July 23, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Aaron Rodgers has held the championship belt as the NFL’s best QB since 2010. Brett Favre held it from 1995-98.
Next time you complain about Aaron Rodgers holding the ball too long or grimace at the memory of a Brett Favre interception, remember this: The Packers have had the best quarterback in the NFL for seven of the past 17 seasons.
That’s the conclusion Grantland’s Bill Barnwell reached, anyway, after a comprehensive study breaking down the NFL QB championship belt holder since 1959.
Yes, Barnwell’s findings are subjective, but even if his logic is a little flawed, it’s still damn impressive just how good the quarterback play has been in Green Bay over the last 17 seasons.
Barnwell goes on to highlight how a quarterback’s reign at the top typically doesn’t last very long. No QB has spent more than four seasons with the QB championship belt. Rodgers has been the best since 2010. He’ll turn 30 this season and the next crop of young quarterbacks are rapidly advancing as top contenders to take his title.
Of course, if Rodgers’ reign does end, it doesn’t mean he’ll turn into a jobber. There’s nothing wrong with being the Intercontinental Champ or even a tag team title holder. Rodgers would still be more than capable of winning the cage match known as the Super Bowl and bringing another team championship belt back to Green Bay.
Kurt Warner ended Favre’s four-season reign from 1995-98. Favre, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana and Petyon Manning were the only QBs to wear the belt for four straight seasons.
Yes, I’m still going to holler at my TV when Rodgers ignores a wide open receiver underneath and heaves a pass 50 yards downfield that falls incomplete. I’ll still curse some of Favre’s silly interceptions and his divorce from the Packers.
But deep down, I’ll know that the Packers have been lucky enough to have both the Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair of quarterbacks over the last 17 seasons. Two all-time greats. Two memorable characters. Two world champions.
July 22, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Packers offensive lineman Andrew Datko
We don’t know much about Packers offensive lineman Andrew Datko because he was stashed away on the practice squad all of last season.
What we did know about him after the Packers drafted him in the seventh round in 2012 we’ve probably already forgotten because, well, he was on the practice squad all of last season.
Because the Packers offensive line situation always seems to be in some sort of disrepair, it’s important that we keep any offensive lineman who can walk upright fresh on our mind before training camp battles begin.
Here’s a refresher on Datko so you don’t have to ask yourself “Who is that guy?” should Datko make some noise during camp.
- At Florida State, Datko started 12 of 13 games as a true freshman at left tackle. Even though he only weighed 260 pounds, he still had 21 knockdown blocks. Talk about starting your college career with a bang.
- He started all 13 games his sophomore season and only allowed two sacks. In 11 games as a junior, he only allowed one sack.
- Things went downhill from there. After starting the first four games of his senior season, Datko hurt his shoulder — the same shoulder he hurt in high school. The injury required surgery in November and Datko couldn’t lift at the NFL combine, causing him to freefall down draft boards and fall right off many of them.
- Physically, Datko is the type of offensive lineman the Packers like to draft: A successful college left tackle (when healthy) who is athletic, versatile and could theoretically play multiple positions.
- Datko’s ceiling in 2013 is winning the Packers sixth man job along the offensive line. If he does that, both Datko and the Packers have to be ecstatic. It would mean the 6-foot-6, 315 pounder is healthy and Ted Thompson can breathe a little bit easier if Derek Sherrod is a lost cause.
- Obviously, Datko’s worst-case scenario is the shoulder acting up again and getting cut.
- Realistically, look for Datko to be in the mix for the seventh or eighth offensive line slot, probably not the sixth. The sixth-man job likely goes to the loser of the battle to start at right tackle. Datko lined up at guard during OTAs, which also helps his chances of making the team, if healthy.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Packers offensive line situation. In for sure: Bryan Bulaga, Josh Sitton, Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang, Marshall Newhouse. Probably in: David Bakhtiari, Don Barclay, Sherrod (if healthy). Fighting for their lives: Datko, Greg Van Roten, Lane Taylor, whoever the hell they list as a backup center.
There are already eight offensive lineman with a head start on Datko. Another one (Van Roten) is also probably ahead of him.
The odds for Datko don’t look very good, but it’s hard to count out a guy who was so promising before getting hurt.
(Also, do we know where Datko was when J.C. Tretter broke his ankle? Tretter’s injury cleared another obstacle for Datko to make the team. That’s how I view it from atop my grassy knoll, anyway.)
July 19, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Packers tackle Marshall Newhouse can be good on the right side of the offensive line.
Marshall Newhouse should be benched whenever the Packers play the New York Giants. He shouldn’t even be active.
In three games against the Giants since 2011 — including a playoff loss — Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 11 times and the Packers have managed only 230 total rushing yards when you subtract Rodgers’ scrambles.
Obviously, Newhouse isn’t the only Packers offensive lineman responsible for all that ineptitude, but he’s probably not going to be showing the game film from those contests to his grandkids one day.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Newhouse a cumulative grade of -16.9 for all three Giants games. Both regular season games against the Giants were Newhouse’s worst of the season in 2011 and 2012 according to PFF.
No doubt those abominations against the Giants stick in the minds of Packers fans, as well they should. As my old high school history teacher used to say when lecturing about bloody military battles, “It weren’t purdy.”
I’m sure Mike McCarthy weighed Newhouse’s performance in games against New York — a team with good pass rushers and a disruptive defensive front seven — into his decision to move Bryan Bulaga to left tackle. But just because Newhouse lost his left tackle gig, it doesn’t mean he’s a lost cause.
I think the odds are decent that he’ll end up being a good right tackle in Green Bay. Unfortunately, many Packers fans seem to think there is no hope left for Newhouse. Perhaps they’ll end up being right, but I wouldn’t close the book on him yet.
