5 RULES TO SUCCESS: THE AVERAGE FAN'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL NFL DRAFT

Recently, I was going to post the draft needs of the Green Bay Packers, but I thought I would be able to produce a much better post if I got the opinion of the average NFL fan. So for the past two years, I have conducted countless interviews and as a result, have collected invaluable information. Here are the top five pieces of information that I will be using to produce my next post.

- RULE 1: Don't draft lineman.

They're not that necessary, right? I mean they're not flashy, they don't score touchdowns, and let's be honest most of them are kind of, well... ugly. So remember no lineman.
-Anonymous Raider fan, this interview conducted just two minutes ago. Seemed to become very upset when I was about to mention Robert Gallery.

RULE 2: Exclusively draft offense.

If you just draft offense then you don't have to worry about the defense, because the best defense is a good offense, makes sense right?
- Gene Chizik respsponding to accusations of prostitution and gambling while at Iowa State University.

RULE 3: Only draft beautiful quarterbacks.

- Listen...when conducting hours of interviews and research this is a point that constantly came up. Obviously this is integral part to building an unstoppable franchise.
-Joe Namath in an interview conducted with Suzy Kolber of ESPN.

RULE 4: Ummm... (This was a great rule and unfortunatley I have forgot it. I did have it written down but my cat Soxs spilled coffee on it. I would like to apologize to Terry Donahue, the man or woman that was kind enough to provide me with this quote. Again I am deeply sorry.)

RULE 5: Always draft in the first round.

Never trade first round picks for anything, unless, it is to move up higher in the first round. Once you get out of the first round the players are terrible. Basically, you can only find starters in the first round, just look at Tom Brady if you need proof.
- Chilli Palmer, a waiter and dancer at the Sugar Shack, a male strip club. Please do not send emails on how I got this interview.

On behalf of those who I interviewed, I will be sending this to all GMs as preparation for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Thanks,

Mike Haberle

WILL KAMPMAN FIT?

So now that the Packers are going to the 3-4, much of the talk has been about whether or not Aaron Kampman will fit within the defense. As of right now, Kampman would project as an outside linebacker rather than a defensive end. And to answer the question of whether he's got what it takes...the answer is yes. Here's why...


First, the Pack just made a huge hiring by adding Kevin Greene as outside linebackers coach. And for those of you who don't remember, Greene was a nasty player who played the outside linebacker spot for Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Carolina, and San Francisco. Oh, and he is third all-time in career sacks behind Bruce Smith and Reggie White. So look for Kampman to get a grade A education when it comes to playing the outside linebacker spot.


Second, Kampman is just a ball-player. He just has the ability to go out there and play football. Line him up at safety, cornerback, linebacker, and heck maybe even quarterback and he will find a way to get the job done. See in the NFL, there are three kinds of players, guys that just suck, guys that are athletes, and guys that just know how to play the game of football, and that is Kampman.


So don't worry...because I feel that the 3-4 gives Kampman the chance to be even more productive. But we'll have to wait and see.

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW

Well, a few weeks ago the Packers revealed that they would be releasing much of their defensive staff(more...) and I could not be happier. Let me tell you why.The Packers were very good against the pass this past year. However, it wasn't the opponents passing attack that hurt the Packers, it was the opponent's ability to run the ball, averaging 131.6 yards per game. Because the Packers were not able to stop the run and show absolutely no defensive improvement over the past few seasons, it was time for a change.

And because of those firings the Packers have added Dom Capers as the defensive coordinator. What's not the love. Capers is the man who converted the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the best defenses in the NFL, into a 3-4 defense. He was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers when they were beaten by the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game and most recently, Capers spent the last season with the New England Patriots as a special assistant/secondary coach. Just imagine the things he may have learned from Belichick in New England.

So what does the hiring of Capers ultimately mean. Well, the Packers over the course of the next few seasons will be making the transition to the 3-4 defense. The 3-4 is run by many of the top defenses in the NFL, the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, and Dallas among other teams. In a 3-4 defense there are three down lineman and four linebackers, as opposed to a 4-3, which calls for four down lineman and three linebackers. What I love the most about the 3-4 is the success that other teams have had with it. When announcing the hire of Dom Capers, head coach Mike McCarthy noted that, "It's an excellent run defense [and] it creates [a] pass rush on the quarterback," something that the Packers lacked throughout the year with the exception of Aaron Kampman.

So, it should be fun to see the Pack implement this defense over the next season or so...but...the one drawback is they will have to go out and get players that fit a 3-4 defense, which is something that we'll get a look at in the next post.

GETTING STARTED

There is this misconception that the Dallas Cowboys are America's team, sorry Troy Aikman, that just ain't true. So we don't want to cause any confusin among the masses that have been brained washed, so, I will sadly refer to the Green Bay Packers as America's other team...but those that bleed green and gold know that it is far from the truth. Sorry. So here it goes.