fastest player at the NFL combine - which will only boost his stock. In addition to having sprinter's speed, he's also got the prototypical size for an outside receiver standing 6-3 and weighing in at 200lbs, and also possesses consistent soft hands. He however has never played against decent competition playing for Princeton and so his stats, while far from meaningless can't be given the same weight as a prospect from a big school.Despite his small school origins NFL teams will find it hard to overlook his elite measurables and so we could easily see him picked before the end of the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. Shows good sense as a route runner and provides an enormous catch radius over the middle of the field. He has soft hands and uses his frame effectively to shield defenders, making him a major threat in the red zone. Made Bruce Feldman's Freak's List - ranked #15. He wrote "In track, he finished fourth in the country in the heptathlon and ran the fastest 60 in NCAA heptathlon history (6.71). Iosivas bench pressed 370 pounds this month and has vertical-jumped 39 inches. His 60-yard dash time would, by his own estimation, translate into a 4.2-something 40, but he points out that it was also out of the blocks and on a track, so maybe not. His position coach, Brian Flinn, predicts when Iosivas goes through the draft process and performs those tests he will “destroy them all." Iosivas shows suddenness off the line of scrimmage and accelerates quickly, and his top-end speed is among the best in this draft. Plays the more traditional and in-demand position of outside position - lined up at the Z position 85% in 2022. He has reliable hands and shows the willingness to make catches in traffic over the middle. A fluid mover capable of creating some separation over the middle of the field, Iosivas has the long arms and soft hands to provide a sizable catch radius. Iosivas plays with a smoothness and balance, and he shows a knack for setting up defensive backs. Strong runner with the ball with enough agility to make defenders miss in the open field. Has a tall frame and long arms, plus strong hands, giving him a huge catch radius. #171. Packers select: Dorian Williams LB/ST Tulane 6'2" 228lbs. 5 sacks. TACKLING: 82% PASS RUSH: 71% RUN DEFENSE: 69% COVERAGE: 82% The talent is there as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker. He’s a fluid mover in pursuit as well, capable of moving down the line and making plays in pursuit. He’s built like a defensive back but hits like a linebacker. Milano has sideline-to-sideline range and is a violent, wrap-up hitter. Looks the part. Good height and a thick, muscular build. Long arms. Good overall athleticism and straight-line speed. Is a gifted athlete with an impressive frame and a lot of raw ability. Williams needs to get stronger to do more damage at the point of attack and is very unpolished with the mental aspect of the position. Streaky instincts and anticipation. Williams has excellent awareness in zone coverage. #234. Packers select: SirVocea Dennis LB/ST Pittsburgh 6'1" 218lbs. 7 sacks. TACKLING: 85% PASS RUSH: 74% RUN DEFENSE: 84% COVERAGE: 74% Dennis has an explosive first step and has the fluidity, flexibility and core strength to chase through traffic and make plays. He’s a sure and violent wrap-up tackler with sideline-to-sideline range. He’s an excellent tackler in space, showing loose hips and the ability to break down and contain runners. Reads quarterbacks eyes and reacts quickly to targets in zone coverage. Work in progress as a pass rusher, with up field burst and flexibility to dip and scrape. In coverage, Dennis shows excellent awareness and anticipation when dropping back into zone, and he has the fluidity and speed to run with most tight ends over the middle. Flashes closing speed and agility to reach passers from the blind side or up the middle before they can escape. #237. Packers select: Braedon Daniels T/G Utah 6'4" 297lbs. PASS BLOCKING: 78% RUN BLOCKING: 75% Has good footwork and technique. Balanced and agile pass protection set with excellent hand placement. Willing to attack and punches multiple times to finish the play. Quick to pick up edge blitz and shows no panic, easily adjusting angles and resetting his feet. Can recover and reset his anchor. Rarely late off the snap. Anchors against larger defenders in the middle; resets hands to maintain distance. Athletic enough to help on nose tackle then pick up twist or late blitzer. Mirrors quick interior rushers. Looks to help the center when uncovered. He's infinitely coachable and athletically gifted with the ideal frame, physique, weight distribution, knee bend and hand strength to be molded into a special blocker. Does a nice job on the second level, moving up field quickly and showing the flexibility and balance to land blocks in space. Is effective when asked