SB Nation - Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila

Insert Upbeat Title Here

Mitchell_M — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:08:33 -0000

So Green Bay kind of got crushed. So what? AT LEAST JERMICHAEL FINLEY HELPED MY FANTASY TEAM! Other than that, I haven't seen a game where everything went so wrong so quickly in a long, long time. If you want to read on, go ahead. But beware, all ye who enter here, for there is no good news to follow.

Every once in a while, there comes along a matchup that is almost too easy to exploit. Your opponent has a shaky offensive line made shakier by injuries to their best pass protector? Use your already superb pass rush to get after the quarterback. The other team's starting safety is out, leaving inexperienced and mistake-prone backups in his place? Take a shot down the field when you recognize a miscommunication. Your rival's starting MLB is coming off an ACL injury and is still regaining his mobility? Wait til he's matched up with a TE or WR, and then isolate him.

These mismatches and countless more were all present in Monday night's 30-23 shellacking in the Metrodome. I don't care if you're rolling with Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, and Jared Allen or JaMarcus Russell, Larry Johnson, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (post-injury); if you have mismatches and you manage to exploit them, you're going to succeed. And the Vikings succeeded while the Packers did not.

Exactly how poor was this week's performance? Well, Rodgers was sacked a season-high 8 times. David Carr cringes at that statistic. He also took a safety, lost a fumble, and threw his first interception. Donald Lee flat-out dropped a TD pass that could have closed the gap to 28-21 in the third quarter. Mike McCarthy wasted a challenge in the first quarter and used another one to turn a fumble into a safety against Green Bay. Daryn Colledge got hurt, inserting T.J. Lang into the game at left tackle. Antoine Winfield upended Ryan Grant as if Grant were a high schooler AND jumped a hitch-out route like it was in slow motion, getting an admittedly nice pick. Al Harris let Bernard Berrian go free on a deep route because Derrick Martin was supposed to help over the top...but was nowhere to be found. Chris Kluwe put the Packers at the 1 and 4 yard line to start two fourth-quarter drives, resulting in a safety for Minnesota and an eventual TD for Green Bay. Will Blackmon messed up his knee, leaving Green Bay's already iffy return units even thinner.

And it wasn't even just that Green Bay played awful. Minnesota played outstanding. Favre put on a clinic on how to exploit the defensive mismatches (see section above), putting up 271 yards and 3 scores. Adrian Peterson was limited (55 yards on 25 carries), but still made life difficult for the defense. Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, and Sidney Rice simply got open. Jared Allen got more than his fair share of sacks (4.5). The Vikings line did a better job protecting Favre than the Secret Service.

Look at it this way: Green Bay's 14 meaningful points came on fluky plays. Nine times out of ten, Jermichael Finley doesn't break a pair of tackles on his way to a 62-yard score, and nine times out of ten, Clay Matthews doesn't manage to rip the ball out of Adrian Peterson's hands. Rodgers' fourth quarter drive culminating in a 33-yard score to Jordy Nelson was impressive because it went 96 yards in less than a minute-and-a-half. But the failed conversion and ensuing onside kick left the score at 30-20 with little hope of regaining possession. They even teased us by getting the ball back and converting a field goal with :55 seconds left. But another failed onside kick (despite a pair of GREAT attempts by Mason Crosby) sealed the deal.

So, yeah, the margin of victory wasn't evident of a blowout, but let's be honest: it was a blowout. A blowout with a valiant effort at the very end, but a blowout nonetheless. Green Bay got beat like they stole something. Plain and simple.

(Now that all that is out of the way...a much-overlooked detail in this game was penalties. 7 for 57 yards for Green Bay compared to 2 for 10 for Minnesota...and there were a TON of missed calls when the Vikings had the ball. I'm not saying penalties scuttled Green Bay's chances, but the officiating wasn't even close to evenly distributed. If you're gonna call Donald Driver for holding outside the shoulder pads, you have to call Percy Harvin for the exact same thing on the very next possession.)

