I knew this was going to be a lengthy post so yesterday I dealt with the roster turnover from my mid-season player rankings
to the final 53-man roster. It is a little odd doing the final
rankings because some guys are set to become unrestricted free agents
(i.e. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver) while other guys that are under
contract for next season could be cut (i.e. Charles Woodson and Jeff
Saturday). I like to factor in contract, age, and position in
determining each player's value but that has some flaws since the season
is over so I treat the final rankings as a hybrid of a look at how
they performed in 2012 combined with their trade value. Here are my final
rankings of the 53-man
roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers (mid-season and initial rankings
in parenthesis):
#53 (NR, NR) Ryan Grant (RB) - Ahman Green had a second stint with the
Packers after leaving that was equally forgettable as Grant's second
stint. According to a number of players, Grant is a "consummate
professional" but the NFL values production much more than being a good
guy so we've most likely seen Grant play for the Packers for the last time.
#52 (28, 21) Jeff Saturday (C) - The ultimate tip of the cap
to Aaron Rodgers and Packer fans is that Saturday was voted onto the NFC
Pro Bowl team despite not even being the starting center at the end of
the season. The Packers clearly overvalued Saturday at the expense of
simply re-signing Scott Wells last off-season and the two-year, $7.75 million deal they
gave Saturday will go down as the worst free agent contract of the
Thompson Era. Luckily the Packers can cut Saturday this off-season with very
little salary cap ramifications. The four-year, $24 million deal Wells
signed with St. Louis was obviously too rich for the Packers but I have
to believe they could have retained Wells if they showed interest but
much like Cullen Jenkins the previous year, the Packers didn't seem to
make an effort to retain Wells. Let this be a harbinger of things to
come for DD, please do not pull a Saturday to extend your career one
most uneventful season.
#51 (30, 23) Donald Driver (WR) -
Speaking of DD, oh how the mighty have
fallen. DD is currently on the Mount Rushmore of Good Guy Packers in my
lifetime along with LeRoy Butler, Aaron Rodgers, Reggie White (minus
his speech to the Wisconsin Assembly), and Mark Chmura. Just kidding on
Chmrua. This is
Driver's last year in Green Bay as a player but he looks like the
perfect candidate to takeover Rob Davis's role as Director of Player
Development if the organization decides to increase Davis's
responsibilities following the departure of John Dorsey.
#50 (NR, NR) Jordan Miller (DT) - The former Chicago Bear practice squad
player was never given a chance to prove his worth since he was added
to the 53-man roster before the last regular season game. I
would be shocked if we ever discussed Miller in this space again.
#49 (38, 27) Mason Crosby (K) - Although Crosby had a mini bout
of competence at the end of the season that does not dismiss how
consistently horrible he was throughout most of the 2012 season. The
Packers have to use a late draft pick or sign someone before training
camp to push Crosby.
#48 (53, 53) Jarrett Boykin (WR) - Of all the players that stuck
on the 53-man roster for the entire season, Boykin seemed the most
expendable since the Packers have at least six better receiving options
but that also means if he is healthy in September there is a good chance he will be
on the 53-man roster.
#47 (49, 42) Terrell Manning (MLB) - The Packers already envision
Manning, when healthy, as the regular special teams contributor. The
real question is whether Manning can push for playing time on defense,
which would make certain veterans (i.e. Francois, Hawk, and Jones)
expendable.
#46 (47, 41) Graham Harrell (QB) - The vaunted Mike McCarthy
off-season quarterback school is going to have two or three pupils with
Harrell, B.J. Coleman, and possibly a 2013 draft pick competing for one
roster spot backing up Aaron Rodgers. The early money is on Coleman but
if Harrell can build on his impressive showing in Week 4 of the 2012 preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs then it might come down to who performs better in preseason next year.
#45 (46, 46) Rob Francois (MLB) - Despite being a
quality special teams player, Francois owes most of his roster spot to
all the linebackers that were lost for the season, which means his days
in Green Bay are probably numbered.
#44 (NR, NR) Jeremy Ross (WR) - In 2012, Ross was prominently involved in the two most notorious special teams fumbles. The bigger of the two fumbles came inside the
10-yard line on a punt return with the Packers leading the 49ers 14-7 in
their Divisional Round playoff game, which turned the game on its head. Ross is a professional
but I blame head coach Mike McCarthy for putting Ross in such a pressure
packed situation. Despite the fumbles, Ross showed some spark as a
return guy and might even be the 4th or 5th receiver next season if the
Packers lose wide receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver this
off-season. Ross signed a three-year, $1.44 million contract with the
Packers in 2012. According to a number of teammates (most notably quarterback Aaron Rodgers), Ross wants to learn as much as possible,
so he seems like a cheap option to keep on the roster despite being
responsible for the biggest gaffe by any Packer in 2012.
#43 (48, NR) Greg Van Roten (OL) - The Packers used Van Roten as a
6th offensive lineman in the U-64 formation like they did in the past with Kevin Barry
in the U-71 formation. The sample size was too small to determine
whether it was very effective but just the fact that the Packers tried
to get Van Roten on the field towards the end of the season makes me think the Packers have a
long-term interest in Van Roten.
#42 (45, 39) D.J. Williams (TE) - After being named the best
tight end in college football in 2011, Williams has been less than
impressive in the NFL thanks to rather shaky hands. The Packers have so
many weapons on offense that Williams needs to show real value on
special teams as well as the ability to lineup as a fullback if he wants
to make the opening day roster next year.
#41 (44, 44) James Starks (RB) - The fact that Starks was the
3rd leading rusher on the team behind Alex Green and Aaron Rodgers
with 255 rushing yards shows you how pathetic the Packers were at
running the ball in 2012. Since the middle of his college career Starks
has battled a multitude of injuries so the Packers should operate as if Starks will never
be healthy again.
#40 (42, NR) Frank
Zombo (OLB) - The former collegiate defensive end turned outside
linebacker showed flashes early in his career but was injured or
unproductive for all of 2012. With the emergence of some younger
options, Zombo can only be counted on as positional insurance as opposed
to a potential starter at outside linebacker in the base 3-4 defense.
Zombo is a restricted free agent so the Packers might as well give him a
low-end tender to see if they can rent him for another season.
#39 (40, 35) Jamari Lattimore (MLB) - With all the
injuries the Packers suffered at linebacker in 2012, Lattimore still
never really got a chance to play in the base 3-4 defense. Thus
Lattimore better focus on being the best special teams player not named
Jarrett Bush if he wants to be on the roster long-term.
#38 (41, 43) Ryan Taylor (TE) - Speaking of special teams
mavens, Taylor needs to fit that bill as well because despite catching a pass for no gain against the Vikings in the playoffs, Taylor is on the
roster for his special teams play.
#37 (40, 29) Alex Green (RB) - The leading rusher for the
2012 Green Bay Packers only amassed 464 yards on 135 carries for an
unimpressive 3.4 yard per carry average. Let's not forget that Green
tore his ACL in 2011 and despite Adrian Peterson putting up one of the
more impressive rushing season in NFL history coming off the same
injury, Peterson is a freak of nature so it is unfair to compare Green
to Peterson. Injuries aside, Green does not look like an every down back based on his small body of work so far. The Packers should
get Green to focus on being a 3rd down back that can pickup the blitz but
also catch some balls out of the backfield in 2013. If Green masters that role then the Packers can look at giving him more touches on the 1st and 2nd down.
#36 (39, 33) John Kuhn (FB) - As just discussed, Green looks
like a perfect candidate to takeover Kuhn's 3rd down back role. I
appreciate that Kuhntang became the 5th player in NFL playoff history
to have two games with a rushing and receiving touchdown but his days
could be numbered in Green Bay, especially because of his high salary cap number of $2.6 million in 2013.
#35 (18, NR) Erik Walden (OLB) - The entire Green Bay defense
looked horrible in their Divisional Round playoff game against Colin
Kapernick and the San Francisco 49ers but Walden was the worst of the
bunch. Almost every time Kapernick kept the ball on the read option,
Walden guessed wrong and lost containment of the quarterback. Walden
showed glimpses of being a violent pass rusher in the second half of
2012 but killed his free agent value against the 49ers. Given Walden's
previous off the field problems, I wouldn't offer him anymore than the
veteran minimum for 2013.
#34 (36, 45) Brett Goode (LS) - Goode performed his job well
throughout 2012 but the Crosby stink spilled onto Goode a little.
Obviously Goode cannot make kicks for Crosby but as the long snapper,
Goode spends lots of time with Crosby so he gets a minuscule amount of
the blame since he was unable to orchestrate any breakthroughs for
Crosby.
#33 (31, 48) Brad Jones (MLB) - After playing well as the
starting middle linebacker alongside A.J. Hawk thanks to countless
injuries the Packers suffered at the middle linebacker position, Jones
looked horrible for the last month of the season. In the middle of
December it looked like Jones was going to get a nice free agent offer
but now it looks like Jones is just the next Brady Poppinga or Brandon
Chillar.
