April 2019 - Green Bay Packers Wiretap

Packers Draft Darnell Savage With Pick Acquired From Seahawks

Apr 25, 2019 10:43 PM

The Green Bay Packers moved up to the 21st pick in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

With the pick, the Packers selected Darnell Savage, a defensive back from Maryland.

In the deal, the Seahawks acquired the 30th pick and two fourth-round picks.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Draft, Misc Rumor, Official Trade, Trade Rumor

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2019 NFL Draft First-Round Results

Apr 26, 2019 12:18 PM

The 2019 NFL Draft is upon us. RealGM is here to help you track all that goes down -- both here and on Twitter (@RealGMFootball). We'll post the results of the first round as the picks come in.

 

1. Arizona Cardinals - Kyler Murray, Oklahoma QB

2. San Francisco 49ers - Nick Bosa, Ohio State DE

3. New York Jets - Quinnen Williams, Alabama DT

4. Oakland Raiders - Clelin Ferrell, Clemson DE

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Devin White, LSU LB

6. New York Giants - Daniel Jones, Duke QB

7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Josh Allen, Kentucky DE

8. Detroit Lions - T.J. Hockenson, Iowa TE

9. Buffalo Bills - Ed Oliver, Houston DT

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Denver) - Devin Bush, Michigan LB

11. Cincinnati Bengals - Jonah Williams, Alabama OT

12. Green Bay Packers - Rashan Gary, Michigan DE

13. Miami Dolphins - Christian Wilkins, Clemson DT

14. Atlanta Falcons - Chris Lindstrom, Boston College G

15. Washington Redskins - Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State QB

16. Carolina Panthers - Brian Burns, Florida State OLB

17. New York Giants (from Cleveland) - Dexter Lawrence, Clemson DT

18. Minnesota Vikings - Garrett Bradbury, NC State C

19. Tennessee Titans - Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State DT

20. Denver Broncos (from Pittsburgh) - Noah Fant, Iowa TE

21. Green Bay Packers (from Seattle) - Darnell Savage, Maryland DB

22. Philadelphia Eagles (from Baltimore) - Andre Dillard, Washington State OT

23. Houston Texans - Tytus Howard, Alabama State OT

24. Oakland Raiders (from Chicago) - Josh Jacobs, Alabama RB

25. Baltimore Ravens (from Philadelphia) - Marquise Brown, Oklahoma WR

26. Washington Redskins (from Indianapolis) - Montez Sweat, Mississippi State LB

27. Oakland Raiders (from Dallas) - Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State DB

28. Los Angeles Chargers - Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame DL

29. Seattle Seahawks (from Kansas City) - L.J. Collier, TCU DE

30. New York Giants (from Seattle via Green Bay through New Orleans) - DeAndre Baker, Georgia CB

31. Atlanta Falcons (from L.A. Rams) - Kaleb McGary, Washington OT

32. New England Patriots - N'Keal Harry, Arizona State WR

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Football Team, Draft, Draft Misc, Misc Rumor, Official Trade, Trade Rumor

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2019 NFL Mock Draft, Final Version

Apr 26, 2019 8:20 AM

The 2019 NFL Draft is finally here! Months of speculation and guesswork gets proven right or wrong over the next three days.

Here is my final guess at where the players go in the draft. This is my prediction of what NFL teams will do and does not necessarily reflect the decisions I would make in the same situations. Because more of these will likely be wrong that right, I'll keep the commentary to a brief blurb. 

1. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma. Despite the late speculation to the contrary, the rookie coach gets his preferred QB. Best guess on Josh Rosen's fate: traded to Washington for two second-round picks.

2. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State. A long-rumored match and it makes sense, as the 49ers need an EDGE who can create havoc and also snuff the run on the way to the QB. That's Bosa.

3. New York Jets: Quinnen Williams, DT, Alabama. It's easy to see new Jets DC Gregg Williams banging the table for the best interior rusher in this draft, a perfect fit to set up his blitz-happy D.

Possible trade: Jets trade out, Bengals trade up to snag a QB.

4. Oakland Raiders: Ed Oliver, DL, Houston. Oliver might be the best player in this entire draft, though there is risk. It's easy to see both Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden loving his potential based on what they've said and done in their respective pasts. I view this spot as Kyler Murray's draft floor, be it the Raiders taking him or a team (Miami?) trading up to get him.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin White, LB, LSU. This has been the hot match since at least the combine and I've not been presented with any compelling reason to swim against the current.