The Top 10 Players in 2009: #10 - DE Cullen Jenkins

Brandon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:37 -0000

Being able to write a top 10 list helps me think about football. Also, it enables me to avoid writing about QB Aaron Rodgers' new girlfriend. It's a win-win situation.

Starting with No. 10 on my Top 10 in 2009 countdown is DE Cullen Jenkins.

He missed the last 12 games in 2008 with a torn pectoral muscle. I expect he's fully recovered, so let's talk about what Jenkins has done over the past couple seasons, when healthy. When he finally broke into the starting lineup at right DE, in place of DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, it was for his run defense. He immediately improved it, although that was a low bar since KGB was generally so awful at stopping the run. In 2008, he was providing a monster pass rush, he had 2.5 sacks in the first 4 games. The 2.5 sacks doesn't even cover it; he was constantly in the backfield and after the QB.

In 2009, the Packers need someone other than LB Aaron Kampman to provide a pass rush, and Jenkins should be the first option. Also, the run defense needs to improve, and he has proven solid in that regard too. But what really makes him so valuable is that there is no one else like him on the team. NT B.J. Raji might be a great pass rusher too, we'll have to wait and see, but as of right now, I'm expecting he'll be primarily an anchor on the line. I don't expect him to be running down the QB. Jenkins is the only one on the DL that should be getting after the QB.

Monday Packer Hits: Taylor, Favre, Collins, and Matthews

Brandon — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:00:24 -0000

More photos » by MARK J. TERRILL - AP

8 months ago: FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2006 file photo, Southern California linebacker Clay Matthews, top, sacks Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter during the first half of a college football game in Los Angeles. Matthews is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Browse more photos »

It turns out the Packers have an extra $1 million to spend under the 2009 salary cap. I'm lousy at finding good salary cap numbers. They had somewhere between $18-22 million available before the start of free agency. They certainly didn't spend it on any big name free agents. But two 1st round draft picks will eat up some of it. Hopefully they use the rest to sign current players, such as WR Greg Jennings, to extensions.
The Packers were one of the few teams in on free agent DE Jason Taylor. Despite the switch to a 3-4 defense, the 4-3 alignment will still make some appearances. I could have seen Taylor filling the role previously played by DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the new 4-3 alignment.
Brett Favre's keeping it classy, and ready to "kick [GM Ted Thompson's] ass twice a year." I said earlier that I didn't think it was about revenge, but Favre is sure making it hard for me to believe it.
So remember when it came out last week that S Nick Collins was staying away from minicamp, but it wasn't about the money? Well it turns out it's all about the money. I'm sure you're all surprised...Actually I think players have to look out for themselves in the NFL. The teams will cut them at the drop of a hat. When the player has some negotiating power, he should use it. But at least they can be honest about it.
The steroid rumors still bother LB Clay Matthews.
I expect the rookie wage scale to be a big issue when the teams and the union start talking again about the collective bargaining agreement. But I don't think it'll be the biggest issue, which always remains how much the players get paid vs. the owners.
Two teams are interested in signing WR Plaxico Burress. Why? Has the signing of a problem player ever worked out? Obviously the pending gun charges are serious, but even before the arrest, he was suspended last September for being a lousy teammate. Great quote from his ex-teammate WR Steve Smith when Burress missed the Monday morning receivers' meeting: "I don't see him a lot, so I thought it was a normal day. I didn't know if he was going to come or not."

The Packers Select Everette Brown

Brandon — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:34:38 -0000

Over at my fellow SB Nation website Mocking The Draft, the NFL writers of SB Nation are conducting a mock draft of round 1 and 2 over the next couple weeks. I selected Florida State DE/LB Everette Brown:

The Packers really need a player like Florida State's DE Everette Brown. The pass rush has struggled the last couple seasons and the complete collapse (and eventual release) of DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila left them with little pass rush from the weak side. They really need a DE/LB Terrell Suggs type player who can provide double digit sacks, line up as a down lineman, and be able to drop back in pass coverage when needed. Brown had 13.5 sacks last season at Florida State and is one of the top pass rushers available in a draft that isn't loaded with them. The Packers would be very fortunate if he was still available with the ninth overall selection.