#32 (33, 36) Dezman Moses (OLB) - Probably more upside than
Vic So'oto or Zombo but Moses still lacks the ability to be an every down outside
linebacker opposite Matthews. Oddly the best thing for Moses is if Nick
Perry can return healthy in 2013 after missing most of his rookie
season due to a hand injury. A healthy Perry means the Packers will
only need Moses in passing situations, which will keep Moses fresh and
effective.
#31 (35, 38) Mike Daniels (DL) - Despite having a short but
wide frame, a number of scouts like the "juice" Daniels brings to the
table as a pass rusher. Obviously Daniels is not going to get any taller but if
he can add a little muscle in place of fat he can morph into something more than just a
situational pass rusher.
#30 (34, 37) Tom Crabtree (TE) - A blocker more than a pass
catcher, Crabtree could be more of a focal point of the offense in 2013
depending on what the Packers do with Jermichael Finley. Even if the
Packers keep Finley, the NFL is evolving into a tight end heavy league.
I am not saying Finley and Crabtree will be the next Mark Chmura and
Keith Jackson but it is not out of the realm of possibilities. It will
be interesting to see how the Packers tender Crabtree as a restricted
free agent. I would trade Crabtree for a 3rd round pick, especially
given the glut of quality tight ends on the roster, but would be shocked
if anyone offered such a high draft choice for Crabtree
#29 (29, 16) Jerel Worthy (DL) - Injuries really hurt my ability to accurately evaluate Worthy. Unfortunately Worthy will
spend the off-season rehabbing a knee injury so it might not be till the middle of
next season or even 2014 before the Packers get the Worthy on the field.
#28 (32, NR) Mike Neal - For a few games towards the end of
the regular season the pass rush combo of Matthews and Neal was
impressive but Neal could not sustain that into the playoffs. Neal is
the strongest guy on the team but this off-season the Packers need to
work with Neal on converting that raw strength into production on the
field otherwise Neal will join a long list of workout champions that
never actually produce on the field.
#27 (26, 32) Jerron McMillian (S) - The transition
from college to the NFL is big for all rookies but especially for
rookies from small schools like Maine. Guys that play in Big "12", Big
"Ten", Pac 12, or SEC face potential NFL talent regularly. Guys like
McMillian rarely see that type of talent. Hopefully with an uneven
rookie campaign under his belt, McMillian can improve enough to push to
be the regular starting safety opposite Morgan Burnett.
#26 (NR, NR) DuJuan Harris (RB) - I am not sure what running
back story bothered me more at the end of the season, the Ryan Grant
"resurgence" story or the Harris being 2010 James Starks story. I like
that Harris is a violent runner but let's not get too carried away.
Harris was cut but the Jacksonville Jaguars and attempting to sell cars
just a few months ago. I hope I am wrong but it is much more likely
that Harris is the next Samkon Gado than even a poor man's
Maurice Jones-Drew.
#25 (27, 34) Evan Dietrich-Smith (C) -
I would have ranked EDS five spots higher but he is a restricted
free agent. The Packers should take 75% of the money they were going to
spend on Saturday next year and use that as a signing bonus for the
three-year contract they offer EDS to see if EDS is really the center of the future in Green Bay.
#24 (20, 26) Davon House (CB) - Much like Starks, House seems
to be injured more than healthy. There is no question that House used
to fit the scheme the defensive scheme the Packers play but his should
injury might preclude him from fulfilling the lofty expectations the
Packers have for him.
#23 (24, 40) M.D. Jennings (S) - The Packers only owe
Jennings $555,000 next season before he is a restricted free agent in
2014. I view Jennings at worst as a core special teams player and at
best the starting safety opposite Morgan Burnett. As a result, I would
offer Jennings a four-year contract extension with some up front money along with roster bonuses in 2015 and 2016 that limit the salary cap
ramifications if Jennings flames out.
#22 (15, 14) Marshall Newhouse (T) - Although Newhouse was
the starting left tackle all of 2012, he gave up a number of sacks and
pressures. There is no question that Newhouse has been much more
impressive than you would expect from a 5th round draft pick but when the Packers committed to Newhouse as a starter in the beginning of 2012, they probably expected him
to play better. Going into 2013 I would have an open competition for
the starting left tackle job between Bryan Bulaga, Andrew Datko, Newhouse,
and Derek Sherrod.
#21 (21, 22) Jarrett Bush (CB) - There is never a dull
moment when Bush is on the field, whether it be covering punts or
opening lanes for returners, Bush continues to hold the belt as the
special teams ace of the Packers.
#20 (23, 25) Tim Masthay (P) - Much like Bush, Masthay does
so well on special teams that I almost undervalue how important he is to
the Packers. Luckily Masthay is a man of faith because being the
holder for Mason Crosby can't be easy.
#19 (14, 28) A.J. Hawk (MLB) - The "Business HJ" of the
defense turned himself into the "Naughty HJ" of the defense this
season. Jones still wore the communication helmet, which meant he was
on the field more than Hawk, but that is because the Packers finally
stopped asking Hawk to do things that he is clearly not qualified to do
(i.e. cover a running back or tight end) and focused on his strengths
(i.e. being a sure tackler and occupying offensive lineman so other
people can make plays). The Packers probably have to wait till the
end of next season before cutting Hawk to avoid more than a $5 million
cap hit. Plus, Hawk is expensive insurance for Desmond Bishop and D.J.
Smith since there is no guarantee that both will be 100% at the start of
2013.
#18 (43, 50) Don Barclay (T) - Hands down the pleasant
surprise of 2012. Barclay played so well that the Packers have the
option of moving the short-armed former starting right tackle Bryan
Bulaga to left tackle depending on how they view Marshall Newhouse long
term. There are varying reports on the severity of Bulaga's hip injury,
which would impact whether he is even available for training camp. The
good news is that Barclay, proved he is healthy, can be the starter
at right tackle no matter how things shake out with the rest of their
offensive tackles.
#17 (25, 30) C.J. Wilson (DL) - Usually when players miss an
extended period of time they risk losing their job since the Packers
totally subscribe to the "next guy up" mentality. In Wilson's case, the
Packers really don't have any traditional 3-4 defensive ends on the
roster besides Ryan Pickett and B.J. Raji so when Wilson was out of the
lineup because of injury, the Packers were just bidding their time till
they could plug him back in. The Packers are only on the hook for
$600,000 next season for Wilson but he is a unrestricted free agent in
2014 so they might want to extend Wilson before he prices himself out of
Green Bay.
#16 (11, 7) Charles
Woodson (CB) - This kills me to put Woodson so low on the list but
injuries are finally catching up to Woodson. Two broken collar bones
for Woodson in the last three years means its time the Packers force
Woodson to wear larger shoulder pads, if they keep him in 2013 but with
the largest cap number on the roster for next season he might have played his
last snap for the Packers.
#15 (16, 9) Greg Jennings (WR) - Speaking of playing their last snap for the Packers, although Jennings is
scheduled to be a free agent, the Packers should place the franchise tag
on him and put him on the trade block. I know that is not usually
the way the Packers do business but after watching Aaron Kampman,
Cullen Jenkins, and Scott Wells leave via free agency the last three off-seasons, it time to
get something more than a compensatory pick for a stud free agent. I am
not sure that Jennings is going to break the bank on the free agent
market anyhow because the salary cap is not set to go up much until
2015 but he priced himself out of Green Bay so franchising and trading Jennings is the Packer's only viable option
#14 (6, 5) Tramon Williams (CB) - This might be an emotional
reaction to how horrible Williams played down the stretch for the
Packers but with the emergence of other young cornerbacks, Williams is a
candidate to get released this off-season. Williams does not play
physical unless it is after the play (remember the back breaking
personal foul against the Vikings in the regular season finale) so with
his cap number set to jump $1.6 million for next season (from $4.7 million to
6.3 million), the Packers need to decide what to do with Williams. I think the Packers should get Williams because he had a relatively modest signing bonus ($6 million) for such a
hefty contract (five-years, $38.2 million) that he signed in 2010, which would take up some much needed cap space.
#13 (19, 4) Jermichael Finley (TE) - It was nice to see
Finley do some positive Finley things (make tough catches) towards the
end of the season instead of negative Finely things (complain about
Rodgers). Thanks to playing well down the stretch, Finley set a team record for the most receptions by a tight end in a season with 61. Not even a month ago I thought the Packers would cut Finley
instead of paying him $8.75 million next season but this would be the
perfect time to approach Finley about an extension since his market
value dropped overall in 2012 despite a strong finish to the season.