6. New York Giants: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State. Sweat has two double-digit sack seasons in the SEC and the highest athletic upside of any defensive player in this draft. Perfect blend of proven performance and high ceiling that will get GM Dave Gettleman to bite. I don't believe the Giants go QB here but if they do it's Daniel Jones.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida. Another team/player match that has been hotly rumored for months. There are whispers of T.J. Hockenson and Daniel Jones here. One trade scenario that makes sense: the Bengals moving up here from No. 11 to take Dwayne Haskins and the Jaguars landing Taylor at 11.

8. Detroit Lions: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky. Best-case scenario for the Lions, who desperately want to add more pass-rushing oomph to an underrated defense. Plan B is Jonah Williams. Plan C is T.J. Hockenson.

Possible trade: Washington moves up from 15 to 8 and takes Daniel Jones. Lions fall back and select Clelin Ferrell.

9. Buffalo Bills: T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa. Dual-threat TE to pair with a dual-threat QB. I can see Andre Dillard or Jonah Williams here too.

10. Denver Broncos: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan. The rangy, hard-hitting Bush is a perfect fit for Vic Fangio's defensive vision. I can definitely envision a QB here too. Drew Lock was linked to this pick for a long time, I have to think that's still within the realm of possibility.

It's at this point where I realize I don't have Daniel Jones slotted in the top 10. I do believe he's going in the top 10 somewhere, but in this scenario, I just couldn't place him. Que tonteria.

11. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State. It certainly could be Dwayne Haskins here, but a couple of sources I respect indicate the team really likes Dillard. Maybe they trade up later to get the potential successor to Andy Dalton. Dillard will help either guy with his elite-level pass protection.

12. Green Bay Packers: Jonah Williams, OL, Alabama. A safe pick with positional versatility and a strong history of playing well against top competition, Williams makes sense for the rebuilding-on-the-fly Packers.

13. Miami Dolphins: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State. Probably the best-case outcome for Miami, which sorely needs a long-term solution at QB and in this case doesn't need to move up to land one. Haskins slotting this draft season has been an exercise in futility.

14. Atlanta Falcons: Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan. Too much potential in Gary for him to fall too far, and he offers the Falcons an injection of athleticism on the defensive front.

Possible trade: If Ed Oliver starts to drop, the Falcons get aggressive and move up as far as 7 or 8 to snag him.

15. Washington: Daniel Jones, QB, Duke. Rather than try to forecast the trade up to land Jones, I'll just marry the player and team here in the original Washington slot. I expect Jones to come off higher and the rumors of the Skins looking to move up -- way up -- to get him have been present for some time.

16. Carolina Panthers: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, Clemson. Rock-solid productive pass rusher and he's a local for the Panthers, making it a great fit for a position where they desperately need youthful help. This is also the range where Oakland or Seattle could move with their extra firsts.

17. New York Giants: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri. During Senior Bowl week the Giants media could not get enough of Lock, which tells me they've either been tipped the Giants had a real interest or are easily drawn to talented but flawed QB prospects. Tough to ignore Cody Ford or Andre Dillard here too.

18. Minnesota Vikings: Garrett Bradbury, C/OG, North Carolina State. I suspect this is a popular pick, matching the best center with the team that needs center more than any other.

19. Tennessee Titans: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson. Those close to coach Mike Vrabel have strongly hinted he's a huge fan of the huge man on the DL. He and Jurrell Casey together make for a very difficult day for opposing offenses.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple. It might not happen at 20, but the Steelers interest in Ya-Sin appears legit. This is Devin Bush's absolute floor. Keep an eye on Oakland moving up here.

21. Seattle Seahawks: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State. After the Frank Clark trade, it's hard to see the Seahawks not aggressively targeting a pass rusher. Burns brings sizzle and speed off the edge despite questions about his size and run defense. They could trade back and still get him, and a team looking to snag a top corner or safety (Chargers, Rams?) might indulge them.

22. Baltimore Ravens: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss. Tough choice here as I think they like both Erik McCoy and Cody Ford a lot, but the chance to get a lottery ticket in Metcalf at a position of need will woo new GM Eric DeCosta. At least one member of their scouting staff ranks the athletic freak WR considerably higher than this slot.

