macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
13 years ago
With the extensive playing time that a lot of the back-ups received--essentially starting the majority of the year--it could be more difficult this year than past to unseat some of the back-ups and make the roster.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/14829314/packers-needs-champs-have-few-defects-none-glaring/rss 

The Green Bay Packers had so many injuries last season, they almost failed to make the playoffs, not qualifying until the last day. But then a funny thing happened: They ran the table, winning their first Super Bowl since 1996, and now all those injuries that crippled Green Bay last season make them the favorite to return.

Follow the logic: With 15 players on injured reserve, including six starters, the Packers were forced to press unlikely candidates into starting spots -- people like running back James Starks, safety Charlie Peprah, tight end Andrew Quarless and linebacker Desmond Bishop. So they played, they produced and now they're part of a roster that is so deep it's hard to find cracks in the ground floor.

But that's our job, so let's start looking. The Packers don't need to find a starter in this year's draft. They have plenty of quality candidates. But they still have needs, though they're few with all the players they have coming back. Nevertheless, there isn't anyone out there who can't improve, and the Packers qualify. So let's start the search and find what they're missing.

QB: Aaron Rodgers was the Super Bowl MVP, one of the best quarterbacks in the business and is entering his fourth season as a starter. That's good. Matt Flynn is the backup, and while inexperienced, he nearly beat New England in last year's only start. That's even better. Consider the Packers loaded here.

RB: The Packers played nearly all of last season without Ryan Grant, and they were supposed to be handicapped. Turns out they weren't, largely because James Starks got a chance to play -- and he became the postseason's leading rusher. With Starks pushing Grant, the Packers are in better shape at this position than they've been in years, even though Brandon Jackson and John Kuhn are free agents. I could see them drafting a prospect to groom, but not immediately.

WR: Donald Driver turned 36 this month, and while he has been good for a long time, he's bound to crater. So prepare for that day. Yeah, I know, the Packers have James Jones and Jordy Nelson to step in -- which is what they did in Super Bowl XLV -- but neither seems qualified as a No. 2, especially the inconsistent Jones, who drops too many passes. Brett Swain is a guy who may show up, but I wouldn't count on it. What I would count on is drafting another top receiver for one of the game's top quarterbacks. If you build your club around Aaron Rodgers, you better arm him with weapons -- and having Jermichael Finley back at tight end will help. But so would another top wideout.

TE: Finley is back, and he's not only a terrific red zone threat and one of Rodgers' favorite targets; he's one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the game. Yet the Packers won without him, and this is not brain surgery, folks. The Packers are better because of the Finley injury. Why? Because they discovered Quarless, and while he's no Finley, the Packers proved they can win with him.

OL: The club addressed the tackle position last year with the draft of University of Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga, and he performed better than expected after stepping in for injured Mark Tauscher in Week 5. On the left side, Chad Clifton -- who rebounded surprisingly well from knee problems -- was injury free for the first time in three seasons and played well enough to be chosen to the Pro Bowl. But he turns 35 this season and has durability issues. Plus, Bulaga is best suited for the left side. With Tauscher seemingly out of the picture, this becomes an area the club may have to address again. Granted, the Packers could move Bulaga to left tackle and try third-year pro T.J. Langat right tackle, but he's in the mix at left guard, too. Plus, the team could do nothing, and hope Clifton has a repeat of 2010. Nevertheless, another tackle wouldn't hurt.

DL: Depth was an issue in 2010 when the Packers played without defensive tackle Johnny Jolley (suspended); without defensive end Cullen Jenkins for five games, including the last four of the regular season; without Ryan Pickett for two games; and without Justin Harrell and Mike Neal for most of the season. Yet the club withstood the losses, largely because defensive tackle B.J. Raji was terrific, producing 6.5 sacks and plugging the middle of the league's 18th-best run defense. Expect the Packers to be better against the run because they will have the bodies they did not a year ago. But they could use help on the outside. Pickett was nothing more than ordinary after splitting out to defensive end, and Cullen Jenkins probably will move on -- opening the door for someone like Jarius Wynn.

