Finally a mention of JAYRONE ELLIOT.
The Packers are close enough to excellent now that no one or even five players are "critical" to getting even better. In fact, the names gone from last year bring to mind "addition by subtraction" - overall, the team is better without them - what would be a higher starting point even if nobody steps up - and of course, at least SOME of the newcomers and young veterans replacing those gone will step up.
I think Nick Perry may be in that category this season - a candidate to be gone, and we're better because of it. I'm getting near to thinking the same about Datone Jones, although I'll give him at least the preseason before coming to that conclusion. As for Hayward, I wish him well, and yeah, maybe he could have a great year, but honestly, I expect one or both of the new guys to pass him even if he stays healthy - a large if. Barrington had his breakout; I expect him to start and do well, but not to improve greatly from last season. Enough has been written about Davante - I'll just settle for "read what I said about Barrington".
The five I would select - or four other than ELLIOT - who I expect to break out and establish themselves: I will count RANDALL and ROLLINS as one; I bet at least one of them shows up very big - at the closest position we have to "critical". I'm gonna go way out on a limb and say THORNTON. If they use him at NT and give him half a chance, well, it sure wouldn't take much to beat out Raji and Guion and Pennell. THORNTON strikes me as just enough more mobile - kinda like Daniels, that we are way better off with him or somebody like him at the nose. HAHA CLINTON-DIX - as good as he did last year, I think he has the potential to do a lot better yet - maybe even star level. At the risk of restarting the firestorm hahahahaha, for the fifth choice, I'm gonna include the two-headed prospect, JANIS/ABBREDERIS. Given half a chance, and this year, I think they will get that, I expect one or the other or both to get more snaps by the end of the season than Davante Adams, and to break out to star quality. I do NOT expect this because of any backsliding of Adams, just because Janis and Abbrederis will prove to be that damn good.
No need for even one word about Ted Thompson - either pro or con hahahahaha. He's responsible for bringing us ALL these guys, both good and bad/breakouts or flops.
I could also include Scott Tolzien, who I see as an extreme improvement over Flynn, but if Tolzien has a break out season as anything more than a preseason monster/clipboard holder, we're all screwed, if you know what I mean.
Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker