Peppers a Packer (1 minute ago from USA Today)

MB20 wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

milani wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:As for Peppers being over-the-hill, in the 1995-96 season Reggie White led the best Defense the Packers ever had to a NFL Championship.

He was 35 years old.
He was still a fucking load at 37.

Peppers is 34.

They're comparable talent's--no question.  That can't be said for many in relation to Reggie.  However--what set Reggie aside is is utter drive and determination to be unrelenting to failure.  I'm not so sure Peppers holds that to the same degree.  Few do.  Other than Reggie Jackson--I've never seen an athlete who could just dial up at will that whole other turbo level when it was absolutely required in order to prevail.


As your physical skills decline--you need something there extra to cover the spread.  We shall see whether the 'pepper is a champion--or merely just a really good football player.  Reggie was a champion among Kings...  Once every 10-15 years--maybe...

Peppers will likely not be the second coming of Reggie White........but if we can at least get a guy in there that consistently actually TACKLES and rub off on the rest of the D to TACKLE........then we have something we didn't have last season.     This should take some pressure off of AJ Hawk (to lead) and also let Matthews do what he does best again (i.e., not get double teamed constantly).  This should bring back a little Charles Woodson swagger on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.   Would like to see at least two more defensive acquisitions out of TT to perk this D up for the upcoming season.   I also want to see Matthews and Peppers (legally) wishbone Cutler LOL LOL LOL.

I would not be so worried about Cutler. There are many ways to beat the Bears. You can do it by fumbling for a TD or making 3 fourth down conversions in the final minutes.
I would be more apt to plan for the Seahawks, Patriots, Saints, and Panthers. They will be our most formidable opponents during the regular season.

Let me guess.  You and HD are penciling in the Packers at about 5-11 or 6-10 right now, right?

    You just don't know when to quit, do you Duck?  Is it not embarrassing to you to likely have pretty much everyone on the board rolling their eyes at this crap you've been putting forth lately?  You've become such an unrelenting homer that it's come to the point where on the very eve of the Peppers signing--where it looked like the bulk of free agency had passed and, once again, Green Bay was left no better off than when it started...you were so far out in Rooferville that you actually stated that not only were you happy that TT fails to utilize free agency as a resource for upgrade--but that you'd actually be DISAPPOINTED if he did dip his toe in free agency and secure a player in it.  No sooner did you come up with that over-the-top, lala land idiocy in an attempt to support your *everything is just dandy--superbowl contenders* crap that the Peppers signing is announced--and your response?  See everyone?!  TT utilizes free agency!  Look--he just signed Julius Peppers!  Isn't that wonderful?!  This proves that all your criticisms are unwarranted and I've stood alone in being right about him all along!  Good laughs...


...and the best part?  I bet you can't even admit how contradictory and duplicitous that is--can you?    

You and your "Fuck Whitey" pals

*insert pic of Norm and/or Cliff here*

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

duck wrote:

MB20 wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

milani wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:As for Peppers being over-the-hill, in the 1995-96 season Reggie White led the best Defense the Packers ever had to a NFL Championship.

He was 35 years old.
He was still a fucking load at 37.

Peppers is 34.

They're comparable talent's--no question.  That can't be said for many in relation to Reggie.  However--what set Reggie aside is is utter drive and determination to be unrelenting to failure.  I'm not so sure Peppers holds that to the same degree.  Few do.  Other than Reggie Jackson--I've never seen an athlete who could just dial up at will that whole other turbo level when it was absolutely required in order to prevail.


As your physical skills decline--you need something there extra to cover the spread.  We shall see whether the 'pepper is a champion--or merely just a really good football player.  Reggie was a champion among Kings...  Once every 10-15 years--maybe...

Peppers will likely not be the second coming of Reggie White........but if we can at least get a guy in there that consistently actually TACKLES and rub off on the rest of the D to TACKLE........then we have something we didn't have last season.     This should take some pressure off of AJ Hawk (to lead) and also let Matthews do what he does best again (i.e., not get double teamed constantly).  This should bring back a little Charles Woodson swagger on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.   Would like to see at least two more defensive acquisitions out of TT to perk this D up for the upcoming season.   I also want to see Matthews and Peppers (legally) wishbone Cutler LOL LOL LOL.

I would not be so worried about Cutler. There are many ways to beat the Bears. You can do it by fumbling for a TD or making 3 fourth down conversions in the final minutes.
I would be more apt to plan for the Seahawks, Patriots, Saints, and Panthers. They will be our most formidable opponents during the regular season.

Let me guess.  You and HD are penciling in the Packers at about 5-11 or 6-10 right now, right?

    You just don't know when to quit, do you Duck?  Is it not embarrassing to you to likely have pretty much everyone on the board rolling their eyes at this crap you've been putting forth lately?  You've become such an unrelenting homer that it's come to the point where on the very eve of the Peppers signing--where it looked like the bulk of free agency had passed and, once again, Green Bay was left no better off than when it started...you were so far out in Rooferville that you actually stated that not only were you happy that TT fails to utilize free agency as a resource for upgrade--but that you'd actually be DISAPPOINTED if he did dip his toe in free agency and secure a player in it.  No sooner did you come up with that over-the-top, lala land idiocy in an attempt to support your *everything is just dandy--superbowl contenders* crap that the Peppers signing is announced--and your response?  See everyone?!  TT utilizes free agency!  Look--he just signed Julius Peppers!  Isn't that wonderful?!  This proves that all your criticisms are unwarranted and I've stood alone in being right about him all along!  Good laughs...


...and the best part?  I bet you can't even admit how contradictory and duplicitous that is--can you?    

You and your "Fuck Whitey" pals

*insert pic of Norm and/or Cliff here*

Fuck Whitey.  We fans know better how to run a football team.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

MB20 wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

milani wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:As for Peppers being over-the-hill, in the 1995-96 season Reggie White led the best Defense the Packers ever had to a NFL Championship.

He was 35 years old.
He was still a fucking load at 37.

Peppers is 34.

They're comparable talent's--no question.  That can't be said for many in relation to Reggie.  However--what set Reggie aside is is utter drive and determination to be unrelenting to failure.  I'm not so sure Peppers holds that to the same degree.  Few do.  Other than Reggie Jackson--I've never seen an athlete who could just dial up at will that whole other turbo level when it was absolutely required in order to prevail.


As your physical skills decline--you need something there extra to cover the spread.  We shall see whether the 'pepper is a champion--or merely just a really good football player.  Reggie was a champion among Kings...  Once every 10-15 years--maybe...

Peppers will likely not be the second coming of Reggie White........but if we can at least get a guy in there that consistently actually TACKLES and rub off on the rest of the D to TACKLE........then we have something we didn't have last season.     This should take some pressure off of AJ Hawk (to lead) and also let Matthews do what he does best again (i.e., not get double teamed constantly).  This should bring back a little Charles Woodson swagger on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.   Would like to see at least two more defensive acquisitions out of TT to perk this D up for the upcoming season.   I also want to see Matthews and Peppers (legally) wishbone Cutler LOL LOL LOL.

