Random Packer News & Notes

[Mazrimiv]

Damn, this is actually pretty great. Rodgers really got in their heads. The NFC-N is going to be a fun division.

[thrILL!]

21 hours ago, Old Guy said:

This kid is all about building his brand. He's exceptionally talented but talent alone is not enough in the NFL. 

 

He's also a Packers fan lol

[Old Guy]

35 minutes ago, thrILL! said:

He's also a Packers fan lol

Funny, because he was living in the DMV then. I guess the Redskins had sucked his whole life, so he wasn't rooting for them. Baltimore was just up 95 though. 

[Gravedigger93]

On 6/1/2024 at 12:18 PM, AlexGreen#20 said:

The roles are pretty easy at this point. 

 

Strong Safety: X will start. There will be a battle for the backup spot, but I suspect AJJ has the edge here. 

Free Safety: Bullard will start. There will be a battle for the backup spot, but I suspect AJJ has the edge here. 

I can definitely see your other points, but here is where I have to disagree. McKinney was probably the best pass coverage safety in the NFL last season and got a huge contract by the Packers. I have to dig more into Hafley's scheme, but it looks like it's using one single high safety and one more of a box safety. So I hardly believe that they paid McKinney all that money just to remove all of his best traits and play him at box safety. Everyone else than McKinney starting as the single high safety would highly confuse me, even if Bullard definitely can play the position as well. But you don't replace the highest paid FA safety at his natural position with a rookie. Also at box safety, I can see Evan Williams getting a good amount of snaps (depending on his performance in TC), that's his absolute natural position and the Packers liked him so much that they traded up for him.

Edited June 4 by Gravedigger93

[spilltray]

49 minutes ago, Gravedigger93 said:

I can definitely see your other points, but here is where I have to disagree. McKinney was probably the best pass coverage safety in the NFL last season and got a huge contract by the Packers. I have to dig more into Hafley's scheme, but it looks like it's using one single high safety and one more of a box safety. So I hardly believe that they paid McKinney all that money just to remove all of his best traits and play him at box safety. Everyone else than McKinney starting as the single high safety would highly confuse me, even if Bullard definitely can play the position as well. But you don't replace the highest paid FA safety at his natural position with a rookie. Also at box safety, I can see Evan Williams getting a good amount of snaps (depending on his performance in TC), that's his absolute natural position and the Packers liked him so much that they traded up for him.

The play ends up with one single high and one in the box but the hope is to flip flop based on formation, motion, and adjustments.

[HokieHigh]

On 6/1/2024 at 11:18 AM, AlexGreen#20 said:

The roles are pretty easy at this point. 

Nickel:

1T: Kenny Clark is the starter. TJ Slaton is the backup. 

3T: Devonte Wyatt is the starter. Karl Brooks and Colby Wooten are the backups, in that order. 

RDE: Preston Smith is the starter. LVN is the backup. 

LDE: Rashan Gary is the starter. Kingsley Enagbare is the backup. 

* The DEs won't be side specific. 

Mike: Quay Walker is the starter. Isaiah McDuffie is probably the backup. 

Will: Edgerin Cooper is likely the starter. Though they might have him "overtake" McDuffie in TC. Wouldn't be surprised if Hopper is backing up this spot by the end of the year. 

Field Corner: Jaire will start. Whoever loses the Valentine/Stokes battle will be the backup. 

Boundary Corner: Valentine will battle Stokes to start. Whoever loses will be the backup. 

Nickel Corner: Nixon will start. If he's hurt, the spot will be filled be a combination of ILB/Safety/Perimeter Corners. 

Strong Safety: X will start. There will be a battle for the backup spot, but I suspect AJJ has the edge here. 

Free Safety: Bullard will start. There will be a battle for the backup spot, but I suspect AJJ has the edge here. 

In the base: You'll sit Nixon and put one of McDuffie/Hopper in at the Sam. 

In the Coverage Dime: You'll sit Cooper and put in one of the DBs, I'd probably play Williams, but Ballentine and AJJ will also get looks. 

In the Pressure Dime: You hope somebody displaces Kenny Clark, whether that's LVN or one of the backup 3Ts, it doesn't matter.

 

 

Nixon over stokes/valentine is interesting. If the best 3 are out there nixon is watching from the sideline

[AlexGreen#20]

1 hour ago, Gravedigger93 said:

I can definitely see your other points, but here is where I have to disagree. McKinney was probably the best pass coverage safety in the NFL last season and got a huge contract by the Packers. I have to dig more into Hafley's scheme, but it looks like it's using one single high safety and one more of a box safety. So I hardly believe that they paid McKinney all that money just to remove all of his best traits and play him at box safety. Everyone else than McKinney starting as the single high safety would highly confuse me, even if Bullard definitely can play the position as well. But you don't replace the highest paid FA safety at his natural position with a rookie. Also at box safety, I can see Evan Williams getting a good amount of snaps (depending on his performance in TC), that's his absolute natural position and the Packers liked him so much that they traded up for him.

What makes you think box safeties don't cover?

In zone, your box safety has maybe the toughest cover zone on the field. Assuming he starts over the Tight End, his cover zone is the outside quarter of the field from 5-15/20 yards deep. Just getting to the zone off the snap is tough, much less, playing it.

In man, he's going to be matched up with the TE. He's gotta do all of that while also being a fill player against the run. 

In contrast, your high safety just has the deep 1/3 of the field to cover all the time, and he's got very limited run responsibilities. 

X's natural position IS the Box Safety. 

