Packers HC Matt Lafleur says 30-Visit reason Packers took Cliff (link)

[CJFisJoePaII]

Way to knock your 30-Visit out of the park Sean - you did PSU proud.

During his post-draft presser, Packers HC Matt Lafleur said he, and GB Management, were blown away by Cliff and that is why they wanted him. Here's the hotlink:

Packers coach Matt LaFleur explains why team picked Penn State QB Sean Clifford​

 

[The Spin Meister]

Way to knock your 30-Visit out of the park Sean - you did PSU proud.

During his post-draft presser, Packers HC Matt Lafleur said he, and GB Management, were blown away by Cliff and that is why they wanted him. Here's the hotlink:

Packers coach Matt LaFleur explains why team picked Penn State QB Sean Clifford​

First, surprised he even got the 30-Visit when he didn’t even get an invite to the combine. That’s one thing I would ask the Greenbay staff. Then, why the fifth round? No one expected him to get drafted. Coulda used a sixth round pick(assuming they had one) or even risk waiting to the seventh. Could have picked other players of need and still gotten him.

That must have been one hell of an interview!

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

First, surprised he even got the 30-Visit when he didn’t even get an invite to the combine. That’s one thing I would ask the Greenbay staff. Then, why the fifth round? No one expected him to get drafted. Coulda used a sixth round pick(assuming they had one) or even risk waiting to the seventh. Could have picked other players of need and still gotten him.

That must have been one hell of an interview!

I'm not sure I understand your points - why is the Packers' Organization beholding to the decisions of the NFL Draft Combine??? They obviously gave him a 30-Visit because they wanted to meet with, and work him out, in person. Good chance they gave him one of their limited 30 Visits specifically because he wasn't at the combine (the Packers knew they were trading Rodgers, so they had probably identified Draft-Eligible QBs they were interested in.... obviously, Clifford was one of the QBs they had identified and they wanted to get a closer look at him.... hence the 30-Visit since they weren't going to be able to evaluate him at the combine.). Also, just because you say there's no way he would have gone and they could have waited until their last pick or even pick him as a UFA, doesn't make it so - the Packers Management obviously disagrees with you.

 

[The Spin Meister]

I'm not sure I understand your points - why is the Packers' Organization beholding to the decisions of the NFL Draft Combine??? They obviously gave him a 30-Visit because they wanted to meet with, and work him out, in person. Good chance they gave him one of their limited 30 Visits specifically because he wasn't at the combine (the Packers knew they were trading Rodgers, so they had probably identified Draft-Eligible QBs they were interested in.... obviously, Clifford was one of the QBs they had identified and they wanted to get a closer look at him.... hence the 30-Visit since they weren't going to be able to evaluate him at the combine.). Also, just because you say there's no way he would have gone and they could have waited until their last pick or even pick him as a UFA, doesn't make it so - the Packers Management obviously disagrees with you.

That as so very helpful. Thank you soooo much for sharing your brilliant insight!

 

[PSU Soupy]

For a QB to give such a good interview and to be so smart with his answers, every game Sean threw 2-4 passes where you had to wonder what he was doing. Sean is a warrior and gave his all to PSU, and for that I am happy, however the talent to play in the NFL just has never been exhibited by Clifford.

Maybe behind a great OL, with great RBs and superior WRs Clifford could be a decent QB, but Green Bay does not have much at RB or WR....their OL is ok when healthy. Happy for Sean, he will be succesful in life......just in my opinion not as a player in the NFL.

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

That as so very helpful. Thank you soooo much for sharing your brilliant insight!

Lot more insightful than your idiocy - "......the Packers shouldn't have evaluated him because he wasn't invited to the Combine....."???? Really?, if the Packers had identified Cliff as one of the draft-eligible QB's they wanted to evaluate, they should have just abandoned that desire because he wasn't invited to the Combine?

 

[87 Penn St8]

It would be interesting to know what other lower draft profile qbs GB had in the the talks. They likely knew where things were heading w Rogers but couldn't risk a higher pick so they were trolling the bottom feeders. I guess if you know what you want you take it. A 5th round pick for a cheap 3+ year back up is reasonable if he fits your culture. A question is his upside and past injury proneness.

Hoping Sean sticks around for awhile in Love's shadow. That organization has done well with the qb position. Ideal landing spot for Cliff. He has earned a shot.

 

[bvillebaron]

That as so very helpful. Thank you soooo much for sharing your brilliant insight!

Frankly I thought it was spot on; just didn’t agree with your “brilliant” insight.

