Packers Special Teams Preview

The Green Bay Packers special teams had been their biggest weakness for years coming into 2011. Special teams coach was lucky to survive years where special teams killed the team. Their kick coverage units gave up big returns at key times, Mason Crosby missed big kicks, they got nothing from the return game, and they had not found a good punter since the bad decision to not bring back Jon Ryan in 2008. That all changed in 2011 and the Packers finally became a solid special teams team.

The first thing that changed the special teams for the better was the drafting of Randall Cobb. The Packers finally got the elite returner that they had been lacking for so long. Cobb lead the NFC with a 27.7 kickoff return average and was 4th in the NFC with a 11.3 punt return average. Cobb wasted no time electrifying the special teams with an incredible 108 yard kick return touchdown on opening night vs. the Saints. Cobb's elusiveness and quickness should give the Packers an elite returner for many years to come.

Many people questioned the Packers when they gave Mason Crosby a 5 yr deal worth 14.75 million last offseason. The Packers gave it to him because of his big leg and potential, but he had never made above 80% of his kicks for a season and had missed some game winning kicks, although most were around 50 yards. Crosby changed all of that last year. Crosby was outstanding as he made 24 of his 28 kicks for an 85.7% and made a game winning kick in the Meadowlands against the Giants.

Tim Masthay has once again solidified the punting position for the Packers. The Packers have had a bunch of awful punters come through Green Bay since they let go of Jon Ryan. Masthay doesn't get the opportunity to punt as much as most guys, but he delivered when he did. Masthay had a 45.6 average on his punts, with a 38.6 net average, and he 23 punts downed inside the 20. Masthay's contributions in the 2010 NFC Championship game at Soldier Field should never be forgotten as he was one of the Packers' MVP's of that game.

The coverage teams were also improved as the Packers were in the middle of the pack in kickoff return average and only allowed 1 punt return for a touchdown and 0 kick returns for touchdowns. If the Packers can repeat their special teams performance from last year they should be very pleased.

Packer 2012 Preview : The Safeties

By 68MD

The Safeties in GB were perhaps one of the most maligned groups of all in 2011. Poor tackling and miscommunication plagued this group all season.

It all starts with Morgan Burnett, he made some mistakes last year but also played with a broken hand and finished with 78 solo tackles and 11 pass break ups. If Burnett can get better in coverage and step up his leadership role it will go a long way.

Charlie Peprah really had an awful 2011 in coverage and at times just looked lost. I don't see him back this year.

M.D. Jennings has all the skills and desire to be a starter in GB but lacks some of the physical attributes... I would watch "Doc' close as a camp dark horse.

Rookies Jerron McMillian and Sean Richardson are pegged by some to make noise this season. I personaly didn't care for both in college. I watched Richardson at Vandy and thought he was burned too much for my liking.

McMillian has a huge upside but needs a year or 2 in the system and weight room.

Anthony Levine is in a put up or shut up camp. In all honesty he won't have a better chance to make a team.

My Safeties are Burnett and M.D. Jennings starting with Levine and McMillian backing them up. I believe Peprah gets cut and that Richardson is a PS player this season.

The staff must get communication in coverage corrected in camp. Too many times we had safeties and CB playing different coverage's last year.

Overall if they stay healthy there is no reason we can't improve at safety in 2012.

Don't be surprised if this group falters early that a guy like Levine gets let go for a solid vet after cuts.

QBs of our 2012 Packers

By Caleb Wahlgren

We are going to take a look at each of the Quarterback's on the Green Bay Packers individually.  Give them each a grade and then an overall grade for the QB group that the Packers have.

QB
B.J. Coleman-#9, Rookie-Chattanooga
(6'3" 231 lb)

BJ Coleman had his best season at Chattanooga during the 2010 season where he was able to throw for 26 touchdowns and ran for 4 touchdowns. He injured his throwing shoulder during his Senior season and this is the only injury he has had during his career. He had 6 300+ passing games in his career. B.J. Coleman was playing in mostly a pro-style offense at Chattanooga so it will be interesting whether or not the 7th round pick will be able to make the roster.  It seems like there should be not too much to expect from Coleman other than they wanted to ensure that Harrell would be prepared to step it up a notch in training camp.  Grade: D-

Graham Harrell-#6, 1 year in the NFL-Texas Tech
(6'2" 215 lb)

