BrewerFan

Wilken looks promising. He's also got 47 MiLB games, only 6 above A ball and has hit 5 HRs. So his future as our 3B is not exactly cemented in stone. There are also questions about his ability to stay at 3B. 1B at this point seems just as likely. Trading Turang this year would have been a bad decision. You'd be selling low on him. For what? There's plenty of PT for both and chances are Black is going to struggle himself. We wait for these guys to get to the big leagues and then they don't hit for a couple months and we want to deal them? I don't get this...just as I don't get the idea of trading Wiemer or Mitchell. The Dodgers/Rays, they don't just trade players shortly after coming up because they don't immediately hit the ground running or they're at a position that's loaded(and they're lucky given the Franco situation). I'd rather hold and wait to see what we've got than trade a guy too early and watch our drafting and developing all pay off elsewhere.

That's a very different thing. 1-Yelich is a proven MLB hitter...Sal is not. He's still in the stage of his career where he has to adjust to the pitchers adjustments. 2-The transition from OF to 3B/2B is MUCH different than the transition to 1B. 1B is the easiest position to learn. 3B/2B are...not. I don't really buy into the "it's taking away from his hitting," theory to begin with, but even without believing it, I think you're comparing apples and oranges.

It actually seems like they're more likely to. Particularly the high end prospects on the teams that are more aggressive about giving out early extensions. Ok...but he's not living in Venezuela year 'round, he's living in the US. He's paying US taxes. He's renting in the US, driving in the US, and spending at least half the year in the US. He's then traveling back and forth. But even in America, when do we do this? Use the average salary for an American and then factor that into a player signing. He's also a kid and that 200K has already been cut up and divided and likely spent much of it. So I'd guess the majority of that is now gone. I also don't think any MLB player wants to have his money "last," him 2 decades. He probably wants to spend it. 16-year-olds don't often look into which ETF is the best to grow their retirement. They want to buy a chain, a car, some other foolish purchases. Also, doesn't this cut both ways? You're talking about the poverty in Venezuela. Wouldn't that make it MORE likely a player would want to secure a 60-80M dollar GTD extension than not? That'd set him up for generations. An injury and he could be working one of those jobs at some point. Well, realistically, his floor is a shoulder injury, an ineffective catcher who spends a decade bouncing back and forth between AAA and MLB. But sure, a healthy Quero is likely at least a backup catcher and use Caratini. He's made ~7.5M through the age of 30 and now has a 2-year 12M dollar contract. Balance that vs a player at ~21 or ~22 getting 60M GTD and becoming a FA at roughly the same time. I think it makes quite a bit of sense on Paper if the Brewers are willing to be aggressive and make the offer...and assuming he continues to give them reason to. It's jumping the gun, but assuming he has a very good AAA season, maybe gets the call and produces this year. I'd also be looking at an extension for Uribe(6/24 2 options for 10 and 12, 6M buyout).

And there's a reason why those pitchers, despite their injuries, have gotten paid. Jacob deGrom, through when he became a FA was a 2X Cy Winner, a ROY and finished in the top 8 of Cy Young voting 3 more times. Same with Woodruff to a lesser degree, but pitchers eventually get injured, but if they're that dominant between injuries, it's well worth it. I would not be dangling Quero, but IF Skenes was offered for him, I think you have to make that trade. The issue is...it won't be and this thread is asking if we should actively be shopping Quero for pitching. That's an unequivocal no. Just having a good catcher doesn't mean you look to trade the well-rounded catcher who's a top prospect. Especially given Contreras ability to hit. It will work itself out. You could extend both, you could extend Quero, you could extend neither and just transition from Contreras to Quero with a year or two overlap and bring back a couple of premium prospects. BUT...to be clear, arguing you could end up with THIS...is not a point against the trade!