LB: When Green Bay lost outside linebacker Brad Jones to a season-ending injury, it plugged Frank Zombo and free agent Erik Walden into his position, and both produced results. But they could use a playmaker opposite Clay Matthews, runner-up in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, so they can start in April. I know, Jones is back and he showed some pass-rush ability in 2009. But he has durability issues. Zombo and Jones were decent, but the Packers could upgrade. Understand that we're grasping. Green Bay ranked second in scoring defense last season and fifth overall, so its needs aren't urgent. Nevertheless, it could vault to the top of the charts by improving this position. Oh, and its inside linebackers? With Hawk, Bishop and Nick Barnett inside, the Packers are deep and solid.

DB: There is no better pair of cornerbacks than Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams, but Woodson might be better suited to safety, which leaves nickel-back Sam Shields to step in. OK, fine. But then what? Pat Lee is inexperienced, which means there could be a need for a backup. But there isn't at safety, where Woodson could be in the mix. If he's not -- and I'm not saying he must move -- the Packers have the always dependable Nick Collins, Peprah, Atari Bigby and Morgan Burnett, last year's promising rookie who was lost to a knee injury. Yeah, I'd say they're stronger than most here.

Five possibilities: Packers

Cameron Heyward, DL, Ohio State: Can line up almost anywhere. Not a real outside pass-rusher but is terrific vs. the run and is versatile.
Aaron Williams, CB, Texas: Has great size, making him a prototypical NFL cornerback. Good run defender and solid defending the pass.
Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: He should go somewhere late in the first round or early in the second. Has great size and is capable of making the circus catch.
Brooks Reed, OLB, Arizona: Three-year starter who is a bit of a tweener. More suited as 3-4 OLB and is a solid special-teams contributor.
Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin: He probably won't last this long, and the odds of Green Bay taking a tackle with the first pick two years in a row are slim. But if he's there, how do you pass on him?

CBSSports wrote:

CBSSports wrote:

millertime
13 years ago
I always think it's funny people say WR is a need. We have Greg Jennings (a top 6 receiver) and arguably the most feared receiving TE in the league in Finley.. Not to mention Driver, Nelson, and (maybe) Jones. We have better receivers than almost every team in the league.

We already have a hard enough time getting Jennings and Finley enough balls when they're on the field together. Adding another guy too the mix just seems like a mistake.
Rockmolder
13 years ago
Driver's done, jones drops way too many balls and nelson isn't that good a reciever. doesn't get a lot of seperatoin.

I think that its a peyton and brady thing. i mean, brandon stokley, david patten... made by their QBs.

I'm not saying that your players are bad o ranything. i think both jones and nelson would make about any roster in the league. i'm just not completeely sure they would make for great starters. we'd be good but it wouldn't be a weapoh nof our offense like it now.

Of course with rodgers we might not really need more than one good receiver.... and finley next to jennings is one hell of an extra.
13 years ago
That was a tough article to write.

Like the article says in the linebacker evaluation, they are grasping.

It is tough to guess who the best prospect available is until the Packers are on the clock. The only thing that would suprise me in the first round would be a kicker or punter. I'm okay with a WR, a QB, or most anything.

Some player the experts have at number 20-24 will still be on the board for Ted to pick.
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millertime
13 years ago

Driver's done, jones drops way too many balls and nelson isn't that good a reciever. doesn't get a lot of seperatoin.

I think that its a peyton and brady thing. i mean, brandon stokley, david patten... made by their QBs.

I'm not saying that your players are bad o ranything. i think both jones and nelson would make about any roster in the league. i'm just not completeely sure they would make for great starters. we'd be good but it wouldn't be a weapoh nof our offense like it now.

Of course with rodgers we might not really need more than one good receiver.... and finley next to jennings is one hell of an extra.