Harrell might be the most interesting backup in the NFL this season. He is more of an enigma then most backup quarterbacks in the NFL. During his only preseason appearances Harrell threw for 287 yards with 2 TD’s and 1 INT, and his QB rating was 75.7. He played almost exclusively out of the shotgun at Texas Tech. During his Senior season he finished fourth in the Heisman running.   He was an All-Academic Big 12 first team selection for 3 seasons and had a 4.0 GPA during his Senior season.  Despite his success in college, he went undrafted and spent his first professional season in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  As far as backup quarterbacks go, it is very tough to figure out why the Packers simply went with Harrell as their number two when their top quarterback has had injury problems in the past.  They apparently decided not to trade a draft pick for Colt McCoy after the Browns drafted Brandon Weeden.  Clearly they trust Harrell more then it seems like they should given that there are so many backup quarterbacks out there with actual NFL game experience.  They did decide to let Matt Flynn go and sign with the Seahawks as well.  But the Packers have always let the backups go elsewhere and develop the talent that remained.  Our last backup to go to Seattle is Matt Hasselbeck, and the Packers were fine then.  Grade: D+

Aaron Rodgers-#12, 8 years in the NFL-California
(6'2" 225 lb)

In his 4 seasons as the starter of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 17,037 yards and has 131 TD's to 37 INT's in the regular season.  He is extremely accurate and then is a dual threat with 16 rushing TD's.  None of this includes his postseason play, where he has gone to the postseason 3 times and has a 4-2 W-L record in the postseason.  Everyone knows that Aaron Rodgers was highly sought after in the 2005 NFL draft where it could be either himself or Alex Smith taken at the #1 overall position.  The Packers were fortunate to draft him at #24 overall to be the then backup to Brett Favre.  We all know exactly what happened to him before his first starting season with the Favre drama of 2008.  Rodgers is a 2x Pro-Bowler, 2011 NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and last year he was ridiculously efficient with 45 TD's and only 6 INT's while the Packers went 15-1.  What is there to say other then we all know and love Aaron Rodgers and he is widely considered one of the top three quarterbacks in the league by everyone who evaluates that position.  The only worry I have about Rodgers is his health.  He had 2 concussions two years ago, 1 against the Lions and Redskins.  But he has been staying healthy and our O-Line is protecting him well now.  Is there any doubt about this one?  Grade: A+

It is tough to give an overall grade to a position where only one person is sure to play at a time.  But I think that it is clear that the Packers trust Aaron Rodgers and that trust has yet to be misplaced in his 4 years as starter of the team we love.  I am going to give our quarterback class an A+ grade, because even with our backup situation and no experience behind Rodgers, virtually every team in the NFL would love to trade their quarterbacks for ours.  Rodgers is 5 years younger then both Brees and Brady.  We could easily be watching Rodgers play as our quarterback into the 2022 NFL season, something that you cannot say about the other great quarterbacks playing in the NFL today.

Go Packers!

Packers OLB Preview

The Green Bay Packers OLB group was one of the main problems with the defense last season. The Packers have had a revolving door of outside linebackers line up across Clay Matthews over the last three seasons and have had little to no success. It really came back to bite the Packers last year as even Matthews had a down year mostly because teams would not let him beat them. The Packers finished tied for 27th in the NFL in sacks and that is a number that needs to improve for the Packers to improve on defense in 2012.

The competition at OLB will be intense this year. 1st rd pick Nick Perry is the favorite to win the starting job opposite of Clay Matthews. Perry should help the pass rush immediately, as his athleticism was evident at the combine and at USC. However, he has never played OLB in a 3-4 before and his learning curve is big. Perry also may need to loose some of weight from what he was at the combine. Reporters at the Packers OTA practices said Perry did not look smooth playing inc coverage. The big standout at OTA's was undrafted free agent Dezman Moses. It will be very intriguing to see what he looks like when the pads come on. However, with how players and reporters are talking about Moses it looks like he has a good chance to make the roster. The Packers have shown in the past that they're not afraid to give undrafted free agents a chance. Frank Zombo and Erik Walden are two examples of that.

Speaking of Zombo and Walden they will be in a battle to keep their roster spots. Walden started all the regular season games last season until the Packers had an open competition for the OLB spot in week 17. That is not exactly a ringing endorsement for Walden. Jamari Lattimire and Brad Jones are being taught ILB so the Packers may be able to save a roster spot since one of the can play inside or outside. Last year's training camp sensation Vic So'oto will also be in competition for a roster spot.