I did mention the dreaded DE Jamal Reynolds jinx in the next paragraph and admitted he was no slam dunk. But Mocking Dan concurred with my pick:

Brandon hit the reasoning perfectly. For the 3-4 the Packers plan on using, finding someone to get after the quarterback is key. Brown is arguably the best 3-4 outside linebacker in this class and could end up being very similar to Suggs.

There is something to like about all the players picked ahead of Brown, although Georgia QB Matthew Stafford would make no sense for the Packers. I hoped Boston College DT B.J. Raji would fall to the Packers, but he went number 8 to Jacksonville in our mock draft. The Packers have to improve the run defense and Raji would certainly help with that. But adding a talent like Brown, and moving LB Brady Poppinga to the bench, would help too.

With Raji and Brown off the board, Dan said the top remaining prospects were CB Malcolm Jenkins, OT Michael Oher, RB Knowshon Moreno, MLB Rey Maualuga, and WR Jeremy Maclin. Another player frequently mentioned on this site is DE/OLB Aaron Maybin, and although Buffalo took him with pick number 11, he isn't expected to go that high. Which of those six players would you prefer instead of Brown?

Poll

Which of these six players would you prefer instead of Everette Brown?

CB Malcolm Jenkins

127 votes

OT Michael Oher

116 votes

RB Knowshon Moreno

50 votes

LB Rey Maualuga

102 votes

WR Jeremy Maclin

10 votes

DE/OLB Aaron Maybin

221 votes

626 votes | Poll has closed

Defensive End Roundup - Jason Taylor or Vonnie Holliday?

Brandon — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:09 -0000

DE Jason Taylor was just released by Washington. His awful (for him) 2008 season is a giant warning sign that, at age 35, he's done. But he was an elite pass rusher as recently as 2007. He wouldn't start at right defensive end; at 255 lbs. he's undersized for a defensive end in a 3-4 defense. But he would play a lot as a hybrid right OLB/DE. Unfortunately teams have lost their mind with insane contracts for defensive lineman this offseason, see DT Colin Cole, and I expect there is enough crazy free agent money out there that someone will overpay for him. So far, there are 12 teams interested in him. Also, after watching DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila go from a quality speed rusher to useless and released in one season, I'm very concerned that the decline Taylor suffered last season is real.

Here are the stats last season for some defensive lineman:

Games	Sacks	Tackles
16	3.5	29
15	2.0	20
14	0	24
10	2.5	22

In order, those are the 2008 stats for DE Vonnie Holliday, DE Igor Olshansky, DE Marques Douglas, DE Chris Canty and DE Mike Wright. Why these players? Because they've been discussed as possibilities for the Packers here, here, and here.

Holliday is a former Packer 1st round pick that underachieved in the late 1990s. Olshansky was benched late last season in San Diego. Douglas signed a free agent contract in Tampa last season, and was such a disappointment he was traded to Baltimore before the season even began. Canty just got overpaid at $7 million per season. Wright would be missed in New England, but there is no starting job available for him and it doesn't make sense to pay him like a starter.

The one thing they all have in common; their previous teams aren't going to keep them (so far).

The moral here is that there are a lot of players like this available around the league and there is no need to overpay for them. Or it's easy to find and replace players like them.

Poll

Which currently available free agent defensive end should the Packers pursue?

Jason Taylor

164 votes

Vonnie Holliday

181 votes

Igor Olshansky

163 votes

Marques Douglas

13 votes

Mike Wright

80 votes

601 votes | Poll has closed

Free Agent Target #8 - DE Julius Peppers

Brandon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:00:11 -0000

It has been suggested, that the 8th best free agent this offseason is DE Julius Peppers. He just turned 29 years old and he's already had a great NFL career. It looked like he might have started to decline after his 2007 season, but he rebounded in 2008 with 14.5 sacks. Green and Bold is in favor of signing him:

Julius Peppers at OLB would be absolutely insane. I’d love to go after him.