I would not be so worried about Cutler. There are many ways to beat the Bears. You can do it by fumbling for a TD or making 3 fourth down conversions in the final minutes.
I would be more apt to plan for the Seahawks, Patriots, Saints, and Panthers. They will be our most formidable opponents during the regular season.

Let me guess.  You and HD are penciling in the Packers at about 5-11 or 6-10 right now, right?

    You just don't know when to quit, do you Duck?  Is it not embarrassing to you to likely have pretty much everyone on the board rolling their eyes at this crap you've been putting forth lately?  You've become such an unrelenting homer that it's come to the point where on the very eve of the Peppers signing--where it looked like the bulk of free agency had passed and, once again, Green Bay was left no better off than when it started...you were so far out in Rooferville that you actually stated that not only were you happy that TT fails to utilize free agency as a resource for upgrade--but that you'd actually be DISAPPOINTED if he did dip his toe in free agency and secure a player in it.  No sooner did you come up with that over-the-top, lala land idiocy in an attempt to support your *everything is just dandy--superbowl contenders* crap that the Peppers signing is announced--and your response?  See everyone?!  TT utilizes free agency!  Look--he just signed Julius Peppers!  Isn't that wonderful?!  This proves that all your criticisms are unwarranted and I've stood alone in being right about him all along!  Good laughs...


...and the best part?  I bet you can't even admit how contradictory and duplicitous that is--can you?    

You and your "Fuck Whitey" pals

*insert pic of Norm and/or Cliff here*

Fuck Whitey.  We fans know better how to run a football team.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Like clockwork...   

MB20 wrote:Yeah, I know- fans of a football team who have (albeit unprofessional) opinions about said football team discussing them on a football forum... how lowbrow.

Glad you can come in from on high to remind us of what rabble we are. Nay, honored.

duck wrote:

milani wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

JnC4GB wrote:As for Peppers being over-the-hill, in the 1995-96 season Reggie White led the best Defense the Packers ever had to a NFL Championship.

He was 35 years old.
He was still a fucking load at 37.

Peppers is 34.

They're comparable talent's--no question.  That can't be said for many in relation to Reggie.  However--what set Reggie aside is is utter drive and determination to be unrelenting to failure.  I'm not so sure Peppers holds that to the same degree.  Few do.  Other than Reggie Jackson--I've never seen an athlete who could just dial up at will that whole other turbo level when it was absolutely required in order to prevail.


As your physical skills decline--you need something there extra to cover the spread.  We shall see whether the 'pepper is a champion--or merely just a really good football player.  Reggie was a champion among Kings...  Once every 10-15 years--maybe...

Peppers will likely not be the second coming of Reggie White........but if we can at least get a guy in there that consistently actually TACKLES and rub off on the rest of the D to TACKLE........then we have something we didn't have last season.     This should take some pressure off of AJ Hawk (to lead) and also let Matthews do what he does best again (i.e., not get double teamed constantly).  This should bring back a little Charles Woodson swagger on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.   Would like to see at least two more defensive acquisitions out of TT to perk this D up for the upcoming season.   I also want to see Matthews and Peppers (legally) wishbone Cutler LOL LOL LOL.

I would not be so worried about Cutler. There are many ways to beat the Bears. You can do it by fumbling for a TD or making 3 fourth down conversions in the final minutes.
I would be more apt to plan for the Seahawks, Patriots, Saints, and Panthers. They will be our most formidable opponents during the regular season.

Let me guess.  You and HD are penciling in the Packers at about 5-11 or 6-10 right now, right?

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...     

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Hardly Duck...  Bad or good--keepin' it real is a greatest good to me...  Well, whaddaya know.  That is exactly my philosophy.  I keep my perspectives clear and reality-based, not fluttering with fan emotions or joining torch and pitchfork marches to the castle with the cyber gang.  The world is filled with people who can lie to you--I figured a long time ago that was covered, so we do it to myself?  You want to know why my comments have become more negative since 2010?  THREE  correction:TWO one/out's and 8-7-1 is the bottom line--and all the ingredients I saw in advance poor decisions made on are what make up that stew...


Clearly--you/I assess on different levels.  You blindly Hardly "blindly"... I put a great deal of thought into my takes write the season off to a random Rodgers' injury while heralding shit like the offensive line There you go again.  I've already proven to you about fifteen times that our OL was hardly "shit"... yet you're so entrenched in your negative mind set you can't dig out.  I dig into WHY/HOW RODGERS BECAME INJURED (whiff by Don Barclay) and see an entirely different perspective.  And I try to take a broader baseline perspective.  It's football.  Players get injured.  Shit happens.  Troy Aikman broke his collarbone (like Rodgers) behind one of the greatest lines in NFL history.  To put this on Barclay is simply misguided scapegoating.  It's not like it's neuro surgery, Duck...  Most here on the this board see and accept what proves so challenging to what you've become.


Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...   Well, you and I are in agreement that Milani has upped his game and is doing a better job than the other.       

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Hardly Duck...  Bad or good--keepin' it real is a greatest good to me...  Well, whaddaya know.  That is exactly my philosophy.  I keep my perspectives clear and reality-based, not fluttering with fan emotions or joining torch and pitchfork marches to the castle with the cyber gang.  The world is filled with people who can lie to you--I figured a long time ago that was covered, so we do it to myself?  You want to know why my comments have become more negative since 2010?  THREE  correction:TWO one/out's and 8-7-1 is the bottom line--and all the ingredients I saw in advance poor decisions made on are what make up that stew...


Clearly--you/I assess on different levels.  You blindly Hardly "blindly"... I put a great deal of thought into my takes write the season off to a random Rodgers' injury while heralding shit like the offensive line There you go again.  I've already proven to you about fifteen times that our OL was hardly "shit"... yet you're so entrenched in your negative mind set you can't dig out.  I dig into WHY/HOW RODGERS BECAME INJURED (whiff by Don Barclay) and see an entirely different perspective.  And I try to take a broader baseline perspective.  It's football.  Players get injured.  Shit happens.  Troy Aikman broke his collarbone (like Rodgers) behind one of the greatest lines in NFL history.  To put this on Barclay is simply misguided scapegoating.  It's not like it's neuro surgery, Duck...  Most here on the this board see and accept what proves so challenging to what you've become.


Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...   Well, you and I are in agreement that Milani has upped his game and is doing a better job than the other.          Than the other what?  You better be talking about Ringo and not that other one...........  

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Hardly Duck...  Bad or good--keepin' it real is a greatest good to me...  Well, whaddaya know.  That is exactly my philosophy.  I keep my perspectives clear and reality-based, not fluttering with fan emotions or joining torch and pitchfork marches to the castle with the cyber gang.  The world is filled with people who can lie to you--I figured a long time ago that was covered, so we do it to myself?  You want to know why my comments have become more negative since 2010?  THREE  correction:TWO one/out's and 8-7-1 is the bottom line--and all the ingredients I saw in advance poor decisions made on are what make up that stew...


