2012 Ask Jeff Risdon a Question

[Bucksfans1and2]

Here's my next round of questions for you Jeff:

1. Are you familiar with Patt Kirwan's Take your eye off the ball book, and should I force people who've never played to read it? I thought it did a very good job explaining the basics as well as adding some impressive insight into modern NFL coaching. Did you read it, do you know Kirwan, I know he was a personnel guy for some time, and what's your take on it?

2. What don't you like about Barkley? Is it just the "jack of all trades, master of none deal?" Is it the USC QB thing?? Too much talent at WR??

The only issue I had with him was that if he saw a guy on the third level, he wasn't looking at the second level defender. He had a few INTs where the LB just jumped up and grabbed it before it even got to the top of the arc. The other one was the inconsistent decision making. It wasn't even really bad decision making, he would make a hundred good safe throws in a row, and then he'd put one right into the hands of a defender. Almost the opposite of McNabb, if it wasn't perfect it was going the other way.

3a. Are the Packers going to make efforts to improve their run game?? It gets embarrassing when teams line up in their nickel against 21 personnel.

3b. I've come to accept that Finley is a worse blocker than Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver. Does that hurt our run game as much as I imagine it does??

3c. Has Driver played his last game in a Packer uniform?

3d. Where does Kuhn rank among FBs overall and in terms of blocking??

4. In your opinion, who was the MVP this year and who was the worst starter in the league??

Rodgers won MVP at our lunch table (not surprising given we're in Wisconsin) but the finalists for worst starter were Erik Walden, Barry Richardson, Mark Colombo, and Justin King. One of those four or somebody else??

5. Is Capers on the hot seat heading into next year? Packer fans would've defended him to the death last year, this year we're torn between, "he's total and complete trash" and "he had a bad year but he didn't get a lot of help either"

6. Any FAs that are going to be extremely over/under paid this offseason??

7. What do you think about Pro Football Focus? I might have asked this last year, but I don't remember.

8. Any thoughts of Jerry Hughes in a 3-4?? Is he a bust or are the Colts just using him wrong??

9. What's the status of Peyton Manning's contract??

According to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, Manning would be eligible for termination pay of $1 million in 2012 and $500,000 in 2010 if his recent neck surgery precludes him from playing again. The contract reportedly includes a $28 million non-guaranteed option and a separate $28 million non-exercise fee if the Colts elect not to pick up the previous option.

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/20 ... -cant-play.

Does that essentially mean that the Colts pay Peyton 28 million to go away?? Does that count against the cap??

10. Is there a single RB that can block in this draft?? Starks is terrible, Saine is trash, Green is a question mark and Grant is hopefully gone, so that may be a need for the Packers? Could Alex Green block in college? reports differ and I didn't watch a single Hawaii game.

11. What do the Wisconsin guys project for next year?? Specifically Ricky Wagner and Travis Fredricks? Assuage my fears that Brady Ewing isn't a Packer this year.

12. Hebron Fangupo, NT from BYU. Have you watched him and what do you think??

13. Nicks, Brees, and Colston all are FAs. Brees will get locked up, but who do the Saints choose between the other two, or can they afford neither??

That'll do for now.

[Icness]

1. Are you familiar with Patt Kirwan's Take your eye off the ball book, and should I force people who've never played to read it? I thought it did a very good job explaining the basics as well as adding some impressive insight into modern NFL coaching. Did you read it, do you know Kirwan, I know he was a personnel guy for some time, and what's your take on it?

I love Pat Kirwan, I try to listen to his Sirius show whenever I can (about 2 hours a week is all I get unfortunately) and I spent about an hour with him last week. We share a mutual friend that has been responsible for most of my NFL experience. Kirwan is the best person out there explaining the rationale and reality behind decisions teams make. He is so incredibly connected too; cadres of coaches and front office people just stream up to him and share stuff, it's pretty awesome. He and Gil Brandt know more about the front office mechanics of football and why things happen than anyone else.

The book is very good for those who are trying to learn more about the game. I found it a little simplistic for anyone inside the game but I think it's great for people who haven't played or coached. My wife loved it.

[Icness]

2. What don't you like about Barkley? Is it just the "jack of all trades, master of none deal?" Is it the USC QB thing?? Too much talent at WR??

