Tramon or House next year

[eagle13]

TRADE a CB now?

Green Bay — Chances are that Ted Thompson would never even consider trading a player from a Green Bay Packers' secondary overflowing with talent.

Well, he should.

With the NFL trade deadline arriving Tuesday at 3 p.m., as many as 11 teams are in dire need of a cornerback. Come Monday, Thompson no doubt will be taking calls from fellow general managers interested in discussing some of his players.

Knowing Thompson, he'll give the idea short shrift. In a decade, his only major player trades involved Javon Walker and Brett Favre, and in each case he just wanted them out of town.

Keeping the three most available cornerbacks — Davon House, Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde — right where they are through 2014 maintains the Packers' present chances to capture another Super Bowl.

The No. 1 mission for every head coach is to win now. Conversely, it's the responsibility of the GM to blend immediate objectives with the long-range health of the franchise.

If the Packers remain proactive, they can be championship contenders for as long as Aaron Rodgers remains their quarterback. Sustaining success should be as vital as any part of Thompson's job description.

To do so will at times require forward thinking and taking on a degree of risk. Almost always maintaining the status quo in the ever-changing world of the NFL is risky in itself.

Here's how the Packers' extraordinary collection of cornerbacks stacks up after seven games.

Sam Shields hasn't played quite up to his standards, but he's not going anywhere. The Packers regard Shields, 26, as an ascending player. Trading his recent four-year contract that averages $9.75 million also would blast their salary cap.

Tramon Williams might be 31 but remarkably hasn't lost any of his abundant speed, quickness or athleticism. On Thursday, position coach Joe Whitt said his performance level was equal to that of 2010, easily his greatest season.

Williams' contract, which averaged $8.25 million, expires in March. Barring injury, I would expect him to be re-signed for $4 million to $5 million per year. He is confident about being able to play four more good years.

House, 25, an often-injured tease for much of his first three seasons, is blossoming. His confidence, ability to play the ball and toughness has caught up to his ideal size and speed.

He's good enough to start, and most definitely wants to start. As it stands today, he'll depart in March as an unrestricted free agent with a contract averaging up to $6 million.

Hayward, also 25, is the consummate nickel back that Whitt contends will be a starter outside at some point in his career. After losing last season and some of August with hamstring woes, his star has never burned brighter than after the pair of picture-perfect interceptions the past two Sundays. He would become unrestricted in March 2016.

Hyde, only 23, has played 57% of the defensive snaps as both a safety and dime back. No matter if it's tackling, covering, blitzing or returning, he's resourceful and solid.

Rookie Demetri Goodson, 25, is the converted basketball player and sixth-round draft choice. He's extremely physical, athletic and fast enough. Until Goodson plays, however, the defensive staff won't know if he has overcome his tendency to reach and hold receivers.

Jarrett Bush, 30, remains the No. 1 special-teamer and No. 2 dime back. His contract is up in March as well.

For now, everybody's happy. With Shields out, House plays the entire game outside and Hayward plays about 75% as the nickel.

When Shields returns, either House or Hayward will return to the bench or, in some form of job-sharing, see their playing time substantially reduced.

Depending on a team's needs and system, either House or Hayward could be the more attractive prospect.

House's specialty is press-man coverage whereas Hayward's is zone. House hasn't played inside. Hayward played outside as a seven-game starter in 2012.

The Packers would have most of the leverage in trade talks. While it's true they do stand to lose House in March, it's not a cinch. Circumstances at every position on every team change weekly.

Because House and Hayward are excellent workers and high-caliber people, the Packers aren't trying to move either player. Suitors would have to come up with something to satisfy Thompson.

A personnel director for an NFL team said he considered Hayward as the more appealing player. He said the Packers figured to aim for the second-round pick they have invested in Hayward.

As a fourth-round selection, House might not fetch more than a conditional pick in the fourth round that would improve maybe to the third round based on criteria such as playing time and interceptions.

Hyde, a fifth-round choice, won't become unrestricted until March 2017. His 40-yard dash time of 4.57, compared with House's 4.41 and Hayward's 4.52, make him less marketable, but his versatility could interest a different cluster of teams.

The development of Sean Richardson and Chris Banjo's presence on the practice squad would amply protect Green Bay at backup safety if Hyde were dealt.

Thompson and Russ Ball, his top aide, closely guard their salary cap. They have to determine if, should there not be a starting job for House in 2015, would there be cap space for him at a position where Shields broke the bank and Williams will command a reduced but still fairly high number.

At the same time, the Packers will need to re-sign UFAs-to-be Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga, Williams and either B.J. Raji or Letroy Guion, if not both.