to pull, showing the agility, speed, and overall range to get out as a lead blocker, where Daniels locates defenders and shows the ability to adjust and land blocks against linebackers. #244. Packers select: Devonnsha Maxwell DL Chattanooga 6'3" 301lbs. 7.5 sacks. TACKLING: 63% PASS RUSH: 90% RUN DEFENSE: 97% Maxwell is strong enough in the lower body to hold up at the point of attack, and Maxwell displays a good feel as a grappler in the phone booth, consistently getting blockers off-balance before sending them to the ground. Delivers a strong punch and uses his hands to shed blocks to make plays in the hole or outside the box. Uses lower-body strength to anchor inside. He’s a high-motor player, and he shows good enough hand use, as well as a tight spin move, to win as an edge rusher. Can make the impressive chest-to-chest bear hug tackle in the hole due to his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield. His spin move is already NFL-caliber, and he displays a very good motor. Plays with leverage at the point of attack whether inside or outside. Keeps eyes in the backfield when inside; moves linemen to either side with strong hands. #256. Packers select: Alex Forsyth C/G Oregon 6'4" 312lbs. PASS BLOCKING: 86% RUN BLOCKING: 74% Has good footwork and technique. Balanced and agile pass protection set with excellent hand placement. Quick out of his stance with the footwork to be effective in front of screens. Willing to get out in front of ballcarriers to take out defensive backs and linebackers. In the run game, Forsyth explodes off the line of scrimmage and consistently gets out to the second level to do damage. Has a stout build with a strong, flexible core. He’s a rock in the middle of the line as a pass protector, with the heavy hands and strong grip to hold his own against bigger defensive tackles. In the run game, he shows good burst off the line of scrimmage, with the ability to win at the point of attack. Forsyth has enough speed and athleticism to move to the second level and land blocks. #259. Packers select. Lew Nichols III RB/RS Central Michigan 5'11" 222lbs. RUSHING: 66% BREAK TACKLES: 66% RECEIVING/HANDS: 66% PASS BLOCKING: 66% RUN BLOCKING: 66% Nichols often thrived in the screen game, transitioning up field quickly and showing a knack for following his blocks. He has the size and strength to pass protect. Nichols shows exceptional toughness and good balance running between the tackles, and Nichols was excellent when it came to finishing runs. He’s solid in blitz pickup, and he consistently showed the ability to anchor against bigger players. His skills as a runner translate nicely to the next level, and he could emerge as an early down back on a team that uses a zone running scheme. Doesn't possess elite breakaway speed but is fast enough to gain yardage in chunks when he finds a seam. He’s at his best working in space, showing the quickness and vision of a return specialist. His stop-start ability allows him to create initial separation. 53 Man roster: Rodgers QB Love QB Jones RB Dillion RB Myers WR Watson WR Doubs WR Toure WR Melton WR Iosivas WR Gesicki TE Deguara TE Lewis TE Musgrave TE LaPorta TE BAK LT Jenkins LG Tom C Runyan RG Nijman RT Walker T C. Jones T/G Myers C/G Newman G Crosby K O'Donnell P Coco LS Nixon RS/CB Wilson ST/LB Allen DE/Edge Clark NT/DE Wyatt DE/Edge Slaton NT Ford NT Brooks DE/Edge Gary OLB/Edge Smith Edge Okoronkwo Edge Enagbare Edge Hollins Edge Campbell ILB Q. Walker ILB McDuffie ILB/ST Williams ILB/ST Dennis ILB/ST Alexander CB Douglas CB Stokes CB Amos S Savage S Love S R. Ford S/ST Branch S PS: Daniels G/T Forsyth C/G Nichols RB Maxwell DE/Edge Etling QB Taylor RB Goodson RB Slayton DL Franklin CB T. Ford S Allen TE Ballentine CB/RS Carpenter LB/S/ST Tenuta T 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downundermike Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Damn, a lot of work on that. Good stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick_gb Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 I would rather WW3 happened then that we signed Geisicki in Free Agency and then doubled down in TE Day 2 of the draft… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneTwoSixFive Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 27 minutes ago, jleisher said: Has the length and speed to emerge as a starter two or three years down the line. This was the comment of Brian Branch. If you are using the 15th pick on a non-premium position, they better be starting before year three ! I don't object to the choice, just the timeframe. I have no problems with double-dipping at TE, other than Edge not being addressed early. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantyWrestler Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 You’re bringing back Lewis, signing a TE in FA and then drafting 2 more in the first 3 rounds? That’s a lot of capital at TE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexGreen#20 Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 I don't know why I bother clicking on these anymore 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire12 Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 12 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said: I don't know why I bother clicking on these anymore Something about not being able to look away from a car wreck 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packerraymond Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 You can't cut practice squad players to gain cap space, google rule of 51. Alexander and Smith have already been restructured to get us to 5.7m under the cap and you counted that twice. The max we can get under is about 35m with more max restructures to Bakh, Douglas, Campbell and an extension to Clark and Gary. Please stop giving us like 60+ mil to spend it's not possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat&Beer Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 So this was Leisher's Battling Kidney Stones Draft. Still waiting for Leisher's Too Much Information Draft. I'm typing this while enjoying some Bulleit Bourbon. So I hope it's somewhat coherent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatJerkDave Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Dude, a few years ago, I had a massive kidney stone. Worst pain of my life the first time that it moved. Being a moron, I toughed it out. Then my back hurt for like 2 weeks, and I finally went to the hospital. Way too big to pass. Freaking thing put me on the shelf for like 2 weeks. I hope that you don't suffer too much. You got my favorite WR that I have looked at in this class so far. Not a big fan of the TE double dip, personally. And I think you may be doing too much with the FA. I really doubt we bring in that many FAs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 I'm actually a huge fan of this draft. Musgrave is my guy this year. He's ******* perfect. Branch, Laporta both on my wishlist. Others have mentioned that you do have some fundamental flaws with your cap management, so I kinda glossed over the free agent contracts knowing that most of them aren't possible or probable (ex. Adrian Amos will play elsewhere and Love won't sign a massive extension the same offseason Rodgers takes a pay cut). Overall it was a well put together mock that highlights a lot of interesting options. Good luck with the stones, my dude! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasDan Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 13 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said: I don't know why I bother clicking on these anymore I do. It gives you the chance to ridicule and make yourself feel superior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasDan Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 (edited) That was a lot of work - I can't imagine Gute is going to be quite that active. I fear resigning Rodgers only kicks the can down the road and makes it worse. Ay some point we are going to have a pile of dead cap from AR - might as well do it this year. This is the year of the TE and I have no issue with grabbing 2. But TE is a very tough position to learn. You have to know the blocking scheme like a OL and the routes like a WR. We will get little from these guys for a season or 3. So I don't think this is a SB team. Seems like a 1 win playoff team. Time to move on from AR and see what we have in Love. But great effort and you set a new standard on use of pictures. Edited March 1, 2023 by VegasDan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Great format to this mock. I'm jealous. Must have taken you a lot of time, and I respect that. I hope your kidney stones issue resolves itself without too much pain. But you must be on some pain killers to bring back Lewis, grab Gesicki in FA and then take two TE's high in the draft...while having Deguara on the roster. I like the WR...I'm very lukewarm on the safety in round one. LaPorta is my favorite TE in the class. And I don't need to watch any tape. He's a strong kid from Iowa who plays TE, he's gonna be just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyJoeDavola Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 It is a bit of overkill at TE. I am not a fan of Musgrave. No real reason just don't like the player for some reason. You had me totally lost but then...... Andrei Iosivas shows up and redemptions is here! But seriously, outside of Iosivas I am not really thrilled by any of the other selections. And I won't get into the cap stuff because I just don't have the knowledge to really critique it but as has been pointed out it seems unlikely to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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