Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
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Jim from McLean, VA
Hope springs eternal for teams league-wide this time of year. I'm totally on board with "Optimism without expectations," but what two or three things to you show most that this is not false hope for the Packers in 2019?
In a nutshell, an all-time great at QB, an elite receiver, an All-Pro left tackle, and a defense infused with new talent that still improved last year despite a rash of injuries.
Elliot from Minneapolis, MN
Will this be our most athletic defense since you started with the Packers? If not what team compares?
We’ve spoken plenty in this space about the ’10 and ’14 defenses, so I take nothing away from those units. Different system, but the ’07 defense was no slouch either, with Kampman and KGB on the edges, Corey Williams a dynamic interior rusher, Barnett and Hawk active linebackers, and Woodson, Harris and Collins leading a solid secondary.
Mike from Mount Prospect, IL
Gentlemen, can you recall a time that while watching a regular-season game your mind flipped back to something you saw during training camp? Does camp help build your football IQ so you can better connect the dots?
I won’t speak for Wes, but it doesn’t work that way for me. I don’t focus on scheme or X’s and O’s as much as individual players. In camp and the preseason, I like to get a feel for players who belong, as much as my amateur eyes can determine. Then once the real games start, my mindset changes from belonging to making a difference when it counts.
Benjamin from Evergreen Park, IL
My sons play HS football and everything is spread-offense shotgun, read option. No blocking sleds, bigger players are less featured and the smaller players in space seem to attract more attention. Are we seeing a watering down of the sport?
I’d call it an evolution, but call it what you want. We’re seeing more and more at this level how the big guys better be really, really athletic or it’s hard to find a place for them outside of substitution-specific roles. It may be a while yet before the NFL becomes basketball on grass, but it’s probably just a question of when, not if.
Drew from Croton-on-Hudson, NY
I saw J.J. Watt started training camp on the PUP list. Does he need to be active to ride a bike when the Texans come to town?
Watt is off PUP and on Houston’s active roster now, as is receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Paul from Bay View, WI
When the Texans come to practice with the Packers, are practices set up to have Pettine's defense figure out the Texans’ offense and vice-versa? Or is it more just competition between what players will make the final roster? I can't imagine we will be tipping our hand too much on our scheme and they won't be either. So I'm just trying to get a feel for how they use these practices to each of their advantage.
It’s more about competition for players than about scheme. They won’t be worried about divulging scheme because they don’t play one another this year, but the players will know less about the opposing scheme and therefore will be tested snap-to-snap much more like a preseason game.
Dani from Richmond, VA
Always love watching the bike tradition play out every year, but I have to admit that I've been getting a special kick out of this year with Jaire Alexander's pack of 23-clad kids and Gerhard de Beer carrying them on his shoulders. And J.J. Watt hasn't even arrived yet! Have there been any other takes on the tradition in the past that stick out in your mind?
In his later years, I remember Donald Driver would occasionally choose a rather strange or unique bike – something noticeably huge or impossibly tiny, for example – and find a way to make the ride work, one way or another.
Ken from Campbell River, British Columbia
To me this is the most depth we have had in years. Is there a position you see that could still use more depth?
There will be once injuries hit. I’m not being a negative Nellie, just a realist. Two joint practices and four preseason games will inevitably impact depth somewhere.
Mike from Somerset, WI
II, what is the thought being the Packers having larger-built edge players than previous with Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Za'Darius Smith? What are the tradeoffs vs. smaller body types?
Size can set the edge better against the run, and length can help separate from offensive tackles as well as get hands up into passing lanes. You risk losing some speed coming around the outside in obvious passing situations, but there’s nothing slow about Gary, and Z. Smith will most likely be rushing from the inside on third downs.
Gary from Sheboygan, WI
With all the talk about wanting the D-line bigger, does three inches and 20 pounds really make a difference?
You’re joking, right?