Packers 2020 Offseason Thread - Packers Talking Extension with Aaron Jones

[neiLz]

Twitter saying Packers interested in hooper, schobert, Littleton. Would love hooper and one of the lbs. Then go bpa (hopefully wr or if Murray falls).

[Frank Nova]

I hope the rumors are true we are making Littleton FA priority #1. Murray and Queen will both be gone by 30 in all likely hood and missing out on the top LB(s) in FA and the draft will be catastrophic.

Maybe 1 of Jeudy or Lamb falls to 30 now with Ruggs running his blazing 40. Probably not but there’s a chance I suppose. And I think Brandon Aiyuk is the best WR no one is talking about. Just my opinion but that dude is a yac machine in the making. Really starting to love the idea of Aiyuk at 30 if Lamb, Jeudy and Ruggs are all gone.

Link?

The only "rumors" I've seen is the Packers are prioritizing Hooper and plan on working on Jones deal



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Sports Illustrated tweeted it. Idk how to post that and I’m not on Twitter I saw in on the packers page on bleacher report app. I’m sure you can find it.

And speaking of B/R, their new mock today has us taking Aiyuk at 30. That’ll be a dream pick. He’ll be Randall Cobb on steroids out of the slot with DA and Lazard our wide. That’s a real nice start to next season with our 1st pick. Aiyuk can line up everywhere, too. He’s my WR4 assuming my top 3 go, I’d take Aiyuk over Higgins.

[Wisky4life]

All 3 would be amazing. Would cost a lot though.

Twitter saying Packers interested in hooper, schobert, Littleton. Would love hooper and one of the lbs. Then go bpa (hopefully wr or if Murray falls).

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[MikeIsGood]

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/packers-prioritize-littleton

[Frank Nova]

https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/packers-prioritize-littleton

My man

[Matches Malone]

I'm okay with Littleton but does he help our run defense? I've heard conflicting reports that he's not so great in that category but makes up for it in pass coverage. If only Oren Burks started to show signs of improvement, he could have been our coverage LB.

How much cap space do we have? Seems like outside of Crosby, we're going to let everyone else walk (outside of exlusive rights FA's). Wouldn't mind another year of Tramon and Ervin.

[Treebeard]

I wonder which focus is mostly smoke screen and which is real? I does seem that Gute is getting the hang of this mis-direction gamesmanship to some extent.

[MoMM]

What about Nick Kwiatkoski? A cheaper option, so we have more money for the other positions...

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/29/green-bay-packers-reportedly-pursuing-chicago-bears-linebacker-nick-kwiatkoski-in-free-agency/

[MoMM]

I'm okay with Littleton but does he help our run defense? I've heard conflicting reports that he's not so great in that category but makes up for it in pass coverage. If only Oren Burks started to show signs of improvement, he could have been our coverage LB.

How much cap space do we have? Seems like outside of Crosby, we're going to let everyone else walk (outside of exlusive rights FA's). Wouldn't mind another year of Tramon and Ervin.

We should bring Ervin back, it's good to have someone reliable in that position.

What about Veldheer? Wouldn't mind either if the price is right.

[Treebeard]

Dougherty's take in the MJS on the ILB situation: https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/dougherty/2020/03/03/green-bay-packers-nfl-has-changed-and-approach-inside-linebacker-must-change/4930596002/

Dougherty: NFL has changed, and Packers’ approach to inside linebacker must change with it
Pete Dougherty, Packers NewsPublished 7:00 a.m. CT March 3, 2020

GREEN BAY - Blake Martinez has been the second coming of A.J. Hawk at inside linebacker: Durable, reliable and a little too ordinary.

In the NFL you sometimes have to move on from a player and force yourself to get better, even though getting better isn’t guaranteed.

That’s where the Green Bay Packers are with Martinez.

The 3½-year starter is in line to hit the free-agent market in a couple of weeks, and signs suggest he’s going to do well for himself. One NFL scout I talked with last week guessed Martinez will get a deal that averages in the vicinity of $9 million a year. Good for him.

But the Packers shouldn’t consider paying that, or anything close, to retain Martinez. They need a more dynamic player in the middle of their defense to succeed in today’s NFL.

“The game has changed,” the scout said. “You have to be able to run and cover (at inside linebacker), change directions.”

Realistically, the best way for the Packers to find that kind of player is in the draft. The free-agent market is thin for top talent, which means it will be terribly overpriced.

According to PackersNews’ Tom Silverstein, the Packers were pricing out the inside linebacker market while at the NFL scouting combine last week.

The top inside linebackers in free agency are the Los Angeles Rams’ Cory Littleton and the Atlanta Falcons’ De’Vondre Campbell. Next probably are Cleveland’s Joe Schobert and Martinez.

