Calvin Pryor Over Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Isn’t Looking So Smart
When the Green Bay Packers played the New York Jets early this season, Jets’ coach and all-around blowhard Rex Ryan was talking up his safety Calvin Pryor.
The Jets had drafted Pryor with the No. 18 pick this year. He was the first safety taken, three spots ahead of where the Packers drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
According to Ryan, the Jets wanted the guy “who would knock your face in.” Pryor was known as the bigger hitter of the two. He’s now also known as the guy who has lost his job.
Pryor was benched last week by the Jets. Some guy named Jaiquawn Jarrett started in his place in the team’s win against Pittsburgh, their first since week 1. He had two picks and a sack in the game.
Obviously, it’s still too early to judge either Pryor or Clinton-Dix, except in one area — impact they’re making in their rookie seasons. Clinton-Dix has single-handedly improved the Packers defense. Pryor, well… the Jets’ pass defense is the clear weakness of an otherwise stout unit.
The two players have opposite trajectories as well. Clinton-Dix wasn’t a starter to open the season. He earned that role back in week 7. Pryor was a starter day one and now he’s riding the bench.
Oh, and the stat lines? Clinton-Dix has 47 tackles, 1 INT and 1 sack, while making just three starts. Pryor has 36 tackles and half a sack in seven starts.
If I could verbalize a farting noise through my words, I would do so here.
But listen, if Calvin Pryor is ever good enough to get in another game, he just might knock someone’s face in. Meanwhile, the Packers can just sit back and benefit from the Jets’ stupidity — probably for years.
I was one of those in the Calvin Pryor love fest camp. Although when we took Ha Ha, I wasn’t necessarily disappointed either because the fans wanted the position addressed, and the organization followed suit (for once).
Pryor was supposed to be an enforcer at strong safety, his more natural position and from what I read out there, Rex has or had him playing Free Safety. Add in a couple late appearances to team meetings and you have a 1st rounder benched. I’m sure in time he’ll prove out to be every bit as impactful as Ha Ha but I have to admit, Mr. Clinton Did while not perfect, has definitely shown me and all fans he belongs at this level.
Thats the point. Our need was not at SS but at FS. Had Burnett kept playing as last year, we could have plugged Sean Richardson in. But we had no answer at FS, other than the Hyde experiment (which turned out fairly good).
If the Jets had taken Ha Ha, we would be the ones having the first rounder riding the bench, because Pryor would have been playing out of his natural SS position, hard pressed into the FS role.
Love Ha Ha, glad he is on our team!
When the draft started rolling around last year it was clear what the two biggest Packer needs would be. I personally felt we needed an ILB over Safety but not by much. So I started looking at the tape on the ILB’s, first CJ Mosely. While watching the tape of Mosely it appeared Mosely was usually dragging the runner down and a little late to the play. More often than not another Alabama player would fly in from off the screen and make the tackle ahead of Mosely. That player was HHCD. I was sold HHCD would be a better pick than Mosely. I read somewhere that Mosely is having a great year. It shows that the Pack also have a great pick. Next year ILB please.
Another instance in which the football gods were on our side (which has not happened of late). As soon as Pryor picked, it seemed more and more likely Ha Ha would fall into our laps.
I know its easy to say after the fact, but i really wanted Ha Ha. I think it was in part because Lacy had worked so well and here was another Alabama product etc. I Alabama has a solid program/Alumni
I was born in a Big 12 state and now live in a Pac 12 so no bias.