Packers Transactions/Rumors thread...

[HiAndTight]

I get the feeling that to have a truly dominant defense, you need the elite MLB (along with much else). But many defenses get buy being good without a dominant MLB. Probably why the position tends to be deprioritized.

 

Ray Lewis (though perhaps the best ever) was a major force for a dominant Baltimore defense and a main reason why they won the SB with Trent Dilfer. Likewise, Brian Urlacher with the Bears getting to the SB with Rex Grossman.

But run defense is always secondary to the pass, so the MLB position gets knocked down a bit - granted Urlacher was an excellent pass defender too. Kendrick on the Vikings is almost a non-entity with their terrible CBs. I'd still prioritize CBs/Pass rushers first, DL second, Safties/Coverage LBs third, and MLB last on priority. Still, if you find a Lewis or Urlacher, you don't pass them up.

 

Frankly, I still say the easiest way to improve our MLB play for this year is sign Clay Matthews. In the second half of his career, he was much better at MLB where he didn't have to hold the edge and fight big Tackles constantly.

 

Can anyone see where PFF rates Blake Martinez among MLBs this year? Much was made of our system holding him back, so I'm curious where he ranks now.

- Edit: With a little digging I found that in Blake was rated: 2018: 74.8, 2019: 57.7 and so far in 2020: 81.2.

 

 

Both are obviously incredible. I think Urlacher is better suited to play in today's game, but you can't really go wrong. And yet both of them were suffering a mid career dip...both teams went out and used their 1st round picks on DT's and they both went from having their worst years to back to All Pro players. Haloti Ngata and Tommie Harris.

 

I know it's beating a dead horse, but it feels like we could have fixed most of our DL issues had we just re-signed Mike Pennel last year after NE cut him. We brought him in, he worked out and then signed shortly after with KC and turned into a big part of their run last year.

 

I'd love to see Clay back...especially if it means he doesn't go to Seattle who could really use an edge rusher. Perhaps he's waiting like Veldheer did last year so he can play hard for half a season and not put his body through a full season of abuse.

 

Then in the draft, they can pick up Hamsah Nasirldeen from FSU in the 2nd round. A Simmons-esque type player. A 6'4 safety who's likely to move to LB'er at the next level(like Brian Urlacher). But that's kinda getting off topic..just throwing that name out there.

[PeaveyFury]

Bill Barnwell suggests a pre-deadline Packer trade for Kenny Stills, giving up a 6th. This seems like too logical a deal to actually happen. Packers have excess draft capital due to the UFA losses, and Stills is a free agent at the end of the season with little value to Houston. The Packers aren't on the hook for salary after this year considering their cap crunch.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30115789/nfl-trade-deadline-offers-13-proposals-players-get-dealt-2020-including-sam-darnold-dwayne-haskins-zach-ertz

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Bill Barnwell suggests a pre-deadline Packer trade for Kenny Stills, giving up a 6th. This seems like too logical a deal to actually happen. Packers have excess draft capital due to the UFA losses, and Stills is a free agent at the end of the season with little value to Houston. The Packers aren't on the hook for salary after this year considering their cap crunch.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30115789/nfl-trade-deadline-offers-13-proposals-players-get-dealt-2020-including-sam-darnold-dwayne-haskins-zach-ertz

 

I don't know if we'll see the Texans make any deals with their front office and coaching staff in flux.

[HiAndTight]

Bill Barnwell suggests a pre-deadline Packer trade for Kenny Stills, giving up a 6th. This seems like too logical a deal to actually happen. Packers have excess draft capital due to the UFA losses, and Stills is a free agent at the end of the season with little value to Houston. The Packers aren't on the hook for salary after this year considering their cap crunch.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30115789/nfl-trade-deadline-offers-13-proposals-players-get-dealt-2020-including-sam-darnold-dwayne-haskins-zach-ertz

 

 

Meh...I'm not nearly as interested in a trade for a WR'er at this point. Now that we've seen what we have and how they really aren't as important as they were with McCarthy. I'd be happy to get Stills, but it'd take a few weeks to get him going and these trades just rarely seem to work out.

 

I'd just love to see Equinimious St. Brown on the field this Sunday. It's time for him to actually show something.

[CheezWizHed]

Bill Barnwell suggests a pre-deadline Packer trade for Kenny Stills, giving up a 6th. This seems like too logical a deal to actually happen. Packers have excess draft capital due to the UFA losses, and Stills is a free agent at the end of the season with little value to Houston. The Packers aren't on the hook for salary after this year considering their cap crunch.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30115789/nfl-trade-deadline-offers-13-proposals-players-get-dealt-2020-including-sam-darnold-dwayne-haskins-zach-ertz

 

I don't know if we'll see the Texans make any deals with their front office and coaching staff in flux.

 

Yeah, but a WR that isn't getting any play with your team, you're having a losing season, and he is going to be a FA. Pretty low-risk move.

[nodakfan17]

I hope King plays really well this season and gets a nice contract elsewhere (netting a high comp pick in the process). His talent is obvious, but is he durable enough? I hope another team thinks so.

[HiAndTight]

https://nflspinzone.com/2020/10/17/green-bay-packers-targets-trade-deadline-2020/2/

 

Trade targets, McLendon, Shelby Harris, Quinnen Williams, John Ross and Michael Gallup(who we're somehow getting for a 3rd round pick).

 

I think Ross might be an interesting target. Someone who can play the Ervin role. Get the ball in his hands at or near the LOS?

 

Could revitalize his career. Gallup isn't coming to Green Bay. I don't see Dallas handing GB a low end #1 WR'er just because they have two others for a 3rd round pick. It'd likely take a 1st and I wouldn't give up a 1st unless we were getting back a cheap player who had multiple years and didn't cost much.