Clearly--you/I assess on different levels.  You blindly Hardly "blindly"... I put a great deal of thought into my takes write the season off to a random Rodgers' injury while heralding shit like the offensive line There you go again.  I've already proven to you about fifteen times that our OL was hardly "shit"... yet you're so entrenched in your negative mind set you can't dig out.  I dig into WHY/HOW RODGERS BECAME INJURED (whiff by Don Barclay) and see an entirely different perspective.  And I try to take a broader baseline perspective.  It's football.  Players get injured.  Shit happens.  Troy Aikman broke his collarbone (like Rodgers) behind one of the greatest lines in NFL history.  To put this on Barclay is simply misguided scapegoating.  It's not like it's neuro surgery, Duck...  Most here on the this board see and accept what proves so challenging to what you've become.


Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...   Well, you and I are in agreement that Milani has upped his game and is doing a better job than the other.          Than the other what?  You better be talking about Ringo and not that other one...........  

duck wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Hardly Duck...  Bad or good--keepin' it real is a greatest good to me...  Well, whaddaya know.  That is exactly my philosophy.  I keep my perspectives clear and reality-based, not fluttering with fan emotions or joining torch and pitchfork marches to the castle with the cyber gang.  The world is filled with people who can lie to you--I figured a long time ago that was covered, so we do it to myself?  You want to know why my comments have become more negative since 2010?  THREE  correction:TWO one/out's and 8-7-1 is the bottom line--and all the ingredients I saw in advance poor decisions made on are what make up that stew...


Clearly--you/I assess on different levels.  You blindly Hardly "blindly"... I put a great deal of thought into my takes write the season off to a random Rodgers' injury while heralding shit like the offensive line There you go again.  I've already proven to you about fifteen times that our OL was hardly "shit"... yet you're so entrenched in your negative mind set you can't dig out.  I dig into WHY/HOW RODGERS BECAME INJURED (whiff by Don Barclay) and see an entirely different perspective.  And I try to take a broader baseline perspective.  It's football.  Players get injured.  Shit happens.  Troy Aikman broke his collarbone (like Rodgers) behind one of the greatest lines in NFL history.  To put this on Barclay is simply misguided scapegoating.  It's not like it's neuro surgery, Duck...  Most here on the this board see and accept what proves so challenging to what you've become.


Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...   Well, you and I are in agreement that Milani has upped his game and is doing a better job than the other.          Than the other what?  You better be talking about Ringo and not that other one...........  

Sorry, Ringo.  Maybe I didn't make myself clear.  I think Milani has stepped up to a level ahead of HD now.  HD continues to get confused on many levels.  His dogged description of our OL as "dog shit" is comical by now.  He never registered the fact that McCarthy's decision to go for 2 points while down 16 against the Vikes was hardly an egregious error but a coin flip call.  Once again, it reveals reflexive negativity and inflexible thinking.  Mr. Contract Man couldn't get his numbers straight on Shields' contract, Kben called him on it, and he shuffled away without a peep.  What's up with that??

Frankly, I'm worried about the poor guy.  HD is very bright and has contributed immensely to this board over the years.  What the hell happened?  Did he get bonked in the noggin on one of his motorcycle rides?  Premature Alzheimer's??

Out of pure charity and compassion, I won't even pursue the discussion in which HD asserted that the ten most significant events in musical history in the last century were all by white 20-year-old British and American rockers.

Let's hope HD can steady the ship before he's asked to evaluate the Packer offseason and assess our chances in the 2014 season.

Maybe we all should pitch in to send him to an island somewhere for a couple of weeks.   

LMFAO...  This is one of your most revealing posts, Duckler...  It's capped another long, busy day off quite amusingly...  Thank you.     

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:

_HD_ wrote:

duck wrote:HD: You've become such an unrelenting homer


Call it whatever you want.  I'm just more and more convinced Thompson is doing a good job and I'm solidly behind his (and McCarthy's) program.

Bitch all you want.  I like our prospects for 2014.

That's great, Duck.  I have no problem with that.  The problem is--that the last six months you've gone completely--and I mean COMPLETELY black and white.  Once again--tail wag the dog type shit.  You determined that you're *solidly behind*  Thompson and McCarthy's program--so now whatever they do--you're solidly behind it...regardless of what it is.  No free agents?  Fuck free agency--it's just *hype for the fans*  Bringing in Peppers you say?  Hooray!  Well, shit--I guess that proves TT isn't fucked up and inflexible when it comes to free agency after all.  This is just one example.  Can't you see you can't have it both ways?

I can't help it if my nuanced and carefully worded comments register as black and white to you.

I don't agree with everything Thompson does nor do I agree with everything McCarthy does and anyone who has been reading this board long enough knows that I have frequently voiced such criticisms.

A turning point in my viewpoint, relative to the majority of the board, was last season right after Rodgers got hurt -- after a spate of other injuries.  At that point most spoiled Packer fans predictably began to piss and moan, blaming Fatty, the albino, desperately looking for reasons why our team went on an ugly run.

The answer was quite simple.  Our #1 player (Rodgers) was down and our #2 player (Matthews) was either down or playing injured.  You're not going to win many games with your second string, third string, and finally fourth string QB.  Green Bay was able to overcome a slew of injuries in 2010 but couldn't do it in 2013.  However the foundation of the team, from the GM to the head coach, IMHO, is quite strong.  

If anything, I'd say your comments are becoming more polarized.  You're turning more and more into a Milani, finding negatives hiding in every bush.

Hardly Duck...  Bad or good--keepin' it real is a greatest good to me...  Well, whaddaya know.  That is exactly my philosophy.  I keep my perspectives clear and reality-based, not fluttering with fan emotions or joining torch and pitchfork marches to the castle with the cyber gang.  The world is filled with people who can lie to you--I figured a long time ago that was covered, so we do it to myself?  You want to know why my comments have become more negative since 2010?  THREE  correction:TWO one/out's and 8-7-1 is the bottom line--and all the ingredients I saw in advance poor decisions made on are what make up that stew...


Clearly--you/I assess on different levels.  You blindly Hardly "blindly"... I put a great deal of thought into my takes write the season off to a random Rodgers' injury while heralding shit like the offensive line There you go again.  I've already proven to you about fifteen times that our OL was hardly "shit"... yet you're so entrenched in your negative mind set you can't dig out.  I dig into WHY/HOW RODGERS BECAME INJURED (whiff by Don Barclay) and see an entirely different perspective.  And I try to take a broader baseline perspective.  It's football.  Players get injured.  Shit happens.  Troy Aikman broke his collarbone (like Rodgers) behind one of the greatest lines in NFL history.  To put this on Barclay is simply misguided scapegoating.  It's not like it's neuro surgery, Duck...  Most here on the this board see and accept what proves so challenging to what you've become.


Finally--you like to make a habit recently of regularly maligning Milani.  Let me say this:  You're not keeping up with present-day reality there either.  Here's a newsflash.  Interestingly, as your takes have become increasingly off-base, Milani's have substantially improved to the point where I'd say you really need to work on your game if you'd like to enjoy any sort of moral superiority/validity to your criticisms of him...  He's been kicking your ass, quacker...   Well, you and I are in agreement that Milani has upped his game and is doing a better job than the other.          Than the other what?  You better be talking about Ringo and not that other one...........  

