Former Packer Daniel Muir In The Super Bowl

by Brandon on Feb 3, 2010 11:46 PM CST in Green Bay Packers Analysis

It was a dumb move back in 2005 when GM Ted Thompson tried to force a pay cut on FS Darren Sharper, which led to his release. Based on the way Thompson has treated veterans like CB Al Harris, WR Donald Driver, and RT Mark Tauscher since then, I don't think it's something Thompson would have done again. So it's great to see Sharper has proven Thompson wrong, and found his way back to the Super Bowl as a member of the Saints. But there is another ex-Packer playing a key role on a Super Bowl team.

One of the biggest stories on the Colts this season was the change in defensive philosophy. They moved from a Tampa 2 scheme under Tony Dungy to an "aggressive, attack style defense" under former Bronco defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.

One of their biggest surprises on defense has been former Packer DT Daniel Muir. From PFT:

1. Muir is a run stopper. Coyer wanted to bulk up at defensive tackle, a departure from the Tony Dungy era. Muir has kept blockers off Indy's speedy linebackers and made 52 tackles of his own, sixth among interior linemen in the NFL.

"The defense now is a lot more hard-nosed," he told me Monday. "[Coyer] vowed to get bigger bodies inside, which has worked for us."

2. Muir came cheaply. Like many of his teammates, he came at great value. Undrafted out of Kent State, he was picked up by G.M. Bill Polian off waivers from the Packers last year. No one finds cheap talent better than Polian.

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2009 - Daniel Muir	16	.500	5	0	0	0	43	9	52

I'm not so sure about that "bulk up" part. Muir is currently listed at 312 lbs. by NFL.com, but he was listed at 295-300 lbs. when he was with the Packers. Maybe he's bulked up since he joined the Colts, or maybe he's just bigger than any of the defensive tackles who played for the Colts last season.

So how did the Packers let this guy go? He's great against the run, and the Packers were awful back in 2008 against the run, which was the year he was released.

At least for me, it was a reluctant departure. Muir had shown promise during the 2007 preseason, which was why he made the 2007 team. After DT Corey Williams was traded to the Browns, I was expecting Muir to step right into Williams's job. Except Muir did nothing during the 2008 preseason. He was just another body. I'm not surprised he regained the promise he showed back in 2007. It didn't seem like it was something he lost, but something he had just had to work a little harder for. Apparently he's done just that.

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two words, Justin Harrell...

I remember how in the 2007 season how we actually kept an extra downlineman for the active roster not expose him on the practice squad. Tht’s how highly TT and MM thought of Muir, expecially in a Defense Tackle starved league. I guess the emergence of Williams, Cole, and Jolly, and the 1st round draft pick J. Harrell waiting in the wings, we just had too much depth at DT— more depth than any other position. Not too mention Pickett.

Who would have guessed that Muir would be outplaying Harrell, Cole AND Corey Williams at this stage?

But as my subject line suggests, ultimately TT and MM picked Harrell over Muir in 2008, probably to save face (while crossing their fingers of course).

Probably one of the least noticed effects of drafting a bust in the first round. You keep him around long enough just to save face, thus costing a roster spot for someone who could devcelop, like Muir.

by PackFaninFL on Feb 4, 2010 5:19 AM CST reply actions

Obviously TT needs to go

Anyone who would cut Daniel Muir, the face of our franchise, is a moron. He can’t draft, he can’t evaluate talent, and he ruined an icon in DM. People still wear their Muir jerseys in droves, go to his restaurant, and fantasize about him in bed.

(And for those who haven’t had their morning coffee, that was EXTREME sarcasm)

by Danwood on Feb 4, 2010 7:13 AM CST reply actions 2 recs

Sarcasm?

I hadn’t noticed. The fact is, Muir was worthy of making the roster. Cutting him was a mistake, one of many.

by ktenreb on Feb 4, 2010 9:05 AM CST up reply actions

at the time we cut him, he was more likely to be Colin Cole than Ryan Pickett

"I agree but dont agree"

by juggernaut400 on Feb 4, 2010 12:54 PM CST up reply actions

Read this: http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/83410847.html

Muir came into training camp overweight and in horrible shape. He even admits in this article that he wasn’t focused. It’s easy to look back on it now and say wow, what an idiot TT is but it wasn’t like he was playing like he is now.

This is kind of comparable to the Bears with Cedric Benson. Is Angelo at blame for cutting him and then him becoming a top Rb in the league? Or did Benson not become a top Rb because he wasn’t putting in the proper work to become one?

by packallday555 on Feb 4, 2010 1:02 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

VERY good post! Its easy to look at a player succeeding in one system and assume that it would have happened here but would it have? Who knows. Sometimes being cut is a wake up call. You would think being undrafted would do it for him but apparently it didn’t

by TrevorR on Feb 4, 2010 1:37 PM CST up reply actions

That is well said.

by coltsfanawalt on Feb 4, 2010 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

thanks for that link...