Perry's development may be the whole key to the Packers season. Yes, the defensive line needs to improve as well, but if Perry can be a suitable running mate for Matthews it will go a long way to improving the defense. That is not to say Matthews is not to blame for some of what went on last season. Matthews was solid but not the spectacular player he was the year before. Him getting double teamed was part of the problem but there were many times when Matthews had one on one opportunities against inferior tackles and he didn't take advantage. Also, according to Pro Football Focus, Matthews has the 5th most missed tackles among all OLB in the NFL. That surprised me although there are other great players on that list including Lamar Woodley, Tamba Hali, Justin Tuck, Trent Cole, and Brian Orakpo. However, if Perry can be a pass rushing force on the other side I have no doubts that Matthews can return to the 2011 version of Clay Matthews. This Packers OLB has a lot of questions, but a lot of potential that should lead to an interesting training camp.

Inside Linebacker Preview 2012

This is my first post after quite some time, and my first at our new blog. I'd like to thank Wiz...er...68MD for inviting me back after all this time. I look forward to contributing here throughout the season.

By PWC

 The Packers have made a number of changes and additions at the Inside Linebacker position this offseason, promising that the position will see some of the fiercest competition in training camp come August. Although Desmond Bishop seems all but a lock to start at inside linebacker this year, A. J. Hawk’s position is not so secure. Two questions will be settled on the field in camp this year: who will start opposite Bishop and which players will fill out whatever spots remain on the 53 man roster. Although a constant on the defense, A. J. Hawk’s 2011 season certainly wasn’t the best. Says Tyler Dunne,

the man in the middle also regressed in 2011 -- A.J. Hawk. The former fifth overall pick didn't have any interceptions, any forced fumbles and wasn't always reliable against the run.

This fact wasn’t lost on Thompson, McCarthy, and company, who picked up Terrell Manning and gave Brad Jones and Jamari Lattimore some time at ILB away from their usual OLB during OTAs. However, one major factor could still be on Hawk’s side as training camp approaches. As D.J. Smith himself acknowledged, Hawk carries major leadership responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball. In an interview, Smith explained:

You can say it's kind of minor, but it's kind of a big difference," Smith said. "It's still a middle linebacker, but one position (Hawk's) has more responsibility than the other. When it comes to A.J.'s spot, he's the signal-caller. He's the guy that runs the show. He's the quarterback of the whole thing.

In other words, talent and playmaking contributions are not the sole determining factors deciding who will start next to Bishop come September. Like all other position battles, this won’t be resolved on paper in July; we will have to wait and see throughout camp to determine whether or not Hawk will keep his current position on the team. As for the remaining spots on the roster, I expect D. J. Smith to retain a role as backup and I predict he will see significant action during the season, --all this assuming the Packers decide that Hawk is the best choice as a starter, and they may very well not take that position--and Rob Francois should also have little trouble retaining his role as well. In all likelihood, the Packers will only keep 4 inside linebackers, meaning Terrell Manning will face a steep, uphill battle to make the 53 man roster, especially considering he hasn’t played since 2010*. Whatever way things pan out this year, we can count on one thing-an intense position battle at inside linebacker during camp this year.

*Edit: Manning's packers.com bio only has information up until 2010, which mistakenly led me to assume that he had not played since then.  I will be sure to check multiple sources in the future.  Many thanks to Matt for pointing this out.

Packer 2012 Preview : The WR Group

By Matt Bove

Outside of quarterback, the wide receiver position is the strongest and the deepest position on the 2012 team. The Packers have elite receivers in Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson and guys who were on the practice squad last year who would have made most NFL rosters in Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel. Then, there is a guy in Randall Cobb who has the ability to have a breakout season. Also, you have James Jones and Donald Driver who are reliable players. These 7 wide receivers, Aaron Rodgers, and Jermichael Finley are the reasons the Packers have the most potent passing attack in the NFL.

There will be great competition among these 7 players this training camp. Other then Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson being the top two players on the depth chart nothing is set in stone. Cobb will be looking to pass Jones and Driver and move up to the #3 wide receiver position. Jones and Driver will compete with each other for targets as both finished 2011 with 54. If Gurley and Borel show the same potential that they did in camp last year the Packers will likely keep 6 wide receivers. The Vikings already tried to sign Gurley and the Bucs tried to sign Borel last season, so they almost assuredly will not make the practice squad again. Rob Demovsky, of the Green Bay Press Gazette, even suggested the Packers may keep 7 wider receivers. I would see this as unlikely, but the Packers have shown in the past they are not afraid to keep a strange number of players at one position.