Sorry, Ringo.  Maybe I didn't make myself clear.  I think Milani has stepped up to a level ahead of HD now.  HD continues to get confused on many levels.  His dogged description of our OL as "dog shit" is comical by now.  He never registered the fact that McCarthy's decision to go for 2 points while down 16 against the Vikes was hardly an egregious error but a coin flip call.  Once again, it reveals reflexive negativity and inflexible thinking.  Mr. Contract Man couldn't get his numbers straight on Shields' contract, Kben called him on it, and he shuffled away without a peep.  What's up with that??

Frankly, I'm worried about the poor guy.  HD is very bright and has contributed immensely to this board over the years.  What the hell happened?  Did he get bonked in the noggin on one of his motorcycle rides?  Premature Alzheimer's??

Out of pure charity and compassion, I won't even pursue the discussion in which HD asserted that the ten most significant events in musical history in the last century were all by white 20-year-old British and American rockers.

Let's hope HD can steady the ship before he's asked to evaluate the Packer offseason and assess our chances in the 2014 season.

Maybe we all should pitch in to send him to an island somewhere for a couple of weeks.   

LMFAO...  This is one of your most revealing posts, Duckler...  It's capped another long, busy day off quite amusingly...  Thank you.     

RingoCStarrQB wrote:Some maniac on another board posted this:

Peppers is extremely versatile for his size, he will play as an OLB/DE that will probably move all over the Packers front line... he can play any position on the D line, linebacker, and possibly spot duty as a strong safety.

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The elephant position would essentially cover both spots. McCarthy described it as a position in which a defensive player would never line up on the inside shoulder of an offensive tackle. Instead, the elephant end would play what’s called a 7-technique, which lines up on the inside shoulder of a tight end.

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“(Capers) likes to be versatile and do different things. That’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole career,” Peppers said.

“This team last year had a great offense, even when Aaron went down. The defense – I don’t know what they were missing. I definitely feel I can help them get to an elite level. Everything’s a perfect fit.”

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“It feels great to be a Packer,” Peppers said via text Saturday night, upon returning home from Green Bay and reflecting on the whirlwind past few days. “I'm excited to join a team with a great history of winning and tradition. I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for a championship.



“I was looking for the right opportunity to present itself. A team with a legitimate chance to win a title, an organization full of great people and a locker room with great players who know how to win. I was also looking for a unique defensive scheme that would allow me to be a more versatile and effective player.”

“That was really important to Julius -- that he have the opportunity to show the versatility he has and some of his special gifts,” Carey said. “He's wanted to play in a 3-4 defense or a hybrid sort of a situation for many years, ever since he was with the Carolina Panthers years ago, and to have that opportunity now, he is super excited.

“And when you have a team that is obviously a great division rival that has watched film on you and has been studying you and has game planned against you for four seasons and, that team then comes and says we want you to join us, I think that's probably the highest compliment that a player can receive. Because they know him, and they know what he brings to the table, and for them to come and say we want you on our side, I think that speaks volumes about what they know about him from the other side.”

“Quite honestly, within the first five minutes of being at the team facility -- meeting Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy and Russ Ball -- I could see that he felt right at home,” Carey said. “And he actually said that he really liked the vibe that was there. In this process, since Tuesday when he was released, I heard from a total of eight teams that were interested in him, and a number of those teams actually put offers on the table. But when we got to Green Bay he looked at me and told me, ‘Let's get this done.'”

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There's a lot to like here. Peppers is flexible enough to play multiple positions on the defensive line, giving Green Bay greater flexibility. You can line him up as a 3-4 defensive end, a 4-3 defensive end or tackle or stand him up as a linebacker. Peppers will reportedly make $8.5 million in 2013, a reasonable gamble for a Packers defense that needs help.

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Carey said ideally Peppers wants to play in a 3-4 defensive system where he can stand up and roam the field as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, similar to how the Dallas Cowboys use DeMarcus Ware and how the San Diego Chargers have used Shawne Merriman in the past before his injury.

So basically he doesn’t want to have a lot of run responsibility[​IMG], he just wants to rush the quarterback and compile as many sacks as he possibly can. At 6’7”, 283 pounds, Peppers would easily be the biggest linebacker in the NFL.

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Peppers' versatility had Belichick, the former defensive coach, envisioning what could have been had Peppers elected to join the Patriots, though the coach didn't address that possibility directly.

"You could put him anywhere on the field," Belichick said. "He can play on the front line, he could play linebacker. He could play strong safety. He could play anywhere on the defensive line. He's tall. Richard Seymour was tall and he played there. Put him out at tight end, make a left tackle out of him. I wouldn't want to tackle him if he was carrying the ball. He's a great player."

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The Packers view defensive end Julius Peppers, who was released by the Chicago Bears, as the best defensive front player still available. But at age 34, he probably isn't a player Packers general manager Ted Thompson would be willing to pay.

Perhaps the next best option as a pass-rusher is DeMarcus Ware, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys for the same reason as Peppers. Ware is younger (he turns 32 in July) and would be a good fit for the Packers' 3-4 defense. The Packers spent part of Tuesday discussing Ware but have not set up a visit. That would likely only happen if Ware goes unsigned after the initial wave of interest.

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Pete Dougherty ‏@PeteDougherty 21h
Just talked to another NFL scout about Peppers. Ranked him as the best player among him, DeMarcus Ware n Jared Allen

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Understand that Peppers is a brute squad – a freakish package of strength, smarts and athleticism. He’s a Hall-of-Famer at the peak of his abilities who has elevated a defensive scheme that apparently needed only him to function properly. He’s the focus[​IMG] of blocking attention on every play, as he makes zone drops like a safety, chases downfield like a linebacker, caves in the line on run plays, sets the edge and contains, pursues quarterbacks relentlessly, and blocks kicks.

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Julius Peppers is such a special athlete he probably could moonlight anywhere and help[​IMG] the Bears in spots.

But he could be a difference-maker at defensive tackle.

Anyone who watched the defensive end slide inside Sunday against the Lions would agree. On four plays as a three technique, or under tackle, Peppers had a sack, a quarterback hit and a pressure.

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Peppers was the best basketball player and among the best football players ever at Southern Nash, where he received so many recruiting letters that he was given his own mail slot in the school office. In basketball he finished his career with more than 1,600 points, 800 rebounds and 200 assists and was heavily recruited by Duke. In football Peppers rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns at tailback and manhandled opponents as a defensive lineman. In his final game, when Northeast Guilford High ran a sweep away from Peppers, he chased down the running back, stole the ball from behind and raced 90 yards the other way for a touchdown.

As a senior, Peppers placed second in the triple jump at the state track meet, despite wearing spikes two sizes too small because size 18s couldn't be found. Having watched Big Head swing a bat, Davis believes he could have been a baseball star as well. The coach still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls a three-hour football practice on a scorching summer day before Peppers's junior season, after which all the other Firebirds lay sprawled on the grass or huddled around the water spigot. Peppers strolled over to one end zone and began doing backflips the length of the field. No hands. For 100 yards. In full pads and helmet.