23. Houston Texans: Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma. Expect the Texans to aggressively address the league's worst offensive line. Ford can play tackle or guard and Houston desperately needs help at both. They could draft as many as three linemen (and multiple CBs) this weekend.

24. Oakland Raiders: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa. More of a supersized WR, Fant would nicely replace Jared Cook. It's a bigger need than gets widely publicized, and Fant has potential to be a great NFL receiver.

25. Philadelphia Eagles: Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State. Simmons would likely have been a top-10 pick if he didn't tear his ACL in December. The Eagles have enough depth they can afford to take a redshirt guy with big upside. I can see Marquise Brown here too.

26. Indianapolis Colts: Jerry Tillery, DT, Notre Dame. Tillery posted several game tapes where he looks worthy of being drafted much higher than this. He's a nice fit and value for the monster of a youthful Colts defense GM Chris Ballard is building.

27. Oakland Raiders: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU. It came down to a playmaking corner or running back, and both after a trade; I expect the Raiders to make this pick very early on Friday instead of at No. 27. Williams brings size and ball skills to a secondary lacking both. New England moving up for a TE or Cleveland aggressively jumping in for a CB both make sense as trades.

28. Los Angeles Chargers: Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State. Talented, versatile (he can play RT, either G spot or C) and physical, Risner is a great fit for what the Chargers want up front.

29. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington. Arguably the best CB in this draft (he's my top CB), Murphy helps restock a secondary in transition without having to relocate far from college.

30. Green Bay Packers: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma. A pick that would firmly distinguish GM Brian Gutekunst as a definitive new leader, Brown is a high-risk/reward prospect. No other WR can come close to his dynamic skills, but at 166 pounds and coming off a potentially career-altering foot injury, it's a leap of faith. I suspect Aaron Rodgers would approve.

31. Los Angeles Rams: Darnell Savage, S, Maryland. He can play safety, he can play cornerback, he can play both in the same series without needing to sub out. Savage is a good fit for a team that figures to face a lot of pass attempts.

32. New England Patriots: Dawson Knox, TE, Ole Miss. A surprise pick for some, but little birdies have been chirping about Knox since the Combine. Just don't say he's replacing Gronk; Knox is a different kind of TE. I can definitely see a trade down from here to snag Knox a few picks later too. Wild card would be a QB.

Second round

The picks from here on out are much more about matching player to slot than team to player.

33. Cardinals:  Erik McCoy, OG/OC, Texas A&M

34. Colts: Nasir Adderly, S, Delaware

35. Raiders: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

36. 49ers: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

37. Giants: A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss

38. Jaguars: Will Grier, QB, West Virginia

39. Buccaneers: Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia

40. Bills: Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State

41. Broncos: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida

42. Bengals: D’Andre Walker, EDGE, Georgia

43. Lions: Chris Lindstrom, OG/OC, Boston College

44. Packers: Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama

45. Falcons: David Long, CB, Michigan

46. Washington: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State 

47. Panthers: Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State

48. Dolphins: Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss

49. Browns: Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State

50. Vikings: Christian Miller, EDGE, Alabama

51. Titans: Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota

52. Steelers: Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina

53. Eagles: Chase Winovich, EDGE, Michigan

54. Texans: Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn State

55. Texans: Elgton Jenkins, OG/OC, Mississippi State

56. Patriots: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford

57. Eagles: Terry McLaurin, WR, Ohio State

58. Cowboys: Juan Thornhill, S, Virginia

59. Colts: Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State

60. Chargers: Taylor Rapp, S, Washington

61. Chiefs: Julian Love, CB, Notre Dame

62. Saints: Emanuel Hall, WR, Missouri

63. Chiefs: Amani Hooker, S, Iowa

64. Patriots: Charles Omenihu, DL, Texas

Jeff Risdon/RealGM

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Football Team

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Aaron Rodgers Calls B/R Story 'Smear Attack'

Apr 9, 2019 8:18 AM

Aaron Rodgers disputed a report from Bleacher Report that insinuated issues between he and Mike McCarthy derailed the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers called the story a "smear attack."

