Packers Practice (and Fight); Giacomini at Tackle; Linebackers in Coverage; and the UFL
by Brandon on Jun 4, 2010 8:00 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers Analysis
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Print- Wednesday's practice was open to the public, but there wasn't a lot of news from it. The biggest story was a fight between LB Brad Jones and RT Breno Giacomini. Greg Bedard had the best recap of it on Twitter saying it was "not as good overall as last years camp melee."
- As I mentioned above, Giacomini was playing RT with the first team. I'm sure the coaches don't need to worry about veteran RT Mark Tauscher's preparation, and RT T.J. Lang is out with a wrist injury, but it was still interesting that they gave Giacomini the opportunity. In a very bad sign, he lost the right tackle competition last year against awful RT Allen Barbre, so it's hard to imagine Giacomini providing much in the future. But if Barbre is done at tackle, rookie LT Bryan Bulaga is kept exclusively at left tackle, and fellow rookie LG Marshall Newhouse is playing guard right now, then there aren't any other tackle candidates who deserve to play ahead of Giacomini yet.
- Greg Bedard has a video post at JSOnline.com on the outside linebackers. He says that "none of the players standout for their coverage ability." Yep. I haven't been impressed with the linebackers in coverage for the past several seasons, but over the past couple seasons the defense seems to have gotten better against the TEs and RBs. The LBs aren't good against WRs, but no team wants to match up their LBs against WRs. The only two bad games I can recall last year happened when the Rams TE Daniel Fells had 2 TD receptions and the 49ers TE Vernon Davis had 108 yards and 1 TD. Against Davis, the Packers put CB Charles Woodson on him in the 4th quarter. It appears the Packers are more interested in having big outside LBs who can stop the run and rush the passer, and if they become a problem in coverage then they'll make an adjustment to fix it.
- DE Johnny Jolly's trial just keeps sounding worse and worse.
- There was some speculation earlier this week that RB Ahman Green might be drafted by the UFL. Apparently he's already on Omaha's 40 man roster along with former Packer WR Robert Ferguson. Now a couple former Green Bay Packers were taken in the UFL draft. I saw DE Kenny Peterson, WR Antonio Chatman, and CB Frank Walker were selected.
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Giacomini
Brandon… Did you know that Giacomini played ONE year of OT in college? Did you know that Rivera didn’t start till his 3rd season, even though he played OG for years at PSU? Did you know that Flanagan didn’t start til his 4th season (partly injuries) even though he played C for years in college at UCLA? Heck, Wahle FAILED twice when GIVEN starting jobs before he became a good starter at LG in his 4th season!
Seems your being awfully hard on Giacomini, since he played ONLY ONE year of OT and the Packers were starting w/ a blank slate!!! How about if we give Giacomini the time it takes to develop as a RT before judging him?!! Last year he might have been able to give Barbre a run if he had not missed the OTA’s or training camp. I know he was misssing for a good part of the offseason! Besides, w/ Tauscher still wanting to play, and doing well enough, whats that rush to get Giacomini on the field???
by Strohman on Jun 4, 2010 2:45 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Amen
Thank you Strohman. My thoughts in a more eloquent form.
by 50 years and Counting on Jun 5, 2010 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks for the post.
Re: Giacomini… I don’t know that we’ve seen enough of him to justify writing him off as many of us seem to have done. Personally, I don’t put too much stock in him “losing out” to Barbre. Don’t get me wrong, you make a valid point. But it seems to me that our coaching staff tends to decide beforehand about who’s going to win training camp battles, especially on the O-line.
Re: Linebacker coverage… I’d say we’re putting our LBs in a position to fail if we ask much of them coverage-wise. I mean, are there ANY LBs who can cover TEs anymore? That’s the way it used to be done in the old NFL, but the TE position has changed. What we need to stop good TEs is enough good CBs who can cover the WRs effectively in order that we can use Woodson on the TE. …or maybe our new safety has enough cover skill to take over that role?
Re: Jolly… yeah, he’s starting to look like a really bad dude. Not just “irresponsible” or “immature”, but rather a guy who has to use – and even run – drugs simply because that’s who he is. If he’s falsely charged, then forget I said anything, but, if he IS innocent of the really bad stuff he’s being charged with, I think he’s gotta’ beat the rap entirely by going to trial and getting a verdict of not guilty. If he settles now, it will look like he only did so to avoid the damning evidence coming to light.
some TEs
The teams that have freakish TEs (SD, GB, Indy, Dallas, etc) are ALWAYS going to present some major challenges for LBs to cover but there are still a ton of teams that are just average at that position. In those instances I think we’ll be fine!
Losing to Barbre
I’m not going to freak out too much that Breno lost to Barbre last year. Lang lost to Barbre last year too, but now so many are holding out hope for him to develop into a starter. Who knows, maybe Breno can develop into something solid and then we can have a bit more luxury at the tackle spot.
Jolly
I think they need to pull their RFA offer to Jolly and move on. He has talent but I don’t think TT is going to extend a long-term contract to him due to the risk of what happens when Jolly gets big money. So, do we really need Jolly for one season? I think with the depth they now have at the D-line, we can afford to move on.
We need to let the Jolly thing play out, till we know more and he has achance to show himself more. For now the Packers organization is doing the rightthing by putting their emphasis on Jolly as a peson and being there to help him…if he will take it and do right.
When you look at all the coaches who are considered great (Lombardi, Wooden, etc.) they all put their first priority in the person and helping/teaching them about personal integrity and life lessons. The championships and the extra effort flowed form that foundation. This apporach speaks to the integrity and class of the Packers organization, and other players out there understand that.
We should not throw Jolly under the bus. If that’s what eventually happens, he will do it to himself.
Great point
And think about this… What would the players in the lockerroom now, think of the Packers organization if the Packers pulled the tender from Jolly now and he ends up being innocent? The players would think that the Packers bailed on a guy who was innocent before knowing how it turns out. IF the Packers really want the players to feel like this is a family to them, they can’t just pull the plug and distance themselves from him over the mistake of being w/ the wrong crowd, but innocent nonetheless … It makes the whole family atmosphere they want to create a JOKE… Gotta stick w/ Jolly and do the right thing by him. If he is found guily, you can cut bait when he goes to FA next year.
And again I say "Amen"
The move by the DA to “use extraneous offenses and prior convictions for impeachment and/or punishment” is an attempt to raise the stakes. Without the new witness Jolly is facing parole if found guilty. With the new witness he could be facing serious jail time. It looks to me like the DA’s trying to force Jolly to take a plea bargain. And that speaks to the quality of the DA’s evidence.
A lot of people did a lot of talking on Memorial Day. Sticking with Jolly till a jury says he’s guilty is walking the walk.
by 50 years and Counting on Jun 5, 2010 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Can I get an "Amen"
Or 2… LOL
Day just getting started and already I got 2 “Amens”… This might be a good day!!! LOL
Yeah I agree with you both. On top of it being a prick move and sending a bad message to the team (and setting a dangerous precident for the future)…we need him for depth as I mentioned above. We have NOTHING behind our starters. Just unproven guys that we HOPE will pan out. Maybe NEXT season we move on but we can’t this season.
slight flaw
society now a days is different and so are the children being raised. lombardi and wooden were 40 years ago also, i don’t think there was as much violent crimes being committed as there is today. single parent homes have basically tripled since then and some of the children just get lost and since they never had a role model to look up to when they were young, they tend to adapt to their enviroment they are brought up in.
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