While scouts from the NFL and the NBA believe Peppers could excel in either league, he has made up his mind:

Peppers may be the largest, most intimidating model to date. He bench-presses 425 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, has a 37.5-inch vertical leap and only 4% body fat. During Peppers's redshirt year the North Carolina football coaches couldn't decide at which position he might wreak the most havoc, so they listed him on the roster as athlete. "Julius is a freak of nature,"

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"It's like Mother Nature just decided to scratch her chin and say 'I'm going to create me something special right here,'" Panthers radio announcer **** Mixon said of Peppers, whom he covered at the University of North Carolina.

If you want to get people talking, ask them the most amazing thing they've ever seen the fourth-year defensive end do. In most cases it will be one of those highlight reel plays, something involving jumping high or running fast or getting away from extremely large men who attack him in multiples.

ar Heels football coach John Bunting has little doubt Peppers could be "a dominant tight end, an All-Pro tight end like Tony Gonzalez. Heck, he might be able to play safety."

But that would be taking away from the things Peppers does best, and Bunting had a front-row seat for one of the early entries into the lexicon of Peppers highlights.

On Oct. 20, 2001, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler (then considered a Michael Vick-type talent) was trying to throw a screen pass, but threw it with plenty of steam. Peppers got off a cut-block, jumped straight into the air to tip it, then intercepted the ball several yards downfield.

"He's simply the most unique athlete I've ever seen on the football field, and I had (linebacker) Derrick Thomas in Kansas City," Bunting said. "Julius just has every tool you want in a football player."

Bunting suggested Peppers could change positions easily.

"He could trim down to 250 or 260 pounds and be a dominant outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense," said Bunting, who coached in the NFL for eight years before taking over the Tar Heels prior to Peppers' last college season.

As intriguing as that seems, there's one major flaw.

"Where's he going to lose 35 pounds?" Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said. "There's not a lot of extra on him at 288."

Trgovac could seemingly talk all day about a play at Denver last year, and not the 101-yard interception return most recall.

On the play before, a third-and-goal from the Panthers 3, Peppers was blocked away from Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer's roll-out. And though Plummer's one of the more athletic passers in the league, Peppers rolled his hips, got back to his feet, turned and chased Plummer out of bounds a yard shy of the goal line.

"There's not another defensive end that can make that play," said Trgovac, a man not given to brash pronouncements. "Nobody else could get fooled and recover like that. It should have been a touchdown, and then there wouldn't have been the big interception return."

Quarterback Jake Delhomme recalled laughing when he saw Peppers chase down Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman from behind -- from the other side of the field.

"It's not supposed to happen," Delhomme said. "I remember watching it on the screen because I normally don't get to watch our defense during a game, and thinking, 'That just doesn't happen.'"

Men who approach 300 pounds aren't supposed to run like that. But when the defensive backs and running backs and receivers were picking fantasy track teams last year, they all seemed to want Peppers on their 4x100 relay team.

He said the fastest he's ever been timed in the 40-yard dash was 4.55 seconds.

"But I've raced guys who ran 4.3s and beat them," he said, a slight grin creeping over his face. "I think speed is different. Game speed is different. Some guys can run 4.3s and they get on the field and they're slow. It's a different type speed you can have."

It's also a different kind of agility.

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins recalled a play from Peppers' rookie year, when he was turned upside down and landed in a back bend.

"He had his hands on the ground and his feet on the ground at the same time," Jenkins said. "I remember saying, 'If that was me, my career would be over.' But he just walked off the field and I was like 'Is he serious?' ... If I did that, I'd probably tear every ligament I had in my knees and shoulders and probably pop a couple discs out of my spinal cord.

"We call him the next evolution of man. Some of the things he does, it just doesn't make sense."

The scary part? He can get better.

With a straight face, veteran safety Mike Minter suggested earlier this year that Peppers could break the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5.

Fox says Peppers can become more proficient at other things, because of the way Peppers works.

"He expects it; that's what you want in a player," Fox said. "It's how he practices every day -- he comes to work and brings his lunch pail. I think he has developed his game more each year. He understands the game faster. This game is about playing fast. The more you see it, the faster you get. When you match that with the fact you are fast, that's when you get great players.

"That attitude is the thing that's awesome. When you think you've kind of got it figured out, that's when you get bit. He's still continuing to try to learn. He's become a student of the game. Each opponent brings a new challenge. Each style of offense is a new challenge, and he thrives on it."

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You could argue that Carolina's best big-play threat last season didn't line up at wide receiver or in the backfield. He was on the defensive line, in the form of 6'7", 290-pound end Julius Peppers. That's part commentary on the injuries that bedeviled the Panthers in 2004--they played most of the season without receiver Steve Smith and running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster--but it also tells you something about Peppers's athleticism. Against Tampa Bay he returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown; against Atlanta he snatched a Michael Vick fumble out of midair with one hand and went 60 yards for a score; and against Denver he returned an interception 97 yards before being dragged down just short of the goal line. No other Carolina player had as many plays of at least 45 yards.

You could write that off as a case of Peppers's being in the right place at the right time; or, more accurately, you could say that Peppers, who also led Carolina in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (four), is redefining the defensive end position.

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Like smoke, Peppers can seemingly be everywhere. Like Batman, he can come swooping in from nowhere.

"It's rare when you have the opportunity to see a player who is ahead of his time," said Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and Fox Sports NFL analyst. "Lawrence Taylor was ahead of his time. Kellen Winslow was ahead of his time. They gave you a snapshot glimpse of what you could see in the future. Julius Peppers is that way."

RingoCStarrQB wrote:Some maniac on another board posted this:

Peppers is extremely versatile for his size, he will play as an OLB/DE that will probably move all over the Packers front line... he can play any position on the D line, linebacker, and possibly spot duty as a strong safety.

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[ltr][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... nick-perry[/ltr]

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The elephant position would essentially cover both spots. McCarthy described it as a position in which a defensive player would never line up on the inside shoulder of an offensive tackle. Instead, the elephant end would play what’s called a 7-technique, which lines up on the inside shoulder of a tight end.

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[ltr][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... 6322f9bc33[/ltr]

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“(Capers) likes to be versatile and do different things. That’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole career,” Peppers said.

“This team last year had a great offense, even when Aaron went down. The defense – I don’t know what they were missing. I definitely feel I can help them get to an elite level. Everything’s a perfect fit.”

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“It feels great to be a Packer,” Peppers said via text Saturday night, upon returning home from Green Bay and reflecting on the whirlwind past few days. “I'm excited to join a team with a great history of winning and tradition. I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for a championship.



“I was looking for the right opportunity to present itself. A team with a legitimate chance to win a title, an organization full of great people and a locker room with great players who know how to win. I was also looking for a unique defensive scheme that would allow me to be a more versatile and effective player.”

“That was really important to Julius -- that he have the opportunity to show the versatility he has and some of his special gifts,” Carey said. “He's wanted to play in a 3-4 defense or a hybrid sort of a situation for many years, ever since he was with the Carolina Panthers years ago, and to have that opportunity now, he is super excited.

“And when you have a team that is obviously a great division rival that has watched film on you and has been studying you and has game planned against you for four seasons and, that team then comes and says we want you to join us, I think that's probably the highest compliment that a player can receive. Because they know him, and they know what he brings to the table, and for them to come and say we want you on our side, I think that speaks volumes about what they know about him from the other side.”