The only issue I had with him was that if he saw a guy on the third level, he wasn't looking at the second level defender. He had a few INTs where the LB just jumped up and grabbed it before it even got to the top of the arc. The other one was the inconsistent decision making. It wasn't even really bad decision making, he would make a hundred good safe throws in a row, and then he'd put one right into the hands of a defender. Almost the opposite of McNabb, if it wasn't perfect it was going the other way.

Mechanically I think he needs work. He is an arm thrower more than a shoulder thrower, which stresses the elbow and hurts downfield velocity. He has improved in that regard but when he's panicked he regresses. I think his arm strength is average, which isn't a deal killer if the accuracy is great. His accuracy is not great, not all the time. Makes his receivers work for it too much, sort of the difference between Aaron Rodgers throwing and Joe Flacco throwing. Plus I found him a little too "Golden Boy" heading into last year but he has changed my opinion there. I want another year of progress and he can be the #1 in 2013.

[Icness]

3a. Are the Packers going to make efforts to improve their run game?? It gets embarrassing when teams line up in their nickel against 21 personnel.

It will require more resources than they have. Getting Josh Sitton healthy will certainly help, but very few linemen ever recover fully from back problems. Bulaga is nothing special, Lang is worse than that, Wells is not powerful enough to clear space inside. James Starks has poor vision; how many times does he need to run into the back of his blockers before he picks his head up?! Ryan Grant in attack mode is a solid back but he forgets to be that guy too frequently.

They need at least one road-grating interior lineman, a power back with vision, and better resolve to run. It's hard to balance that because the passing game can be so lethal, but they have to try better.

3b. I've come to accept that Finley is a worse blocker than Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver. Does that hurt our run game as much as I imagine it does??

It hurts but it's not a killer. Jason Witten is a terrible blocker but the Cowboys can still run with him flexed out. Aaron Hernandez is like that too. Finley doesn't lack effort but he just doesn't bend very well to stay with the smaller DBs. An alternate solution: have him cut block more. K2 and Shiancoe (among others) have the same basic problem and they cut block more to compenstae. Not sure I've ever seen Finley intentionally cut someone.

3c. Has Driver played his last game in a Packer uniform?

I hope not. They need his leadership and he can still get open in the intermediate and he'll actually catch the damn ball. I can't see him playing anywhere else and he's in good enough shape to keep playing.

3d. Where does Kuhn rank among FBs overall and in terms of blocking??

My top 3:
1. Vonta Leach, and it's not close
2. Greg Jones
3. Lawrence Vickers

after that it's pretty indistinguishable to me. He's better than Jacob Hester and Brian Leonard. The Giants and Texans each have two that are better than Kuhn. Great blocking fullbacks are pretty rare. Kuhn is a better runner than most of them but some of that is because the Packers inexplicably let him get more carries than almost every other FB.

[Icness]

4. In your opinion, who was the MVP this year and who was the worst starter in the league??

Rodgers won MVP at our lunch table (not surprising given we're in Wisconsin) but the finalists for worst starter were Erik Walden, Barry Richardson, Mark Colombo, and Justin King. One of those four or somebody else??

MVP was Rodgers.

Barry Richardson is a strong choice for worst starter. Casey Matthews had it sewn up before Philly benched him. Amari Speivey threw his name in the hat late. Mohammad Massaquoi takes it for worst skill position player. Justin King wasn't pretty but to be fair to him he was the Rams' 5th CB. Kareem Jackson was just as bad as him.

Late thought: Brandon Meriweather, but he got benched, released, then benched again in with his new team.

[Icness]

5. Is Capers on the hot seat heading into next year? Packer fans would've defended him to the death last year, this year we're torn between, "he's total and complete trash" and "he had a bad year but he didn't get a lot of help either"

If the defense is even close to as bad next year as this year, he is in trouble. He has earned one bad year, not two. Capers has always had a limited shelf life wherever he's been because he does get predictable. I lean towards the latter of your theorems.

[Icness]

6. Any FAs that are going to be extremely over/under paid this offseason??

Matt Flynn. Desean Jackson. I suspect someone will overpay for Pierre Garcon. If Nick Hardwick leaves SD it's because someone is overpaying him. Same with Laron Landry and Washington.

Hard to predict the underpaid guys. Jeremy Mincey is a lot better than most people think, he could fit that bill. I thought Reggie Nelson played well under the radar.

7. What do you think about Pro Football Focus? I might have asked this last year, but I don't remember.

I'm not familiar with it at all.

