nerdmann
14 years ago
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/07/packers-in-depth-packing-for-return-super-bowl-trip/1 

The NFL lockout has dampened the usual offseason analysis of each team's comings and goings. But, lockout or not, the league will still be moving on at some point -- hopefully in time for the regular season to start on time Sept. 8. And during the labor impasse, USA TODAY will focus back on the field by breaking down the five biggest questions facing each team for the 2011 season.

Up today: The Green Bay Packers.

1. Will the champs avoid gorging themselves at the table of football kings and remain as hungry as pigskin paupers?

Teams that suffer Super Bowl hangovers are as common as overserved visitors staggering through the French Quarter. Look no further than the Super Bowl XLIV champion Saints. They failed to repeat when they lost their mojo -- among other factors -- while flaming out in the wild-card round last season despite being heavily favored to beat the sub-.500 Seahawks. Fact is, no NFC champion has successfully defended its crown since, well, those Brett Favre-led frozen-tundra wonders of 1997. "Definitely, there will be some challenges,'' current Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters in the offseason. What can steal the Packers' cheese? Injuries for one thing … even though Green Bay was decimated in that department last season yet still prevailed. Emotional letdowns, which can cause corresponding physical and mental breakdowns, are common afflictions of big winners. Naturally, opposing teams get geeked up playing the heavyweight champs, always on the prowl for a surprise knockout. And remember, the Packers were not the hunted for the majority of last season. As the NFL's second-youngest team, they were a wild-card entry who gained momentum in the playoffs after qualifying for them on the final weekend of the 2010 regular season. The lockout also rendered the Green Bay players -- almost none of them live in Wisconsin in the offseason -- among the few who didn't convene for their own workouts during the work stoppage. But the Packers have more than a few things going for them, including strong leadership from QB Aaron Rodgers and CB Charles Woodson. They also have their ace in the hole -- McCarthy. The native Pittsburgher has a high-revving football motor. He will not tolerate a fat-cat attitude. "I am a big believer that every level you hit brings new devils,'' he said. With that kind of resolve, a potential dynasty might be in the offing … if the Pack stays on a focused track.

2. Rodgers silenced his critics last season -- can he pull off an encore?

Absolutely -- but with this historical caveat: Only one starting quarterback has won back-to-back rings since the turn of the century: Tom Brady. Rodgers, the freshly minted Super Bowl XLV MVP, has matured into one of the league's finest signal-callers. That does not mean he has peaked. "I thought he did an exceptional job as a leader and in his growth -- and he's got more in front of him,'' McCarthy said. Yes, Rodgers keeps getting better, as evidenced by a career-best completion percentage last season (65.7%), although he threw more four more interceptions (11) in 2010 than he did in '09 (when he also threw 66 more passes). And what about those potentially draining/distracting off-field endeavors? Football is Rodgers' vocation; music his avocation. His band, The Make, recorded a video recently for Rodgers' record label, Suspended Sunshine Recordings. He also has been quite the busy bachelor. In May, he attended the Kentucky Derby with a Victoria's Secret model, one of a succession of hotties he has dated. Still, McCarthy says, "I think he is very grounded.'' If not for missing one game last season because of a concussion, Rodgers undoubtedly would have posted his third consecutive 4,000-yard passing campaign in his third year since supplanting Favre in 2008.

3. Can the Packers keep churning on offense if they decide to utilize a running back-by-committee attack?

In a word, yes. Ryan Grant's broken ankle last season caused him to miss all but one game. That forced McCarthy to mix and match Brandon Jackson, rookie sixth-round pick James Starks (who excelled in the playoffs) and tough-as-nails veteran John Kuhn. Of course, NFL backfields have become less reliant on a single featured performer. Grant, 28, should enter camp as the No. 1 back based on his experience, work habits and consistency, including a pair of 1,200-yard-plus rushing seasons and a 4.4-yard per-carry career average. Jackson, 25, is on the smaller side but is adept catching the football (25 receptions in 2010); he's also likely ticketed for free agency. Starks, 25, a big, elusive, long-strider, did not make his NFL debut until December. His most memorable effort came in the playoff against the Eagles when he set the franchise playoff record for rushing yards in a game by a rookie (123). Kuhn? The 28-year-old career backup already has two Super Bowl rings, the other from his days in Pittsburgh. The Packers also drafted Alex\ Green of Hawaii in the third round, and he could take Jackson's role. Whatever backfield combo McCarthy deploys, depth does not appear to be an issue even if dividing the workload could be.

4. Is monster TE Jermichael Finley again healthy and ready to haunt secondaries?

As they say in Wisconsin, you betcha. Finley, placed on IR last October with a torn meniscus, tweeted this spring that his surgically repaired knee "feels brand new.'' The too-fast, too-big tight end busted out of the gates in fabulous style in 2010, including two 100-yard-plus receiving efforts in the Packers' first three games. In '09, Finley's sophomore season, he started 10 games and played in 13, producing nice numbers: 55 catches for 676 yards and five TDs, including a score of 62 yards. Those numbers do not include his incredible playoff performance against the Cardinals, which included six catches for 159 yards, the second-highest yardage output for a tight end in playoff history. Finley, 24, should only get better and make the highly potent offense even more dangerous in the red zone.

5. Did the Packers substantially improve their squad in the draft?

Think of it this way: When doesn't GM Ted Thompson improve the team through his bird-dogging of talent, whether it is in the draft or by finding quality undrafted rookies? He has done a wonderful job of constructing a deep, talented roster, one loaded with starters Thompson has handpicked through the draft. His philosophy is simple: He likes versatility and value. On the final day of this year's draft, the shrewd wheeler-dealer made three trades, moving back twice and securing two extra sixth-round picks. The Packers remained disciplined in their approach, refusing to get caught up with their depth chart and remaining true to their draft board. What resulted was sort of an offensively lopsided procurement of talent. Among the most important acquisitions were their first three picks: T Derek Sherrod of Mississippi State, WR/KR Randall Cobb of Kentucky and Green. Keep an eye on fifth-round TE D.J. Williams, too. "We weren't the best offense in the league,'' McCarthy sniffed. "We feel we have more to offer.''

USAToday wrote:



“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.”
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dfosterf (2h) : Lets offer a 4th for Kenny Clark. Jerry seems to be geezin' pretty badly
wpr (8h) : yooper
Zero2Cool (8h) : next is create topic from headline
Zero2Cool (8h) : new site has recent topics and headlines now
buckeyepackfan (9h) : Micah wearing #1, Packers offered it to him. Curly only one to wear #1
Zero2Cool (10h) : Micah said he told Rasheed he's gonna get some practice. LT1 yeah?
Zero2Cool (10h) : Patriots release Jabrill Peppers Before 2025 Season
Mucky Tundra (11h) : yooper!
Zero2Cool (12h) : Never. But gonna be looking different in few days :D
yooperfan (12h) : Whew, I got it back. I was afraid that I lost this site for good.
Zero2Cool (13h) : Harrisburg Packers
Mucky Tundra (13h) : Yes
Zero2Cool (14h) : No.
dfosterf (14h) : The man carried us a lot of the time
dfosterf (14h) : I think a Kenny Clark tribute is in order
Zero2Cool (22h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (23h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (29-Aug) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (29-Aug) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (29-Aug) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (29-Aug) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : umm... what?
wpr (28-Aug) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (28-Aug) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
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