Yeah...I guess. I just don't see him being a great fit in the Packers' outsize zone scheme. I know, the Badgers run a similar scheme, but they also run a lot of isolation. Also, I want backs with a little more quickness, ideally HR speed, but as we've seen with Jones, you don't need that. Also, I feel like Emanuel Wilson is really a very very good option as a more physical back. At 230, he's got the speed and vision you want. Ideally, you'd sign a guy like Antonio Gibson, a player I think will be grossly undervalued in this market. He's an elite receiver (he WAS a WR in College before moving to RB). He started with ~1800 yards rushing plus 78 receptions and ~600 yards receiving. 6'2 220, 4.39 40 and he's probably going to be available for ~2/10 if that? If we did that, you'd have Jones/Wilson/Gibson and then you can let the draft play out. If Bucky Irvin is on the board in the 4th Rd, move up a few spots, or Blake Watson. It's a position that you could very easily address with minimal resources and allow the board to come to you at RB rather than going after any particular RB. I loved watching Allen in College, but...he seems like an AJ Dillon-type back without the receiving ability...and that arguably became his biggest strength. Now if the Packers are still interested in Jonathon Taylor, then I'd be all for a bigger, physical former Badgers joining the Packers! But I wouldn't give up anything above the Bills' 3rd. There are too many good backs available both in the draft and in FA...though with Indy paying his SB, he'd have a very reasonable contract the next 2 years.

We're in that tough spot that if we wait to draft one, there's a good chance they won't be good enough to make the team. It's like WRer...but more important. And to reiterate, Sweat is not just a 2-down run-stopping specialist. He can get after the QB. You have a DT collapsing the pockets, your edges are going to benefit from this more than anyone. But again, I don't think we'll target DL. I think the Packers will approach this like they always do. They'll have their draft board and if they've got a DL at or atop their board, I think they'll take one. I think Sweat is a unique player. Not Vita Vea, but an impact player. And that's also why players like that VERY rarely fall in the draft. They're usually overdrafted like QBs.

I was kinda going back and forth on it being the young guys or if it was more the older guys like Cambell, Jaire and I don't know when they did this or if they'd have talked to guys like Lazard or whoever was here last year. Yours makes sense though. I've had a lot of people who are...just out of College and want to overhaul everything. I don't think they were going to cut him if he didn't take the 2M cut. Wooden can and probably will play some edge. He has the versatility (so does Brooks for that matter). But he's better inside and Smith is still getting ~11.5 in new money this year from the Packers. I think it'll be more interesting to see what Campbell does. But if they draft a DL, I really don't think it depends on any one of these players, especially an edge...unless you're grouping them all together now, and in that case, I'd argue it's very likely they add at least one more edge in the draft or via FA. It's too important of a position to make a decision going into the draft that you're not going to draft a certain spot because you have the #s there. But when you say DL, I'm assuming you mean DT, IDL. It's too hard to get good players. I don't see them passing on one because you have Colby Wooden or TJ Slaton if Bryon Murphy is available in the 2nd Rd.

Ok...I'm still behind on this(obviously). I was apparently operating under the '22 CBA negotiations before it was even finalized. I wasn't actually expecting multiple ROY comp picks either way, it was more kinda kidding, but I feel like if you really want to incentivize promoting prospects...then you should reward the top 3 or even top 5. A few tweaks would make sense. The top 100 list should also be changed IMO. Make it the top 150 or top 200. I get top 100 is the industry standard, but a lot of good players aren't going to be included. An Abner Uribe type wouldn't likely qualify as a reliever only. In ANY event, I love how the Brewers are positioned with the additional draft pick compensation they already have and are expected to have. The more Cooper Pratt, Eric Bitonti type picks they're able to make, going after prep prospects, the better. I also think(or at least hope) it'll open them up a little more to taking more prep pitching prospects. The miss rate is high, but it's also where the best prospects generally come from.

It does. It seems like a great way to listen to your players. Add that daycare for next year. I mean...how much could it cost relative to the Packers spending? Some of these are such obscure questions, it's hard to know what to make of them. He's "moderately willing to listen to the locker room?" I wonder if that gets better as it feels like it was just the defensive players last year. Thanks for posting though. Interesting to see what the players think about the organization.

Gutekunst also immediately talks about how they're always looking for competition and to improve there. On top of that, most good tackle prospects can play Guard. Tyler Smith is likely going to become the Cowboys LT. So if you draft a guy early and Walker wins the job...great. There's a good chance that player will be able to also play RG.

