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6 years ago

A few potential playmakers’ careers were cut painfully short by injury after being selected in the top four rounds of the NFL Draft. The last vision of Jermichael Finley  in a Green Bay Packers  uniform was the former Texas Longhorn lying on the ground in the fourth quarter of an October 2013 game against Cleveland. Carted off the field with a spinal cord injury, the Packers faithful never again saw the blossoming playmaker catch passes from Aaron Rodgers .
Unlike some other notable draft picks in the Ted Thompson era, Green Bay was able to get six seasons from Finley before losing him to a career-ending injury. For the Packers, it was especially unfortunate as they had endured a handful of adventurous seasons with Finley before earning a consistent level of production. Battles with drops and the press defined Finley’s first few seasons in Green Bay before settling into a dangerous receiving rotation with Greg Jennings , Jordy Nelson , Randall Cobb , and Donald Driver. With the exception of a few glimpses of vertical potential from Jared Cook  in 2016, Green Bay has had difficulty replacing Finley’s presence in the offense as both a receiver and decoy.
But Finley was not the only game-changing talent lost to severe injury. During a stretch in which the Packers were only a few weapons away from extra Super Bowl  appearances, one cannot help but think about some of the lost pieces.
Nick Collins
While Green Bay was able to get seven years from their three-time Pro Bowl  safety, Collins was taken from them far too prematurely. Prior to suffering a neck injury against Carolina in 2011, Collins had started all 16 games in the previous three seasons and had truly become a dynamic player. Intercepting 17 interceptions over those three campaigns, Collins’ production has been unmatched by any Packer since. Even his replacement Ha Ha Clinton-Dix , who put together a Pro Bowl campaign in 2016 with five interceptions and had 14 picks over his five seasons with the team, was not the same steady player.
Like Finley, Green Bay is still in search mode to find an equal substitute for Collins’ talent level and fit. Truly trending toward becoming one of the top-five defensive backs in the game at the time of his injury, Collins’ physical presence alone has been missed for the past seven seasons, not to mention his turnover-creating prowess.
Terrence Murphy
If the Texas A&M standout had been able to run out of the Lambeau Field tunnel for more than two regular season games in his pro career, the 2005 Packer draft could have been one of the all-time greats. But Murphy, picked after Rodgers  and Collins in the second round of that year’s draft, was only able to suit up for three games before losing his career to a bruised spinal cord - the same injury as Finley.
Things could have turned out much differently for Green Bay had Murphy remained on the field. Thompson was especially proficient at finding second-round receiving gems during his Packers tenure and Murphy was the first selection of that bunch. The loss of depth due to Murphy’s injury helped push Green Bay toward drafting Jennings the following year, James Jones  (third round) the next season, and Jordy Nelson  a year later. More than that, the Packers might have lost a difference-maker. Murphy was able to win vertically, over the middle, and on screens in college while also returning kicks. He brought a level of internal confidence to the game that would have been a great fit for the final years of Brett Favre  in Green Bay.
While the Packers have not been short on quality receivers in the past decade and a half, Murphy is the ultimate what-could-have-been offensive piece during that era.
Johnathan Franklin 
Seeking reinforcements at running back in 2013, the Packers drafted Eddie Lacy  in the second round and Franklin in the fourth. Lacy’s decline began somewhere in the middle of year three, which would have provided ample opportunity for Franklin to step into the lineup as more than a third-down fixture. Instead, Franklin’s career was finished after 11 games of his rookie season.
Franklin, looked kindly upon by Mike McCarthy as a “classy” and “positive” person, suffered a neck injury that closed the running back’s career before it even started. The UCLA product had one memorable game as a Packer, rushing for 103 yards against Cincinnati when injuries to other running backs called him into action. A player who had skills as a rusher as well as a receiver out of the backfield, Franklin could have been the kind of running back to emerge from the group of Lacy, Ty Montgomery , and James Starks  over the past five years. Unfortunately, the Packers were never able to truly utilize Franklin in their offense.


Continue Reading @ Shawn Wagner 

Shawn Wagner wrote:



There have been more than a few players lost to injury. It always makes me wonder what if-
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Porforis
6 years ago
And also all those seasons with seemingly the entire O Line either out with an injury or playing with an injury. I even recall a time or two where we had to bring in a non-lineman to play in an emergency. Had a more than a few seasons where our DBs and CBs in particular were just decimated. Same with WRs, but it didn't hurt us nearly as much since we've been so incredibly deep at that position most years.
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jdlax (4h) : 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
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beast (9h) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (12h) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (12h) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (14h) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (14h) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (14h) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (14h) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (15h) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (16h) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (16h) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (16h) : umm... what?
wpr (16h) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (16h) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (16h) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (16h) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (16h) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (23h) : 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
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : If you hear rumors about Packers sign or trade, won't happen. Not how they work
dfosterf (27-Aug) : 19 players in a contract year. Jones called loss to us worst loss in Cowboy history. Forget Parsons trade. Not happenin' Cap'n
packerfanoutwest (27-Aug) : The Packers, meanwhile, are the youngest team in the league for the third consecutive year.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : That it was darkest before the dawn in Bengals and Commanders before they got deals done
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : what is Schefter saying?
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He was getting Dorito infusion therapy
dfosterf (27-Aug) : He's outta shape. Why, just the other day I saw him splayed out on the trainers table
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