“Quite honestly, within the first five minutes of being at the team facility -- meeting Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy and Russ Ball -- I could see that he felt right at home,” Carey said. “And he actually said that he really liked the vibe that was there. In this process, since Tuesday when he was released, I heard from a total of eight teams that were interested in him, and a number of those teams actually put offers on the table. But when we got to Green Bay he looked at me and told me, ‘Let's get this done.'”

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There's a lot to like here. Peppers is flexible enough to play multiple positions on the defensive line, giving Green Bay greater flexibility. You can line him up as a 3-4 defensive end, a 4-3 defensive end or tackle or stand him up as a linebacker. Peppers will reportedly make $8.5 million in 2013, a reasonable gamble for a Packers defense that needs help.

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Carey said ideally Peppers wants to play in a 3-4 defensive system where he can stand up and roam the field as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, similar to how the Dallas Cowboys use DeMarcus Ware and how the San Diego Chargers have used Shawne Merriman in the past before his injury.

So basically he doesn’t want to have a lot of run responsibility[​IMG], he just wants to rush the quarterback and compile as many sacks as he possibly can. At 6’7”, 283 pounds, Peppers would easily be the biggest linebacker in the NFL.

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Peppers' versatility had Belichick, the former defensive coach, envisioning what could have been had Peppers elected to join the Patriots, though the coach didn't address that possibility directly.

"You could put him anywhere on the field," Belichick said. "He can play on the front line, he could play linebacker. He could play strong safety. He could play anywhere on the defensive line. He's tall. Richard Seymour was tall and he played there. Put him out at tight end, make a left tackle out of him. I wouldn't want to tackle him if he was carrying the ball. He's a great player."

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The Packers view defensive end Julius Peppers, who was released by the Chicago Bears, as the best defensive front player still available. But at age 34, he probably isn't a player Packers general manager Ted Thompson would be willing to pay.

Perhaps the next best option as a pass-rusher is DeMarcus Ware, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys for the same reason as Peppers. Ware is younger (he turns 32 in July) and would be a good fit for the Packers' 3-4 defense. The Packers spent part of Tuesday discussing Ware but have not set up a visit. That would likely only happen if Ware goes unsigned after the initial wave of interest.

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Pete Dougherty ‏@PeteDougherty 21h
Just talked to another NFL scout about Peppers. Ranked him as the best player among him, DeMarcus Ware n Jared Allen

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Understand that Peppers is a brute squad – a freakish package of strength, smarts and athleticism. He’s a Hall-of-Famer at the peak of his abilities who has elevated a defensive scheme that apparently needed only him to function properly. He’s the focus[​IMG] of blocking attention on every play, as he makes zone drops like a safety, chases downfield like a linebacker, caves in the line on run plays, sets the edge and contains, pursues quarterbacks relentlessly, and blocks kicks.

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Julius Peppers is such a special athlete he probably could moonlight anywhere and help[​IMG] the Bears in spots.

But he could be a difference-maker at defensive tackle.

Anyone who watched the defensive end slide inside Sunday against the Lions would agree. On four plays as a three technique, or under tackle, Peppers had a sack, a quarterback hit and a pressure.

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Peppers was the best basketball player and among the best football players ever at Southern Nash, where he received so many recruiting letters that he was given his own mail slot in the school office. In basketball he finished his career with more than 1,600 points, 800 rebounds and 200 assists and was heavily recruited by Duke. In football Peppers rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns at tailback and manhandled opponents as a defensive lineman. In his final game, when Northeast Guilford High ran a sweep away from Peppers, he chased down the running back, stole the ball from behind and raced 90 yards the other way for a touchdown.

As a senior, Peppers placed second in the triple jump at the state track meet, despite wearing spikes two sizes too small because size 18s couldn't be found. Having watched Big Head swing a bat, Davis believes he could have been a baseball star as well. The coach still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls a three-hour football practice on a scorching summer day before Peppers's junior season, after which all the other Firebirds lay sprawled on the grass or huddled around the water spigot. Peppers strolled over to one end zone and began doing backflips the length of the field. No hands. For 100 yards. In full pads and helmet.

While scouts from the NFL and the NBA believe Peppers could excel in either league, he has made up his mind:

Peppers may be the largest, most intimidating model to date. He bench-presses 425 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, has a 37.5-inch vertical leap and only 4% body fat. During Peppers's redshirt year the North Carolina football coaches couldn't decide at which position he might wreak the most havoc, so they listed him on the roster as athlete. "Julius is a freak of nature,"

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"It's like Mother Nature just decided to scratch her chin and say 'I'm going to create me something special right here,'" Panthers radio announcer **** Mixon said of Peppers, whom he covered at the University of North Carolina.

If you want to get people talking, ask them the most amazing thing they've ever seen the fourth-year defensive end do. In most cases it will be one of those highlight reel plays, something involving jumping high or running fast or getting away from extremely large men who attack him in multiples.

ar Heels football coach John Bunting has little doubt Peppers could be "a dominant tight end, an All-Pro tight end like Tony Gonzalez. Heck, he might be able to play safety."

But that would be taking away from the things Peppers does best, and Bunting had a front-row seat for one of the early entries into the lexicon of Peppers highlights.

On Oct. 20, 2001, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler (then considered a Michael Vick-type talent) was trying to throw a screen pass, but threw it with plenty of steam. Peppers got off a cut-block, jumped straight into the air to tip it, then intercepted the ball several yards downfield.

"He's simply the most unique athlete I've ever seen on the football field, and I had (linebacker) Derrick Thomas in Kansas City," Bunting said. "Julius just has every tool you want in a football player."

Bunting suggested Peppers could change positions easily.

"He could trim down to 250 or 260 pounds and be a dominant outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense," said Bunting, who coached in the NFL for eight years before taking over the Tar Heels prior to Peppers' last college season.

As intriguing as that seems, there's one major flaw.

"Where's he going to lose 35 pounds?" Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said. "There's not a lot of extra on him at 288."

Trgovac could seemingly talk all day about a play at Denver last year, and not the 101-yard interception return most recall.

On the play before, a third-and-goal from the Panthers 3, Peppers was blocked away from Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer's roll-out. And though Plummer's one of the more athletic passers in the league, Peppers rolled his hips, got back to his feet, turned and chased Plummer out of bounds a yard shy of the goal line.

"There's not another defensive end that can make that play," said Trgovac, a man not given to brash pronouncements. "Nobody else could get fooled and recover like that. It should have been a touchdown, and then there wouldn't have been the big interception return."

Quarterback Jake Delhomme recalled laughing when he saw Peppers chase down Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman from behind -- from the other side of the field.

"It's not supposed to happen," Delhomme said. "I remember watching it on the screen because I normally don't get to watch our defense during a game, and thinking, 'That just doesn't happen.'"

Men who approach 300 pounds aren't supposed to run like that. But when the defensive backs and running backs and receivers were picking fantasy track teams last year, they all seemed to want Peppers on their 4x100 relay team.

He said the fastest he's ever been timed in the 40-yard dash was 4.55 seconds.

