From: heim@vms.macc.wisc.edu (JOHN HEIM	)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: 1st 5draft predictions
Date: 15 Apr 92 14:35:39 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center

In article <53911@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>, markn@salerno.orc.olivetti.com (Mark Nass) writes...

>   I listed DB as 3rd most pressing need because Leroy Butler, Chuck
>Cecil, Vinnie
>Clark, Jerry Holmes and Mark Murphy are not exactly an Elite Crew, this
>is also whom
>I think were the starters at the end of the season. I believe Vinnie
>Clark replaced 
>Jerrie Holmes during the week before the second Tampa Bay game last season.

Pretty good.  Do you know as much about the other teams?  Most of the 
people making predictions in this group know plenty about their own 
team, something about the other teams in the division, and maybe a 
little about the playoff teams.

>   I'll bet between all of the defensive backs on the Packers team they didn't 
>even receive one vote for the Pro Bowl. Leroy Butler is probably the
>best of the
>bunch but lacks speed, Chuck Cecil throws his body around and gets some
>good hits, but
>usually after the other team has the first down. Its to early to rule
>out Vinnie
>Clark, but he got burned a lot last year as a rookie, he has the speed
>and atletic
>ability to be their best back this year. Mark Murphy is to old and to
>slow to help
>out in passing downs. Jerry Holmes and Roland Mitchell are nothing special.
>  The Packers did however rank 14th in the NFL Pass Defense and I would have 
>ranked the OL as a more pressing need except that I think the main reason
>that the offensive line was so bad is because the offensive line coach was bad.

I certainly agree that the Packers secondary was nothing special last 
year.  Don't get me wrong - it's only by comparison to the rest of the 
team that they look good.  On the other hand Butler was *very* good 
last year.  100% improvement from his rookie season.  Vincent showed 
flashes of brilliance.  Sure he got burned a lot but it's a rare 
rookie CB that doesn't.  He also made some great plays.  I believe he 
lead the club in passes broken up even though he didn't start until 
midway through the season.  This says good things for both Butler and 
Vincent.  They were throwing away from Butler but Vincent handled it 
well.

Cecil is adequate.  They could win with Cecil at FS.  Murphy still is 
*very good* at what they asked him to do last year - come up and make 
some hits on running plays.  I believe that, as usual, he was the teams 
leading tackler in 91.

Plus they picked up Lewis Billups from Cincy in Plan-B who 
looked really good at the mini-camp.  He apparently fits the Packers' 
system better than Cincy's and he started there the last few years.

In fact, if 91 was a fluke for Butler, and Clark's preformance doesn't 
improve, and Murphy ages, and Billups doesn't pan out, and Cecil gets 
hurt again this could be big problem for GB.  But probably this will 
be just about the Packers' strongest position (which is a pretty sad 
statement in itself).

John G. Heim                                 Email:  heim@macc.wisc.edu
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