8. Any thoughts of Jerry Hughes in a 3-4?? Is he a bust or are the Colts just using him wrong??

He was the 2nd easiest choice ever for my annual Boom/Bust column, outside of Aaron Maybin. He's a speed rusher without a good first step and he has no upper body strength to get off a block.

More tomorrow...

[Bucksfans1and2]

Thanks Jeff

[TheOUTLAW]

I wonder why you have the Browns taking safeties in the first and second rounds especially since WLB is a bigger need and Zach Brown is available.

[Icness]

I wonder why you have the Browns taking safeties in the first and second rounds especially since WLB is a bigger need and Zach Brown is available.

I always aim more for player/slot than team/player, esp. after the first round. When teams do these hypothetical drafts they often eliminate the team part of the equation and just go player/slot and that's how I was taught. I happen to know that's what Mike Holmgren does too

Plus there is a growing trend towards playing 3 safeties as the nickel package as more teams use flexed out athletic TEs and Iloka is the best safety in this draft in that capacity. I don't see Mike Adams or Usama Young back in CLE next year, and Eric Hagg is a special teams guy.

[Flaming Mo]

4. In your opinion, who was the MVP this year and who was the worst starter in the league??

Rodgers won MVP at our lunch table (not surprising given we're in Wisconsin) but the finalists for worst starter were Erik Walden, Barry Richardson, Mark Colombo, and Justin King. One of those four or somebody else??

MVP was Rodgers.

Barry Richardson is a strong choice for worst starter. Casey Matthews had it sewn up before Philly benched him. Amari Speivey threw his name in the hat late. Mohammad Massaquoi takes it for worst skill position player. Justin King wasn't pretty but to be fair to him he was the Rams' 5th CB. Kareem Jackson was just as bad as him.

Late thought: Brandon Meriweather, but he got benched, released, then benched again in with his new team.

How can any list talking about the worst starters not include Eric Smith from the Jets?! It got that bad that you could pick a random football site on the internet and read a joke involving Smith's speed and the writer's grandma... he is HORRIBLE...

[Icness]

9. What's the status of Peyton Manning's contract??

According to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, Manning would be eligible for termination pay of $1 million in 2012 and $500,000 in 2010 if his recent neck surgery precludes him from playing again. The contract reportedly includes a $28 million non-guaranteed option and a separate $28 million non-exercise fee if the Colts elect not to pick up the previous option.


http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/20 ... -cant-play.

Does that essentially mean that the Colts pay Peyton 28 million to go away?? Does that count against the cap??

They have the option to pick up the $28M but if they don't then they owe him the $1.5M termination pay. I'm not sure I follow the last part of Lombardi's report, the non-exercise fee, but it would seem that is in play only if they elect to bring him back after not picking up the option, i.e. it's insurance against them weaseling out of paying him $28M and subsequently working a new deal in Indy. So if he is going to play for the Colts, he will get his $28M one way or the other.

The termination pay is a cap hit. As would be either of the $28M pays.

[Icness]

10. Is there a single RB that can block in this draft?? Starks is terrible, Saine is trash, Green is a question mark and Grant is hopefully gone, so that may be a need for the Packers? Could Alex Green block in college? reports differ and I didn't watch a single Hawaii game.

Green was not asked to block much in college but pass protect was not his strong suit.

Isaiah Pead was excellent in the blocking drills in Mobile despite being the smallest RB on the North. Cyrus Gray from TAMU is a very good blocker and comes from an NFL-style offense. Adonis Thomas from Toledo is good at it. Lennon Creer from LaTech has some aptitude there and would be a Starks replacement, same kind of runner.

11. What do the Wisconsin guys project for next year?? Specifically Ricky Wagner and Travis Fredricks? Assuage my fears that Brady Ewing isn't a Packer this year.

I don't see the Packers taking Ewing. I think they have realized the folly of keeping 2 FBs and 4 TEs in lieu of better depth on the DL and safety.

Wagner is probably the top RT prospect heading into next year and his ability to play either guard spot helps him. Probably in the 30-50 overall range depending on how he plays. If he plays LT and thrives he could get higher.

Frederick is tough to project. Isn't he a rising junior? Great interior run blocker, needs to work on staying lower and lither in pass protect.

[Icness]

12. Hebron Fangupo, NT from BYU. Have you watched him and what do you think??

He's one big hombre, like 335 pounds. Played 3-4 DE most of the time and they asked him to soak up double teams a lot and let the OLBs make plays. He consistently wins his battle and holds the line but he doesn't offer much in the way of making plays. Incredibly strong both upper and lower body. If he gets to the Combine he is a good bet to put up the most bench reps. He's an overaged USC transfer and I think he goes by Lonnie. 6th/7th rounder.

