‘Silent Ted’ goes heavy on offensive line and at cornerback

Da-news-now

RSS Reporter
Reporter
Member
Messages
5,396
Reaction score
311
By BOB McGINN

If there’s safety in numbers the Green Bay Packers were out to prove it Saturday at cornerback and on the offensive line.

The decision-making duo of general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy kept seven cornerbacks among 12 defensive backs and 10 offensive linemen on their 53-man roster that satisfied the NFL’s 3 p.m. deadline.

The Packers have never had 12 defensive backs on an opening-day roster. The 10 O-linemen marks their highest total since 2010 and stands in stark contrast to the last six years when they had eight, seven, eight, eight, nine and eight blockers to open the season.

It was a strange day all around. Thompson, a draft-choice hoarder if there ever was one, released three of his 10 selections from April. In 12 previous drafts he had cut just 12 of his precious picks, and never more than two in one year.

Across the league general managers explained their decisions to reporters in what is the major news day and culmination of a six-week training camp. In Green Bay, Thompson was silent. His next press briefing could be six months from now at the scouting combine.

On Saturday night, an AFC executive in personnel theorized that the 64-year-old Thompson might be more receptive these days to the opinions of McCarthy and the assistant coaches when asked about lopping his picks.

“As he gets older, he’s probably giving a little bit more to the coaches,” the scout said.

The terminated draft choices were wide receiver DeAngelo Yancey of Purdue (fifth round), guard-center Kofi Amichia of South Florida (sixth round) and wide receiver Malachi Dupre of Louisiana State (seventh round).

Yancey, the 175th overall selection, became the fourth highest pick under Thompson to be trimmed before the opener. The others were wide receiver Cory Rodgers (fourth/104) in 2006, wide receiver David Clowney (fifth/157) in ’07 and guard Jamon Meredith (fifth/162) in ’09.

The wide receivers lost out when the Packers remained status quo at the position with five veteran holdovers. Geronimo Allison, a sixth veteran, is off the roster for one game because of NFL suspension.

“Yancey is a taller speed guy who needs some more route development and more down-the-field tracking skills,” said one personnel man. “He just needs to get polished a little bit more.

“I’m not a fan of Dupre. I think he’s spoiled and soft.”

Two other wide receivers of note, veteran Max McCaffrey and rookie free agent Michael Clark, also got whacked.

“McCaffrey’s got the good genes but he’s not a special player,” an NFC personnel man said Saturday night. “He is a good route runner, he’s smart and he’s fundamentally sound. At some point I could see him going back through there or somewhere else.

“I noticed Clark. I don’t know if I’d call it special in any way. He is big.”

Amichia couldn’t make the grade even though he was almost injury-free and played 156 snaps in four exhibition games.

“He was a starting left tackle (at USF) who was going to be a stretch to see if he could play in there at guard,” said another scout. “Realistically, he’s probably a center. He’ll go on the practice squad. They’ll use him as a swing center-guard and let him develop his traits. He’s got a chance.”

The ten-spot in the O-line included tackle backups Kyle Murphy and Jason Spriggs and inside spares Justin McCray, Lucas Patrick and Don Barclay.

Patrick missed the exhibition finale with a concussion. Barclay hasn’t been back since suffering an ankle injury on his 12th snap of the exhibition opener.

Players that were placed on injured reserve before Sunday at 3 p.m. are out for the season. It’s possible the Packers could move Barclay to IR later Sunday to make room for ex-49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who still hasn’t been announced as signed.

This year, teams can activate two players from post-Sept. 3 IR to the 53-man roster after a wait of eight weeks.

“He is what he is,” one personnel man last month said of Barclay, a six-year veteran with 27 starts in Green Bay. “A binky.”

It’s possible that defensive tackle Montravius Adams (foot) and linebacker Jayrone Elliott (back) could be candidates for IR later in the week as well.

Other scouts offered varying reasons why the Packers retained their 10 offensive linemen. Normally, teams keep eight or nine, then give only seven uniforms for games.

“That’s because after those first five they’ve got nothing there,” one personnel man said. “I don’t think they’ve got real backups at all. He (Thompson) is probably looking for that right now.”