Rather than investing big money in Martinez or anyone else at the top of a weak and overpriced market, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is better off signing a cheaper stopgap starter and drafting a more talented inside linebacker in the first two or three rounds.

There should be plenty of options for both.

In free agency, the player who jumps out is Chicago’s Nick Kwiatkoski, a backup who played almost half (47.4 percent) the Bears’ defensive snaps last year because of injuries to Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan. The 26-year-old Kwiatkoski finished the season with three sacks, one interception and four passes defended.

He’ll probably cost about half what Martinez and Schobert get.

As for the draft, it offers a good inside linebackers class that includes 10 players who helped their draft stock by running the 40 in less than 4.6 seconds at the NFL scouting combine Saturday night (Martinez, by contrast, ran 4.71). That doesn’t mean they’re all good players, but speed and agility are essential at that position in today’s game.

The Packers picking at No. 30 overall have no shot at the most coveted prospect, Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons (4.39 40), who is going to be a top-10 pick. Odds are they’ll also have to move up for Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray (4.52, 38-inch vertical) and LSU’s Patrick Queen (4.50, 35 inches), who are likely to go in the top 25 picks.

Another possible first-rounder is Wisconsin’s Zack Baun. He wasn’t one of the burners (4.65) but appears to be a likely first-round pick because of his all-around talent and instincts — he was a standout high school quarterback who proved to be a natural when he switched to defense in college. He was an effective edge rusher at UW (12½ sacks last season) but played off the ball linebacker, and some teams think he can play there full time in the NFL because of his feel for the game. He’ll probably get picked in the final third of the first round.

Among the next tier of prospects are Texas Tech’s Jordan Brooks, Temple’s Shaun Bradley, Wyoming’s Logan Wilson and Mississippi State’s Willie Gay Jr.

[neiLz]

I'm okay with Littleton but does he help our run defense? I've heard conflicting reports that he's not so great in that category but makes up for it in pass coverage. If only Oren Burks started to show signs of improvement, he could have been our coverage LB.

How much cap space do we have? Seems like outside of Crosby, we're going to let everyone else walk (outside of exlusive rights FA's). Wouldn't mind another year of Tramon and Ervin.

After mason crosby, pack at about 20 mil. Still have to cut Jimmy G and Lane Taylor - Can get to about 33 mil with those cuts. can also be c reative and work on kenny clarks extension which would free up some more space.

[Matches Malone]

I'm okay with Littleton but does he help our run defense? I've heard conflicting reports that he's not so great in that category but makes up for it in pass coverage. If only Oren Burks started to show signs of improvement, he could have been our coverage LB.

How much cap space do we have? Seems like outside of Crosby, we're going to let everyone else walk (outside of exlusive rights FA's). Wouldn't mind another year of Tramon and Ervin.

After mason crosby, pack at about 20 mil. Still have to cut Jimmy G and Lane Taylor - Can get to about 33 mil with those cuts. can also be c reative and work on kenny clarks extension which would free up some more space.

Nice. Thank you!

[Kerb Hohl]

I'm okay with Littleton but does he help our run defense? I've heard conflicting reports that he's not so great in that category but makes up for it in pass coverage. If only Oren Burks started to show signs of improvement, he could have been our coverage LB.

How much cap space do we have? Seems like outside of Crosby, we're going to let everyone else walk (outside of exlusive rights FA's). Wouldn't mind another year of Tramon and Ervin.

After mason crosby, pack at about 20 mil. Still have to cut Jimmy G and Lane Taylor - Can get to about 33 mil with those cuts. can also be c reative and work on kenny clarks extension which would free up some more space.

I don't think Clark's extension would free up more space unless they backloaded it, which is not generally how those are done.

I thought I saw tweets from one of the cap guys that if the Packers cut Graham and maybe Taylor, given draft pick cost there won't be much room beyond the choice of 2 of these: Clark extension, Bulaga, one external moderately high-price free agent.

[RRyder823]

So the Broncos effectively turned E Sanders and a 5th into Bouye and a 3rd...... Not bad

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[MickeyDavis]

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[MickeyDavis]

Shocking. "Play-maker" lol

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[crkone]

Shocking. "Play-maker" lol

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Play. Maker.

[Treebeard]

Shocking. "Play-maker" lol

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That Playmaker comment is just sad. It's a pity compliment.

[IrishRainbow]

One potential play maker. He has the potential to make one play. It's not wrong. Just pourly pfrased.

Or... hes talking NBA and Thon's impending availability?

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[humanrefutation]

Rapaport is legitimately one of my least favorite follows on Twitter. He breaks news because he's a mouthpiece for the league, but he seemingly knows next-to-nothing about football itself.