Mike Daniels will be looking at a big pay day before March 2016, too.

Indications are that the salary cap might rise by about $10 million per team next year.

In October 2012, the Packers elected not to trade Greg Jennings even though they had a glut of wide receivers and every expectation of losing him in free agency. A second-round draft choice in 2013 seemed likely compensation had they made the bold move.

Jennings moved to Minnesota and was adequately replaced. In turn, the Packers received third- and fifth-round compensatory choices in 2014 (departed Erik Walden factored into the equation).The highest compensatory pick ever awarded has been the 91st choice at the end of the third round.

As a rule, teams attempt to equalize value by adding a round to picks that aren't available until a year later.

If, for example, the Packers would land a third-round pick for House, it figures to be two rounds higher and 12 months sooner than what they'd receive in the arcane compensatory system.

As always, the Packers will be awarded an extra choice or two in March, this time for losing Evan Dietrich-Smith and James Jones. One might ask why they would need even more picks.

Assuming the Packers draft from 20 to 32 in the foreseeable future, their best hope to land an elite player is to trade up in the first round. Extra high picks provide that ammunition.

Beyond that, compensatory choices cannot be traded.

And, in the current economic system, draft choices are as good as gold, at least in the right hands.

I'm so impressed with the way House has been performing. He sure looks like a player.

As one scout once said of Hayward, "The ball always follows him." Only the hamstring has held him back.

Hyde has football intelligence, courage and feel.

If a cornerback was traded, the Packers would be required to find another and turn him over to Whitt, their masterful position coach.It wouldn't be long before another fresh face appears on the depth chart and is turned into a player by Whitt.

There are games to be won and hard choices to be made that will shape Green Bay squads in the future.

Those phone calls will be forthcoming to the GM with the best cornerback surplus in the league. He shouldn't dismiss them out of hand

[MickeyDavis]

IMHO I think Hayward is the best of the bunch

BTW the above article was written by McGinn, we need to link when we post full articles from JS

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 91362.html

[crkone]

I'd dump Hyde for sure. Worst coverage skills of the bunch and is currently being outplayed at Safety by HaHa. They need to keep House and Hayward though. They don't have a physical CB like House to match up on the bigger WRs elsewhere and Hayward is just fantastic.

[ugliestboy]

Interesting article but I vote trade none of them. We have a lot of depth in the secondary but just last year our safeties were terrible and got our defense killed over and over. This team is good enough to be in it and to win it at the end of the year. In the NFL you don't assume injuries are coming, you don't assume health.

[eagle13]

I prefer to keep our CB depth this year for SB run as we’ve had 2 DBs out the past 2+ games and we’ve been fortunate to have quality depth. Then in off-season if we can afford to - resign both Williams and House and trade Hyde – only if we get a 4th for him. We’d have give House the chance to start in order to sign him and then it would be up to him to play well enough to hold starting job. Use Hayward & Williams as nickel & dime. As for Hyde I don’t accept less than a 4th/ If no one offers 4th then I keep him as he’s a proven DB and worth more to us as a solid backup DB and punt returner than a 5th rd pick.

[eagle13]

There is one situation where I would trade a CB now but NOT for a draft pick. If a team had depth at ILB and had a talented young veteran ILB available and needed a CB I'd give them choice of House, Williams or Hyde.

[FAH1223]

Even though House is blossoming... its tough to let Tramon walk. Since mid season last year he's been terrific. He shows up every Sunday (only missed game was in 2008) and he hasn't lost a step yet at age 31.

[eagle13]

There is one situation where I would trade a CB now but NOT for a draft pick. If a team had depth at ILB and had a talented young veteran ILB available and needed a CB I'd give them choice of House, Williams or Hyde.

we all know its true
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 36312.html

I know trades are rare but I wish we had John Schneider working the phones trying to find a quality ILB to strengthen us for SB run. We could offer one of our CB FA’s to be House or Williams (or Hyde) and if the trade got us an ILB who is really good - e could add a pick up to a 5th – maybe 4th. With the cap space we have we could easily take on a big salary even if only giving out House’s small rookie contract. This could be the possible additional incentive for a cap tight team. Yeah yeah it doesn’t happen in the NFL – not b/c it can’t – its b/c these old school good ole boy GMs are not very smart, are afraid to try anything new, afraid to take a chance and just do it the way we’ve always done it. Oh where art thou John Schneider?

[ugliestboy]

I also think that TT and company also just don't value ILB very highly. Everyone knew it was a weakness last year and they didn't address it till Bradford and then tried him at OLB almost all offseason even though that's one of their deepest positions. I think the solution at ILB is either going to come in house (Barrington, Bradford, Lattimore improving) or they'll just continue to be content with that area as a weakness. I think they can get away with bad ILBs if the D-line continues to improve each week and our OLBs play like they did last week.