[PinaMadness]

McClendon was traded to the Bucs. As if they needed any more help.

[HiAndTight]

McClendon was traded to the Bucs. As if they needed any more help.

 

 

If we trade for Williams, I'll take it.

[pacopete4]

I’d love for the Packers to get creative and try to fill a hole.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's frustrating to watch the Bucs lose a huge piece and immediately go and try to fix it with a bold move. It's just the kind of thing you're accustomed to the Packers absolutely never doing. They'd be on their 5th practice squad attempt before they'd consider trading a draft pick to solve an obvious problem.

 

I know the Packers have a big cap problem but just generally speaking, "bold" is not a word I'd use to describe GB operations.

[HiAndTight]

It's frustrating to watch the Bucs lose a huge piece and immediately go and try to fix it with a bold move. It's just the kind of thing you're accustomed to the Packers absolutely never doing. They'd be on their 5th practice squad attempt before they'd consider trading a draft pick to solve an obvious problem.

 

I know the Packers have a big cap problem but just generally speaking, "bold" is not a word I'd use to describe GB operations.

 

 

I'll wait a bit before making a judgement. Giving up a 6th for McLendon and a 7th isn't all that bold...but they'd better do something. Gute was bold during the off-season two years ago and has done little sense to help the team. He specifically said he was going to be aggressive in pursuing veterans in-season. I guess Veldheer was kinda bold, but they need badly to do something this year.

 

Everyone's got Cap problems. Ours are hardly big enough to stop us from adding a player who can help us this year. There are a dozen different ways to free up some cap room.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

All I know is that DL needs someone. Seemingly meh moves sometimes pay huge dividends. Howard Green was just a guy they signed about this time of year and was a huge piece of the team that year. They've had moves like that over the years and they really need to find a spark plug.

[HiAndTight]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30144515/new-york-jets-adam-gase-happy-defensive-coordinator-gregg-williams-veiled-shot-offense

 

Pretty much every player who's made "critiques" of the flawless operation that Adam Gase has going in New York has been shipped out...so...here's hoping.

[HiAndTight]

Packers sign James Burgress(from the Falcons).

 

He played in New York last year...so he's leaving Adam Gase. No reason he shouldn't be an All-Pro, right? Leave Gase and vastly increase.

 

https://www.ganggreennation.com/2019/7/21/20694826/scouting-jets-linebacker-james-burgess

 

A pretty detailed scouting report on him from last year.

[HiAndTight]

John Ross has now asked for a trade.

 

4.22 40, still just 24 years old. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands, he's an upcoming Free Agent...and while he's certainly been a bit of a bust at WR'er, he did put up back to back 100-yard games to open last season, then was injured, came back, and had two pretty good games toward the end of the year.

 

 

But in a previous post, I suggested the Packers try to acquire him for a 6th or a 7th round pick and his him in the role(at least in part) that Tyler Ervin is used in. He's not Antonio Brown, but I would think if the Packers could get the ball to him on some WR'er screens, Jet Sweeps or basically how we get the ball to Ervin now(imagine him going in motion, running that fake jet sweep and then running the wheel route...potentially getting him matched up against a safety or a LB'er with his 4.2 40...) he'd certainly add another aspect to our offense. Or at the very least someone else who can keep the defense honest using pre-snap motion.

 

 

He's also pretty damn capable in the return game, though he hasn't been used there in Cincy, likely because he was a top 10 pick and they've had excellent return men.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Rumors this morning that the Texans are entertaining multiple offers on several of their players. While the Wisconsin homers are going to be super excited about the possibility of J.J. Watt in a Packer uniform, the economics of that simply don't work. If I had to guess, though, I imagine that the Packers may end up with one of Will Fuller, Kenny Stills or Randall Cobb. Fuller would be the one I'm most excited about, but I think they probably end up flipping a 5th to the Texans for Cobb.

[PeaveyFury]

I'd trade a mid-rounder for any of their receivers for sure.

 

You're right that Watt would be super exciting, but the finances just don't work.

[homer]

I'd take any of their top four receivers. Cooks was a 1200 yard receiver just two years ago and is only 27.

[yourout]

I'd take any of their top four receivers. Cooks was a 1200 yard receiver just two years ago and is only 27.

 

He would be my first choice.

[FVBrewerFan]

Always wonder why more NFL teams don't dump players fr draft picks more often. I get due to hard cap it will never be as common as the other sports, but still. We'll see if the Jags, Jets, Giants...all these really bad teams start making a bunch of players available. WR would be my first choice too, but if they could find a stud CB or Safety, that would work too. Even just another productive guy for the front 7 would help.

[PinaMadness]

Carlos Dunlap wants out of Cincy too. Even put his house up for sale. [sarcasm]I can't for the life of me understand why no one wants to play for the Bengals.[/sarcasm]

[PeaveyFury]

Even just another productive guy for the front 7 would help.

 

I'd really like them to make a move here if it is available. Lowry has been absolutely horrid, and Lancaster has been banged up though his play has been a bit better this year. They may like Keke and Adams, who both seem to be making strides this year, but I think one more d-line body would be very useful in fixing the broken run defense.

[thebruce44]

I haven't been following the Packers that closely these past couple years, so correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the team come out and say last year that they didn't want to add a WR during the season because they wouldn't be able to learn the system in time to make an impact?

[homer]

I haven't been following the Packers that closely these past couple years, so correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the team come out and say last year that they didn't want to add a WR during the season because they wouldn't be able to learn the system in time to make an impact?

 

In Brandin Cooks case he played for the Rams which run a system very similar to Green Bay's.