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

For a QB to give such a good interview and to be so smart with his answers, every game Sean threw 2-4 passes where you had to wonder what he was doing. Sean is a warrior and gave his all to PSU, and for that I am happy, however the talent to play in the NFL just has never been exhibited by Clifford.

Maybe behind a great OL, with great RBs and superior WRs Clifford could be a decent QB, but Green Bay does not have much at RB or WR....their OL is ok when healthy. Happy for Sean, he will be succesful in life......just in my opinion not as a player in the NFL.

It's more than an "Interview" - the athlete is there the entire day, works out for the team, etc.... (each NFL Team is limited to 30 such visits, which is why they call it a 30-Visit). You've had people on here saying he is slow... blah, blah, blah.... Cliff is not slow and actually has superior athleticism - it's one of the things Lafleur mentioned they specifically like, Cliff's athleticism.

 

[LandoComando]

First, surprised he even got the 30-Visit when he didn’t even get an invite to the combine. That’s one thing I would ask the Greenbay staff. Then, why the fifth round? No one expected him to get drafted. Coulda used a sixth round pick(assuming they had one) or even risk waiting to the seventh. Could have picked other players of need and still gotten him.

That must have been one hell of an interview!

The 30 without the combine makes sense. If they liked his pro day why not bring him in when you got to interview guys at the combine.

 

[tboyer]

For competitiveness, toughness, character, leadership, you couldn't ask for anything more. And physically he can do some things -- good scrambler and in the Rose Bowl he showed he can throw deep with accuracy.

He could lose his composure sometimes under pressure against great defenses, but that's hardly unique.

I think my only real criticism of Clifford was that sometimes, when things were going well, he'd relax and his concentration would lapse and he'd make bad decisions or throw really bad balls. It might have come from him being an emotional football player -- when he was "feeling it" he'd tend to pick the deep receiver even if they were double covered, when the better play was take the wide open guy for a first down. Didn't have that problem in the RB, took what the defense gave him..

 

[fkkkjm]

He is a bigger trace mcsorley with more arm talent and had less talent around him than Mcsorley at PSU. I think he’ll hang around a while in the NFL possibly.

 

[Rip_E_2_Joe_PA]

First, surprised he even got the 30-Visit when he didn’t even get an invite to the combine. That’s one thing I would ask the Greenbay staff. Then, why the fifth round? No one expected him to get drafted. Coulda used a sixth round pick(assuming they had one) or even risk waiting to the seventh. Could have picked other players of need and still gotten him.

That must have been one hell of an interview!

What happened to logic. They waited till the 5th round because it made sense to do so.

 

[lurkerlion]

The number one requirement for the 3rd string qb is that he works hard and learns the playbook despite little chance of playing. He has to be ready in an emergency. Trace is relentless in preparation and I think Sean is similar.

The next question is whether Sean can play himself up to 2nd string in the future. That is up to Sean and his work ethic to overcome his weaknesses and convince the coaches.

He faces a lot of hurdles to become a starter. Even if he becomes good enough to get a shot, he will always be a 5th round pick. Brady is the famous exception, but now teams draft their qbs in the first or second round and invest gazillions to put him on the field.

 

[Wallace Breen]

I am not saying this is happening with Clifford but one thing people don't seem to understand is that a lot of NFL teams will draft Quarterbacks late to be practice players. This is the role of the third team QB for almost every team that carries one. Trace was drafted by the Ravens to be a practice player. He served the same role in Arizona and very likely in New England. Clifford's skillset if very similar to Love's. Perhaps the coaches want to work more with Love individually but need a similarly talented player to work with the offense during these times. Perhaps they think he adequately fill the role of Justin Fields, while being able to play Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff? This happens all the time in the NFL. Occasionally, someone like Brock Perdy emerges or in rare instances, Tom Brady.

 

[fastlax16]

The number one requirement for the 3rd string qb is that he works hard and learns the playbook despite little chance of playing. He has to be ready in an emergency. Trace is relentless in preparation and I think Sean is similar.

The next question is whether Sean can play himself up to 2nd string in the future. That is up to Sean and his work ethic to overcome his weaknesses and convince the coaches.

He faces a lot of hurdles to become a starter. Even if he becomes good enough to get a shot, he will always be a 5th round pick. Brady is the famous exception, but now teams draft their qbs in the first or second round and invest gazillions to put him on the field.

He’s second string by default at the moment by the looks of it. Danny Etling signed a one year contract with the packers before last season and was never on the active roster.