[WiscoKing13]

So we should really trade a CB, right. The older Mcginn gets the more bull **** he spews. Just the Packers were nuts from bringing Lyeria in(while he had not issue with Robinson or Jolly). Seriously this guy needs to STFU at times.

[raysbookclub]

Whatever House's trade value was took a hit tonight. Whatever contract he is hoping to get took a hit tonight too.

[Allanon23]

Whatever House's trade value was took a hit tonight. Whatever contract he is hoping to get took a hit tonight too.

Tramon was pretty bad last night as well.

[DanoMac]

Whatever House's trade value was took a hit tonight. Whatever contract he is hoping to get took a hit tonight too.

House allowed 6 catches for 77 yards. Williams allowed 6 catches for 102 yards and 2 TDs.

[humanrefutation]

The long TD to Cooks is just as much on Hyde, too. Williams was shading him outside expecting to receive support from his safety over the top. Hyde let Cooks run right by him.

[Ron Swanson]

Both guys have been playing well all year up until last night.

Yeah they got burned, but they were also playing on their heels all game because our front 7 made Mark Ingram look like Barry Sanders. That and they sorely missed Burnett's speed at safety (Hyde is just too slow to play center field). I just can't put too much stock in this one game.

We couldn't stop the run and couldn't pressure Brees. That's always a recipe for disaster no matter how good your secondary is...

[HKPackFan]

Both guys have been playing well all year up until last night.

Yeah they got burned, but they were also playing on their heels all game because our front 7 made Mark Ingram look like Barry Sanders. That and they sorely missed Burnett's speed at safety (Hyde is just too slow to play center field). I just can't put too much stock in this one game.

We couldn't stop the run and couldn't pressure Brees. That's always a recipe for disaster no matter how good your secondary is...

I agree, they were missing Burnett and Hyde was just plain bad in that spot. I also don't completely fault Tramon for that long throw, tramon was playing outside his help was inside and Hyde just watched cook fly right by him. That was Hyde's worst game.


I also don't like the article. Trading one of these guys for a draft pick doesn't sound very appealing AT ALL. Trading one of them for an ILB is intriguing but a draft pick? meh.

[El Duderino]

Both guys have been playing well all year up until last night.

Speaking of House, that pass interference against him on the bomb to Cook was ridiculous.

I can understand wanting to protect quarterbacks given their immense importance even though at times officials go overboard with some roughing the passer calls, but nothing in the NFL currently drives me nuts more than how often offenses get bailed out on long passes where a corner barely touches a receiver or the corner is actually more interfered with than the other way around, yet out comes the flag and the offense gets some say 25 to 50 yards free gain. I've noticed more and more that receivers have smartly picked up to grab the arm of a corner on deep routes knowing that if the corner fights back with his arm/hands, it often will draw a flag on the corner. That or stopping on an under-thrown bomb and we get the dreaded impeding PI call as if the corner is supposed to just get out of the way of the receiver so he has a free path to come back and catch the under-thrown deep ball.

Just as annoying is how constantly receivers today throw their arms up screaming for a flag on nearly any long incomplete pass where a corner had the nerve to just graze them with a finger. No surprise why seeing a QB today throw for 400 plus yards is pretty much yawned at.

[HKPackFan]

Both guys have been playing well all year up until last night.

Speaking of House, that pass interference against him on the bomb to Cook was ridiculous.

I can understand wanting to protect quarterbacks given their immense importance even though at times officials go overboard with some roughing the passer calls, but nothing in the NFL currently drives me nuts more than how often offenses get bailed out on long passes where a corner barely touches a receiver or the corner is actually more interfered with than the other way around, yet out comes the flag and the offense gets some say 25 to 50 yards free gain. I've noticed more and more that receivers have smartly picked up to grab the arm of a corner on deep routes knowing that if the corner fights back with his arm/hands, it often will draw a flag on the corner. That or stopping on an under-thrown bomb and we get the dreaded impeding PI call as if the corner is supposed to just get out of the way of the receiver so he has a free path to come back and catch the under-thrown deep ball.

Just as annoying is how constantly receivers today throw their arms up screaming for a flag on nearly any long incomplete pass where a corner had the nerve to just graze them with a finger. No surprise why seeing a QB today throw for 400 plus yards is pretty much yawned at.

If they are gonna call the WR running into the corner as a penalty on the D and every finger nail graze...make it a 15 yarder....stop the spot foul stuff...