#12 (8, 17) Ryan Pickett (DL) - After signing a four-year,
$25 million contract that only contained a $2 million signing bonus in
2010 most observes thought Pickett would play a few more years before
getting cut. Instead, Pickett continued to improve and might actually
be worth signing to a contract extension once everything is sorted out
with the extensions for the "Big Three" (Rodgers, Matthews, and Raji).
Whether Pickett receives an extension has much more to do with the
progression of Daniels, Neal, and Worthy than Pickett because the
Packers know they have a quality defensive lineman in Pickett, the
question is whether they can save some money by going young at the
position along the defensive line.
#11 (10, 6) Jordy Nelson (WR) - Injuries really hampered
Nelson in 2012, which really hurt his leverage with the Packers because
Nelson signed what looks like a totally club friendly a four-year, $14
million contract in 2011. The Packers owe Nelson roughly $4 million a
year through 2014 so if he stayed healthy in 2012 then negotiations
might have started on another extension but now I see the Packers
waiting to see what Nelson does in 2013 before approaching his agent
about an extension.
#10 (22, 24) Sam Shields (CB) - I know this might sound crazy
but when healthy, Shields might be the best defensive back on the
team. Think back to how well Shields played during the Packers' Super Bowl run
in 2010. In understand that Shields comes from the Tramon Williams
school of tackling but Shields is possibly the fastest guy on the team and actually plays fast, which allows him to chase down plays that others cannot.
With Shields set to be a restricted free agent this off-season, the
Packers better give him the highest tender and decide whether they want
to commit to Shields or Williams long-term. Personally I would commit
to Shields ahead of Williams.
#9 (12, 18) Casey Hayward (CB) - It is easy to point to
Hayward's team high six interceptions as a rookie in 2012 to show his
worth to the Packers but it is the deeper stats that showed those
interceptions were less a product of luck and more a product of quality
player whenever Hayward was on the field. Shields, the player
just discussed before Hayward, had a great rookie season but lackluster
second season in the NFL. It will be interesting to see if 2012 was a
flash in the pan or the start of an amazing career for Hayward. I provide it is the start of an amazing career for Hayward but only time will tell.
#8 (13, 12) Morgan Burnett (S) - With how horribly the rest
of the secondary tackled in 2012, it makes sense that Burnett lead the secondary in tackles. The Packers should appreciate what Burnett did in 2012
but plan accordingly because usually safeties that throw their body
around like Burnett did last season miss some time the following season. Especially when you factor in that Burnett and James Laurinaitis (MLB) of the St. Louis Rams were the only players to play every defensive snap for their team in 2012, the odds of Burnett doing that again in 2013 are slim. Either way, it was nice to see at least someone in the secondary healthy for the whole season and
actually tackle players.
#7 (3, 13) Randall Cobb (WR) - There is no doubt that Cobb
had a season for the ages in 2012 leading the team in receiving yards en route to besting Ahman Green's all-time
single-season team record for net yards. The all-time single-season
record comes with a slight asterisk because Cobb got to include special
teams yardage while Green only touched the ball on offense. In my review of the Packers/Titans game I made the case for
keeping Cobb as the return guy instead of using Ross as their returner
in the playoffs. Ross's fumble against the 49ers confirmed what I
advocated, but it was too late. Finally, some people might argue that
Cobb should be in the Top 5, but let's not forget that Cobb had 10 drops
this season. Those same drops almost lead to James Jones
playing elsewhere. If Cobb can fix the drops, look for him to push for a
bronze medal in the rankings.
#6 (7, 11) T.J. Lang (G) - Like any other position in the NFL,
the offensive line positions have gone through a number of different
evolutions. With the advent of the hurry-up offense, athletic centers
that could make adjustments on the fly became the flavor of the day.
Following that trend, the rise of the left tackle became the next trend
to counteract the rise of impact defensive ends and outside
linebackers. The most recent trend is a shift to larger, athletic
guards to combat the rise in the amount of mammoth, athletic defensive
tackles. Since Lang is a large athletic guard, he got paid in the
off-season signing a five-year, $22.5 million contract with a $5.5
million signing bonus.
#5 (5, 19) James Jones (WR) - In less than two years Jones went
from a big play threat with shaky hands to leading the team in touchdowns (14) while making a number of highlight reel plays. Is this a
one year aberration for Jones or the new normal? With the presumed
departure of Driver and Jennings this off-season, if 2012 is the new
normal for Jones then the Packers need to consider extending him this
off-season since he is scheduled to make $3.75 million next season in
the final year of the three-year, $9.4 million contract with a $1.5
million signing bonus. If not, Jones will undoubtedly test the free agent market to try to sign the mega deal that never materialized in 2011
unless the Packers franchise Jones.
#4 (4, 3) B.J. Raji (DL) -
Without Raji, the Packers might not have been able to make a successful
transition from the 4-3 to the 3-4. After overworking Raji to the
point of making him ineffective in 2011 (played 79% of defensive snaps), the Packers dialed back Raji's
snap count in 2012 (played 65% of defensive snaps) to make him much more effective. With three quality
defensive lineman (Pickett, Raji, and Wilson) in the fold, now the
Packers need to identify at least one more defensive lineman (Daniels,
Neal, Worthy, and a 2013 draft pick) to play along the defensive line,
which will continue to increase Raji's effectiveness in 2013.
#3 (9, 8) Josh Sitton (G) - Left tackles get paid more than right tackles but that does not seem to apply to guards. Don't get me wrong, Sitton is a slightly better version of Lang
so he justifiably
earned a slight larger contract (six-year, $35 million contract with a
$6 million signing bonus) than Lang (five-year, $22.5 million contract
with a $5.5 million signing bonus). Look for Sitton and Lang to be a better pair of guards than Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera were for the Packers in the late-90's and early-00's.
#2 (2, 2) Clay Matthews (OLB) -
With all due respect to KGB and Aaron Kampman, Matthews has been the
best past rusher in Green Bay since Reggie White. The real question is
what that will cost the Packers. Matthews is entering 2013 in the last year of
his rookie contract, which is a five-year, $10 million contract with a
$800,000 signing bonus. Matthews became the first Packer to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons in the NFL so there is no question that the Packers have to
extend Matthews at some point before the end of the 2013 season. The
real question is how much will it cost the Packers? In 2009 the Dallas
Cowboys signed outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware to a seven-year, $79
million contract with a $20 million signing bonus. Before the 2012
season the Buffalo Bills signed defensive end/outside linebacker Mario
Williams to a six-year, $96 million contract with a $19 million signing
bonus. Ware looks like he is worth every dollar while Williams
struggled last season in Buffalo. Either way, it looks like Mathews is
set to best the Williams contract before the end of 2013.
#1 (1, 1) Aaron Rodgers (QB) - Keeping in mind that the NFL is a
quarterback driven league, if a franchise could take any player
currently in the NFL to have on their team for the next 10 years, you
would be hard pressed to pick anyone besides Rodgers. Don't get me
wrong, there are other veteran quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and
Payton Manning that are playing as well as Rodgers but they are all in
their mid-30's while Rodgers is only 29. There are also a bunch of young
quarterbacks like Robert Griffin, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and
Russell Wilson but they've all only done it for one year. Rodgers is in
that sweet spot where he's done it for a number of years but is still
young enough to build around for the next decade, which make him the
hands down #1 ranked player on not only the Packers but probably the
entire NFL.
Please feel free to comment if you disagree with any of my
rankings. As always, thanks for reading my extended Packer thoughts.
Check back on Wednesday for my annual advice for general manager Ted
Thompson on how to deal with the players on the current roster.
Showing posts with label T.J. Lang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label T.J. Lang. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, November 11, 2012
2012 Green Bay Packers Midseason Player Rankings
I knew this was going to be a lengthy post so yesterday I dealt with the roster turnover from my initial player rankings to the current 53-man roster. Just to quickly reiterate how I cobble together my list; I factor in contract, age, position, and it runs in reverse order. For a longer explanation of my methodology check my initial rankings. Here
are my mid-season rankings of the 53-man
roster for the 2012 Green Bay Packers (initial rankings are in parenthesis):
#53 (53) Jarrett Boykin (WR) - The Packers could easily add a 6th wide receiver in place of Boykins who has seen little action despite injuries to a number of wide receivers.
#52 (51) Sean Richardson (S) - Injuries have really hampered Richardson's ability to get on the field, which is too bad because his combination of size and speed is very enticing.
#51 (NR) Johnny White (RB) - The former Buffalo Bills castoff, which is usually NOT a compliment, was claimed off waiver by the Packers to replace Brandon Saine as a special teams player. After being inactive for his first week after joining the Packers, White picked up right where Brandon Saine left off as a special teams player that happens to be classified as a running back. Trust me, if White is getting significant carries in anything other than the Packers blowing out an opponent, we've got problems.
#50 (NR) Andrew Quarless (TE) - Recovering from gruesome injuries has to be physically and mentally draining. I hope Quarless can make it through 2012 healthy while catching a few passes along the way to make all the hard work he has put into getting back onto the field worth it.