"Rockmolder" wrote:



Can you name one team that you would want to trade receivers with?

New Orleans, maybe? I just can't think of a team with better WRs, than ours.
Zero2Cool
13 years ago
Bengals had a pretty solid top 4 WR last season. Not sure if I'd trade though.
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macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
13 years ago

...and nelson isn't that good a reciever.

"Rockmolder" wrote:



I keep visualizing that 1st TD pass...couldn't help thinking as I was reading this: 9 catches, 140 yards.

Think what he could have done if he HAD been that good a receiver... :icon_smile:
Rockmolder
13 years ago

Driver's done, jones drops way too many balls and nelson isn't that good a reciever. doesn't get a lot of seperatoin.

I think that its a peyton and brady thing. i mean, brandon stokley, david patten... made by their QBs.

I'm not saying that your players are bad o ranything. i think both jones and nelson would make about any roster in the league. i'm just not completeely sure they would make for great starters. we'd be good but it wouldn't be a weapoh nof our offense like it now.

Of course with rodgers we might not really need more than one good receiver.... and finley next to jennings is one hell of an extra.

"Rockmolder" wrote:



Okay, people. Day after clarification of my post as I may or may not have intented it.

Driver's getting awfully close to being over the hill. Maybe he'll push out one more 1000 yard season if two other targets get injured next year, but I don't think we'll realistically get more out of him than another 500 yard season or two before he calls it quits.

Jones is a good receiver, someone with amazing potential. It's just that he has those nagging problems with drops. He has that rare combination of being able to stretch the field one play and play possesion receiver the next. At 6'1, 210 his size isn't too bad, either. If he'd just stop dropping those balls....

Nelson is an ok receiver. Corners stick to him like glue in a lot of cases, though. I mean, that first TD catch was a perfect pass. CB couldn't have been on Nelson any tighter than he was. That was mainly on Rodgers. Then the rest of his catches... Quick hitch route with a lot of spacing, curl route against a man playing off etc. Way too often it's the scheme that gets him open, rather than his ability as a receiver. Or Rodgers who just throws him open.

And that's where the Stokley and Patten comparisons come in. I mean, these guys are decent receivers, but far from superstars. Under, respectively, Manning and Brady they put up career seasons.

I'm not saying that our receivers are bad. It's just that, if we do lose Driver, we're back to being an ok WR group. You have Jennings as the stand out player with two players who are amazing as a nr. 3 and 4 in Nelson and Jones, but just ok as a nr. 2 and 3, carrying half the load. Especially if you only have Swain as your nr. 4 guy.

Of course, Finley might be the x-factor here. He's going to need some extra coverage if he does stay healthy and then your future still looks pretty good.
Stevetarded
13 years ago
I'm not really sure what kind of WR group you guys expect I mean Jennings is a borderline top 5 WR in the NFL we do not need another top 10 guy to go with him. Jordy is certainly good enough to be the #2 guy. With Finley in there all we need out of the #2 is 500-600 yards a season and Jordy is good enough for that as a full time starter and probably more.

Unless you can snag a guy with some serious talent using an early pick on a WR is a waste. When you already have a decent group like we do you take someone later who has some good potential and treat them as a project.
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Rockmolder
13 years ago

I'm not really sure what kind of WR group you guys expect I mean Jennings is a borderline top 5 WR in the NFL we do not need another top 10 guy to go with him. Jordy is certainly good enough to be the #2 guy. With Finley in there all we need out of the #2 is 500-600 yards a season and Jordy is good enough for that as a full time starter and probably more.

Unless you can snag a guy with some serious talent using an early pick on a WR is a waste. When you already have a decent group like we do you take someone later who has some good potential and treat them as a project.

"Stevetarded" wrote:



But, if you can get a guy like Baldwin with the 32nd pick, someone who compares to Brandon Marshall, at least partially, why would you pass up on that?

Personally, I'd cut Driver if we'd get the chance to draft Baldwin.
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