"But I've raced guys who ran 4.3s and beat them," he said, a slight grin creeping over his face. "I think speed is different. Game speed is different. Some guys can run 4.3s and they get on the field and they're slow. It's a different type speed you can have."

It's also a different kind of agility.

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins recalled a play from Peppers' rookie year, when he was turned upside down and landed in a back bend.

"He had his hands on the ground and his feet on the ground at the same time," Jenkins said. "I remember saying, 'If that was me, my career would be over.' But he just walked off the field and I was like 'Is he serious?' ... If I did that, I'd probably tear every ligament I had in my knees and shoulders and probably pop a couple discs out of my spinal cord.

"We call him the next evolution of man. Some of the things he does, it just doesn't make sense."

The scary part? He can get better.

With a straight face, veteran safety Mike Minter suggested earlier this year that Peppers could break the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5.

Fox says Peppers can become more proficient at other things, because of the way Peppers works.

"He expects it; that's what you want in a player," Fox said. "It's how he practices every day -- he comes to work and brings his lunch pail. I think he has developed his game more each year. He understands the game faster. This game is about playing fast. The more you see it, the faster you get. When you match that with the fact you are fast, that's when you get great players.

"That attitude is the thing that's awesome. When you think you've kind of got it figured out, that's when you get bit. He's still continuing to try to learn. He's become a student of the game. Each opponent brings a new challenge. Each style of offense is a new challenge, and he thrives on it."

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You could argue that Carolina's best big-play threat last season didn't line up at wide receiver or in the backfield. He was on the defensive line, in the form of 6'7", 290-pound end Julius Peppers. That's part commentary on the injuries that bedeviled the Panthers in 2004--they played most of the season without receiver Steve Smith and running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster--but it also tells you something about Peppers's athleticism. Against Tampa Bay he returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown; against Atlanta he snatched a Michael Vick fumble out of midair with one hand and went 60 yards for a score; and against Denver he returned an interception 97 yards before being dragged down just short of the goal line. No other Carolina player had as many plays of at least 45 yards.

You could write that off as a case of Peppers's being in the right place at the right time; or, more accurately, you could say that Peppers, who also led Carolina in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (four), is redefining the defensive end position.

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Like smoke, Peppers can seemingly be everywhere. Like Batman, he can come swooping in from nowhere.

"It's rare when you have the opportunity to see a player who is ahead of his time," said Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and Fox Sports NFL analyst. "Lawrence Taylor was ahead of his time. Kellen Winslow was ahead of his time. They gave you a snapshot glimpse of what you could see in the future. Julius Peppers is that way."

_HD_ wrote:

RingoCStarrQB wrote:Some maniac on another board posted this:

Peppers is extremely versatile for his size, he will play as an OLB/DE that will probably move all over the Packers front line... he can play any position on the D line, linebacker, and possibly spot duty as a strong safety.

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The elephant position would essentially cover both spots. McCarthy described it as a position in which a defensive player would never line up on the inside shoulder of an offensive tackle. Instead, the elephant end would play what’s called a 7-technique, which lines up on the inside shoulder of a tight end.

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“(Capers) likes to be versatile and do different things. That’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole career,” Peppers said.

“This team last year had a great offense, even when Aaron went down. The defense – I don’t know what they were missing. I definitely feel I can help them get to an elite level. Everything’s a perfect fit.”

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“It feels great to be a Packer,” Peppers said via text Saturday night, upon returning home from Green Bay and reflecting on the whirlwind past few days. “I'm excited to join a team with a great history of winning and tradition. I could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for a championship.



“I was looking for the right opportunity to present itself. A team with a legitimate chance to win a title, an organization full of great people and a locker room with great players who know how to win. I was also looking for a unique defensive scheme that would allow me to be a more versatile and effective player.”

“That was really important to Julius -- that he have the opportunity to show the versatility he has and some of his special gifts,” Carey said. “He's wanted to play in a 3-4 defense or a hybrid sort of a situation for many years, ever since he was with the Carolina Panthers years ago, and to have that opportunity now, he is super excited.

“And when you have a team that is obviously a great division rival that has watched film on you and has been studying you and has game planned against you for four seasons and, that team then comes and says we want you to join us, I think that's probably the highest compliment that a player can receive. Because they know him, and they know what he brings to the table, and for them to come and say we want you on our side, I think that speaks volumes about what they know about him from the other side.”

“Quite honestly, within the first five minutes of being at the team facility -- meeting Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy and Russ Ball -- I could see that he felt right at home,” Carey said. “And he actually said that he really liked the vibe that was there. In this process, since Tuesday when he was released, I heard from a total of eight teams that were interested in him, and a number of those teams actually put offers on the table. But when we got to Green Bay he looked at me and told me, ‘Let's get this done.'”

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There's a lot to like here. Peppers is flexible enough to play multiple positions on the defensive line, giving Green Bay greater flexibility. You can line him up as a 3-4 defensive end, a 4-3 defensive end or tackle or stand him up as a linebacker. Peppers will reportedly make $8.5 million in 2013, a reasonable gamble for a Packers defense that needs help.

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Carey said ideally Peppers wants to play in a 3-4 defensive system where he can stand up and roam the field as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, similar to how the Dallas Cowboys use DeMarcus Ware and how the San Diego Chargers have used Shawne Merriman in the past before his injury.

So basically he doesn’t want to have a lot of run responsibility[​IMG], he just wants to rush the quarterback and compile as many sacks as he possibly can. At 6’7”, 283 pounds, Peppers would easily be the biggest linebacker in the NFL.

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Peppers' versatility had Belichick, the former defensive coach, envisioning what could have been had Peppers elected to join the Patriots, though the coach didn't address that possibility directly.

"You could put him anywhere on the field," Belichick said. "He can play on the front line, he could play linebacker. He could play strong safety. He could play anywhere on the defensive line. He's tall. Richard Seymour was tall and he played there. Put him out at tight end, make a left tackle out of him. I wouldn't want to tackle him if he was carrying the ball. He's a great player."

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The Packers view defensive end Julius Peppers, who was released by the Chicago Bears, as the best defensive front player still available. But at age 34, he probably isn't a player Packers general manager Ted Thompson would be willing to pay.

Perhaps the next best option as a pass-rusher is DeMarcus Ware, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys for the same reason as Peppers. Ware is younger (he turns 32 in July) and would be a good fit for the Packers' 3-4 defense. The Packers spent part of Tuesday discussing Ware but have not set up a visit. That would likely only happen if Ware goes unsigned after the initial wave of interest.

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Pete Dougherty ‏@PeteDougherty 21h
Just talked to another NFL scout about Peppers. Ranked him as the best player among him, DeMarcus Ware n Jared Allen

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Understand that Peppers is a brute squad – a freakish package of strength, smarts and athleticism. He’s a Hall-of-Famer at the peak of his abilities who has elevated a defensive scheme that apparently needed only him to function properly. He’s the focus[​IMG] of blocking attention on every play, as he makes zone drops like a safety, chases downfield like a linebacker, caves in the line on run plays, sets the edge and contains, pursues quarterbacks relentlessly, and blocks kicks.