Although the pass defense was outstanding last season, the decline and release of DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, along with the season ending injury to DE Cullen Jenkins, really left them with no consistent pass rush on the right side. Jenkins will return and probably play at right defensive end. But GM Ted Thompson should consider a top pass rusher to play at right OLB (assuming DE Aaron Kampman moves to left OLB).

The big problem with signing Peppers is that he's never played outside LB. Also, he might have had a falling out with his former defensive coordinator Mike Trogvac who was just hired to coach the defensive line in Green Bay. Although Trogvac's problem last season seems to have been with Carolina's head coach John Fox and not Peppers.

Another problem is that he doesn't look like a OLB. He looks like a perfect defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. That's what former GMs Charley Casserly and Floyd Reese said. Of course, that might also be why Casserly and Reese are former GMs. A lot of people (myself included) thought CB Charles Woodson would have to move to safety when the Packers signed him in 2006. Since I was wrong about Woodson, he's still a great cornerback, I'm willing to give Peppers the benefit of the doubt that he can play OLB in a 3-4.

One other note; he's proven that he's not the greatest teammate by his stated desire to move on and never sign a long term contract with Carolina.

Peppers will come with a huge price tag. It's possible Carolina will place the franchise tag on him and be willing to pay him $17 million for one season. That's an awful lot of money for someone who has no problem burning bridges and might struggle with the transition to a new position. He's a great player who would certainly make the Packers better in 2009, but I would prefer they pursue a great college pass rushing DE who appears better suited for the transition to OLB, such as Florida State's Everette Brown. Or I would prefer free agent DE/OLB Terrell Suggs over Peppers too.

Poll

Should the Packers pursue free agent DE Julius Peppers?

Yes

111 votes

No

80 votes

191 votes | Poll has closed

State Of The Steelers Roster: The Defensive Line

Blitzburgh — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:25:34 -0000

Like I did last year on BTSC, I again plan to take a crack at breaking down the state of the Steelers roster heading into the free agency period and the build up to the NFL Draft. The objective is to take a look back at the most recent play by position, the ages and contract statuses of the relevant players at that position, and then make some reasonable evaluations of what the Steelers front office may do moving forward in the immediate and intermediate future. Let's start it out with a look at the unheralded but consistently impressive defensive line.

TOP 5 STEELERS DL IN 2008

Player	Age	2008 Cap Hit	2009 Cap Hit	Years Remaining
Casey Hampton	31 (Sept)	$ 5,378,043	$ 6,652,000	1
Aaron Smith	32 (Apr)	$ 4,755,760	$ 3,950,000	3
Brett Keisel	30 (Sept)	$ 3,151,340	$ 4,998,000	1
Chris Hoke	32 (Apr)	$ 1,481,240	$ 1,675,000	3
Travis Kirschke	34 (Sept)	$ 983,360	$ 1,300,000	1

There's more...quite a bit in fact...after the poll and the jump. Hold off on voting until you read on however. Seriously. Mike Tomlin disapproves of short-cuts. So should you.

Yikes. I'll take some Infusion Of Youth for $500, Alex.

In all actuality though, we're in pretty darn good shape in 2009. Provided the DL doesn't get ravaged by the injury bug any more so than it did early on in the 2008 season, this DL is a very safe bet to anchor another top 5 rush defense and again pave the way for special statistical seasons for our attackers on the outside - Wood and Deebo.

