AllGreenBayPackers.Com

I actually got my first shot writing for AllGreenBayPackers.com when Al allowed me to post my draft rationale on his site and 3 years later I’m continuing the tradition.  As before I’m not going to be assigning draft grades or projections, I agree with the idea that grading picks now is something akin to being graded on a test you haven’t taken.  In this article I want to point out some more broad observations I noticed during the draft

Aaron Rodgers dictated the Packers 2013 draft: And Clay Matthews III to some extent as well.  Simply put the Packers are now in a mini-rebuilding year, not due to a lack of talent but due to a lack of money.  While Rodgers’ $110 million and Matthews’ $66 million contracts were both necessary and in my opinion great deals for the Packers, let’s not kid ourselves and think that the Packers are going to be awash with saved money over the next couple years, Rodgers and Matthews are still two of the highest paid players in the NFL and that will have financial ramifications down the road; maybe not as bad as Joe Flacco and DeMarcus Ware bad, but Ted Thompson probably isn’t going to be able to keep everyone he wants.  This is why I think this is the start of a mini-rebuild; teams typically trade down and stockpile draft picks in order to stock the team with young, cheap players who can be the foundation long term and perhaps become stars.  Read more... (1368 words + 1 image, estimated 5:28 mins reading time)

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Clay Matthews III

1) Introduction: Expectations couldn’t get any higher for Clay Matthews III in 2011; after being the first Packer to record double digit sacks in the first two years, Matthews has been voted into the Pro Bowl every season he has been in the NFL as well as being voted as a All-Pro selection in 2010 and almost bring home defensive player of the year as well.  The team expected that Matthews would again be the center of their pass rushing ability as well as an emotional leader on the defense.

2) Profile:

William Clay Matthews III

Position: OLB
Height: 6-3
Weight: 255 lbs.
AGE: 25
Career Stats

3) Expectations coming into the season for that player: Very high; everyone expected Matthews to continue terrorizing quarterbacks at an alarming rate, if he could do that much damage on a hurt leg (which has plagued him for his entire career), imagine what he could do fully healthy?

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Matthews highlight were definitely in week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings where Matthews essentially shut down quarterback Christian Ponder by himself by recording 2 sacks and generally throwing Ponder out of his groove and in week 13 where he picked off quarterback Eli Manning and returned 38 yard for a defensive touchdown.  However, Matthews was strangely absent in some games, at Atlanta and San Diego Matthews only managed to record one tackle and through out the season wasn’t nearly as effective as he was last year.  Read more... (478 words + 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

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1) Profile:

Von Miller

College: Texas A&M

Position: Defensive End/ Weak Side Linebacker (Hybrid)

Height: 6′3″   Weight: 246 lbs.

Born: March 26^th, 1989 From: DeSoto, Texas

2) High School / College Highlights: Von Miller joined the Aggies in 2007 as the Rivals 29^th ranked weak side linebacker in high school but first saw action as a defensive end in the 4-2-5 defense and was voted Freshmen All-Big 12.

After a disastrous 2007 season lead by head coach Dennis Franchione which was headlined by a newsletter scandal and several crushing defeats, Franchione resigned midseason and subsequently former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Sherman was hired.

Sherman installed a 4-3 defense and Miller was moved to weak side linebacker under defensive coordinator Joe Kines.  2009 was his break out season, where Miller played in all 12 games, leading the NCAA with 17 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss (4^th in the NCAA) and garnering First-team All-America and First-team All-Big 12 honors.

After 2009 Joe Kines retired and was replaced with Tim DeRuyter, who installed a 3-4 defense where Miller played the outside linebacker position.  Miller suffered a foot injury but still managed to record 10.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss as well as garnering First-team All America, First-team All-Big 12 and the Butkus award, given annually to the nation’s best collegiate linebacker.  Read more... (686 words + 1 image, estimated 2:45 mins reading time)

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