2018 Free Agency - Prospects for GB

[ChaRisMa]

3 minutes ago, Leader said:

Yes and dare I suggest that the demands at the JUCO level are a distant land from those of top college programs - and a long ago, forgotten dream from the demands in the NFL?

Again - the very next coaching staff - beyond his JUCO days - moved him to Safety.

His future coaching staff is moving him to Safety.

It doesnt appear any of these coaching staffs gave (or are giving) much credence to his exploits and achievements at the JUCO level.

His most recent coaching staff has now acknowledged they were playing him out of position and that he should do well - as a Safety.

The GBPs learned the hard way his JUCO coverage skills didnt translate into the NFL.

He was a starting caliber CB here.

“During the scouting process, Thompson said he was told by Arizona State that he could’ve played cornerback, but the Sun Devils kept him at safety since he was the team’s best defensive player.”

[Leader]

3 minutes ago, ChaRisMa said:

He was a starting caliber CB here.

“During the scouting process, Thompson said he was told by Arizona State that he could’ve played cornerback, but the Sun Devils kept him at safety since he was the team’s best defensive player.”

Yes. Thats fine. Somebody told TT want he wanted to hear: "He could play outside corner - but we just never got around to playing him there." Regardless - we've had three years of seeing his coverage skills as an outside boundary CB at the NFL level and they were wanting. Year 2 gets some "caveats" as he was injured to some degree. He has the ball skills and closing speed of a Safety. The distant past isnt needed to understand current events - what I at least, saw with my own eyes - and - again - his future - the Cleveland Browns - wont be listening to the advice from the past as its their intention to build on DRs NFL experience - and move him to Safety.

[Norm]

1 hour ago, Leader said:

Damarious Randall was the first Safety selected in the 2015 draft. First round - 30th selection. The second Safety (Landon Collins) was taken with the first selection of the Second round by the New York Giants. To my knowledge, Landon Collins wasnt selected (nor was he designated) to play outside boundary CB. Randall was - which was a mistake in my view. His college coaching staff (ASU)  saw his talents, capabilities and abilities as a Safety. His future coaching staff in CLE (apparently) see him in a similar way and will designate him to play Safety. The Green Bay coaching staff has now publicly acknowledged (for the first time that I'm aware of) that he was playing out of position his entire time with the team - and should do well with CLE - as a Safety. At the time of the 2015 draft we had an acute need at the CB position. We drafted a Safety who's coverage skills while a GBP never elevated to a true outside boundary CB - hence, CLE is (apparently) moving him back to Safety.

 

I might be high but I swear asu coach or coaches said he would have easily been their best corner but the way they used their "safety" made him moving valuable to them at that position. It was never that they thought he was a safety specifically. I probably can't find that quote and I may have invented this in my mind.

My issue isn't worth the conversion. It seemed like how personally, from the get go... I'm on the record long before any of his issues saying he seemed nothing like a typical Ted first round pick in that regard to me.

[Norm]

24 minutes ago, ChaRisMa said:

He was a starting caliber CB here.

“During the scouting process, Thompson said he was told by Arizona State that he could’ve played cornerback, but the Sun Devils kept him at safety since he was the team’s best defensive player.”

Lol..

I should read the thread before I post

[Leader]

8 minutes ago, NormSizedMidget said:

I might be high but I swear asu coach or coaches said he would have easily been their best corner but the way they used their "safety" made him moving valuable to them at that position. It was never that they thought he was a safety specifically. I probably can't find that quote and I may have college invented this in my mind.

My issue isn't worth the conversion. It seemed like how personally, from the get go... I'm on the record long before any of his issues saying he seemed nothing like a typical Ted first round pick in that regard to me.

This could very well be - but he was played at Safety. His NFL experience - which is all I saw outside YouTube videos after he was drafted - evidence (in my mind) Safety-like talents. In CLE the demands of coverage off the LOS will be gone. He can let the routes come to him (so to speak) and use his tracking and closing speed to breakup the pass or intercept it. 

I liked him when drafted. I wasnt down on TT or the team at all. Like now - I didnt know the college players coming out so I defer to the team's collective thinking. I thought (at the time) that DR and Rollins looked like a couple ball hawks and would do well for us - but the NFL's a different kinda beast. Talents are strained to the maximum and weakness are (ultimately) exploited just as much.

The "head case" issues aside - I never thought him a good cover corner. Sure he got his INTs - but he got torched alot as well and I believe that ultimately his "Safety" talents didnt translate well into the NFL at the boundary CB position.