#49 (42)Terrell Manning (MLB) - I am always reticent to meet players because it clouds my ability to objectively write about them. When Cheesehead Chick, Mama Cheese, Papa Cheese, and In-Law Cheese stopped in Green Bay to buy gear from the Packer Pro Shop on the way to Door County we met Manning because he stopped to take tons of pictures with fans. Let's just say Manning is a nicer person off the field than a player on the field.
#48 (NR) Greg Van Roten (OL) - With starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga most likely headed to injured reserve, Van Roten is two injuries away from playing in a real NFL game. Add in that Van Roten really can only play guard and the Packers are in real trouble if Van Roten plays a meaningful snap in 2012.
#47 (41) Graham Harrell (QB) - At some point the Packers might want to consider signing a competent veteran backup to the 53-man roster instead of leaving Harrell one play from taking over if Rodgers gets hurt.
#46 (46) Rob Francois (MLB) - Some players can carve out a niche as a career special teams guy, which is what Francois has to continue to do if he wants to keep his roster spot.
#45 (39) D.J. Williams (TE) - With all the injuries the Packers suffered at wide receiver and fullback, it looked like Williams might be the beneficiary but shaky hands have prevented him from capitalizing on those opportunities.
#44 (44) James Starks (RB) - Might as well gives Starks his jersey number for two sets of rankings in a row right? A 17 carry, 61 yard performance against the Arizona Cardinals is hardly something to brag about but the Packers have gotten absolutely no production out of Starks for the first eight games of the season so they will take what they can get on the ground. I would like to see the Packers make Starks their every down back when they are trying to grind it out with Green as their every down back when they go no huddle. I know that tips their hand a bit but they might as well cater to each player's strengths.
#43 (50) Don Barclay (T) - I hate cliches but the Packers truly buy into the "next guy up" because there is no talk of them adding a veteran offensive lineman, so they are one injury away from undrafted rookie free agent Don Barclay being one of the five guys that protects Aaron Rodgers. I try to pick my spots where I am critical of general manager Ted Thompson because he has done a very impressive job managing the roster but Thompson needs to add a quality veteran offensive lineman to the roster sooner rather than later, especially if they put Bryan Bulaga on injured reserve.
#42 (NR) Frank Zombo (OLB) - There is only so high that I can rank a guy that was recently added to the active roster from PUP but assuming that Zombo is in fact healthy, I see Zombo finishing at least in the low 30's in my final rankings based on what Zombo can potentially do as a rush outside linebacker in the base 3-4 defense.
#41 (43) Ryan Taylor (TE) - The Packers finally identified a special team maven that doesn't even need to play snaps on offense to justify his roster spot. That is particularly important for Taylor because the Packers are again carrying five tight ends on their 53-man roster, which I've noted many times I think is excessive.
#40 (35) Jamari Lattimore (MLB) - A hybrid inside/outside linebacker is a rare commodity, which makes Lattimore very valuable commodity for the Packers in 2012, especially considering all the linebackers (Bishop, Perry, and Smith) lost for the season.
#39 (33) John Kuhn (FB) - As if playing fullback in a high octane offensive doesn't marginalize Kuhn enough, injuries have further marginalized Kuhn than playing fullback in 2012.
#38 (27) Mason Crosby (K) - When the Milwaukee Brewers were contemplating building Miller Park next to County Stadium or downtown, I got in a number of arguments with my buddy Sug. I was firmly in the downtown camp while Sug wanted the stadium built next to County Stadium to cater to suburban Brewer fans. A similar argument started when Crosby signed a five-year, $15 million contract before the 2011 season. I hated the contract while Sug agreed with paying Crosby. While the Miller Park argument took a number of years to settle in my favor, less than two years later I've won the Crosby argument as well so whenever I see Crosby I think of Miller Park being built in no man's land. Sorry Sug, you are 0-2 on those arguments, which ironically is a standard outing for Crosby theses days.
#37 (29) Alex Green (RB) - I thought Green was the perfect back for the Packers' no-huddle offense. With Benson out of the lineup, Green's play has been sub-par. Chalk some of that up to Green being less than a year removed from a serious knee injury though, so we might not know till the end of 2013 whether Crosby is the perfect back for the Packers' no huddle offense.
#36 (45) Brett Goode (LS) - The Packers wisely recently extended Goode for a few more years since Goode has been nothing short of great (funny pun right) as their long snapper.
#35 (38) Mike Daniels (DL) - The ideal third down pass rusher needs to add some strength in the off-season if he wants to see the field on 1st or 2nd down.
#34 (37) Tom Crabtree (TE) - The recipient of two of the most notable touchdown passes of the season (fake punt against the Bears on 4th & 26 and 72-yard reception against the Cardinals) deserves to be targeted more than nine times through nine games.
#33 (36) Dezman Moses (OLB) - Looks like a potentially violent situational pass rusher for the Packers in 2012 but let's not forget that Vic So'oto looked poised to fill a similar role in 2011 but flopped.
#32 (NR) Mike Neal - After serving his four game suspension, Neal has shown flashes of the dominate player the Packers thought they were drafting in the 2010 Draft.
#31 (48) Brad Jones (MLB) - I listed Jones as an outside linebacker in my original rankings, which is how the Packers viewed Jones at the start of the season. After losing both Bishop and Smith, the Packers slide Jones inside where he has preformed as well if not better than Smith so far.
#30 (23) Donald Driver (WR) - Probably the most beloved current Packer is having a disappointing season on two fronts. Not only has DD not played that much despite all the injuries to their wide receivers but when DD has been on the field, he's struggled. As much as it would pain me to see DD play for another team, if he truly wants to play for a few more years, I hope he plays for a team that can harness his leadership qualities for the betterment of their organization.
#29 (16) Jerel Worthy (DL) - After a strong start to the season, an ability to properly time his pass rush combined with a concussion stunted Worthy's impressive start to the season. Hopefully a few weeks off allowed Worthy to not only heal but watch some tape that will help him cut down on the offsides penalties.
#28 (21) Jeff Saturday (C) - So far Saturday as been a substantial downgrade from former starting center Scott Wells. At the very least the Packers need Saturday to stay healthy because they have razor thin depth along the offensive line.
#27 (34) Evan Dietrich-Smith (C) - As I said in my initial rankings: "If any of the starting five offensive lineman are hurt, EDS is the first off the bench that could have a chain reaction of moving a few players around on the offensive line since EDS could really only fill in at guard or center." Please don't blame me for Bulaga's injury, which forced the Packers to move T.J. Lang from left guard to right tackle and insert EDS is Lang's place. Let's hope that is the end of the offensive line shuffle because although EDS is a borderline NFL starter, the rest of the offensive line backups (Barclay and Van Roten) are currently below average NFL offensive lineman at best.
#26 (32) Jerron McMillian (S) - After a few games it looked like McMillian was going to be the Packers rookie of the year but a few games does not make a season since McMillian's play has leveled off as the season progresses. Usually the bye week helps players get healthy but for rookies like McMillian from small college programs, the bye week gives them a chance to relax outside the limelight of the NFL to get ready for a playoff push.
#25 (30) C.J. Wilson (DL) - There is only so many times that I can reiterate how valuable base 3-4 defensive ends are in the NFL, which Wilson continues to excel so although 24 feels high, may be it is not high enough.
#24 (40) M.D. Jennings (S) - Just when I started to forget about the Packers "losing" to the Seahawks, I ran some playoff scenarios and my disdain for that game came roaring back. The Packers better win the NFC North because if it comes down to tie-breakers, you might see all Cheesehead football fans go Postal on the NFL.
#23 (25) Tim Masthay (P) - For how horrible Crosby has been place kicking, Masthay has been the bizarro Crosby with a 44.5 yard gross punting average and 40.7 yard net punting average in 2012.
#22 (24) Sam Shields (CB) - Shields had a great 2010 and lackluster 2011, which has been a microcosm for his 2012 season because he got off to a good start but then an injury left hm inactive for the last three games. The Packers need the healthy 2010 version not the unhealthy 2011 version of Shields.
#21 (22) Jarrett Bush (CB) - As always, Bush continues to thrive on special teams and struggle when he plays defensively.
#20 (26) Davon House (CB) - Shoulder injury aside, House has shown flashes of being a poor man's Al Harris, which is great for the Packers since they most likely envision House as their 4th cornerback if everyone is healthy.
#19 (4) Jermichael Finley (TE) - Oh how the mighty have fallen. Finley has essentially turned into an expensive decoy. I still don't believe that will lead to the Packers declining what amounts to a team option for 2013 but Finley better pick-up his play if he wants to get in line behind Rodgers, Matthews, and Raji for a mega contract extension.