Ok...I thought it was originally going to be an international pick, but since they didn't agree on the international draft, they kept it as top 3 earned a comp pick. Apparently I was mistaken? So then I guess...lets hope Black finishes top 3 in MVP, but Chourio beats him in ROY😁

It's the MLB draft. I feel like a good draft vs an average or below average draft is largely based on the top of the draft. Combine that and the volatility of assessing Sophomore's in HS(not Jrs, but haven't really hit the circuit yet) and I'll bet many of the drafts that look like they're lesser drafts a couple years out change very quickly and have produced as much talent after the top half of the 1st round as any other draft. Even if it is a bad draft, there are still a LOT of guys who'll have plenty of value. So hit the gas, talk about how many picks we could get. Lets throw in the potential for Tyler Black to pair up with Chourio and both become top 3 in ROY voting and add another pick(to make up for Burnes now). However the draft is viewed, I trust this organization to squeeze the most out of it!

I don't know if he was that bad schematically(which isn't arguing, I just don't know Basketball like I know the sports I played)...BUT, it sure as hell seems like this team is playing with more energy and doing the small things much better. Just simple stuff like getting their arms up on defense when trying to deny and picking up deflections. It seems to me like the biggest issue was the personal relationships. Are they doing things that differently fundamentally defensively? All the schematic changes look small to me. I'd be curious what the Basketball aficionados' have to say about their actual changes aside from communication and being a more cohesive unit. But again, just from what I see, even Dame is getting in on the act. The ball movement also looks exceptional. I feel like that can help out on the defensive end. A good shot vs Dame or Giannis trying to win off the bounce(which they're good at) and then kicking it out, it was sloppier than they're playing, and that led to more fastbreak points. Jae Crowder looks like he's fitting in much better and Pat Bev is giving us quality minutes on defense. And finally, I wonder if Beauchamp can play himself into this lineup. I get tonight was garbage time, but looked exceptional. He's just capable of being an on-ball defender that no other wing on our team can be. It'd be great if he could round out his game, pick up some minutes so they can use him vs the Celtics bigger wings and be competent on the offensive end. At the very least, a high-energy player who can get some rebounds/tap outs, and keep hitting that corner 3 at a 41% clip? I still think there's a role for him...but time is winding down. We may look at this team that went through a struggle similar to the Celtics in Udoka's first year...they were awful early on, then they put the pieces together and hit their groove come April/May and June.

It is...but DT, Edge, there are a few positions you should always look to upgrade. Obviously, you need to look at the depth. For instance, I don't think it makes sense taking a WRer unless you really think there is an appreciable difference between them, Melton, Heath and the guys they'd be battling for that 6th spot. The same is true for the DL...but again, where DL is different is just that it's more important than other positions and, IMO, harder to find real impact players. I don't know how they feel about their depth, if they're going to use Wooden as an Edge/DT, they may still want to add a player. That's why the players I threw out were on both ends of the spectrum. Either the premiere IDL like Byron Murphy or Jer'Zhan Newton in rd 1 or McKinney/Sweat on Day2. A guy like Gabe Hall, he's likely a day 3 pick(also just an example) and with Slaton and Clark due to be FAs in 2025...unless we extend either, it's not a bad idea to try and improve the depth. I'd take his comments with a grain of salt. What's he supposed to say realistically? No? They've also spoken highly of Myers and Rhyan(Myers in particular). Also the question..."CAN he be LT1?" Yes, we saw that he can. We also saw that Jonathan Owens could be FS1. That doesn't mean it's not a position you don't try to upgrade(I know it's not the same, but I'm making the point).

Love really blew it. Had us in perfect position after 7 games...we were picking 5th. Wouldn't have taken much to move up!

That makes sense. Wyatt isn't really a great run stuffer...though I'd hope he'd be better in a 1 gap system where he's more free to just get upfield and try and blow plays up. The same for Brooks. Gabe Hall from Baylor is a guy we could pick up in the later rounds. In the earlier rounds, I think it has to be a stud that drops and DL studs usually don't drop. Sweat, McKinney at some point in rd 2, and then obviously Newton and Murphy could potentially be in play in the 1st, but I doubt they'll make it to the Packers pick. Both are versatile players.