Let's see...Keisel's got a good year in him in 2009, regardless of his future after that. When healthy he's still got a motor that runs with the best of them and can disrupt some things in the passing game with his vertical leap and above average sense of timing. Aaron Smith again proved his truly special durability and value in 2008. Casey Hampton recovered from an abysmal start to his year after showing up to camp out of shape. By year's end, after coming back from injury and benefiting from some needed rest at the end of the season, Hampton again helped anchor one of the NFL's very best rush defenses - not to mention occupied blockers alongside Smith so that James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley could do their thing against single coverage most of the time.

Still, you can count on replacements being secured for Kirschke, Keisel, and as we'll debate later, even Hampton in this coming Free Agency period and in the Draft. And of course, there will be intense competition for one of the final 53 roster spots and practice squad spots amongst a crop of undrafted free agents and former practice squad journey men that our scouts feel are worth keeping an eye on. That will all play out as it will. But by looking at the top 5 on our depth chart above, it sure looks like the Steelers will use two of their top five picks on defensive linemen, be it at DT or DE.

2008 KEY DL RESERVES - Age; 2009 Cap Hit; Years Remaining; 2008 Cap Hit

Nick Eason - 28 years old; $678,000; 1 year remaining; $667,300

Orpheus Roye - 36 years old; 2009 Free Agent; $485,000

Reserves Analysis:

A special shout out to Nick Eason, who played in 15 games this year and did all that was asked of him, beginning with a highlight game in Week 1 against the Texans registering 4 tackles and 1/2 a sack. Obviously I don't see the Steelers extending Eason for multiple years, but who knows exactly what might happen to him in 2009 and 2010 more notably. It depends on a myriad factors, including but not limited to our Draft decisions this year; the development (or lack of) from 'project' type young'ns, what he'd be willing to sign for, etc. We'll see. After seemingly being frequently frustrated with Eason in 2007, I distinctly remember Eason doing much better in 2008, as well as reading several reports about how he had impressed his coaches with his progress this past year. So hopefully he'll be ready to go again in 2009 if called upon. And if that's all we can count on from him, I'd be more than content and satisfied with his tenure in Pittsburgh.

(When you're coming off a Super Bowl victory, it's so much easier to give a salute to guys like Eason than when your team came up short, is it not? Ha! Kidding aside, he was a contributor in many ways to this Super Bowl, even if those ways were smallish in magnitude. Eason played some ST as well don't forget. But yeah, point stands..much easier to be pleased with reserve contributions when you win!)

As for Roye? Good signing. Good risk-reward play by the Steelers brass. Surely some younger player will at least have the chance to knock him out of the mix in 2009, but if Roye decides to stay in shape and play again in 2009, he'll surely find an opportunity to do so on someone's depth chart, be it in Pittsburgh in an emergency role or elsewhere.

Not yet mentioned: Scott Paxson. A DT that the Steelers acquired undrafted out of Penn State. Hopefully a year with the Steelers strength and conditioning coaches has helped Paxson put on some serious weight and strength to that 290 pound frame of his that he entered the league in.

<aside>Wow, just realized that I referred to a 290 pound person as undersized. RIDICULOUS</aside>

There's no way to really know just yet, but what the organization thinks of Paxson could have some bearing on the ranking of the Steelers numerous contingency plans that they head to the war room with when the 2009 Draft is held in New York City a few months from now.

SALARY COMPARISON ACROSS NFL

The following is an ordered list of DTs ranked by their 2008 cap hit. This is just me providing you with consolidated information to get a better idea of what kind of scratch we're talking about market value wise when evaluating the likelihood of certain Steelers players being extended. Their ages are included as well. There are no clear as day patterns here or anything like that - there's a wide mix of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd contract type players here and lots of different conclusions can be drawn.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES / NOSE TACKLES

Dan Klecko (PHI) - $10,651,720 (28 years)
Pat Williams (MIN) - $8,400,124 (36 years)
Albert Haynesworth (TEN) - $7,250,003 (27 years)
Cornelius Griffin (WAS) - $6,166,333 (32 years)
Tommie Harris (CHI) - $6,031,862 (~26 years)
Kris Jenkins (NYJ) - $5,900,000 (29.5 years)
Marcus Stroud (BUF) - $ 5,668,706 (30.5 years)
CASEY HAMPTON (PIT) - $ 5,378,043 (31.5 years)
Rocky Bernard (SEA) - $ 5,066,626 (~30 years)
Gerard Warren (OAK) - $5,000,000 (30.5 years)