#18 (NR) Erik Walden (OLB) - With Perry out for the rest of 2012 look for Walden to put up big numbers for the rest of the season since it looks like he will get all the snaps opposite Claymaker instead of sharing them with Perry.
#17 (10) Bryan Bulaga (T) - I would bet Bulaga is put on injured reserve before December but with the lack of depth on the offensive line around the NFL, even a hurt Bulaga is a valuable commodity.
#16 (9) Greg Jennings (WR) - Injuries are the worst thing that can happen for both a player and their club in a contract year because it muddies their market value. With Jennings set to be a free agent this off-season, the Packers should still give the franchise tag to Jennings, despite him struggling with injuries throughout 2012 because of otherwise Jennings will leave for nothing ala Aaron Kampman.
#15 (14) Marshall Newhouse (T) - I mentioned that if Newhouse struggled in 2012: "Chad Clifton's agent might be getting a phone call" but it looks like even though Newhouse has played relatively well this season, Clifton's agent might still get a call to give the Packers an actual backup offensive tackle with some NFL experience under his belt.
#14 (28) A.J. Hawk (MLB) - Trust me, I am the last guy that wants to praise Hawk, but he has played very well in 2012. In the preseason I was calling for the Packers to cut Hawk but luckily they held onto him because without Hawk the Packers would not have even one healthy, NFL tested middle linebacker on the roster despite needing at least two.
#13 (12) Morgan Burnett (S) - With Woodson shuffling between cornerback and safety when healthy combined with McMillian and Jennings sharing snaps at safety, Burnett has been the only constant at safety for the Packers in 2012. Usually it is not a good sign when your safety is leading the team in tackles but in Burnett's case I take it as a positive because the Packers have been using Burnett like they used to use Nick Collins in the past.
#12 (18) Casey Hayward (CB) - Hands down the most pleasant surprise on the roster in 2012 is actually a candidate for defensive rookie of the year thanks to his impressive coverage that has resulted in a team leading four interceptions. Some might chalk up Hayward's play to rookie luck but I see Hayward as a long term starter at cornerback opposite Tramon Williams.
#11 (7) Charles Woodson (CB) - Lack of big plays, injuries, and the highest salary on the team means Woodson is going to have to take less money in 2013 if he wants to play for the Packers.
#10 (6) Jordy Nelson (WR) - Despite struggling with hamstring and ankle injuries, Nelson is still leading the team in receiving yardage
#9 (8) Josh Sitton (G) - A healthy Sitton in 2012 helped erase memories of his struggles in 2011 to help justify his expensive contract extension.
#8 (17) Ryan Pickett (DL) - When people talk about freak athletes in professional sports they usually talk about chiseled, muscle bound players like Jermichael Finley. Guys like Ryan Pickett are equally freakish athletes, they are just not as impressive to look at with their shirt off, but impressive nonetheless.
#7 (11) T.J. Lang (G/T) - I had to change Lang's position from G to G/T since he is filling in at right tackle for the injured Bulaga for the rest of the season unless Bulaga makes a miraculous recovery. Good for Lang that he got paid in the off-season because I see Lang struggling at right tackle, which is too bad because Lang was thriving at left guard this season.
#6 (5) Tramon Williams (CB) - Although Williams only has two interceptions so far in 2012, it has been a much better season than 2011 because Williams has almost full function of his injured shoulder, which makes him a bump-and-run corner for the first time since 2010.
#5 (19) James Jones (WR) - I.A.R.W.T. stands for In Aaron Rodgers We Trust. Some franchise quarterbacks routinely give the front office suggestions but Rodgers has been selective in making suggestions. Rodgers publicly pleaded with management to resign Jones, which looks downright prophetic now.
#4 (3) B.J. Raji (DL) - The Packers have managed Raji's snap count much better this year, thanks to the emergence of some young blood (Daniels, Neal, and Worthy) along the defensive line. Now the Packers need to focus on getting Raji signed to a long-term contract before the end of the season.
#3 (13) Randall Cobb (WR) - I compared Cobb to New Orleans Saint Darren Sproles at the start of the season. I don't want to overreact but just a few months later, every NFL team besides the New Orleans Saints would rather have Cobb than Sproles.
#2 (2) Clay Matthews (OLB) - Another pesky hamstring injury will most likely keep Mathews out at least a game or two. Although Matthews is the most valuable defensive player, rushing him back is not advisable because hamstring injuries are particularly finicky. Plus reducing stats thanks to sitting out games is the only way outside of Matthews testing positive for PED's that the Packers can gain leverage in the upcoming contract negotiations.
#1 (1) Aaron Rodgers (QB) - It looked like Rodgers started 2012 slow but it had more to do with the opposition as opposed to Rodgers because the Packers opened against three of the best defenses in football: 49ers, Bears, and Seahawks. Starting with Week 4, Rodgers caught fire and has been on a roll ever since. While it is encouraging that Rodgers has been playing better as of late, he better figure out how to beat the defenses he faced Week #1-3 because those look like three of their potential playoff opponents this January.
As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to comment if you disagree with any of my rankings.
#53 (53) Jarrett Boykin (WR) - The Packers could easily add a 6th wide receiver in place of Boykins who has seen little action despite injuries to a number of wide receivers.
#52 (51) Sean Richardson (S) - Injuries have really hampered Richardson's ability to get on the field, which is too bad because his combination of size and speed is very enticing.
#51 (NR) Johnny White (RB) - The former Buffalo Bills castoff, which is usually NOT a compliment, was claimed off waiver by the Packers to replace Brandon Saine as a special teams player. After being inactive for his first week after joining the Packers, White picked up right where Brandon Saine left off as a special teams player that happens to be classified as a running back. Trust me, if White is getting significant carries in anything other than the Packers blowing out an opponent, we've got problems.
#50 (NR) Andrew Quarless (TE) - Recovering from gruesome injuries has to be physically and mentally draining. I hope Quarless can make it through 2012 healthy while catching a few passes along the way to make all the hard work he has put into getting back onto the field worth it.
#49 (42)Terrell Manning (MLB) - I am always reticent to meet players because it clouds my ability to objectively write about them. When Cheesehead Chick, Mama Cheese, Papa Cheese, and In-Law Cheese stopped in Green Bay to buy gear from the Packer Pro Shop on the way to Door County we met Manning because he stopped to take tons of pictures with fans. Let's just say Manning is a nicer person off the field than a player on the field.
#48 (NR) Greg Van Roten (OL) - With starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga most likely headed to injured reserve, Van Roten is two injuries away from playing in a real NFL game. Add in that Van Roten really can only play guard and the Packers are in real trouble if Van Roten plays a meaningful snap in 2012.
#47 (41) Graham Harrell (QB) - At some point the Packers might want to consider signing a competent veteran backup to the 53-man roster instead of leaving Harrell one play from taking over if Rodgers gets hurt.
#46 (46) Rob Francois (MLB) - Some players can carve out a niche as a career special teams guy, which is what Francois has to continue to do if he wants to keep his roster spot.
#45 (39) D.J. Williams (TE) - With all the injuries the Packers suffered at wide receiver and fullback, it looked like Williams might be the beneficiary but shaky hands have prevented him from capitalizing on those opportunities.
#44 (44) James Starks (RB) - Might as well gives Starks his jersey number for two sets of rankings in a row right? A 17 carry, 61 yard performance against the Arizona Cardinals is hardly something to brag about but the Packers have gotten absolutely no production out of Starks for the first eight games of the season so they will take what they can get on the ground. I would like to see the Packers make Starks their every down back when they are trying to grind it out with Green as their every down back when they go no huddle. I know that tips their hand a bit but they might as well cater to each player's strengths.
#43 (50) Don Barclay (T) - I hate cliches but the Packers truly buy into the "next guy up" because there is no talk of them adding a veteran offensive lineman, so they are one injury away from undrafted rookie free agent Don Barclay being one of the five guys that protects Aaron Rodgers. I try to pick my spots where I am critical of general manager Ted Thompson because he has done a very impressive job managing the roster but Thompson needs to add a quality veteran offensive lineman to the roster sooner rather than later, especially if they put Bryan Bulaga on injured reserve.
#42 (NR) Frank Zombo (OLB) - There is only so high that I can rank a guy that was recently added to the active roster from PUP but assuming that Zombo is in fact healthy, I see Zombo finishing at least in the low 30's in my final rankings based on what Zombo can potentially do as a rush outside linebacker in the base 3-4 defense.
#41 (43) Ryan Taylor (TE) - The Packers finally identified a special team maven that doesn't even need to play snaps on offense to justify his roster spot. That is particularly important for Taylor because the Packers are again carrying five tight ends on their 53-man roster, which I've noted many times I think is excessive.
#40 (35) Jamari Lattimore (MLB) - A hybrid inside/outside linebacker is a rare commodity, which makes Lattimore very valuable commodity for the Packers in 2012, especially considering all the linebackers (Bishop, Perry, and Smith) lost for the season.