Jennings is a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL. Jennings caught 67 passes last season, for 949 yards, and 9 TD’s despite missing the final 3 games of the regular season. His absence was a major factor in the only loss of the 2011 regular season at Kansas City, as Nelson struggled with the extra attention he received. Jennings does not have great size or elite speed but he is perhaps the best route runner in the NFL. His routes are as smooth and crisp as they come, and his chemistry with Rodgers is outstanding. Jennings shiftiness and elusiveness also helps him excel in yards after the catch. He will be playing for a new contract this season so expect Jennings to be at the top of his game yet again.

Nelson had his breakout season last year. Nelson had 68 catches for 1,263 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Nelson started to break out during the Packers’ playoff run in 2010 and did not look back in 2011. Nelson took advantage of other teams double teaming Jennings and Jermichael Finley, but that does not take away from Nelson’s talents. Nelson’s ball skills are exceptional, as he is the team’s best jump ball catcher by far. He is excellent at using his body to shield defenders off and make adjustments when the ball is in the air. Nelson may not be able to repeat 15 touchdowns again, but he should have another solid season.

It will be extremely interesting to see how Randall Cobb is used this season. Cobb was only targeted 31 times last year, a number that is surely to go up. Cobb was brought along slowly last year because of the depth and talent of the Packers wide receivers. It will also go up because Cobb could move up to #3 on the depth chart with a solid training camp. Aaron Rodgers loves to pick out the best matchup on the field to throw to. If Cobb is in the slot with Jennings, Nelson, and Finley in the game he is likely to have a great matchup. Cobb will be used most often with slants and screens to take advantage of his athleticism, but maybe he will evolve to the point to where they play him outside more where he can beat his defenders deep running streaks with his speed.

James Jones has been mentioned in some trade rumors. I don’t expect him to be traded nor should he be. Jones is a guy who I still believe has the talent to be a #2 receiver on a bad team. He provides great depth in case Jennings or Nelson gets hurt. Jones is known for dropping passes but actually Donald Driver, who is seen as a reliable receiver, dropped 2 more passes than Jones last season. Jones always seems to get open and is very good after the catch posting a 7.7 YAC last season. He also posted 7 TD’s, which is great for being the 4th option behind Jennings, Nelson, and Finley. I was a little surprised the Packers brought Driver back, but it certainly isn’t a bad move. His playing time may diminish again, but he is a solid veteran presence to have around a team that still is pretty young. Gurley and Borel are most likely battling for one roster spot this training camp. Both will have to build off what they did last camp to secure a spot. I think Gurley has a little advantage because he is 6-4. The Packers do not have another wide receiver with his height, which should help him. He also blocked punts with regularity in training camp and the Packers value special teams highly. However, Aaron Rodgers was very complimentary of Borel during OTA’s.

“Diondre Borel is a guy that gives us a different look because he plays a similar position of that of Randall Cobb,” Rodgers said in an interview with Packers.com. “Diondre has made as big of jump as anybody from year 1 to year 2. He really made the most of his reps on the scout team last year.”

Borel is very different from Gurley. He is only 6 feet tall, slightly less than 200 pounds, and does not have blazing speed. He does not have great physical tools so why is he highly regarded? His football IQ is a big reason why. Rodgers likes the fact that Borel was a quarterback in college at Utah St.

“He’s a great teammate, hard worker and he really understands the game,” Rodgers said. “I think he has the luxury of being a quarterback in college. He sees the game through a quarterback’s eyes and that gives him a slight advantage over guys who he’s competing with because he understands timing and progression maybe a little quicker some of the than the other guys.”

It will be interesting to see if their chemistry can get Borel a roster spot. All in all the Packers are set at the wide receiver position. They have a great variety of guys with different skills. This group and Aaron Rodgers was the reason they went 15-1 last year and the reason that the Packers are one of the Super Bowl favorites again.

Countdown To Kickoff 2012, Packer Preview

Welcome back to another season of Packer football ! Over the course of the next 2 weeks we will break down the team and preview the 2012 season.

At the end of the preview are writers will give you their thoughts on 2012. We hope to bring some unique insight to you this season but without any of the politically correct bull your seeing elsewhere.

I urge everyone to come on over and talk packers with us at the forum : http://www.gbpackeraddicts.com/index.php?action=forum

Are plan for gbpackeraddicts.com is simple, talk packer football in a fun carefree environment free. Enjoy are preview and please feel free to give us feedback and or ideas at gbpackeraddicts@yahoo.com.

Let's get this party started !

Go Pack GO !

68md