[Norm]

4 minutes ago, Leader said:

This could very well be - but he was played at Safety. His NFL experience - which is all I saw outside YouTube videos after he was drafted - evidence (in my mind) Safety-like talents. In CLE the demands of coverage off the LOS will be gone. He can let the routes come to him (so to speak) and use his tracking and closing speed to breakup the pass or intercept it. 

I liked him when drafted. I wasnt down on TT or the team at all. Like now - I didnt know the college players coming out so I defer to the team's collective thinking. I thought (at the time) that DR and Rollins looked like a couple ball hawks and would do well for us - but the NFL's a different kinda beast. Talents are strained to the maximum and weakness are (ultimately) exploited just as much.

The "head case" issues aside - I never thought him a good cover corner. Sure he got his INTs - but he got torched alot as well and I believe that ultimately his "Safety" talents didnt translate well into the NFL at the boundary CB position.

I mean, he played a bazillion slot snaps there and was penciled in as our slot. 

I think the idea he was a safety who couldn't play slot is over done. Boundary corner? Fine. That's fair. Mike literally comes out basically saying that they didn't want to play him out there as much as they did.

[TransientTexan]

20 minutes ago, Leader said:

we've had three years of seeing his coverage skills as an outside boundary CB at the NFL level and they were wanting

to some extent, but it depends how you define your boundary expectations. plenty of guys struggle their first couple years regardless of position. imo, he proved last year he can be a decent #2 CB on the boundary. in a league with ~200 rostered CB's, that's not too shabby. the only reason he's not still on the team is his attitude. and part of the fan dislike is due to the high expectations of his draft slot. 

[ChaRisMa]

1 minute ago, TransientTexan said:

to some extent, but it depends how you define your boundary expectations. plenty of guys struggle their first couple years regardless of position. imo, he proved last year he can be a decent #2 CB on the boundary. in a league with ~200 rostered CB's, that's not too shabby. the only reason he's not still on the team is his attitude. and part of the fan dislike is due to the high expectations of his draft slot. 

That’s where I’m at here. Pretty good CB, which is worth way more than a S. I don’t even knock him at all for his 2nd year. He gutted it out for us and more people should realize and respect that. I think he was a good teammate too.  I think he needed to be served a piece of humble pie in regards for respecting coaches and following assignment. We gave him a bite vs Chicago. He responded with the best play of his career. But what he needs is an entire piece of humble pie. I realize it’s a fine line between the attitude you need to be an elite CB instead of a pain in the ***. But if he thinks hes innocent he’s gonna be on to a third team before he knows it.

[AlexGreen#20]

It's 2018, your slot skillset and your safety skillset aren't much different. 

[Green19]

Any interest? Say as a replacement over Richard Rogers as a 3rd.

[salmar80]

1 hour ago, Green19 said:

Any interest? Say as a replacement over Richard Rogers as a 3rd.

Walford blew his knee in an ATV accident in summer of 2017 and the Raiders say it never fully healed. Would've cost them less than a million to keep for final rookie year. Those are not good signs.

Could be brought in for a medical, but I think we'll look to draft a guy. 

[Packerraymond]

 

[Gopackgonerd]

2 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

 

McCarthy can be funny with his dry humor sometimes

[808sinfour4time]

4 hours ago, Green19 said:

Any interest? Say as a replacement over Richard Rogers as a 3rd.

Long-time lurker.  Cal grad (so much Rodgers interest) and I lived on the east coast for the ten plus years when the Raiders were unwatchable dreck, and the sustained incompetence of then-ownership made a break in fandom a mental health necessity.  So I watched a lot of Packer games even before the 2005 draft.  Horribly timed INTs aside, #4 was fun before all the retirement drama.   Hence, the long-time lurking.

So, for a period of time Clive Walford had something in common with Davante Adams during the Cut Davante! era: he would routinely make incredibly difficult catches, but drop an inordinate number of the routine ones.  More recently, unlike Adams, who has evolved into a player who mostly catches both difficult and routine passes, Walford has devolved into a player who now mostly drops both.

He looks faster than R. Rodgers, but I am too lazy to compare their 40 times.  Though, to be fair, R. Rodgers has lately looked faster than R. Rodgers used to look.  In years 1 and 2 he looked like he was running through knee-high water.

Anyway, Clive Walford could conceivably flash again someday, but even if he does, never ever expect it to continue for long.  He also appears to have surrogates burning bridges with the organization on the way out the door...for what that's worth.

I wish you a healthy 2018.  Go Pack Go! and all that...especially against the AFC East.

[MacReady]

Nothing big is going to happen for the Packers today.  No trades, no signings.  Nothing.  Nothing at all.