#39 (33) John Kuhn (FB) - As if playing fullback in a high octane offensive doesn't marginalize Kuhn enough, injuries have further marginalized Kuhn than playing fullback in 2012.
#38 (27) Mason Crosby (K) - When the Milwaukee Brewers were contemplating building Miller Park next to County Stadium or downtown, I got in a number of arguments with my buddy Sug. I was firmly in the downtown camp while Sug wanted the stadium built next to County Stadium to cater to suburban Brewer fans. A similar argument started when Crosby signed a five-year, $15 million contract before the 2011 season. I hated the contract while Sug agreed with paying Crosby. While the Miller Park argument took a number of years to settle in my favor, less than two years later I've won the Crosby argument as well so whenever I see Crosby I think of Miller Park being built in no man's land. Sorry Sug, you are 0-2 on those arguments, which ironically is a standard outing for Crosby theses days.
#37 (29) Alex Green (RB) - I thought Green was the perfect back for the Packers' no-huddle offense. With Benson out of the lineup, Green's play has been sub-par. Chalk some of that up to Green being less than a year removed from a serious knee injury though, so we might not know till the end of 2013 whether Crosby is the perfect back for the Packers' no huddle offense.
#36 (45) Brett Goode (LS) - The Packers wisely recently extended Goode for a few more years since Goode has been nothing short of great (funny pun right) as their long snapper.
#35 (38) Mike Daniels (DL) - The ideal third down pass rusher needs to add some strength in the off-season if he wants to see the field on 1st or 2nd down.
#34 (37) Tom Crabtree (TE) - The recipient of two of the most notable touchdown passes of the season (fake punt against the Bears on 4th & 26 and 72-yard reception against the Cardinals) deserves to be targeted more than nine times through nine games.
#33 (36) Dezman Moses (OLB) - Looks like a potentially violent situational pass rusher for the Packers in 2012 but let's not forget that Vic So'oto looked poised to fill a similar role in 2011 but flopped.
#32 (NR) Mike Neal - After serving his four game suspension, Neal has shown flashes of the dominate player the Packers thought they were drafting in the 2010 Draft.
#31 (48) Brad Jones (MLB) - I listed Jones as an outside linebacker in my original rankings, which is how the Packers viewed Jones at the start of the season. After losing both Bishop and Smith, the Packers slide Jones inside where he has preformed as well if not better than Smith so far.
#30 (23) Donald Driver (WR) - Probably the most beloved current Packer is having a disappointing season on two fronts. Not only has DD not played that much despite all the injuries to their wide receivers but when DD has been on the field, he's struggled. As much as it would pain me to see DD play for another team, if he truly wants to play for a few more years, I hope he plays for a team that can harness his leadership qualities for the betterment of their organization.
#29 (16) Jerel Worthy (DL) - After a strong start to the season, an ability to properly time his pass rush combined with a concussion stunted Worthy's impressive start to the season. Hopefully a few weeks off allowed Worthy to not only heal but watch some tape that will help him cut down on the offsides penalties.
#28 (21) Jeff Saturday (C) - So far Saturday as been a substantial downgrade from former starting center Scott Wells. At the very least the Packers need Saturday to stay healthy because they have razor thin depth along the offensive line.
#27 (34) Evan Dietrich-Smith (C) - As I said in my initial rankings: "If any of the starting five offensive lineman are hurt, EDS is the first off the bench that could have a chain reaction of moving a few players around on the offensive line since EDS could really only fill in at guard or center." Please don't blame me for Bulaga's injury, which forced the Packers to move T.J. Lang from left guard to right tackle and insert EDS is Lang's place. Let's hope that is the end of the offensive line shuffle because although EDS is a borderline NFL starter, the rest of the offensive line backups (Barclay and Van Roten) are currently below average NFL offensive lineman at best.
#26 (32) Jerron McMillian (S) - After a few games it looked like McMillian was going to be the Packers rookie of the year but a few games does not make a season since McMillian's play has leveled off as the season progresses. Usually the bye week helps players get healthy but for rookies like McMillian from small college programs, the bye week gives them a chance to relax outside the limelight of the NFL to get ready for a playoff push.
#25 (30) C.J. Wilson (DL) - There is only so many times that I can reiterate how valuable base 3-4 defensive ends are in the NFL, which Wilson continues to excel so although 24 feels high, may be it is not high enough.
#24 (40) M.D. Jennings (S) - Just when I started to forget about the Packers "losing" to the Seahawks, I ran some playoff scenarios and my disdain for that game came roaring back. The Packers better win the NFC North because if it comes down to tie-breakers, you might see all Cheesehead football fans go Postal on the NFL.
#23 (25) Tim Masthay (P) - For how horrible Crosby has been place kicking, Masthay has been the bizarro Crosby with a 44.5 yard gross punting average and 40.7 yard net punting average in 2012.
#22 (24) Sam Shields (CB) - Shields had a great 2010 and lackluster 2011, which has been a microcosm for his 2012 season because he got off to a good start but then an injury left hm inactive for the last three games. The Packers need the healthy 2010 version not the unhealthy 2011 version of Shields.
#21 (22) Jarrett Bush (CB) - As always, Bush continues to thrive on special teams and struggle when he plays defensively.
#20 (26) Davon House (CB) - Shoulder injury aside, House has shown flashes of being a poor man's Al Harris, which is great for the Packers since they most likely envision House as their 4th cornerback if everyone is healthy.
#19 (4) Jermichael Finley (TE) - Oh how the mighty have fallen. Finley has essentially turned into an expensive decoy. I still don't believe that will lead to the Packers declining what amounts to a team option for 2013 but Finley better pick-up his play if he wants to get in line behind Rodgers, Matthews, and Raji for a mega contract extension.
#18 (NR) Erik Walden (OLB) - With Perry out for the rest of 2012 look for Walden to put up big numbers for the rest of the season since it looks like he will get all the snaps opposite Claymaker instead of sharing them with Perry.
#17 (10) Bryan Bulaga (T) - I would bet Bulaga is put on injured reserve before December but with the lack of depth on the offensive line around the NFL, even a hurt Bulaga is a valuable commodity.
#16 (9) Greg Jennings (WR) - Injuries are the worst thing that can happen for both a player and their club in a contract year because it muddies their market value. With Jennings set to be a free agent this off-season, the Packers should still give the franchise tag to Jennings, despite him struggling with injuries throughout 2012 because of otherwise Jennings will leave for nothing ala Aaron Kampman.
#15 (14) Marshall Newhouse (T) - I mentioned that if Newhouse struggled in 2012: "Chad Clifton's agent might be getting a phone call" but it looks like even though Newhouse has played relatively well this season, Clifton's agent might still get a call to give the Packers an actual backup offensive tackle with some NFL experience under his belt.
#14 (28) A.J. Hawk (MLB) - Trust me, I am the last guy that wants to praise Hawk, but he has played very well in 2012. In the preseason I was calling for the Packers to cut Hawk but luckily they held onto him because without Hawk the Packers would not have even one healthy, NFL tested middle linebacker on the roster despite needing at least two.
#13 (12) Morgan Burnett (S) - With Woodson shuffling between cornerback and safety when healthy combined with McMillian and Jennings sharing snaps at safety, Burnett has been the only constant at safety for the Packers in 2012. Usually it is not a good sign when your safety is leading the team in tackles but in Burnett's case I take it as a positive because the Packers have been using Burnett like they used to use Nick Collins in the past.
#12 (18) Casey Hayward (CB) - Hands down the most pleasant surprise on the roster in 2012 is actually a candidate for defensive rookie of the year thanks to his impressive coverage that has resulted in a team leading four interceptions. Some might chalk up Hayward's play to rookie luck but I see Hayward as a long term starter at cornerback opposite Tramon Williams.
#11 (7) Charles Woodson (CB) - Lack of big plays, injuries, and the highest salary on the team means Woodson is going to have to take less money in 2013 if he wants to play for the Packers.
#10 (6) Jordy Nelson (WR) - Despite struggling with hamstring and ankle injuries, Nelson is still leading the team in receiving yardage
#9 (8) Josh Sitton (G) - A healthy Sitton in 2012 helped erase memories of his struggles in 2011 to help justify his expensive contract extension.
#8 (17) Ryan Pickett (DL) - When people talk about freak athletes in professional sports they usually talk about chiseled, muscle bound players like Jermichael Finley. Guys like Ryan Pickett are equally freakish athletes, they are just not as impressive to look at with their shirt off, but impressive nonetheless.
#7 (11) T.J. Lang (G/T) - I had to change Lang's position from G to G/T since he is filling in at right tackle for the injured Bulaga for the rest of the season unless Bulaga makes a miraculous recovery. Good for Lang that he got paid in the off-season because I see Lang struggling at right tackle, which is too bad because Lang was thriving at left guard this season.