I wasn’t aware of all the stuff going on the background. Interesting stuff!

by PackFaninFL on Feb 4, 2010 4:35 PM CST up reply actions

It's clear to me

that TT has shown a complete inability to use hindsight in advance. How anyone can retain the GM position without the ability to foresee the future is beyond me. Fire TT and hire the Amazing Creskin!

Frye is honestly gotta be one of the top 10 3rd Stringers in all of the NFL right now--colbyb

by verno329 on Feb 4, 2010 6:23 PM CST up reply actions

Justin Harrell ~ LMAO

I really hated that pick… and TT for taking him… I’ve really hated some of TT’s picks… Won’t go into all of them… but, as I’ve stated in some other comments…

EVER since TT went back up into the 1st Round and picked Clay Matthews III… ALL is forgiven… :) I watched hours of the combine last year… and told MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE…

“God I HOPE TT DRAFTS THIS KID!!!!” Now… He has to get back to work… and do some research… Wish List:

1 ~ Franchise LT

1 ~ OLB

1 ~ SHUT DOWN CORNER

1 ~ Free Agent that we know won’t be a BUST… (Maybe Kevin Faulk to be our 3rd down back and spell Ryan Grant???)

Well… Would LOVE to continue ranting… but, gotta get to work!

GO PACK!!!!!!

by Bird Dog Uni on Feb 4, 2010 9:15 AM CST reply actions

Yeah, it was a confusing pick to me too. I like the DT pick, just not the player. Unfortunately, looking back at the 2007 draft there were really no good DTs and no depth at DT.

He had a good draft this past year, and hopefully that continues into this years draft. Our need at OT is so great that I think it makes for an easy decision on what to do with our 1st round pick. Pick up Buluga or Campbell, and then with the remaining 6 picks go with a couple more OL, a few CBs, and an OLB who can rush the passer.

by packallday555 on Feb 4, 2010 1:10 PM CST up reply actions

From the JSO article about him

Muir winced when the subject of his second summer in Green Bay came up. Then he did something pro athletes seldom do: He admitted it was his fault.

“I had a lack of focus,” said Muir, a soft-spoken man who grew up in Washington, D.C. “I got caught up in who they were drafting and who they were bringing in. That’s the worst thing you can do.”

"I agree but dont agree"

by juggernaut400 on Feb 4, 2010 12:52 PM CST reply actions

Muir

He’s been a pleasant surprise for us this year. I thought at one time we might not need him, but Coyer really did want to go a bit heavier at DT. We’v had, and have some really small DTs. Eric Foster, 265 lbs. Raheem Brock plays inside at tackle a lot as well as end, and he’s at 274 lbs. So Muir is big for Indy’s D-Line. In fact, he’s the heaviest player on our defense and second heaviest on our team.

When we lost Ed Johnson (and Bob Sanders, Tyjuan Hagler, Marlin Jackson and Anthony Gonzalez, all starters too) early in the year, I was pretty pessimistic. Not to mention at that sme time we decided to bench two offensive linemen that were drafted high and replace them with two backups. Ugh. However, it’s turned out well.

I really like Muir’s attitude now. I’m glad he’s a Colt.

Thanks for this article.

by coltsfanawalt on Feb 4, 2010 4:33 PM CST reply actions

Brandon I'm very disappointed in you

As good and likeable as Sharper is, it was absolutely not a mistake to let him go. He’s always been a good safety but we were paying him large amounts of money mainly to get injured in his time here. Also he had huge tackling problems. When I heard that Sharper was getting cut, I too was upset. But that immediately changed when his replacement came in immediately afterwords and outplayed him completely even as a rookie. I don’t think that Collins vs. Sharper is even really an argument. I could understand not liking the move initially but after watching Collins completely outplay Sharper over the past 5 years I don’t know why you would bring such a thing up now. I’m happy for Sharper. I’m also happy that he’s not on our team.

by Donald Driver on Feb 5, 2010 1:48 AM CST reply actions

It's not really a Sharper over Collins argument

Sharper wasn’t making that much money. He had just turned 30 and I’m sure the Vikings paid him as much in 2005 as he got in 2004. He’s made 3 Pro Bowls in the past 5 seasons since he was released. He’s also made one Pro Bowl in New Orleans since the Vikings released him. Considering all the problems the Packers had at safety during the Marquand Manuel era (error), and when Bigby has been hurt over the past two seasons, they could have found playing time for both Collins and Sharper.

Also Collins wasn’t that great during 2005-2007. He was good, but he only had 4 INTs in his first 45 NFL starts (13 INTs in his last 32 starts). He took some time to adjust to the speed of the NFL after playing college ball in Division I-AA.

by Brandon on Feb 6, 2010 1:06 AM CST up reply actions

I agree with you…being WAY too hard on Sharper. I was a big fan of his and was sad to see him go. Keep in mind that when we signed Sharper to his big contract with us, he was the highest paid safety in the game…it was a money thing that we let him go for. The team was bloated and needed to let go of some high priced vets. I agree on Collins, its not like he started out playing at a pro bowl. He’s great now and we are fortunate there but it was a big step back at that position for a little while.

by TrevorR on Feb 6, 2010 8:03 AM CST up reply actions