+++++

As far as Evan Williams goes, there's a long way to go. Lets first see how he does getting grown men on the ground before we start penciling him in for heavy snaps as a rookie. I'm not saying he isn't going to be able to play in the league, but I think the coaching staff is going to be bringing all the mid round rookies along slowly.

[AlexGreen#20]

25 minutes ago, HokieHigh said:

Nixon over stokes/valentine is interesting. If the best 3 are out there nixon is watching from the sideline

If we're talking guys playing on the boundary, I agree 100% that Nixon is not in your top 3. 

When it comes to playing the slot through, the evaluation slants to short zones, read speed, and tackling. I think Nixon carries an edge there. 

It's possible that all 3 boundary guys show so well in camp that you consider moving one of them inside to the slot, but to be honest, considering the injury issues that Jaire and Stokes have had, I'm not enthusiastic about either one banging in there. Nixon played it just fine last year. 

[Gravedigger93]

37 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

What makes you think box safeties don't cover?

In zone, your box safety has maybe the toughest cover zone on the field. Assuming he starts over the Tight End, his cover zone is the outside quarter of the field from 5-15/20 yards deep. Just getting to the zone off the snap is tough, much less, playing it.

In man, he's going to be matched up with the TE. He's gotta do all of that while also being a fill player against the run. 

In contrast, your high safety just has the deep 1/3 of the field to cover all the time, and he's got very limited run responsibilities. 

X's natural position IS the Box Safety. 

+++++

As far as Evan Williams goes, there's a long way to go. Lets first see how he does getting grown men on the ground before we start penciling him in for heavy snaps as a rookie. I'm not saying he isn't going to be able to play in the league, but I think the coaching staff is going to be bringing all the mid round rookies along slowly.

I don't think that coverage is not needed for a box safety, I just disagree that box safety is the position that McKinney is better than at single high safety. I guess we can just agree to disagree, even if I want to see your point that Bullard is the better at high safety than McKinney is. As I said, I don't think he would do a bad job, but I don't think he should kick out McKinney at the job he was signed for.

Also I want to know what makes you think that box safety is McKinney's natural position, I don't see any evidence with his style of play.

Edited June 4 by Gravedigger93

[AlexGreen#20]

1 hour ago, Gravedigger93 said:

I don't think that coverage is not needed for a box safety, I just disagree that box safety is the position that McKinney is better than at single high safety. I guess we can just agree to disagree, even if I want to see your point that Bullard is the better at high safety than McKinney is. As I said, I don't think he would do a bad job, but I don't think he should kick out McKinney at the job he was signed for.

Also I want to know what makes you think that box safety is McKinney's natural position, I don't see any evidence with his style of play.

Is there a game of his that you can point to where he plays more centerfield than in the box?

[spilltray]

I still think this is all to static.

So the defense lines up in a loose formation as the offense comes to the line. Both S are in a mid position until the offense shows it's hand then they shift into position let's say McKinney lines up in the slot on the TE side. 

Now motion comes across. No one follows but Bullard comes up into the slot and McKinney drops back.

On the next time they see that formation, maybe the S are flipped. 

We have two guys that are both excellent in coverage and good in the box. I can't see either one being a SS or FS. Hafley said from his intro press conference he wants interchangeable S for his defense and there is every reason to believe McKinney and Bullard can be that.

[HighCalebR]

9 minutes ago, spilltray said:

I still think this is all to static.

So the defense lines up in a loose formation as the offense comes to the line. Both S are in a mid position until the offense shows it's hand then they shift into position let's say McKinney lines up in the slot on the TE side. 

Now motion comes across. No one follows but Bullard comes up into the slot and McKinney drops back.

On the next time they see that formation, maybe the S are flipped. 

We have two guys that are both excellent in coverage and good in the box. I can't see either one being a SS or FS. Hafley said from his intro press conference he wants interchangeable S for his defense and there is every reason to believe McKinney and Bullard can be that.

Interchangeable sure. Let the offense dictate the matchups? Nah.

If the opps have a strong TE on the roster, X should get most of that matchup. Play a team that likes fly motion **** maybe Bullard gets some more reps down low.

[spilltray]

19 minutes ago, HighCalebR said:

Interchangeable sure. Let the offense dictate the matchups? Nah.

If the opps have a strong TE on the roster, X should get most of that matchup. Play a team that likes fly motion **** maybe Bullard gets some more reps down low.

Sure sometimes you shift that way, sometimes you shift other ways. Either way you always shift and flipping the S is the uncommon way to do it.

[HighCalebR]

34 minutes ago, spilltray said:

Sure sometimes you shift that way, sometimes you shift other ways. Either way you always shift and flipping the S is the uncommon way to do it.

If we're running a single high look we're not switching into that responsibility at the snap. The LB would just bump out. 

X is going to be down low at a majority rate. I'd bet on it.

[AlexGreen#20]

1 hour ago, spilltray said:

I still think this is all to static.

So the defense lines up in a loose formation as the offense comes to the line. Both S are in a mid position until the offense shows it's hand then they shift into position let's say McKinney lines up in the slot on the TE side. 

Now motion comes across. No one follows but Bullard comes up into the slot and McKinney drops back.

On the next time they see that formation, maybe the S are flipped. 

We have two guys that are both excellent in coverage and good in the box. I can't see either one being a SS or FS. Hafley said from his intro press conference he wants interchangeable S for his defense and there is every reason to believe McKinney and Bullard can be that.

Generally you're going to come out of the huddle based on Field vs Boundary and then align yourself based on offensive formation strength.