macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
13 years ago

http://gnb.scout.com/2/1084036.html 

There are no shortage of stars on the Green Bay Packers.
On NFL Network’s list of the league’s top 100 players, as selected by the players themselves, Aaron Rodgers ranked 11th, Charles Woodson 16th, Clay Matthews 19th, Greg Jennings 74th, B.J. Raji 81st, Nick Collins 96th and Chad Clifton 99th.

And that doesn’t include guard Josh Sitton and cornerback Tramon Williams.

Beyond that list of top-tier talent, a case could be made that second-year defensive end Mike Neal is the Packers’ most important player

With Cullen Jenkins expected to depart in free agency, it will be up to Neal to fill the role as the quarterback-sackng, mayhem-producing defensive lineman.

How good is Jenkins? Despite missing 17 games over the last three seasons — including five games in 2010 — he has emerged as one of the NFL’s premier interior pass rushers. He had seven sacks last season and finished second on the team with 21 quarterback hits.

According to research conducted by Pro Football Focus, Jenkins wound up with 46 pressures on 411 pass-rushing snaps (including playoffs), making him the third-most-productive interior rusher in the league. Moreover, over the last three seasons, Jenkins’ 14 sacks and 111 pressures in 1,058 pass-rushing snaps make him the best interior rusher in the league.

Contrast that with Washington and Dallas, both of which run 3-4 defenses. Jenkins had more sacks last season than those teams’ defensive ends combined.

Those are some big shoes to fill, Mr. Neal.

“(Jenkins is) a big mentor and a big part of my game, just helping me learn football and use all my assets,” Neal said back in June. “If he comes back, it would be great, but if he doesn’t, hopefully they rely on me to be ready to play and I can come in and contribute like Cullen did.”

Neal showed that kind of potential during a too-short rookie season. As a second-round pick, Neal was known mostly for setting weight-room records at Purdue. And while he played to that strength, he showed exciting quickness off the ball and dogged determination. After missing the first three games with an abdominal strain, Neal finally got on the field against Detroit and Washington in Weeks 4 and 5. He forced a fumble that set up a touchdown against the Lions. In 55 impactful snaps against the Redskins, he had one sack, one quarterback hit and one pressure and was mostly immovable against the run.

However, Neal sustained a shoulder injury in that game that required surgery to his rotator cuff. Thus, the Packers will be counting on a player with merely 79 snaps of regular-season experience to be a key player week after week after week.

“That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” Neal said. “I’ve never missed a season due to an injury. I’ve been through a lot of tough things, but to not be able to play the game of football and feel like I’m a disappointment to not only myself but to my team is probably one of the biggest things.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself. So, for me missing the season, truly has me feeling like an animal inside. Next year is going to be good.”

Fortunately, Neal won’t have to go it alone.

Down the stretch last season, Raji blossomed into the player the Packers expected when they used the ninth overall pick on him in 2009. Of his 6.5 sacks, four came in the final five games, and he added another in the playoffs — not to mention his stunning pick-six in the NFC Championship Game at Chicago. That late-season production is made more impressive when you consider he played a stunning 85.2 percent of the defensive snaps — at nose tackle in the base defense and tackle in nickel — because of the injuries to Jenkins, Neal and Ryan Pickett.

At right end, with Jenkins slowed by a calf injury in the playoffs, he essentially split time with beefy midseason addition Howard Green. Expect Green, who started three playoff games, to carry the water on running downs and Neal to play in passing situations.

Pickett, who will turn 32 a month into the season, will hold the fort at left end. As arguably one of the top five or six run defenders among the league’s 3-4 ends, he’ll continue to be used on a situational basis.

Third-year player Jarius Wynn, second-year player C.J. Wilson and seventh-round pick Lawrence Guy will fight for a roster spot. Wynn had a sack in the must-win season-finale against Chicago and Wilson had a sack in the playoff romp at Atlanta.

The Candidates
(Based on the current roster.)

Defensive ends: Howard Green, Lawrence Guy, Justin Harrell, Cullen Jenkins, Mike Neal, Ryan Pickett, C.J. Wilson, Jarius Wynn.

Nose tackles: B.J. Raji, Jay Ross

Scout.com wrote:

nerdmann
13 years ago
My man Justin Harrell has a shot. This is really the only position I'm concerned about on the entire team, and I'm actually not even that concerned about it. Wynn is miscast in this scheme. Pickett is a NT playing DE. And is 32. I like our guys, but I'd like more depth.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Laser Gunns
13 years ago
Howard Green - he mostly plays inside when we play 2-4-5 D, or DE when we play run-heavy teams.

Ryan Pickett- our D was at it's worst running to his side, so i'm not sure I agree that he is a great run stopper.

C.J. Wilson- was actually kinda good in spots

Jarius Wynn- needs to go, does not fit



MintBaconDrivel
Dec, 11, 2012 - FOREVER!
13 years ago
Green is an experienced vet. Wilson is developing.

Neal needs experience and will get it the old fashioned way.

Raji and Pickett are vital.

They have to rotate to avoid injury.

In Ted we trust.
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packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : 49ers are underdogs at Packers, ending streak of 36 straight games as favorites
Zero2Cool (22-Nov) : 49ers might be down their QB, DL, TE and LT?
packerfanoutwest (22-Nov) : Jaire Alexander says he has a torn PCL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : Even with the context it's ... what?
Mucky Tundra (20-Nov) : Matt LaFleur without context: “I don’t wanna pat you on the butt and you poop in my hand.”
beast (20-Nov) : We brought in a former Packers OL coach to help evaluate OL as a scout
beast (20-Nov) : Jets have been pretty good at picking DL
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He landed good players thanks to high draft slot. He isn't good.
Zero2Cool (20-Nov) : He can shove his knowledge up his ass. He knows nothing.
beast (20-Nov) : More knowledge, just like bring in the Jets head coach
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : What? Why? Huh?
beast (19-Nov) : I wonder if the Packers might to try to bring Douglas in through Milt Hendrickson/Ravens connections
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : The Jets fired Joe Douglas, per sources
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Jets are a mess......
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Pretty sure Jets fired their scouting staff and just pluck former Packers.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Jets sign Anders Carlson to their 53.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : When you cycle the weeks, the total over remains for season. But you get your W/L for that selected week. Confusing.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the total and percentage are the same as the previous weeks
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : the totals are accurate..nrvrtmind
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : I don't follow what you are saying. The totals are not the same as last week.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : ok so then wht are the totals the same as last week?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : NFL Pick'em is auto updated when NFL Scores tab is clicked
Martha Careful (19-Nov) : The offense was OK. Let's not forget the Bear defense is very very good.
packerfanoutwest (19-Nov) : Who updates the leaderboard on NFLPickem?
beast (19-Nov) : Has the Packers offense been worse since the former Jets coach joined the Packers?
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Offense gets his ass in gear, this could be good.
Zero2Cool (19-Nov) : Backup QB helped with three wins. Special Teams contributed to three wins.
bboystyle (18-Nov) : Lions played outside thats why. They scored 16 and 17 in the only 2 outside games this year
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : The rest of the NFL is catching up to Packers ... kicking is an issue throughout league
packerfanoutwest (18-Nov) : Packers DL Kenny Clark: We knew 'we were going to block' Bears' game-winning field goal attempt
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Lions seem to be throttling everyone, but only (only) got 24 lol maybe the rain is why
Zero2Cool (18-Nov) : Packers vs Lions game doesn't seem so bad.
beast (18-Nov) : Dennis Green "They are what we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!"
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