I'm not saying I'd make that trade necessarily. That's obviously a ton to give up, but just in your hypothetical, if we were to move up, who would you do it for. I wouldn't do it for a WR other than MHJ. There isn't a defensive player IMO worth it there. At least as of now.

I mean...we still have Slaton. Constantly trying to upgrade the DL is a good idea...I'd never argue that. I don't think it's a need at this point.

I've said I'd LOVE to see the Packers draft Joe Alt. It really faded as the season went on and he kept moving up the draft boards and we kept moving down, but I think he's a Pro-Bowl LT year one and he could be an All-Pro very early in his career. #25, #41 and #58 would hurt, but I think he's good enough it's worth it. MHJ, Alt are two guys who are damn near locks(Bowers as well, but I wouldn't take a TE). As close as you can get making the jump to the NFL. Both have fathers who played at that level who'll help prepare them, both had fathers who were elite, both are uniquely talented with abnormal size and agility at that size. Don't think we can move up high enough to get MHJ, but probably enough for Alt, and then I think your OTs would be in place for the next decade.

I'm less interested in sacks from a player like that as I am in how they collapse the pocket. And Pro Football Network has him #44;

Is it cynical that I don't really view that as cynical? Clark is probably the biggest star in CBB right now...Duke is one of the bluebloods and you have a projected lottery pick getting hurt...it stands to reason there'd be more pressure to do something vs two players we haven't heard of. It's too bad, the "storming the court," is kinda cool when it's a big upset, but you have to put player safety above all else. I'd guess there have been backups who've twisted ankles, we just didn't hear about it. And no, I don't think you'd have the "Buster Posey," rule if it was a guy like Iannetta.

I'd throw Sweat in there also. I'd be surprised if he gets past rd 2. I'd think a 3-4 team would jump on him before he'd get to the Packers, but big guys who can rush the passers are useful. I thought the Packers mostly used the pre-draft process to evaluate guys they viewed as late-round picks. I know in '22 they did bring in Wyatt, Watson, and more guys who were in the 1st/2nd rd range, but I believe that was a bit of an outlier. I'd be curious how that compares to other teams. Do most teams bring in more first rd prospects or do they know they'll be able to meet with them at the combine or talk to them later on either way? I'm becoming a bigger fan of Cooper every time I go and watch a clip of him. I think a more aggressive play style is going to benefit Walker as it is...and they could probably keep Campbell and get by for another year, but Cooper looks like he's nearly as athletic as Walker, but more physical. I'm just excited to watch an aggressive defense that plays with their hair on fire. It'll mean we give up some big plays, but I think it'll be well worth it on the other side.

Salary cap set at ~255M. That's 13M over projections. Assuming they do go ahead and cut Bakh, Campbell, that'd put them at ~35M under the cap before signing their draft class. That puts them in a pretty good position to get through this off-season, be able to sign a marquee FA if they choose to go that route, but they don't have to add void years and more dead cap for the future. Should have a pretty clean payroll for 2025. Just Kenny Clark's ~14M void year...and that's assuming he's not extended. And then 2025 is the year the league as a whole is done with the Covid losses and the salary cap just goes back to normal. Not exactly what that means, how much of that is baked in, but the Packers have navigated the transition from Rodgers to Love as perfectly as you could, both on the field and from a salary cap standpoint. Hopefully, they can work out a deal with Love sooner that later as I think his number just keeps going up with other QBs signing extensions or guys like Wilson and Cousins, older QBs sign on the FA market. Either way, Cap purgatory for the Packers looks to be over after just one year of having to bite the bullet!

Well, it seemed like the point was comparing how our roster was constructed now vs how it needed to be constructed for a coach who runs a base 43, but plays the nickel the vast majority of the time. But if your complete conclusion is "we need a LBer to start and then depth," I'm...not really sure where I ever disagreed. If your argument is "big LB vs little LB," then I'd disagree a bit as Preston Smith and Quay Walker have never played the same position, but...I'm not sure what you're arguing about.

I love Adams...and I keep forgetting about him at the same time. Wilken, Black, Ortiz...and then I think of Baez, Pratt, Bitonti..and Adams could legitimately be the best of the group. I love our system. If we just had a couple more highly touted arms, I'd be even more excited...but I have little doubt we'll keep producing pitching.