Below is a list of the Packers Defensive Ends and Defensive Tackles currently on the roster. I've put them in order of my opinion of their talent.

Do you think the Packers have all the pieces for the defensive line to be successful in 2013? If not, who needs to be added?


[list=1]

B.J. Raji

Datone Jones

Ryan Pickett

Mike Neal

Jerel Worthy

Johnny Jolly

Mike Daniels

C.J. Wilson

Josh Boyd

Jordan Miller

[*]Gilber Peña[/list]

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A couple of notes here.. First.. Neal is no longer a lineman.. OLBer since OTA. [grin1]

Here is how I would rank them:

Ryan Pickett
B.J. Raji
Jerel Worthy
Datone Jones - Unknown but hoping for the potential.
C.J. Wilson - Solid one dimensional player.. vs Run.
Mike Daniels - Work in progress.. worried about his height vs the leverage game inside. Unless he learns to use his squatty height to his advantage.
Johnny Jolly - If Jolly returns in 2009 form.. he shoots up this list.. unfortunately.. that is absolute best case. Fingers crossed.
Josh Boyd
Gilber Peña
Jordan Miller


My opinion, without Worthy, I am concerned about the rotation inside.. hence why I think a guy like Seymour would bridge the gap until he comes back and would be a upgrade to CJ Wilson in pushing the pocket. Making the correlation of a couple years ago to today's situation isn't prudent in my opinion.. Seymour would help for 2013.

Jolly is the wild card.. if he comes back and can make an impact.. the would diminish the need for the Seymour Add.

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I think these 7 make it, and I believe with this we will have most of the pieces in place...

Datone
Pick
Raji
Neal
Boyd
Jolly
Daniels

I believe these are our best to worst in that order... I look at Daniels and Jolly as being on the bubble. We only kept 6 last season and I thought that was a mistake. Would Seymour be better than Jolly or Daniels? Possibly. I highly doubt he would sign with GB. ATL wants him, and he lives in ATL...

I'm really hoping Jolly can make an impact. Not expecting that to happen, but I'm hopeful. If he does, it will be an incredible story.

CJ Wilson scares the crap out of me. The staff really seems to like him. He doesn't offer anything in pass rush. He had ZERO sacks in 2011 through 16 games, and 2.5 last season. Had 1 sack in 15 games played in 2010... We need production on the DL. He's a fine run stopper, I guess. That's what they say anyway.

I like Josh Boyd a lot, and I think he will have a great impact on this season. Both Daniels and Jolly are giant question marks. Daniels for his lack of size, and that is the only reason, and Jolly for having been away from the game for so long.

Maybe we could use a FA to provide some better play and insurance? That's where a signing like Chris Canty would have made an awful lot of sense. Didn't happen.

With the exception of Raji slightly over Pickett, this is exactly the way I see it.

Worthy will be PUP at best; Wilson should be gone.

I really don't think we need Seymour or any other high priced retread.

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Normally the Packers only keep 6 DL but I could see them (and I'm kind of hoping) they keep 7 this time because Pickett, Wilson and Neal are all FAs and in theory could all be gone. Also because if they're using Neal at OLB in some of the subpackages maybe one less LB.

Next, Worthy is probably going to start the year on the PUP and may or may not play a down. And I won't be listed him below because he probably won't be one of the 53 guys to start the year but will be on the PUP instead.

Pickett is getting up there in age but if he players like he did last year I think he's a lock still.

IMO...

Locks: Raji, Pickett, Jones

Maybes: Neal, Wilson, Daniels, Boyd, Jolly

I think Neal and Daniels have a lot of potential as well as Boyd if they can teach him to get better against the run and they often give the rookie draft picks some leeway.

And it would be down to Jolly and Wilson for the last spot. And I'd say it depends on how good Jolly looks... though usually when players miss a year or more... it takes them two years or more to get back to where they were.


If it was 6... then it would be harder, because Capers like to play two gap with the DEs against running teams, and Wilson (and Jolly when he played) were better than Neal, Daniels, Boyd and maybe Jones when playing two gap. But against that's another reason to keep 7.

They could cut Boyd and try to get him on the PS but they might lose him and he's got some good potential. He's a big DT, the looks and plays like a light DT (which is good chasing plays down, but bad when asked to be strong against the run, but I think that's teachable and they could coach him up with that.)

They could cut Daniels but against the 49ers he was the only guy that was moving forward, those he got pushed back some as well. (Pickett held his ground and didn't get push ether way). But Daniels with his power and unstopping motor could become a very good inside pass rush. I wouldn't want to lose that.

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Great list. I like Boyd's potential.

Then there's Worthy on PUP in case somebody goes down with injury.

They might not keep 7, if they wanna keep some extra RBs and TEs.

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