Packer 2021 Team Discussion (Rodgers Out Vs. Chiefs)

[CheezWizHed]

Time to look forward instead of backward.

[HiAndTight]

Bring two Badgers back to Wisconsin;

 

Jim Leonhard and JJ Watt.

 

The first one is probably as easy as "would you like the.." before he says yes. The second one seems less likely but is just an ideal fit if he can stay healthy(though I don't think I'd give up a 2nd for him...or even a 3rd as I think Houston will likely move on from him as they start their little rebuild).

 

Beyond that, I guess try and find a #2 CB, maybe a better slot corner. That might be Hollman, though if it were, you'd have likely played him last year in SOME capacity. Extend Adams and start talking with Jaire. Hopefully, find 3-4 young guys who have been on the practice squad or gotten very little PT and hope they can develop. Garvin comes to mind if we do in fact cut Preston Smith.

 

Hope the OL can coach up Yosh and his play can match his incredible athletic ability while also praying Bahk can come back healthy by mid-season.

 

 

If you do all those things, and your young players take another step and you're relatively lucky again next year with regard to injuries and seeding, maybe we'll host another NFCCG and we won't have our hearts ripped out of our chest again. That's about as optimistic as I can be right now!

[Mr Southpaw]

Article on JJ Watt. The draft capital cannot be that much for a one year contract.

 

https://247sports.com/college/wisconsin/Article/JJ-Watt-Houston-Texans-future-2021-contract-Deshaun-Watson-160181142/

[HiAndTight]

Article on JJ Watt. The draft capital cannot be that much for a one year contract.

 

https://247sports.com/college/wisconsin/Article/JJ-Watt-Houston-Texans-future-2021-contract-Deshaun-Watson-160181142/

 

 

Watt would probably have to take a big pay cut to play here(or in Pitt or anywhere at this point).

 

I'd like to think he'd do that in order to come and try and win one in Wisconsin...but I don't know. He's still a good player, but even in the most optimistic scenarios, there are going to be a lot of players signing much smaller deals due to the cap.

 

The last time we signed a 6'5 32-year-old future HOF DE/DT...it worked out alright.

[LouisEly]

Nothing is likely to happen until there is more certainty around the 2021 cap number. My guess (and it is nothing more than a guess) is that the NFL spreads out the cap hit over several years and make 2021 a soft cap number with gradual financial penalties but no forfeiture of draft picks for going over the cap.

 

If they want to acquire Watt, the likely scenario is that they convert his 2021 salary to a signing bonus and extend him at least two more years with the plan of Zadarius Smith (and Dean Lowry) being a cap casualty prior to the 2022 season. It is unlikely that they can keep all of Rodgers, Bakh, Adams, Clark, Z. Smith, and Watt with a possible drop in the 2022 cap number.

 

A soft cap for 2021 would be a dream scenario for the Packers, given that they had $385M in cash reserves prior to the 2020 season. They could front-load contracts and acquire Watt (and extend him a few years) with just a financial penalty and ease the 2022 cap crunch.

[SomewhereInTime]

Nothing is likely to happen until there is more certainty around the 2021 cap number. My guess (and it is nothing more than a guess) is that the NFL spreads out the cap hit over several years and make 2021 a soft cap number with gradual financial penalties but no forfeiture of draft picks for going over the cap.

 

If they want to acquire Watt, the likely scenario is that they convert his 2021 salary to a signing bonus and extend him at least two more years with the plan of Zadarius Smith (and Dean Lowry) being a cap casualty prior to the 2022 season. It is unlikely that they can keep all of Rodgers, Bakh, Adams, Clark, Z. Smith, and Watt with a possible drop in the 2022 cap number.

 

A soft cap for 2021 would be a dream scenario for the Packers, given that they had $385M in cash reserves prior to the 2020 season. They could front-load contracts and acquire Watt (and extend him a few years) with just a financial penalty and ease the 2022 cap crunch.

 

Last time they won the Super Bowl was in a season with no hard cap. I'd bet on them big time for next year if that dream scenario came to be.

[adambr2]

The Packers winning the Super Bowl in an uncapped season was totally circumstantial, though. It wasn't like they went on a big spending spree or did anything differently at all for that season.

[HiAndTight]

Nothing is likely to happen until there is more certainty around the 2021 cap number. My guess (and it is nothing more than a guess) is that the NFL spreads out the cap hit over several years and make 2021 a soft cap number with gradual financial penalties but no forfeiture of draft picks for going over the cap.

 

If they want to acquire Watt, the likely scenario is that they convert his 2021 salary to a signing bonus and extend him at least two more years with the plan of Zadarius Smith (and Dean Lowry) being a cap casualty prior to the 2022 season. It is unlikely that they can keep all of Rodgers, Bakh, Adams, Clark, Z. Smith, and Watt with a possible drop in the 2022 cap number.

 

A soft cap for 2021 would be a dream scenario for the Packers, given that they had $385M in cash reserves prior to the 2020 season. They could front-load contracts and acquire Watt (and extend him a few years) with just a financial penalty and ease the 2022 cap crunch.