I don't even want to know whyy Dan Klecko earned close to $10 in bonuses last year, so let's consider that an insane outlier and just look at the rest of the list. Pat Williams is getting paid because all he does is clog gaps. Just like Casey Hampton. Even at the tender age of 36 though. Williams signed that big deal with Minny when he was 33 years old, which would roughly be the same for Hampton when he becomes a free agent in 2010. What it's really going to come down to is two things: 1) Will Hampton accept a deal that continues to pay him in the top 10 at his position, rather than the top 5 or top 3 even? If the answer is a yes then it may just come down to 2) If he shows up to camp in shape. If he does..as in like, really in shape and eager to pull his weight in a run at a repeat, then it very well could happen.

Onward.

DEFENSIVE ENDS

Julius Peppers (CAR) - $ 14,137,500 (28 years)
Aaron Schobel (BUF) - $ 8,723,555 (~31.5 years)
John Abraham (ATL) - $ 8,501,920 (30.5 years)
T-Sizzle Suggs (BAL) - $ 8,475,000 (26 years)
Jared Allen (MIN) - $ 8,002,531 (~27 years)
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (GB) - $ 7,726,828 (~31.5 years)
Jason Taylor (WAS) - $ 7,500,000 (34.5 years)
Luis Castillo (SDG) - $ 6,989,380 (25.5 years)
Mario Williams (HOU) - $ 6,881,720 (24 years)
Richard Seymour (Pats) - $ 6,836,720 (~29.5 years)

23rd. Aaron Smith (PIT) - $ 4,755,760

41st. Brett Keisel (PIT) - $ 3,151,340

Well, first of all, let me acknowledge that we're talking about a bunch of players playing in different schemes - some in the 3-4; some in the 4-3. Their perceived value as measured by contract$ is consequently different, with 4-3 DEs being the guys who get the kind of pub that the LaMarr Woodley's and James Harrison's of the 3-4s get.

Nevertheless, we can still all agree on these two things - Aaron Smith's a total bargain. He's infinitely more durable than Richard Seymour, who's basically considered the gold standard for 3-4 DEs. And he makes less money. And oh yeah, he's better than him too.

As for Brett Keisel. While valuable and an integral part of our defense in his peak years of 27-30, I don't think he's worth the coin to keep into his 30s given what we know about the Steelers scouting personnel and their ability to find outstanding talent. Hey, Brett Keisel was a 7th rounder himself don't forget.There's one possibility that hasn't yet really been discussed amongst Steelers Nation and that's this: it's not likely, but we may start seeing players taking less money, slightly that is, to go to teams with dynamic young coaches that are creating environments that players want to be a part of. Money talks, BS walks. I hear ya, believe me, but with the economic climate the way it is and with the uncertainty surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement's pending expiration...well, let's just say expecting recent years' trends to hold is not the safest of bets in my opinion.

CONCLUSIONS:

Let's count our lucky stars that DE Aaron Smith is locked up through the 2011 season, when he'll 35 years of age. I honestly wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Smith remains productive until he's closer to 40 than 35. He's so durable. 2007 was the first year of his career that he missed even one game after tearing his biceps against New England.

What about Casey Hampton? Well, let me just say this first. I think that it's too frequently that we immediately discount the possibility of guys in their 30s coming off their second contract to get extensions. 'The Steelers just don't do that' is what's usually said. Well, that's true but not universally. There's another myth out there that the 'Steelers are cheap and don't pay their older players.' Also not true. Here are the Steelers league rank in terms of payroll the past five years: 2008: 6th; 2007: 9th : 2006: 23rd ; 2005: 10th ; 2004 22nd.