Teams have been studying players throughout the league for months. After receiving the complete list of cuts from the league early Saturday night, some scouts pull all-nighters taking a closer look at players of interest.

Waiver claims are due by 11 a.m. Sunday to league officials, who award players to teams based on inverse order of the 2016 standings. At 1 p.m., teams are permitted to begin signing up to 10 players for their practice squads.

An NFC scout noted that three starters – center Corey Linsley and guards Lane Taylor and Jahri Evans – would become unrestricted free agents in March.

“That (keeping 10 O-linemen) isn’t a surprise,” he said. “I think with the way that line is going, monetarily they probably have to get some younger guys for fear of losing some other guys down the road. And, they’ve been starting to get nicked up a little bit. One way or another, they’ve got to start turning that deal over a little bit.”

Top pick Kevin King, four holdover veterans, returnee Davon House and Lenzy Pipkins, a rookie free agent from Oklahoma State, make up the seven-man contingent at cornerback. Another undrafted rookie, Donatello Brown of Division II Valdosta State, lost out and was waived.

“Talented guy, versatile guy,” one scout said of Pipkins. “He can play nickel, he can play outside. He’s just young but he’s talented. He can run.

“I was kind of surprised they let Brown go. He’s athletic. I would guess he’s probably not as far along. A lot of times with smaller schools they’re only playing one coverage or two coverages.

“He’ll probably end up coming back (on practice squad). But he might be gone by tomorrow because he played pretty well in some games.”

From 2011-’15, 24.5% of all players claimed at the NFL cut to 53 were offensive linemen. No other position came close.

“Corner and O-line are the hardest to find,” said one scout. “Nobody lets them go because you need cover guys and blockers to protect the quarterback.”

Of the 76 games missed by starters for Green Bay last season, 29 were by cornerbacks and 10 by offensive linemen.

“Think back to last year,” said the personnel man. “Their injuries were where? Corner and O-line. That’s what they’re doing. They’re just covering up for what happened last year.”

Rookie quarterback Taysom Hill outperformed veteran Joe Callahan but neither one made it. If one personnel man proves correct in saying “there’s no way either of them are (claimed),” the Packers probably would add one to the practice squad.

Hill has two major negatives: he’s 27, and he suffered four serious injuries at Brigham Young.

“I don’t like the age thing at all,” said one scout. “He’s an athletic thrower who needs to refine his skills.”

Added another personnel man: “We kind of like both of them but Hill’s a better athlete. I wouldn’t say that Hill lit the world on fire but he’s athletic and has a good enough arm. There’s something there to work with.

“Not to say that there isn’t with Callahan because that’s what Callahan showed last year. But Callahan hasn’t done enough in that year to separate himself. They’ve had Callahan already so I’m guessing they want to try the new flavor.”

One personnel man said the performance by Reggie Gilbert Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams would have led him to keep Gilbert at outside linebacker, where Kyler Fackrell and Jayrone Elliott retained backup berths.

“They’re all pretty close,” said another scout. “Gilbert played a lot of snaps (157) but you didn’t hear his name a lot. They probably feel more comfortable with those guys right now. They’re all developmental.”

On the inside, Jordan Tripp’s bid to win back a roster spot and primary role on special teams was derailed by a concussion in the second exhibition game.

“That (special teamer) is what he is,” said one executive of Tripp. “That always makes those guys vulnerable. As a teamer he is (good). He might be back before the week is out.”

Presumably, undersized 3-technique Christian Ringo captured the last position on the defensive line over Brian Price, a brawling nose tackle.

“That was probably athleticism,” one scout said.

Of the 29 players that were released, 18 were undrafted rookies, four came from the Packers’ end-of-season practice squad, three were veterans, three were 2017 draft picks and one was a “street” free agent.

Every one of the 29 players is eligible for the practice squad except Tripp.

According to Howard Balzer, the Pro Football Xchange writer and an indefatigable authority on NFL transactions for four decades, 25 teams were involved in at least one of the 24 trades involving 29 players in the last week. Green Bay was one of seven teams that didn’t make a deal.

The post ‘Silent Ted’ goes heavy on offensive line and at cornerback appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.

Continue reading...
 
Back
Top