 

 

Something like this definitely makes the most sense. They've already added a playoff spot. I'd expect the NFL to use the 17 game or 18 game schedule to use to negotiate a cap that doesn't destroy contracts for vets.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/nfl-salary-cap-might-not-crash-after-all

 

It's amazing there was speculation the cap could hit 245 and then possibly hit 300 by 2022 just a year ago.

 

But owners are almost certainly going to want something significant in return.

[wildcat83]

Saw a report that the Packers will interview Jim Leonhard for their D coordinator position. If the Badgers are going to lose him, I guess going to the Packers would make the blow a little softer as a WI fan.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Saw a report that the Packers will interview Jim Leonhard for their D coordinator position. If the Badgers are going to lose him, I guess going to the Packers would make the blow a little softer as a WI fan.

 

Exactly. Badgers are eventually going to lose him, likely sooner rather than later. If he doesn't leave for an NFL job, he's going to get college HC opportunities.

 

He's getting the most traction it seems on social media, but I wonder how much of that is his bonafides versus the casual fan "OMG former Badger Wisconsin native" factor. He has has legit good defenses the last several years in Madison, so if they determine that he's a good fit with the coaching staff, why not?

 

Losing him as the Badgers DC isn't going to bother me. They have a good group coming back, and should still be a very solid defense.

[PeaveyFury]

The Badgers have really been able to 'plug and play' d-coordinators dating back to Dave Aranda. I'm confident they'll be able to backfill that position with a quality replacement.

[madbad2000]

The Badgers have really been able to 'plug and play' d-coordinators dating back to Dave Aranda. I'm confident they'll be able to backfill that position with a quality replacement.

 

It helps that the D Coordinators that come through Madison have had talent, success and when they leave they tend get a promotion which makes it a very attractive job. I'd hate to lose Leonard though.

[HiAndTight]

The Badgers have really been able to 'plug and play' d-coordinators dating back to Dave Aranda. I'm confident they'll be able to backfill that position with a quality replacement.

 

 

They've been pretty impressive coaches though. Wilcox and now Leonhard(I don't know if I'm missing anyone, but I don't recall any others).

 

Cal hired Wilcox to be their HC and Leonhard's been talked about as a future HC for a while now.

[Mr Southpaw]

Jim likes Madison and UW a whole heck of a lot. The Packers may be Wisconsin's team, but i think his heart is with UW foootball.

[PeaveyFury]

Jim likes Madison and UW a whole heck of a lot. The Packers may be Wisconsin's team, but i think his heart is with UW foootball.

 

Do we really know that as a fact? Weren't there substantiated rumors that he was a legit candidate to be DC at Florida State or something like that a couple of years ago?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Jim likes Madison and UW a whole heck of a lot. The Packers may be Wisconsin's team, but i think his heart is with UW foootball.

 

Mike Pettine's salary is somewhere in the ballpark of $1 million more than Jim Leonard. He'd have to really love them.

[JosephC]

The word around Madison is that Leonhard's goal is to be a head coach. And that's pretty much at any "level" in Division 1-A football or up. It's very likely that he would leave his spot at Wisconsin to take a head coaching job at Bowling Green and then try and work his way up the ranks. It's thought that he would be unlikely to take any other college defensive coordinator position. He did interview for the Florida State defensive coordinator job but speculation was that it was just for show to cement his coaching credentials in the national spotlight. However, there hasn't been much talk about what he would do if offered an NFL defensive coordinator job. But ultimately, any decision he makes will probably be centered around his advancement towards a head coaching position. Either way, I don't think he's going to be in Wisconsin for that much longer since that head coaching position probably happens within the next couple of years.

[PeaveyFury]

A DC position in Green Bay is a logical step if you want to either land a high-profile college HC job, or with NFL success, become a 'hot' candidate for an NFL gig. If GB wants him, his ties to the Wisconsin program aren't strong enough to keep him there, IMO.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I don't think ties to UW will get him the HC job he wants in college either. He would likely get poached to be HC at Central Michigan or something and have to wait to go back to the Big 10. If he goes to GB and their defense performs, that is a bee line to a HC job in the NFL or a higher level NCAA job.

 

I can't see a scenario where he passes on the NFL to be a DC at UW. I guess it's possible.

[pacopete4]

I'm sure he does have a great love for UW but you also sometimes have to branch out to move up in the world and also, money talks. He seems like a great fit for the Packers and that's not because I'm a Badgers fan. He plays an aggressive style of defense and seems to get the most from his players. That is something we can't say about the Packer's defensive coaches of late.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I couldn't care less about the Badgers and I think he's a good fit. He's young, fresh, and a Pettine disciple, which will be used against him by some, but I think it helps ease the transition. The scheme itself is not so bad that it needs to be blown to pieces. There are just some weird tendencies that need to be addressed, and yes, some terrible calls that were made.

 

I also don't think being a 'disciple' means you have nothing to offer that the last guy didn't.

[HiAndTight]

I don't think ties to UW will get him the HC job he wants in college either. He would likely get poached to be HC at Central Michigan or something and have to wait to go back to the Big 10. If he goes to GB and their defense performs, that is a bee line to a HC job in the NFL or a higher level NCAA job.