The reality is the Steelers seem to be flexible with their spending limits. We've seen that with James Farrior, who signed a long term deal with substantial guarantees. And we're about to see it with James Harrison, who most would have said a year ago at this time was likely to be headed elsewhere after the 2009 season. Myself included. I'll hold off on fleshing this out, but let's just say I believe we're entering a four year window where the Steelers can legitimately achieve dynastic greatness. As in perhaps two more Super Bowls; and being a touch more conservative, let's just say the opportunity to host playoff games and make a run for the next four years as Ben enters his prime years, Santonio takes his game to the next level, Woodley and Deebo continue to reign terror on the league, our offensive line gets cleaned up, etc. etc. There's one area on the team where there's less certainty about 2-4 years down the road and that's the defensive line. We've got Aaron Smith for the run at greatness. I'd imagine that someone will get drafted on Day 1 this year to fill in for Brett Keisel in 2010, as well as a 2nd Day selection or two to compete for jobs with guys like Kirschke, Eason, Paxon.
Shoring up the offensive line, finding a replacement for Keisel, and since so many of you want to see B-Mac let go, a CB to fill in for him, AND for DeShea as he gets well into his mid 30s..well, there's only so many picks we have. (This is why we need to re-up either B-Mac or Big Snack..period. Can't let both walk and expect to accomplish our other goals this Draft.) So as it relates to Big Snack Hampton, I'll stop here and just say that I hope we find a way to keep him around to help us achieve those lofty goals floating out there in our most optimistic of projections. Guys like Snack don't grow on trees. In fact, they don't even come around every year; or five years really. He's that good when healthy. And at just 31 years of age, I hope like hell we at least keep the door open for re-signing him late this summer. What I'd do? See what kind of shape he shows up to Latrobe in after a summer of basking in Super Bowl glory. He was embarrassed last camp. Show up ready to eat, figuratively speaking on the field, then sign the dude and let him retire a Steeler and make a run at Canton having worn just one jersey.

Thoughts?

-MB (Blitz)-

behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com

Poll

Casey Hampton gets re-upped before Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season, assuming he shows up to camp in much better shape than last year.

True

573 votes

False

248 votes

821 votes | Poll has closed

Free Agent Target #3 - LB/DE Terrell Suggs

Brandon — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:00:10 -0000

I'm just heading down this list of the top unrestricted free agents. Signing Baltimore LB/DE Terrell Suggs might cost a lot of money and cap room. He might not even be available if Baltimore puts the franchise tag on him again. But signing him makes a lot of sense.

Suggs is 26 years old and has played in 3 Pro Bowls, including this year. He's been playing in Baltimore's 3-4 defense and, according to the NFL.com depth chart, he plays right outside linebacker. Pat Kirwan expects Aaron Kampman will play left outside LB, and that they need someone on at right outside LB who's an improvement over LB Brady Poppinga or LB Brandon Chillar. A young, talented, unrestricted free agent who knows how to play that position sounds like a perfect fit.

There's always risk with a high priced free agent. And Suggs might not be nearly as good a player once he's not playing behind Baltimore's defensive line which was pretty good at occupying blockers and giving him room to work. But he would seem to fit perfectly as the outside linebacker needed to make the conversion to a 3-4 work while replacing the pass rush they lost on the right side when DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila never came back 100% from his knee surgery. Suggs even makes sense as a right defensive end if they choose to give a 4-3 look to their defense at times. I really hope GM Ted Thompson gives Suggs serious consideration.

Poll

Does signing LB/DE Terrell Suggs to a big free agent contract sound like a good idea?

