Datone Jones to line up as 'elephant' for Packers in 2016

[Mark87]

Not sure how to explain this but guys who put their hand in the dirt rarely can play "up" effectively.A guy like JJ Watt is the exception to that rule as he plays both. However JJ was a converted TE... athletic freak.

I liked to use leverage and power in my game where as a "phant" wants to use speed and deception,he has to be able to play the field side to side not just attack forward. Jones in my opinion and Perry both lack the motor and are not built to go side to side. Not sure how else to explain it. Crease and or Mark might be better at it than me.

Fairly close 44, They are essentially stand-up defensive ends, and so they also need to be able to read the play and defend the run by setting the edge, rather than just affect the play by charging up field. I agree they have to be able to be horizontal to the line and pursue as well as rush.

Honestly Matthews is the best player for that spot... go draft a MLB and put Clay in the position where he can cause the most damage.

 

[salmar80]

Fairly close 44, They are essentially stand-up defensive ends, and so they also need to be able to read the play and defend the run by setting the edge, rather than just affect the play by charging up field. I agree they have to be able to be horizontal to the line and pursue as well as rush.

Honestly Matthews is the best player for that spot... go draft a MLB and put Clay in the position where he can cause the most damage.

Thanks Mark and 44.

Still, why would Datone not be able to play some strong side LB? I know he was at his best rushing when coming outta college, but he sure has some feet.

I tend to like Datone best as the backup to Daniels as the penetrating DL in the nickel. But would like to see him utilized elsewhere if he has the chops to do it.

If the comparison is Mike Neal, what's the main difference?

 

[Terranimal]

Mark: while I agree on getting a MLB, we still need at least another true OLB rusher. Matthews is getting older and has had injuries and Peppers is 36 and it's not realistic to think he can keep putting up those kind of numbers every year and what happens if he gets hurt?

Steelers and others have proven that they can be found anywhere in the draft and it the team's job to find them. A lot of picks spent on the front 7 with very few returns over the years. They need to strike gold here.

 

[GBP4EVER]

Mark: while I agree on getting a MLB, we still need at least another true OLB rusher. Matthews is getting older and has had injuries and Peppers is 36 and it's not realistic to think he can keep putting up those kind of numbers every year and what happens if he gets hurt?

Steelers and others have proven that they can be found anywhere in the draft and it the team's job to find them. A lot of picks spent on the front 7 with very few returns over the years. They need to strike gold here.

That's the thing though. Counting on TT to strike gold. You look at his drafts he is not the great draft guru people make him out to be. You look at his picks and he's not that great. There is a lot of average guys there. So lets say at best he's 50% at getting guys who are starters or good backups. That means 50% of the other picks are either average to below average backups or don't make the team. For a team that relies totally on D&D hoping he finds a good player in the draft to replace aging talent is a gamble. Also the Ted seems to be in love with his conversion projects that rarely pan out. I just hope that when a new GM does take over he won't be as stubborn as Ted and will only see one way to fill needs of this team and stop trying to force round pegs into square holes to fill a need.

 

[eyecatcher]

GBP4EVER- There isn't a day that goes by that you don't badmouth TT. I understand the reasons behind it but think you are overly critical. He isn't perfect but tell me who has a better record of drafting? TT is one of the top 5 GMs in the league each and every year. As far as drafting TT is ranked 7th of all active GMs in drafting pro-bowlers. You know who's 1st? Jerry Jones. I know Thomson isn't perfect but every GM drafts busts.

 

[GBP4EVER]

GBP4EVER- There isn't a day that goes by that you don't badmouth TT. I understand the reasons behind it but think you are overly critical. He isn't perfect but tell me who has a better record of drafting? TT is one of the top 5 GMs in the league each and every year. As far as drafting TT is ranked 7th of all active GMs in drafting pro-bowlers. You know who's 1st? Jerry Jones. I know Thomson isn't perfect but every GM drafts busts.

I think it's just foolish to act like TT is great. IMO he's dropped the ball as GM and deserves the critisim. Also big deal PB is a freaking joke anyone can make the PB how easy it is to get elected. TT has settled for having a solid drafts and drafting quantity over quality and hoping he hits on many. Good GM's don't put all their eggs into one basket like Ted does. I will stand by as will tons of people that if Ted was not a stubborn mule and used FA to improve the team that this team would be much better off. I think TT is a great talent scout but lacks in many other areas as a GM.

 

[Terranimal]

Every GM has areas they are great at drafting in and others they aren't for whatever reasons..... Draft positioning, etc.

Thompson seems really strong at finding Secondary and Receivers and not too shabby at O-Line.

But finding front 7 Defensive players he has the worst luck at. That is why thought he might have made a move or 2 this free agency. But money did get high on impact players.

 

[GBP4EVER]

Every GM has areas they are great at drafting in and others they aren't for whatever reasons..... Draft positioning, etc.

Thompson seems really strong at finding Secondary and Receivers and not too shabby at O-Line.

But finding front 7 Defensive players he has the worst luck at. That is why thought he might have made a move or 2 this free agency. But money did get high on impact players.

I agree T thing is I think Ted could have let some of the guys he re-signed go and found better replacements via FA that would not have cost much more or even thru the draft. Also in the draft TT's strength seems to be in the later and UDFA rounds. TT's first couple rounds seem really hit and miss and that's were you really want to be strong more then finding the late round gems.

 

[Terranimal]

Well Ron Wolf was the same way where he did better in middle rounds then he did in the first 2 rounds. But Wolf a lot of times traded his second or third round picks for players that brought in one's like TE Keith Jackson.

In a different way, Coach B trades a player he can't afford to keep for picks or for players to fill a need on his team's.

What frustrates me at times is Thompson not doing either. He holds on to players he can't re-sign until they become free agents and then hopes for a comp pick, instead of getting max value through a trade.

But to be fair, don' t know if he tries that and the deal just doesn't workout

 

[Cheesedog]

GBP4EVER- There isn't a day that goes by that you don't badmouth TT. I understand the reasons behind it but think you are overly critical. He isn't perfect but tell me who has a better record of drafting? TT is one of the top 5 GMs in the league each and every year. As far as drafting TT is ranked 7th of all active GMs in drafting pro-bowlers. You know who's 1st? Jerry Jones. I know Thomson isn't perfect but every GM drafts busts.

The problem with strict D&D is that you pretty much need to be #1 in draft hits to achieve the ultimate goal of a SB title. Because those guys ahead of you not only are drafting better, but are using FA to plug holes as well.

But like we all know TT is first and foremost focused on $$ and the cap. So it's not surprising he does things like he does. He's a good, solid GM. Is he one of the best? Depends on your criteria.

But since this thread is about Jones, it's a pick I think he missed on. Square peg in round hole like Mark and 44 have explained. So in this instance TT missed. And you can definitely question why the Packers are keeping him instead of trading him for value. Now is that MM being stubborn? Or TT telling MM he won't trade him? Or as an organization it has never come up in discussion?