With the sting of the game still lingering in our thoughts it is hard to look forward but that is just what we need to do. The management will be making some tough decisions in the next few weeks about free agents, etc. The one that most fans are worried about is Randall Cobb, the way he played this year made him a high priority as a slot receiver but the real question is how high did he make his price tag? Ted Thompson is the best at keeping the Packers salary cap in order but with Cobb’s play this year he may have raised his price tag too high for the Packers to retain him. They have other players like Bulaga/Williams and House they need to make decisions on as well. While I would love to see Cobb stay in 2015 I would rather see them retain the big guy to protect Rodgers even more. Bulaga is a big reason the Packers offense was great this year, we all saw what life was like without him when he went out for a couple games and Derrick Sherrod filled in! Bottom line is they need to keep this O line intact even if it means letting Cobb walk. They will have Abbrederis and Janis back next year and R. Rodgers/Adams will be playing as second year players. The two rookies were making leaps and bounds in the second half of the year to become targets as well so while losing Cobb would be a blow to the team it is not the end of the world. Just look back a few years when Thompson let top players like Jones and Jennings walk and Driver retire, We all thought he made big mistakes then but look how things worked out. All year they have kept Janis sidelined for what ever reason but I believe it was to bring him along slowly for next year or, I should say, this year! I would not be surprised if he is the ace in the hole that McCarthy has been grooming to be opposite Nelson with Adams and Abby as there slot guys Aaron could have plenty of good weapons to go to this year even if Cobb goes elsewhere. All we as fans can do is keep our trust in Thompson to do the right thing to keep our team playing at a high level. Who knows maybe Thompson can work his magic to keep Cobb and Bulaga along with a few others that need to be brought back.
Now for the coaches, I am not happy with how McCarthy called the second half of the title game, by 
him going to the prevent football and playing not to lose instead of playing to win like he did the first half cost them the title. If he can’t call plays to be aggressive for 60 minutes maybe Thompson needs to take that power away from him! As a coach he does a great job. He has taken the team to the NFC north title four years in a row so he does know how to win but it is the big games he seems to lack the ability to go for the throat after getting a lead and that worries me for the future of the team. How can they defeat great teams that never stop playing for 60 minutes if he is willing to take his foot off the gas when the game is on the line? Bottom line is there is nothing we can do about his lack of killer instincts but hope he learns from his shortcomings and starts coaching with some enthusiasm.
As for the defense I do have to admit Capers finally put together the right schemes with personnel after the bye week so if he can carry this over into this year he gets a pass in my books but if he is also the one that called for the prevent defense the second half, well his head should be on the chopping blocks also!
Slocum should have coached his last game. He had all year to fix the issues on special teams and has failed to do so.
Back to the players, I for one hope Brad Jones is sent packing this year he has been nothing but a problem all year with the exception of a few plays. AJ Hawk should retire and maybe slip into a coaching job but his play has regressed so much that another year would be hard to watch. Guion or Raji or both? This will be interesting to watch, maybe Raji will sign another one year prove it deal. Guion played very well so if not I could see them keeping him over Raji actually.
Well there are a lot of players I could go on about but going to wait and see what Thompson does, Keep the faith and never stop believing in our Green bay Packers!
Go Pack Go!
Jeff
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Dear Jeff, I agree with most all you say here, except this: it is IMPERATIVE that we keep Cobb. I think Aaron would even demand it. He is just too fantastic and versatile to lose. He is also a real TEAM player, and can’t be compared to Jennings whom I’ve heard was more about “him” than about the Packers. So, respectfully, I can’t even listen to a discussion of Cobb leaving. . .
I am certain TT will find a way to keep both him and Bulaga.
Andrea I agree it would be terrible to lose him but as I stated he may have played his price tag to high for them to pay him…I sure hope they work it out but I also believe they will need to keep Bulaga and a few others and if they can only pay Cobb and lose them it might not be possible..As for Aaron demanding it I don’t think he has much say in who stays and who goes
Cobb must stay. One of the most versatile offensive players that I have seen. In addition, Jennings and Jones were significantly older. Cobb is just coming into his prime. I also believe that we will find a way to keep Cobb and Bulaga.
We were not in prevent for the entire 2nd half of the Hawks game, only parts of the last 5 mins, and the 1st and very long and 2nd and 19 which ended in the fake FG. We couldn’t stop the run or pass late in the game in our base D either. That’s the concern; why our D cannot play a complete game in any formation. Part of it falls on Capers, but our strength and conditioning has been a joke for several years now. I agree that we should stick with what is working rather than ever go into prevent. Prevent hurt us on 1 drive in this game, but failure to play a S over the top on 2 consecutive 34 yard pass plays in OT hurt us far more.
Zone coverage has been a problem for us since Capers arrived in 2009. Our players watch receivers run through their zones without picking them up. On the rare occasions that they do pick them up, they turn them loose completely when they enter another zone without making sure someone else is there to pick them up. They often watch the QB instead of the receivers. This is basic football. Pick up the player as he’s entering your zone, and you’re on man coverage until a player from the next zone takes over. Our zone fundamentals are among the worst in the league. Just one part of why I’m not a fan of Dom Capers, and never will be.
There’s plenty of cap room to sign Cobb and Bulaga, but delaying Cobb’s extension definitely cost us more in the end. Cobb, Bulaga, Raji, and Tolzien are must signs. We could use some better run blocking O-linemen. And we desperately need more ILBs. I was happy with the progress of Barrington, but we still need someone opposite him and depth.
Our run D was much better with Matthews in the middle, proof that Guion was not very good. When Matthews played OLB, Lynch burned us for big runs. Daniels, Boyd, and Guion were easily blocked by a mediocre Hawks O-line on big runs by Lynch.
I’m still not happy with the way our D cannot consistently get pressure on opposing QBs in the last 5 mins of games. Again, strength and conditioning must improve.
Slocum should be canned. No excuse for 7 blocked FGs this year, or giving up a game changing fake FG.
Time will tell if Janis and Abbre can contribute to our team, but McCarthy’s history shows that he’s very stubborn about new players getting playing time. I still think Janis and/or Abbre should be returning punts and kicks to get on the field, and work themselves into a receiver roles.
Last year was the longest off season of my 55 years. I expect this year will be even longer. Still feel that McCarthy has let us all down with his conservative play calling on offense. Hard to feel good about next year, knowing he refuses to accept any responsibility for his mistakes. Go Pack go!
Considering how much we payed to keep Aaron, I would think keeping him happy would be first and foremost on the minds of our management.
Has anyonein management thought about allowing Aaron to do his own play calling…probably would have won the game if he had!!
McCarthy has a great abiility to build team but his grand show of “no confidence” in a playoff game leaves much to be desired.
I am quite sure Rodgers has that skill down…when did quartbacks stop doing the play calling? They are right there…they know their offense better than anyone!!
Jeff, I agree with everything you said, but hopefully we can keep both Cobb and Bulaga. We need to keep and resign Kuuuuuuuuuhn as well. He’s ARod’s safety blanket. I hope they sign Raji because we need all the big guys we can get. With Matthews playing more ILB and the emergence of (forget his name just now but it starts with a ‘B’ I think) at ILB, it’s time to let go Hawk and Jones then draft one or two more. Lastly, I have an EEEnormous problem with the way McStupid called the whole game, not just the 2nd half, in particular all the 4th and ones we passed up. Gave me the red ass everytime he did that. TT needs to have a serious talk with him about that.