macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
14 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
14 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
14 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!
14 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.
blank
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (10h) : Both LB Quay Walker and Rookie DB Micah Robinson have passed their physicals
Zero2Cool (11h) : Happy to see site feels more snappy snappy
Zero2Cool (11h) : No sir. I did not.
dfosterf (11h) : You didn't get free childcare when you were at work?
wpr (12h) : These guys make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Pay for their own childcare.
dfosterf (13h) : 2nd issue. Number 1 issue was no gameday childcare. 1 of 3 teams not providing it
Zero2Cool (13h) : Suppose if locker room is main issue, we sitting pretty
wpr (13h) : I thought so Mucky. In those useless player polls GB always rates high overall. Locker is a part of it.
Mucky Tundra (14h) : Wasn't the locker room just updated like 6 or 7 years ago?
Zero2Cool (14h) : I have forum updated on different site. We'll see how this one goes before going to that
Zero2Cool (15h) : Elgton Jenkins has a back injury, is expect to end contract dispute
wpr (17h) : It's funny the PA complained about the locker room. It wasn't that long ago it was top shelf. Things change in a hurry.
wpr (17h) : The site is much more better.
Zero2Cool (17h) : NFLPA report said Packers lockerroom needed upgrade. Whining bout where you change?
Zero2Cool (17h) : I saw that and thought it was kind of lame.
dfosterf (17h) : Packers new locker room is pretty awesome. Great for morale, imo
Zero2Cool (18h) : Shuffled things on the web server. Hope it makes it faster.
Zero2Cool (18h) : Other times, it's turtle ass
Zero2Cool (18h) : Sometimes it's snappy, like now.
beast (19h) : I feel like it's loading at the top of the next minute, or something like that.
beast (19h) : Also the thanks/heart takes FOREVER to load, and posting in the shout box takes three times FOREVER!
beast (19h) : Thanks for saying something, I thought it was slow, but assumed it was on my end
beast (19h) : Thanks for saying something, I thought it was slow, but assumed it was on my end
Zero2Cool (19h) : Yeah, I noticed that too. Is it slow for PackerPeople.com too?
wpr (20h) : I don't know what you IT guys call it but the page loading is very slow for me today.
Zero2Cool (20h) : SSL might be settled now.
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : Still working through SSL cert issues
wpr (23-Jul) : Glad to be back
Zero2Cool (23-Jul) : I think PH original finally working.
dfosterf (22-Jul) : Can tell you are having a fun day Kev
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Yep, I had to manually move them. It'll fix itself after more posts.
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Same deal with the songs/videos thread, says you replied last but when I go there it's what I posted earlier is last
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : I had to manually move three posts.
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : But when I go it, Martha's is the last reply
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Still a little screwy; it shows on the main forum that you were the last person to reply to the Jenkins trade thread
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Host issues, been crazy day
Mucky Tundra (22-Jul) : Connect 4?
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : Connecting to new database
Zero2Cool (22-Jul) : What the hell
beast (22-Jul) : Packershome going to the Whiteout unis again
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : Oh wait, they got Cam Ward. 1st overall right? haha oops
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : They could send Packers a 1st for a QB they are familiar with
Zero2Cool (21-Jul) : Titans QB Will Levis to have season-ending shoulder surgery
Zero2Cool (19-Jul) : Their season did kind of start there, so 🤷
dfosterf (19-Jul) : Eagles put an engraved Brazil flag on their super bowl rings
Zero2Cool (18-Jul) : Benton unsigned no more
Zero2Cool (17-Jul) : That's good analysis, yes you are getting old. It'd a blessing!
dfosterf (14-Jul) : *analysis* gettin' old
dfosterf (14-Jul) : One of the best analyisis I"ve ever watched at this time of an offseason
dfosterf (14-Jul) : Andy Herman interviewed Warren Sharp on his Pack a day podcast
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
2h / Around The NFL / beast

3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

5h / Around The NFL / Mucky Tundra

8h / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

9h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

9h / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20h / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

23-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

22-Jul / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

22-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

18-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

15-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.