Yes

102 votes

No

34 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

2009 Packer Free Agents

Brandon — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:00:12 -0000

The 2008 season's over. Let's start speculating about 2009! Free agency comes first. It begins on February 27th. The first order of business; take care of your own free agents. Who should the Packers keep? The following is a combined list based on info from KFFL and Ask The Commish:

Player Name	Position	FA Status
Mike Montgomery	DE/DT	UFA
Mark Tauscher	RT	UFA

Atari Bigby	S	RFA
Jarrett Bush	CB	RFA
Jason Hunter	DE	RFA
Shaun Bodiford	WR	RFA

J.J. Jansen	LS	ERFA
Tramon Williams	CB	ERFA

UFA=Unrestricted Free Agent.

RFA=Restricted Free Agent.

ERFA=Exclusive Rights Free Agent.

Actually, the KFFL list is questionable. They listed a couple guys I've never heard of who are definitely not on the current roster, and they also included LB Brady Poppinga who signed a 5 year extension a few months ago. Also, they listed DE/DT Mike Montgomery and that's the only time I've seen his name mentioned anywhere.

Montgomery is someone I've been neglecting when discussing the switch to the 3-4. I've never been a big fan of his, but after DE Cullen Jenkins was lost for the season and DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila was released, Montgomery got some playing time and several starts at right DE. He ended up playing the best football of his career over the last nine games in 2008. And as someone who was asked to bulk up last season to play more inside at tackle, he has the size play end in a 3-4. Hopefully the KFFL list is wrong and he's not a unrestricted free agent yet. Then we can see how he plays in 2009 in a 3-4 before deciding whether he should stay.

Otherwise, RT Mark Tauscher is the big name on the list. But since he blew out his knee in December, I'm not sure he'll even be 100% by week 1. Hopefully he is resigned, but hopefully on a 1 year contract to prove he's healthy (think RB Ahman Green after the 2005 season).

I doubt any team will make an offer to S Atari Bigby after his injury plagued 2008 season, so he should return. But if someone did go after him, then it could be a tough choice depending on the size of the contract. CB Jarrett Bush seemed to commit a special teams penalty every week, and he lost his job as the nickel CB to CB Tramon Williams last preseason, so it wouldn't be a big loss if he isn't offered a new contract. DE Jason Hunter is always the lowest paid guy on the roster, but he's managed to keep a NFL roster spot the last two seasons, so he should be back. WR Shaun Bodiford was on I.R. for all of 2008 and I don't expect he'll be offered a contract.

LS J.J. Jansen barely played before he got hurt, but he could get offered a contract to provide some competition in camp. CB Tramon Williams isn't going anywhere.

Vikings Interested in Gbaja-Biamila?

Gonzo — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:23:20 -0000

The Packers released defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila over the weekend and, for some reason, there were immediately rumors that the Vikings were interested in bringing him in. To be honest, I'm not completely sure why. Allow me to summarize my thoughts on the Vikings potentially bringing him in:

No.

Hell No.

Good God, No.

Any of those would apply, really.

Yes, Gbaja-Biamila is the Packers' all-time sack leader. Good for him. That's sort of like being the best ice skater in Kenya. He's also one of the single most one-dimensional and overrated players that the NFL has seen in the last 10 years. In the time I've been watching the NFL, there are few players that I've seen that are as completely and utterly useless against the run as the man they call KGB. I can't even hear the guy's name without flashing back to this game. Mewelde Moore racked up 122 yards, almost 6 yards a carry, and almost every single one of those yards was gained by running left behind Bryant McKinnie, and right at KGB. If you want to see what it looks like when an offensive tackle completely destroys a defensive end for four quarters, see if you can track down video of that game.

And KGB's one real asset. . .his ability to get to the passer. . .isn't there any more either. He had a whopping 1/2 sack through the first half of the season for the Packers. The Packers, on the season, have 14 sacks as a team. In contrast, Kevin Williams and Jared Allen have 14 sacks combined. And, yet, KGB and his "pass rush skills" were deemed to be expendable by a team with, basically, no pass rush to speak of.

So, if he's not good enough for Green Bay. . .why on earth would we want to waste a roster spot on him?

What does everyone else think? Anyone want to bring this guy in? Talk about it here! We'll be back with more later on today!