#6 (5) Tramon Williams (CB) - Although Williams only has two interceptions so far in 2012, it has been a much better season than 2011 because Williams has almost full function of his injured shoulder, which makes him a bump-and-run corner for the first time since 2010.
#5 (19) James Jones (WR) - I.A.R.W.T. stands for In Aaron Rodgers We Trust. Some franchise quarterbacks routinely give the front office suggestions but Rodgers has been selective in making suggestions. Rodgers publicly pleaded with management to resign Jones, which looks downright prophetic now.
#4 (3) B.J. Raji (DL) - The Packers have managed Raji's snap count much better this year, thanks to the emergence of some young blood (Daniels, Neal, and Worthy) along the defensive line. Now the Packers need to focus on getting Raji signed to a long-term contract before the end of the season.
#3 (13) Randall Cobb (WR) - I compared Cobb to New Orleans Saint Darren Sproles at the start of the season. I don't want to overreact but just a few months later, every NFL team besides the New Orleans Saints would rather have Cobb than Sproles.
#2 (2) Clay Matthews (OLB) - Another pesky hamstring injury will most likely keep Mathews out at least a game or two. Although Matthews is the most valuable defensive player, rushing him back is not advisable because hamstring injuries are particularly finicky. Plus reducing stats thanks to sitting out games is the only way outside of Matthews testing positive for PED's that the Packers can gain leverage in the upcoming contract negotiations.
#1 (1) Aaron Rodgers (QB) - It looked like Rodgers started 2012 slow but it had more to do with the opposition as opposed to Rodgers because the Packers opened against three of the best defenses in football: 49ers, Bears, and Seahawks. Starting with Week 4, Rodgers caught fire and has been on a roll ever since. While it is encouraging that Rodgers has been playing better as of late, he better figure out how to beat the defenses he faced Week #1-3 because those look like three of their potential playoff opponents this January.
As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to comment if you disagree with any of my rankings.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Packers "Lose" to Seahawks on MNF
As I said in my initial player rankings, I am going to tweet and re-tweet during Packer games but only blog about games that I attend.
Since the Green Bay Packers suffered one of the most notorious "losses" in franchise history on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, I had to post something. Here are my tweets and re-tweets from the night without comment:
Since the Green Bay Packers suffered one of the most notorious "losses" in franchise history on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, I had to post something. Here are my tweets and re-tweets from the night without comment:
Thanks to @tydunne for answering one of my questions during his chat (jsonline.com/sports/packers…) before #Packers v. #Seahawks on #MNF.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Rough 1st half for #Packers, they get the ball to start the 2nd half.The big question is whether the offensive lineman can actually block.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
So after eight sacks, 87 net yards and zero points, the #Packers will get the ball to start the third quarter, down only 7-0.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) September 25, 2012
Wow #NFLNetwork is in spin control trying to claim #Packers didn't get hosed, looks like politicians should be taking notes.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Like Armando Gallaraga's perfect game, I am not too sure how leagues don't step in to right a wrong like what happened to #Packers on #MNF.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Starting to wonder whether #Packers will be a playoff team, especially if they lose to #Saints next week to put both teams 1-3.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Luckily one big screw up by the refs will overshadow a baker's dozen of other absolute gaffes both ways to mare #MNF.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
That was bullshit. This is getting ridiculous! The NFL needs to get the refs back bfr we strike and they make no money!
— josh sitton (@jsitton71) September 25, 2012
I think we need a personal apology in person....
— Brett Goode (@BGoode61) September 25, 2012
Love @gregjennings giving refs heat in post game interview, if #NFL fines him then they've officially lost all credibility.
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Will M.D. Jennings or Evan Dietrich-Smith be remembered longer? The Shafted INT v. The Stomp. I say The Shafted INT. #Packers
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
The nfl needs to come to gb and apologize to us for fucking us! These refs r bums!
— josh sitton (@jsitton71) September 25, 2012
Golden tate is full of shit too. Saying he clearly caught that is embarrassing!Fucking jokers!
— josh sitton (@jsitton71) September 25, 2012
Fuck it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.
— TJ Lang (@TJLang70) September 25, 2012
Come on @nfl this shit is getting out of Control. Caused us a DAMN game. Horrible!
— Jermichael Finley (@JermichaelF88) September 25, 2012
Last tweet about today. A picture I's really worth a thousand wardsyfrog.com/esnujdtj
— Davon House (@devo_31) September 25, 2012
You won't read this often but not sure why #NFL hasn't followed #NHL's lead to have one central review center for all reviews? #Packers #MNF
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
@nflcommish As a part #Packers owner I am appalled that #Packers "lost" last night b/c of such incompetence, how are you going to fix this?
— CheeseheadSportsNut (@CheeseheadSN) September 25, 2012
Saturday, August 20, 2011
2011 Preseason Week 2 - Packers/Cardinals Review
Sorry about the delayed "Quick Thoughts" post on the Packers/Cardinals preseason game, I was unable to see the replay of the game on the NFL Network until later on Saturday night. With my apology out of the way, here are my quick thoughts on the Packers/Cardinal preseason game:
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Derek Sherrod struggled at both left guard and left tackle so it looks like Sherrod's chances of opening the season as one of the five starters along the offensive line ended against the Cardinals. As a result, absent injury, the starting offensive line (left to right) for the 2011 Green Bay Packers will be: Chad Clifton (LT), T.J. Lang (LG), Scott Wells (C), Josh Sitton (RG), and Bryan Bulaga (RT).
#2) Player that helped his stock most: The Packers have a ton of undrafted free agents that would make most NFL rosters but since the Packers already had 53 guys worthy of being on their opening 53-man roster before the 2011 NFL Draft, there are going to be a ton of guys worth keeping on the active roster that will most likely get cut. Just look at a few of the undrafted free agents that are having a good training camp but are still long shots to make the opening day 53-man roster: running back (Brandon Saine), wide receiver (Chastin West, Diondre Borel, and Tory Gurley), and cornerback (Brandian Ross and Josh Gordy).
#3) Position to watch: Since left guard was already handled above and a number of guys fighting to start at defensive end (Mike Neal and Lawrence Guy) sat out with injury, let's look at the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews. After Brad Jones struggled at the start of training camp, the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews looked like a two horse race between Erik Walden and Frank Zombo. Neither player did much to grab hold of the starting job although Zombo played slightly better than Walden against the Cardinals. Look for Walden and Zombo to get a ton of snaps next week against the Colts so the Packers can pick one of them to be the opening day starter opposite Clay Matthews.
#4) Injuries: C.J. Wilson (concussion) and Randall Cobb (bruised knee) were the only players that suffered anything more than a minor injury against the Cardinals. No further injury information was available about either player but look for the Packers to be cautious with both players because both are virtually guaranteed roster spots on the opening day 53-man roster as long as their injuries are not too serious.
Final Note: Last week roughly 30,000 fans attended the Packers/Browns preseason game in Cleveland. This week 67,688 fans attended the Packers/Cardinals game in Green Bay, which is still roughly 5,000 below capacity at Lambeau Field but much better than 40,000 below capacity like in Cleveland last weekend. Green Bay is a very unique place and fans are especially excited about the Packers since they won Super Bowl XLV but 35,000 more fans showing up in Green Bay than in Cleveland is embarrassing for the mistake by the lake.
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Derek Sherrod struggled at both left guard and left tackle so it looks like Sherrod's chances of opening the season as one of the five starters along the offensive line ended against the Cardinals. As a result, absent injury, the starting offensive line (left to right) for the 2011 Green Bay Packers will be: Chad Clifton (LT), T.J. Lang (LG), Scott Wells (C), Josh Sitton (RG), and Bryan Bulaga (RT).
#2) Player that helped his stock most: The Packers have a ton of undrafted free agents that would make most NFL rosters but since the Packers already had 53 guys worthy of being on their opening 53-man roster before the 2011 NFL Draft, there are going to be a ton of guys worth keeping on the active roster that will most likely get cut. Just look at a few of the undrafted free agents that are having a good training camp but are still long shots to make the opening day 53-man roster: running back (Brandon Saine), wide receiver (Chastin West, Diondre Borel, and Tory Gurley), and cornerback (Brandian Ross and Josh Gordy).
#3) Position to watch: Since left guard was already handled above and a number of guys fighting to start at defensive end (Mike Neal and Lawrence Guy) sat out with injury, let's look at the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews. After Brad Jones struggled at the start of training camp, the starting outside linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews looked like a two horse race between Erik Walden and Frank Zombo. Neither player did much to grab hold of the starting job although Zombo played slightly better than Walden against the Cardinals. Look for Walden and Zombo to get a ton of snaps next week against the Colts so the Packers can pick one of them to be the opening day starter opposite Clay Matthews.