"The thing is about the article, it's -- it's not a mystery. This was a smear attack by a writer looking to advance his career talking with mostly irrelevant, bitter players who all have an agenda, whether they're advancing their own careers or just trying to stir old stuff up," Rodgers said. "What happens is the same tired media folks picking it up and talking about it. This just emphasized their opinion about me already. So it's ... the crazy thing is there's super-slanted opinions in that piece stated as facts, and then there's quote-unquote facts which are just outright lies."

Rodgers wanted to clear up the idea that the Packers are "worried about me as the leader of the football team moving forward."

"I want to say two things: One, if they knew that, why would they offer me a contract last year?" Rodgers said during the interview with former Packers tackle Mark Tauscher and radio host Jason Wilde. "And two, which goes into my second central thesis point that I'm going to take down, is if I really disliked Mike so much, why would I re-sign knowing that if I play well and we do what we do around here -- we made the playoffs eight straight years, and then I got hurt and we missed the playoffs -- it's going to be me and Mike my entire career? So if I really disliked him that much, do you think I'd re-sign? Is the money that important to me? I'll tell you it's not. Quality of life is important."

Rodgers said any issues with McCarthy didn't get in the way.

"The beauty in our relationship was that it grew year after year, and we learned how to communicate with each other," Rodgers said. "The beauty in our on-the-field relationship was that there was a ton of trust. When I read stuff like, 'I'd disrespect him by changing all these plays,' I had a lot of latitude. He knew that, and I knew that. I called the two-minute, I'd call stretches of no-huddle offense. ... A lot of times, he'd send two plays in: 'Hey, do you like this or that?' That's what it grew.

"The trust level was really high. I know it might make it tough on a playcaller when I'm going in a no-huddle period or I'm going in a two-minute of knowing exactly what's called, but that's the trust that we had, and that's why I appreciate getting to play for him for so many years."

Rob Demovsky/ESPN

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Misc Rumor

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Issues Between Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy Kept Packers Down

Apr 4, 2019 12:18 PM

Aaron Rodgers seemed to loathe Mike McCarthy from the moment the Green Bay Packers hired him in 2006. McCarthy had been offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers when they passed on Rodgers in favor of Alex Smith.

"Aaron's always had a chip on his shoulder with Mike," says Ryan Grant, the Packers' starting running back from 2007 to 2012. "The guy who ended up becoming your coach passed on you when he had a chance. Aaron was upset that Mike passed on him—that Mike actually verbally said that Alex Smith was a better quarterback."

Another longtime teammate agrees: "That was a large cancer in the locker room. It wasn't a secret."

Even during the best of times, Rodgers would regularly vent about McCarthy's playcalling and that he used the wrong personnel.

"Mike has a low football IQ, and that used to always bother Aaron," this source says. "He'd say Mike has one of the lowest IQs, if not the lowest IQ, of any coach he's ever had."

For a lengthy piece, Tyler Dunne spoke with dozens of players, coaches and personnel men from the Rodgers and McCarthy era, and many cite the relationship between those two as keeping the Packers from fulfilling their potential.

Tyler Dunne/Bleacher Report

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Misc Rumor

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Mike McCarthy Objected To How He Was Fired By Packers

Apr 3, 2019 10:27 AM

Mike McCarthy was shocked when he was fired by the Green Bay Packers with four games remaining in the season. 

"Frankly, no I did not," McCarthy said. "As a head coach, I've always tried to stay immune to and stand in front of all the outside noise. That was always my focus with my players. It was always to protect them as much as possible from the drama. I think that's important. And I stayed true to that to the last day. If we missed the playoffs, I expected change might happen. But the timing surprised me. Actually it stunned me. But time provides the opportunity for reflection and clarity, and that's where I'm at now. And it's clear to me now that both sides needed a change."

The Packers hadn't made an in-season coaching change for more than 60 years.

"It couldn't have been handled any worse. Anytime you lose a close game, it's a difficult time emotionally afterward, but when you lose a home game at Lambeau Field in December, it's really hard. And that hasn't happened very often. I walked out of my press conference, and I'm thinking about the game, thinking about how our playoff shot was now minimal. That's where my head was at. And when I was told Mark Murphy wanted to see me -- and the messenger was cold and the energy was bad. Mark said it was an ugly loss, and it was time to make change. He said something about the offense and the special teams, and he didn't think it was going to get any better. There was no emotion to it. That was hard," he said.

ESPN

Tags: Green Bay Packers, Misc Rumor

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