 

I can't see a scenario where he passes on the NFL to be a DC at UW. I guess it's possible.

I could see him getting a pretty good job as a D-1 Coach. Again, look at the last two Badgers DC's. Aranda is at Baylor and Wilcox is the HC at Cali.

 

Aranda did go to LSU in between whereas Wilcox jumped straight to an Head Coacing job, but Aranda was also paid 10 million guaranteed over 4 years...which is at least twice what an average NFL DC makes.

I don't know if he's got the same name recognition or not among other Colleges, but feels like he probably should. He was a 13-year vet in the NFL, and UW's defenses certainly haven't seen any dip under him.

 

So I could see him getting a pretty good D-1 Job if he wanted to wait for a shot at one. But I certainly agree, a lot more doors will open up if he takes over in Green Bay.

 

 

I'd prefer Ejiro Evero, Ryan Nielsen and then Grey after Leonhard given the little I know about them. The Saints apparently really like Nielsen and blocked him from becoming LSU's DC and he's really developed pretty good DL's down there. Evero learned under Capers and coached the Rams secondary.

 

But that's just from reading their bio's. I've seen Leonhard's defenses. They play smart, they play hard, and even when they're overmatched, he puts guys in the best possible position to succeed. It also seems like he likes using that hybrid Safety/MLB'er. That's a position I'd definitely like to see the Packers incorporate...but they've gotta actually hit on someone first. They've certainly tried. Josh Jones, Sean Richardson, Raven Greene...etc...

But Vernon Scott looks like he could be that guy. And between Leonhard and Grey, it feels like he'd undoubtedly get pretty good coaching, and hopefully, he can continue to develop. He's got the size, 6'2 205, the speed, 4.4's according to the Packers, and he looked physical enough in limited action this year. Plus, you can always hope Raven Greene comes back and figures it out.

[pacopete4]

I think if you're given the choice, you go NFL d-coordinator over college head coach. Not saying that some guys don't jump from college to the pros but it never seems like a great transition.

[HiAndTight]

I couldn't care less about the Badgers and I think he's a good fit. He's young, fresh, and a Pettine disciple, which will be used against him by some, but I think it helps ease the transition. The scheme itself is not so bad that it needs to be blown to pieces. There are just some weird tendencies that need to be addressed, and yes, some terrible calls that were made.

 

I also don't think being a 'disciple' means you have nothing to offer that the last guy didn't.

 

 

I agree. He's talked about his connection to Pettine. Pettine did come from a great group of defensive coaches. But he's also got ties to Grey who was the DC when he was just starting out in the NFL, he coached under Aranda who was an incredible DC and now he's run his own Defense for 4 years.

 

I will admit, I didn't know that schools like Alabama, Georgia, FSU, and Texas A&M had been interested in varying degrees in him, but it's not like he'd be moving from near home to the South. He'd be moving from Madison to GB. He was born in Ladysmith and grew up a Packers fan.

 

Pettine just wasn't good. Every blue moon he'd throw something at offenses that were unexpected, like a corner blitz on the goalline that got Jaire his safety, but for the most part, it was pretty standard. 3rd and 7 or more, softcover 2/3, up by two scores, you're rushing 3 or 4, you're almost never trying to put them away. And I thought he actually had a pretty good game plan against Tampa, but then he goes and blows it on the Cover 1 at the end of the half.

[HiAndTight]

I think if you're given the choice, you go NFL d-coordinator over college head coach. Not saying that some guys don't jump from college to the pros but it never seems like a great transition.

 

I would think for a 38-year-old guy like Leonhard, that would be the obvious choice. If he comes in..and with all the young talent we've got, let's say Jaire keeps playing at the level he played at this year(hard to expect him to take yet another step, I think he's pretty much at his ceiling), Gary takes the next step, Savage improves, along with Keke.

Then the more established guys like Amos, Clark, Z, all maintain the Pro-Bowl caliber of play they've played at or near, it's easy to see this unit with just a couple tweaks becoming a top 5 defense.

 

That's a pretty damn good core. And it's not counting Preston Smith who may or may not be back. Though I'd like to see him back as I think he played really well the last 5 games or so and I thinkhis struggles were at least in part due to Pettine's use of him. He'd likely have to agree to a pay cut. Maybe 12 million this year. You're paying him 8 anyway, and whatever the cap is, Agents have already been talking about how it's going to be real bad for the guys in the middle. 'The only guys getting paid market value will be the elite guys, the real studs,' I saw one agent say. So that could be a good compromise.

 

And hopefully, we either add someone like Watt(which is a bit unlikely) or even Hicks if the Bears do end up and cut him(he's just a step behind Watt at this point IMO), just someone who you can count on to play the 3 technique and free up Clark and really give Keke a chance to do some damage, or we can find a way to improve on the backend.

 

 

Either way, he could be a very hot name for Head Coaching Jobs at the NFL or College level in the very near future. If he stays at Wisconsin, he's likely more limited to a HC job in College and more likely at a school like Indiana, or maybe even a Directional School in the Midwest...which I'm skeptical he'd take.