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Pigskin Paul analyzes the 2012 NFL Draft Class of the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings.

LIONS

The LIONS made the Play-Offs with 10-Wins and but for a few less injuries, and a bit more talent at certain positions they might have been able to make a solid run at a Super Bowl appearance. Lots of teams could say the same thing, but those other teams weren’t setting a League record for futility by going 0-16 but a few years ago. The team has truly come a long way since the FORD family parted ways with MATT MILLEN, and turned most of the personnel matters, including the DRAFT, over to MARTIN MAYHEW. The 2011 DRAFT didn’t even yield much immediate help because of serious injuries to NICK FAIRLEY & MIKEL LESHOURE.  Read more... (3046 words + 1 image, estimated 12:11 mins reading time)

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2012 NFL Draft

In last week’s Bridesmaids piece we went over how the cream of the draft is talked about way too much and we peeked just a bit into the crust of the matter with the late rounder’s and UDFA’s.

Today, lets look at the meat and potatoes of the draft, those 3^rd though 6^th rounder’s.  This is where teams are built; you just have to look at Packer players like Sitton, Lang, Jones, Bishop, Starks and more to see what these players do for a team.

Some of these prospects come out and play right away and even start. But most take a little time to become full time starters.  These players show how good a coaching staff really is.  The best coaching staffs see what these players can do and put them in a position to make plays, all the while teaching them the finer points of the team’s systems and techniques. When a player has to earn his playing time and/or fight to keep it, you get the best out of them.

In this area of the draft system, compatibility and the value from that has more to do with where a player is picked in these rounds then anything else.  One GM’s trash is another GM’s treasure.  Read more... (1806 words + 1 image, estimated 7:13 mins reading time)

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From the end of the NFL season and through the draft we see the big name prospects dominating coverage.  Getting those top picks right or wrong impact teams for years.

Everyone wants the next Clay Matthews or the next Aaron Rodgers. Fans want to see that kind of player fall into place.

To be honest, by the time the draft comes around I have had enough of   those players.

You can only guess so many times where those top 20 or so players are going to go and it just gets boring.  So I am going to peek at the bottom of the draft instead.

When you review the rosters top to bottom in the NFL, starters, backups, practice squads there are hundreds of undrafted players. Last year 61 new undrafted players made NFL rosters.

Every year teams sign ten to fifteen UDFA’s in feeding frenzy that takes place the minute the draft ends to try get the best of the rest.

The Packers at this time have twenty seven UDFA’s on their roster, with eight of them starting games last year.  Read more... (1053 words + 1 image, estimated 4:13 mins reading time)

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What would Ted do?

It is April Fools’ Day 2012. And it seems to me to be just about the perfect time to be the perfect fool and attempt to predict the entire PACKERS Draft 2012. I might update this just before the actual Draft … then again maybe not. So pay attention, it may be your one and only chance to Mock me in my attempt to predict what TED THOMPSON might do.

Just a few explanations of how I do this. No, these are not excuses, just my own ground rules. The key is using my Regardless of Position prospect rankings list. I take each PACKERS Pick number and look at my list starting 3 ranked players before the actual Pick number. Anything from that number and beyond is fair game. For instance in Round One, where they pick at 28 I look for a player that might fit their needs, type of player profile and guys who “fit their scheme.” Then I make a Pick, i.e. guess, from players I have ranked 25 and on.  Read more... (974 words + 1 image, estimated 3:54 mins reading time)

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I just updated my “Regardless of Position” list, and though it’s still not posted at my site, I’d like to share my 2012 Top NFL Draft Dozen, bakers’ style that is…

1)   ANDREW LUCK/QB

2)    ROBERT GRIFFIN/QB

3)    MATT KALIL/LT

4)    QUINTON COPLES/DE

5)    JUSTIN BLACKMON/WR

6)    MORRIS CLAIBORNE/CB

7)    TRENT RICHARDSON/RB

8)    MICHAEL FLOYD/WR

9)    LUKE KUECHLEY/LB

10)    DAVID DeCASTRO/OG

11)    COURTNEY UPSHAW/OLB

12)    FLETCHER COX/DT

13)    DONTARI POE/DT

This list is based on three factors:

• My perception of their pro potential.
• The importance of the positions they play to NFL teams in 2012.
• Their actual physical attributes and potential.

It is not based on who I think specific teams are enamored with for their myriad of reasons. That I leave to the MOCK DRAFT process, which I guess I am about due to participate in.

Questions I have, some with answers, coming out of the COMBINE:

   Read more... (2279 words + 1 image, estimated 9:07 mins reading time)

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After reading a few quick items in he sports pages this morning I’m not sure how much extra insight I’m going to bring to the table regarding the PACKERS win over the COLTS Friday night, but here goes…

What more can a coaching staff hope for in the Pre-Season than a game that goes right down to the wire and requires back-ups and rookies to secure a victory in the clutch? How psychologically rewarding is it for MASON CROSBY to redeem himself from an earlier FG miss with a clutch game-winning kick in the final minute?

I would say I saw two negatives that I am sure MIKE McCARTHY and his staff will be concentrating on in the next two weeks. The first team offense was plagued by some untimely (not that there is any such thing as timely) penalties that hampered several scoring drives. The OL was a bit less than stellar in protecting AARON RODGERS from the COLTS pass-rush… in particular DWIGHT FREENEY.  Read more... (1426 words + 1 image, estimated 5:42 mins reading time)

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I was on the air with CHAD HOLMES @ ESPN Radio 100.5 in Wausau last night and he brought up a plethora of PACKERS questions for discussion. Since there is no posting of the show to send you to I thought I’d summarize some of our topics that might be of interest to PACKERS fans.

We discussed the lack of off-season OTAs and such this year, and whether or not it hurts the PACKERS, or gives them a slight advantage as an experienced, defending Super BOwl squad. Other than teams with new coaching staffs I think the PACKERS as a team will be hurt by the 4+ months of no contact. I say that primarily because under the TED THOMPSON regime this team relies of developing younger players to develop into starters.

Any time they lost that could have spent working with young guys like NICK McDONALD, FRANK ZOMBO, MARSHALL NEWHOUSE, JAMES STARKS, et al (not to mention their Rookies) can’t be regained. And progress lost, though hard to gauge, is a consequence of the Lockout. If the team should suffer through an injury plagued campaign such as last year, then time not spent developing these back-ups could be felt on the field of play.  Read more... (1167 words + 1 image, estimated 4:40 mins reading time)

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