13. Nicks, Brees, and Colston all are FAs. Brees will get locked up, but who do the Saints choose between the other two, or can they afford neither??

That'll do for now

.

Brees will obviously be back. They essentially have to choose between Colston and Robert Meacham, also a FA. Colston is better, Meacham is more affordable. Nicks will probably price himself out of NO; he's going to get a deal better than what Jahri Evans got (7yrs/$57M) got and the Saints cannot afford that without releasing a lot of people. They also need to pay Tracy Porter and Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who was their best LB last year. If Brees gets the expected 5yr/$100M and Colston gets 4yr/$45M (my guess), the Saints would have about $2M under the cap as they sit today. That might keep Porter. A lot depends on how they structure Brees' deal. If they backload it they will have a lot more $$ to work with.

One of the consequences is that both Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers will be cap casualties, and either one of those guys would be great in Green Bay and won't break the bank. My man crush on Shaun Rogers persists.

[Bucksfans1and2]

Random Question: If you were designing a team, what sort of team are you looking to have?

Franchise QB is obvious, but what about the O-line and RBs, possession WRs or speed guys or a mix? TEs, New Age Jimmy Graham or old school guy who's a solid in line blocker as well as a receiver?

3-4 or 4-3, money in the front 7, back 7, pass rushers, run stuffers? Press man, off man, zone? Big Corners, shifty corners, etc. etc.

What's your ideal team look like?

[JustBlaze]

Nicks will probably price himself out of NO; he's going to get a deal better than what Jahri Evans got (7yrs/$57M) got and the Saints cannot afford that without releasing a lot of people.

Who do you think will be the biggest players for Nicks if he hits the FA market?? Or what about Colston if they don't resign him? 49ers would have to make a play for him right?

[Bucksfans1and2]

How does Zach Brown's abortion of a bowl game effect his stock? Is he still a first rounder.

[Icness]

Nicks will probably price himself out of NO; he's going to get a deal better than what Jahri Evans got (7yrs/$57M) got and the Saints cannot afford that without releasing a lot of people.

Who do you think will be the biggest players for Nicks if he hits the FA market?? Or what about Colston if they don't resign him? 49ers would have to make a play for him right?

The Bears would kill for Nicks but I don't think they'll have the cap room, same with Detroit and they definitely wo't have the cap room. St. Louis will, Arizona could, Tampa Bay could and he would be a signal that they are trying. I would personally love to see him snowplowing a path for MJD in JAX but we'll see how serious Mr. Khan is about spending to win. Can't rule out the Patriots, Jets, or Falcons either.

[Icness]

How does Zach Brown's abortion of a bowl game effect his stock? Is he still a first rounder.

Still a top 25 pick, no question. A couple years ago Patrick Robinson was a complete disgrace on the field (and in most of Senior Bowl practice week too) and still wound up going in the 1st. Brown was great in practices. He does have a couple of clunker games on his resume though, more risk involved than I wanted him to have as a strong advocate of taking him so high.

[SpeedyG]

Nicks will probably price himself out of NO; he's going to get a deal better than what Jahri Evans got (7yrs/$57M) got and the Saints cannot afford that without releasing a lot of people.

Who do you think will be the biggest players for Nicks if he hits the FA market?? Or what about Colston if they don't resign him? 49ers would have to make a play for him right?

The Bears would kill for Nicks but I don't think they'll have the cap room, same with Detroit and they definitely wo't have the cap room. St. Louis will, Arizona could, Tampa Bay could and he would be a signal that they are trying. I would personally love to see him snowplowing a path for MJD in JAX but we'll see how serious Mr. Khan is about spending to win. Can't rule out the Patriots, Jets, or Falcons either.

Can't imagine Jax going after Nix. While he's a Pro-bowl caliber guy, the Jaguars have better needs than G, where Uche was the most consistent OL, and Will Rackley is still young and developing.

Nix would be a tremendous luxury for a team that had a leading rusher avg 4.7 ypc despite facing 8 in the box consistently, a small-school LG with no TC and injuries to its top two RTs.

I'm hoping for Mario Williams as "proof" of Khan's willingness to spend, as much of a pipe dream that may be honestly. If the Jags do look at OL, Center is probably a better case, where solid but aging Brad Meester is penciled in.