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Julius Peppers is such a special athlete he probably could moonlight anywhere and help[​IMG] the Bears in spots.

But he could be a difference-maker at defensive tackle.

Anyone who watched the defensive end slide inside Sunday against the Lions would agree. On four plays as a three technique, or under tackle, Peppers had a sack, a quarterback hit and a pressure.

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Peppers was the best basketball player and among the best football players ever at Southern Nash, where he received so many recruiting letters that he was given his own mail slot in the school office. In basketball he finished his career with more than 1,600 points, 800 rebounds and 200 assists and was heavily recruited by Duke. In football Peppers rushed for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns at tailback and manhandled opponents as a defensive lineman. In his final game, when Northeast Guilford High ran a sweep away from Peppers, he chased down the running back, stole the ball from behind and raced 90 yards the other way for a touchdown.

As a senior, Peppers placed second in the triple jump at the state track meet, despite wearing spikes two sizes too small because size 18s couldn't be found. Having watched Big Head swing a bat, Davis believes he could have been a baseball star as well. The coach still shakes his head in disbelief as he recalls a three-hour football practice on a scorching summer day before Peppers's junior season, after which all the other Firebirds lay sprawled on the grass or huddled around the water spigot. Peppers strolled over to one end zone and began doing backflips the length of the field. No hands. For 100 yards. In full pads and helmet.

While scouts from the NFL and the NBA believe Peppers could excel in either league, he has made up his mind:

Peppers may be the largest, most intimidating model to date. He bench-presses 425 pounds, runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, has a 37.5-inch vertical leap and only 4% body fat. During Peppers's redshirt year the North Carolina football coaches couldn't decide at which position he might wreak the most havoc, so they listed him on the roster as athlete. "Julius is a freak of nature,"

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"It's like Mother Nature just decided to scratch her chin and say 'I'm going to create me something special right here,'" Panthers radio announcer **** Mixon said of Peppers, whom he covered at the University of North Carolina.

If you want to get people talking, ask them the most amazing thing they've ever seen the fourth-year defensive end do. In most cases it will be one of those highlight reel plays, something involving jumping high or running fast or getting away from extremely large men who attack him in multiples.

ar Heels football coach John Bunting has little doubt Peppers could be "a dominant tight end, an All-Pro tight end like Tony Gonzalez. Heck, he might be able to play safety."

But that would be taking away from the things Peppers does best, and Bunting had a front-row seat for one of the early entries into the lexicon of Peppers highlights.

On Oct. 20, 2001, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler (then considered a Michael Vick-type talent) was trying to throw a screen pass, but threw it with plenty of steam. Peppers got off a cut-block, jumped straight into the air to tip it, then intercepted the ball several yards downfield.

"He's simply the most unique athlete I've ever seen on the football field, and I had (linebacker) Derrick Thomas in Kansas City," Bunting said. "Julius just has every tool you want in a football player."

Bunting suggested Peppers could change positions easily.

"He could trim down to 250 or 260 pounds and be a dominant outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense," said Bunting, who coached in the NFL for eight years before taking over the Tar Heels prior to Peppers' last college season.

As intriguing as that seems, there's one major flaw.

"Where's he going to lose 35 pounds?" Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac said. "There's not a lot of extra on him at 288."

Trgovac could seemingly talk all day about a play at Denver last year, and not the 101-yard interception return most recall.

On the play before, a third-and-goal from the Panthers 3, Peppers was blocked away from Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer's roll-out. And though Plummer's one of the more athletic passers in the league, Peppers rolled his hips, got back to his feet, turned and chased Plummer out of bounds a yard shy of the goal line.

"There's not another defensive end that can make that play," said Trgovac, a man not given to brash pronouncements. "Nobody else could get fooled and recover like that. It should have been a touchdown, and then there wouldn't have been the big interception return."

Quarterback Jake Delhomme recalled laughing when he saw Peppers chase down Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman from behind -- from the other side of the field.

"It's not supposed to happen," Delhomme said. "I remember watching it on the screen because I normally don't get to watch our defense during a game, and thinking, 'That just doesn't happen.'"

Men who approach 300 pounds aren't supposed to run like that. But when the defensive backs and running backs and receivers were picking fantasy track teams last year, they all seemed to want Peppers on their 4x100 relay team.

He said the fastest he's ever been timed in the 40-yard dash was 4.55 seconds.

"But I've raced guys who ran 4.3s and beat them," he said, a slight grin creeping over his face. "I think speed is different. Game speed is different. Some guys can run 4.3s and they get on the field and they're slow. It's a different type speed you can have."

It's also a different kind of agility.

Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins recalled a play from Peppers' rookie year, when he was turned upside down and landed in a back bend.

"He had his hands on the ground and his feet on the ground at the same time," Jenkins said. "I remember saying, 'If that was me, my career would be over.' But he just walked off the field and I was like 'Is he serious?' ... If I did that, I'd probably tear every ligament I had in my knees and shoulders and probably pop a couple discs out of my spinal cord.

"We call him the next evolution of man. Some of the things he does, it just doesn't make sense."

The scary part? He can get better.

With a straight face, veteran safety Mike Minter suggested earlier this year that Peppers could break the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5.

Fox says Peppers can become more proficient at other things, because of the way Peppers works.

"He expects it; that's what you want in a player," Fox said. "It's how he practices every day -- he comes to work and brings his lunch pail. I think he has developed his game more each year. He understands the game faster. This game is about playing fast. The more you see it, the faster you get. When you match that with the fact you are fast, that's when you get great players.

"That attitude is the thing that's awesome. When you think you've kind of got it figured out, that's when you get bit. He's still continuing to try to learn. He's become a student of the game. Each opponent brings a new challenge. Each style of offense is a new challenge, and he thrives on it."

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You could argue that Carolina's best big-play threat last season didn't line up at wide receiver or in the backfield. He was on the defensive line, in the form of 6'7", 290-pound end Julius Peppers. That's part commentary on the injuries that bedeviled the Panthers in 2004--they played most of the season without receiver Steve Smith and running backs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster--but it also tells you something about Peppers's athleticism. Against Tampa Bay he returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown; against Atlanta he snatched a Michael Vick fumble out of midair with one hand and went 60 yards for a score; and against Denver he returned an interception 97 yards before being dragged down just short of the goal line. No other Carolina player had as many plays of at least 45 yards.

You could write that off as a case of Peppers's being in the right place at the right time; or, more accurately, you could say that Peppers, who also led Carolina in sacks (11) and forced fumbles (four), is redefining the defensive end position.

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Like smoke, Peppers can seemingly be everywhere. Like Batman, he can come swooping in from nowhere.

"It's rare when you have the opportunity to see a player who is ahead of his time," said Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and Fox Sports NFL analyst. "Lawrence Taylor was ahead of his time. Kellen Winslow was ahead of his time. They gave you a snapshot glimpse of what you could see in the future. Julius Peppers is that way."

1st ballot--no doubt...but that boy shore could use a ring to add to that most impressive dossier...  Like I said--Peppers at 80% just brings him down closer to the best of the rest assuming that rug dom schemes him properly to his skill set.  Regardless however--the Peppers of the past will never be what he once was...
bac
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