#4) Injuries: C.J. Wilson (concussion) and Randall Cobb (bruised knee) were the only players that suffered anything more than a minor injury against the Cardinals. No further injury information was available about either player but look for the Packers to be cautious with both players because both are virtually guaranteed roster spots on the opening day 53-man roster as long as their injuries are not too serious.
Final Note: Last week roughly 30,000 fans attended the Packers/Browns preseason game in Cleveland. This week 67,688 fans attended the Packers/Cardinals game in Green Bay, which is still roughly 5,000 below capacity at Lambeau Field but much better than 40,000 below capacity like in Cleveland last weekend. Green Bay is a very unique place and fans are especially excited about the Packers since they won Super Bowl XLV but 35,000 more fans showing up in Green Bay than in Cleveland is embarrassing for the mistake by the lake.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
2011 Preseason Week 1 - Packers/Browns Review
The Green Bay Packers flew to D.C. on Friday ahead of their Saturday night preseason game in Cleveland to finally visit the White House to celebrate winning Super Bowl XLV. President Obama is an avid Chicago Bears fan (seems like a non sequitur) so he took a fair amount of heat from Charles Woodson and Aaron Rodgers because the Packers beat the Bears in Chicago to win the NFC Championship Game to go to Super Bowl XLV but President Obama seemed to take the joking in stride. Following their visit to the White House, the Packers traveled to Cleveland to play the Browns in both team's preseason opener. Here are a few quick thoughts on the game:
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Pat Lee had the chance to shine with some of the top cornerbacks (Woodson and Shields) held out against the Browns. Unfortunately Lee struggled and looks like a long shot to make the roster with Woodson, Williams, Shields, House, and Bush all ahead of Lee at this point.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: Clearly rookie wide receiver Randall Cobb and back-up quarterback Matt Flynn played well against the Browns so let's dig a little deeper. Morgan Burnett's rookie season was cut short when he tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2010 season against the Lions. With Burnett lost for the season, Charlie Peprah was one of the biggest surprises of last year. Burnett is the safety of the future opposite Collins in Green Bay not Peprah but I was still skeptical how healthy Burnett would be less than a year removed from tearing his ACL. One game does not make a season but the physicality that Burnett showed against the Browns was a welcomed sight.
#3) Position to watch: Going into training camp the Packers decided not to resign former starting left guard Daryn Colledge and starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins among others. The Packers had a couple in-house candidates to fill in for Jenkins (Mike Neal, Howard Green, Jarius Wynn, and C.J. Wilson) but there was no clear-cut candidate to take over at left guard. The Packers drafted Derek Sherrod as the left tackle of the future but they are trying Sherrod at left guard along with holdover T.J. Lang. The Packers shuffled Sherrod and Lang between left tackle and left guard throughout the game. Both players did nothing against the Browns to help or hurt their stock so left guard will continue to be the position to watch when the Packers meet the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 2 preseason game at Lambeau Field on Friday, August 18, 2011.
Final Note: The NFL needs to change the pricing structure of preseason tickets. This has been mentioned in a number of places but the NFL Owners shouldn't charge regular season prices for preseason games. Cleveland Browns Stadium holds a little more than 73,000 people. The reported attendance was 57,077 but only 30,000 people actually attended the game. Here is the quick solution for preseason ticket problems. There are four preseason games. Week 1 and Week 4 games are essentially throwaway games because guys that have very little chance of making the opening 53-man roster play most of those games. Week 2 and Week 3 are the most interesting games because the starters play a good portion of the snaps. The NFL should charge $20 a ticket for the throwaway games (Week 1 and Week 4) and $40 a ticket for the more interesting games (Week 2 and Week 3).
If you enjoyed this "Quick Thoughts" post, check out my first "Quick Thoughts" post on the Cheeseheads Ruling Day 1 of the 2011 PGA Championship.
#1) Player that hurt his stock most: Pat Lee had the chance to shine with some of the top cornerbacks (Woodson and Shields) held out against the Browns. Unfortunately Lee struggled and looks like a long shot to make the roster with Woodson, Williams, Shields, House, and Bush all ahead of Lee at this point.
#2) Player that helped his stock most: Clearly rookie wide receiver Randall Cobb and back-up quarterback Matt Flynn played well against the Browns so let's dig a little deeper. Morgan Burnett's rookie season was cut short when he tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2010 season against the Lions. With Burnett lost for the season, Charlie Peprah was one of the biggest surprises of last year. Burnett is the safety of the future opposite Collins in Green Bay not Peprah but I was still skeptical how healthy Burnett would be less than a year removed from tearing his ACL. One game does not make a season but the physicality that Burnett showed against the Browns was a welcomed sight.
#3) Position to watch: Going into training camp the Packers decided not to resign former starting left guard Daryn Colledge and starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins among others. The Packers had a couple in-house candidates to fill in for Jenkins (Mike Neal, Howard Green, Jarius Wynn, and C.J. Wilson) but there was no clear-cut candidate to take over at left guard. The Packers drafted Derek Sherrod as the left tackle of the future but they are trying Sherrod at left guard along with holdover T.J. Lang. The Packers shuffled Sherrod and Lang between left tackle and left guard throughout the game. Both players did nothing against the Browns to help or hurt their stock so left guard will continue to be the position to watch when the Packers meet the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 2 preseason game at Lambeau Field on Friday, August 18, 2011.
Final Note: The NFL needs to change the pricing structure of preseason tickets. This has been mentioned in a number of places but the NFL Owners shouldn't charge regular season prices for preseason games. Cleveland Browns Stadium holds a little more than 73,000 people. The reported attendance was 57,077 but only 30,000 people actually attended the game. Here is the quick solution for preseason ticket problems. There are four preseason games. Week 1 and Week 4 games are essentially throwaway games because guys that have very little chance of making the opening 53-man roster play most of those games. Week 2 and Week 3 are the most interesting games because the starters play a good portion of the snaps. The NFL should charge $20 a ticket for the throwaway games (Week 1 and Week 4) and $40 a ticket for the more interesting games (Week 2 and Week 3).
If you enjoyed this "Quick Thoughts" post, check out my first "Quick Thoughts" post on the Cheeseheads Ruling Day 1 of the 2011 PGA Championship.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Why the Green Bay Packers Should Sign Mark Tauscher
Various media outlets reported that the Green Bay Packers worked out former Packer Mark Tauscher on Tuesday and that both sides look close to reaching an agreement (source: here). Tauscher was the starting right tackle for the Packers from 2000-2008 but he tore his ACL on December 7th, 2008 and has been rehabbing ever since. The Kansas City Chiefs had Tauscher in for a workout last week but did not sign him.
All along, October 1st was the earliest date for Tauscher to return to action because that is 10 months from when he tore his ACL. The timing of this could not be any better for the Packers. Not only do the Packers have a bye week, which would give them time to re-acclimate Tauscher, they are currently $18 million under the cap. The Packers just placed Will Blackmon on injured reserve after he tore his ACL against the Vikings so the Packers have a spot on their 53-man roster for an "ACL swap."
Last week against the Vikings, for the second week in a row, Chad Clifton was unable to go at left tackle so the Packers started Daryn Colledge. When Colledge got hurt during the game, the Packers were forced to insert rookie T.J. Lang at left tackle. Lang looked wildly over matched, just like the rest of the offensive line.
Unless Tauscher's workout was horrible, the Packers should sign him immediately. Tauscher would provide the Packers with some much needed veteran depth at tackle. Although Tauscher strictly played right tackle for the Packers, inserting him into the starting offensive line gives the Packers options. First and foremost, it allows the Packers to give Allen Barbre reps at left and right tackle. Taushcer helps hedge against another injury because it gives the Packers a proven backup at each position: Barbre at tackle, Spitz at guard and Wells at center.
All along, October 1st was the earliest date for Tauscher to return to action because that is 10 months from when he tore his ACL. The timing of this could not be any better for the Packers. Not only do the Packers have a bye week, which would give them time to re-acclimate Tauscher, they are currently $18 million under the cap. The Packers just placed Will Blackmon on injured reserve after he tore his ACL against the Vikings so the Packers have a spot on their 53-man roster for an "ACL swap."
Last week against the Vikings, for the second week in a row, Chad Clifton was unable to go at left tackle so the Packers started Daryn Colledge. When Colledge got hurt during the game, the Packers were forced to insert rookie T.J. Lang at left tackle. Lang looked wildly over matched, just like the rest of the offensive line.
Unless Tauscher's workout was horrible, the Packers should sign him immediately. Tauscher would provide the Packers with some much needed veteran depth at tackle. Although Tauscher strictly played right tackle for the Packers, inserting him into the starting offensive line gives the Packers options. First and foremost, it allows the Packers to give Allen Barbre reps at left and right tackle. Taushcer helps hedge against another injury because it gives the Packers a proven backup at each position: Barbre at tackle, Spitz at guard and Wells at center.
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