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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beast (30-May) : Yeah, and I enjoyed your comments and just attempted to add to it. Sorry if I did it incorrectly.
wpr (30-May) : Beast I never said Henderson was the salt of the earth. Nor even that he was correct. Just quoting the guy.
Zero2Cool (29-May) : What did you do??
Zero2Cool (29-May) : Whoa
beast (29-May) : OMG the website is now all white, even some white on white text
beast (29-May) : Henderson, who admits to taking cocaine during the Super Bowl against the Steelers, might dislike Bradshaw as he lost two Superbowls to him
wpr (28-May) : Hollywood Henderson said Bradshaw “is so dumb, he couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the C and an A.”
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Cooper stock=BUY BUY BUY
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Also notes he’s playing with more confidence.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : @AndyHermanNFL MLF says there was a time last year where Cooper was at 220 pounds. Now he’s at 240 and still flying around.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : And don't even get me started on Frank Caliendos "impersonations"
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I got tired of them being circle jerks with them overlaughing at each others jokes.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : It used to be must watch TV for me. now it's "meh" maybe to hear injury update
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I haven't watched the pregame shows in years and I don't feel like I've missed a thing
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Love says knee affected him all season, groin injury didn't help matters.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : I used to enjoy him on FOX Pregame. Now it's like a frat party of former Patriots.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : LaFleur on Watson: “Christian is doing outstanding. I would say he’s ahead of schedule.”
Martha Careful (28-May) : Bradshaw is a dumb ass cracker. I am so tired of his "aw shucks" diatribe. He should shrivel up and go away.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : He wad all butt hurt because Aaron duped the media saying he was immunized.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : Bradshaw needs to retire. He's been ripping on Rodgers ever since the covid crap. He was all hury
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Terry Bradshaw doesn't want Rodgers in Pittsburgh lol wow
Zero2Cool (27-May) : one day contract, which he also feels is pointless, but if Packers came to him, he would
packerfanoutwest (27-May) : Aaron Rodgers talks possibility of retiring with Packers, just another rumor
dfosterf (27-May) : Go watch 2001
Zero2Cool (26-May) : 1984
dfosterf (26-May) : That movie sent a chill through many. 1968.
dfosterf (26-May) : "Open the pod bay doors, HAL"
buckeyepackfan (25-May) : Haven't we all seen thus movie? It doesn't end well!! Lol
Zero2Cool (25-May) : lol Anthropic’s new AI model turns to blackmail when engineers try to take it offline
dfosterf (25-May) : Claude Opus 4
dfosterf (25-May) : AI system resorts to blackmail when its developers threaten to take it offline
beast (22-May) : Colts Owner Jim Irsay has passed away
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Well, emailing should work now. After not working for almost a year. Oops.
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Brotherly Shove did not get enough votes.
Zero2Cool (20-May) : lol our email hasn't worked in months. 7 pages of unverified users
Zero2Cool (20-May) : MySpace Screaming Lord Byron ... Brett Favre.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : Packers have signed first-round pick Matthew Golden, leaving second-round tackle Anthony Belton as their only unsigned draft pick
beast (19-May) : Supposedly he has to take his image, and name off of it... but otherwise could keep selling wine if he wanted to.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : he giving up his win business?
beast (19-May) : Speaking of Woodson, sounds like he'll be a minority owner (0.1%) of the Browns
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Zero, regarding Woodson, that'd why I find the timing with Williams peculiar
dfosterf (15-May) : Ryan Hall y'all does a great job of tracking thesr
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Fear not!! I planned to do 33mi bike ride tomorrow morning, so ... yeah
Zero2Cool (15-May) : We got some dark clouds and nasty winds right bout now.
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Madison they had hail 4pm.
dfosterf (15-May) : Sure looks like these tornadoes are headed towards Green Bay
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Woodson of Charles fame was reluctant and then loved it. that didn't really come out until post career
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : IE "We bought into the Bears and they let us down, we have no choice to seek alternatives"
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Or that Williams and his family are preparing an exit ramp if they don't like how things are going in a few years
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