You're a breath of fresh air Dakota. One thing that amazes me is the Starks haters. How can they talk shit about how he's injury prone, but ignore the fact that DD is breaking down? Who so you think is more likely to make it a full season?
As for Cliffy, I bet he's on the bubble too. We've got two younger players who can play his position. Newhouse and Sherrod. If they haven't messed with Sherrod's technique too much by shifting him to G. Does anyone REALLY think Cliffy isn't "injury prone?"
Being "injury prone" is one thing. Being injury prone in your late 30s is something else altogether.
Originally Posted by: nerdmann
You’re a breath of hot garbage. Where do I start?
Who is hating on Starks? Just about everybody on these boards give Starks plenty of love. He’s an exciting prospect and we’ve already seen the impact he can have on our offense (see Eagles Wildcard game). There was even plenty of excitement before he played a snap – you know, the point at which it had almost been two years since he played in a game. If people have been weary of anything it’s that Starks has an injury history. A perfectly legitimate concern, right? He missed his entire senior season and a bad hammy landed him on the PUP list last year. Being concerned that Starks’ bad luck might follow him is hardly hating.
I’m a little more interested in all the Driver and Clifton hating (if I can throw that term around as casually). How exactly is Driver “breaking down”? He may have played in 15 games last season but he had nagging injuries. Driver’s practice work ethic is legendary in that locker room, which should be an indicator to everyone just how badly he was nicked. Did you just look at his 2010 stat line and decide he’s lost it? Are we all going to start hating on Jennings if Finley and Co. digs more into his production? Will we argue that he’s “breaking down”? If Jennings battles injuries all season will we conclude that he’s not the same player?
Driver had the unfortunate luck of waiting until he was 35 to get injured. Since turning 30 he’s missed as many games as there are cojones in my pantaloons, ya dig? And while maybe guys like James Jones and Jordy Nelson have more to offer at this point, luckily we run a lot of 3-4 receiver sets and have the depth to rotate in fresh legs. Oh, and he’s been a big part of developing the young guys into the players/locker room citizens that they are. Driver isn’t done yet.
Now, on to Clifton. I have to clarify something first: when you say Clifton might be on the bubble, are you referring to right now? Or to the next few years? The latter I buy – everyone buys. Clifton is no spring chicken so it’s not crazy to imagine a steep decline. If however you mean that right now he’s on the bubble, then see my earlier comments about critical derangement. If you also mean that we have two players – Newhouse and Sherrod – who can play his position, I again hope that you don’t honestly mean “right now”. So far Newhouse’s biggest claim to fame has been a practice field scuffle with another lineman no one outside of Green Bay knows exists. Sherrod hopefully is the future but so far he’s the singular “He’s still too raw” guy on our roster.
In regards to Cliffy’s injury proneness – see earlier comments on “where does he come up with this shit?” Chad Clifton has missed 6 games in the past 8 seasons! Math is fun. That means in the past 128 regular season games the Packers have played, Cliffy has been there 122 times. Hate to burst your bubble, but Clifton is on no bubble. He is also coming off a resurgent year and was an integral part of winning the Super Bowl.
Finally – if I was 16 years old, would you say I’m in my late teens? Driver is 36. Clifton is 35. Neither are in their “late 30s” nor are they injury prone.
YOU GET NOTHING! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY, SIR!
William Henderson didn't have to run people over. His preferred method was levitation.
"I'm a reasonable man, get off my case."