Let’s crack open the PFF numbers again. I like PFF, but sometimes I hesitate to cite them because people either think PFF’s work is gospel, or complete nonsense, and it distracts from the topic at hand. In Newhouse’s case, I think the PFF numbers give some context to Newhouse’s overall career and helps us not just remember the glaringly bad games, like the three against the Giants.
Newhouse made a drastic improvement from 2011 to 2012. His overall rating jumped 28 points, from -32 in 2011 to -4.3 last season. Newhouse finished with a 5.3 pass-block rating last season, a 21-point improvement from -16.5 in 2011.
He had a 10.8 pass-block rating through 11 games last season . Then he had a three-week slump and evened out again down the stretch. Newhouse was responsible for eight sacks and 37 pressures in 779 passing plays — not great numbers, but not all that bad, either, and a huge improvement from the previous season.
I’ve always liked Newhouse’s footwork and mobility. If he can ever figure out how to handle strength/speed combo pass rushers who dip and get under him on bull rushes, he’ll be fine (you could say the same thing about most offensive tackles in the NFL).
The run blocking numbers for Newhouse aren’t pretty no matter which way to look at them. I’m not even going to get into them. Just know they’re bad. If you want to argue that Newhouse is a lost cause as a run blocker, I won’t fight you too much.
But let’s say Newhouse gets a little more consistent as a pass blocker and improves somewhat as a run blocker. Would that make him a good fit at right tackle for the Packers?
I think so. I don’t see pro bowls in Newhouse’s future, but I don’t see a ticket out of the league like some Packers fans seem to think.
No matter how many running backs Ted Thompson drafts or how often McCarthy talks about running the ball, the Packers success will come through the passing game. If Newhouse can morph into an Earl Dotson or Chad Clifton-lite type of player on the right side, he’ll be fine.
And I think there is a legit chance of that happening.
The statement that “Newhouse will never be any good” does not pass the Fact Czech test.
Fact Czech is a regular feature leading into Packers training camp where ALLGBP.com writer Adam Czech examines Packers narratives and talking points that have developed in the offseason.
July 18, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
What if Micah Hyde can do what Jarrett Bush does, only better? Does Bush get cut?
Are you ready to really scramble the Packers portion of your brain?
Let’s go over a few “What If” Packers roster scenarios. Your head will begin spinning in 3, 2, 1…
What if a RB/FB emerges as a really good pass blocker?
Then John Kuhn — due to make $1.6 million this season — might be out of a job. Besides being the only reliable blocking back, what else does Kuhn bring to the team besides a recognizable fan chant whenever he touches the ball? He’s not a reliable option for picking up short-yardage first downs. He’s not a run blocker. He’s got decent hands, but it’s not like his receiving would be sorely missed. I know he’s tight with the quarterback, and cutting a reliable pass-blocking back in this offense would be risky, even if another back emerges as a blocker in preseason. But it wouldn’t surprise me to see Kuhn gone if Mike McCarthy is confident in having someone else out there on third downs to protect Aaron Rodgers.
What if Johnny Jolly has a great training camp and preseason?
The Packers kept six defensive lineman on the opening day roster last season. The six did not include Mike Neal, who was suspended for the first four games. Neal, Josh Boyd, Datone Jones, C.J. Wilson, B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Mike Daniels are probably frontrunners to secure spots this season. Jerel Worthy will likely start on the physically unable to perform list and may eventually move to injured reserve. If — and it’s a big if — Jolly is too good to cut, could Daniels go? He had a few moments in 2012, but seems too small to become a major impact player. Other than Daniels — and even he seems pretty safe — I don’t know who else would go to make room for Jolly. I guess the most likely scenario if Jolly is good is keeping eight defensive lineman and stashing Worthy on the PUP. You could probably get an extra roster spot by going with five wide receivers and eight linebackers after opening with six and nine, respectively, in 2012. The bottom line is this: Jolly is going to have to be damn good to make the team. And if he is, it’s going to lead to a lot of other roster dominos falling.
What if Micah Hyde is REALLY good on special teams?
Here’s another way the Packers could get an extra roster spot for another defensive lineman and save a few extra bucks: Cut Jarrett Bush if Micah Hyde is just as good as Bush on special teams and better in the secondary. Cutting Bush would save about $1 million against the cap. Combine that with cutting Kuhn as discussed in the opening to this post and the Packers would have an extra $2.6 million to possibly extend Randall Cobb, Sam Shields, B.J. Raji, James Jones or another 2014 free agent. Would the Packers really miss Kuhn and Bush all that much? Depends how the younger players currently underneath them look in camp.
That’s enough what if scenarios for now. Remember, these what if scenarios are pure speculation and spitballing, so don’t get all wound up at me if none of these prove to be true. Fire away in the comments section, though, with some what if scenarios of your own. Once you get rolling on these, the possibilities are endless.
July 14, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays With No Packers Football
Packers training camp is only a few weeks away, which means it’s time to get excited.
And worry.
Any good fan worries. It’s normal. You get excited about all the possibilities of the upcoming season, but you also can’t help but fret over certain worst-case scenarios that could play out and ruin the season.
Some people might call this worrying “negativity.” Those people are wrong. They worry just as much as you, and their way of coping is by criticizing others who worry openly.
What’s your biggest worry about the Packers as training camp gets closer?
I suppose Aaron Rodgers’ good fortune running out and missing multiple games with an injury is always a concern, but I tend to not worry about injuries so much because you literally have no ideal from year to year what a team’s injury luck might be.
For me, I worry about impact players in the middle of the Packers defense. A.J. Hawk, Brad Jones, Morgan Burnett and either Jerron McMillian or M.D. Jennings will likely be roaming the middle of the field for the Packers on defense.
Do any of those players strike fear into opposing offenses?
It’s nice to have an impact player up the middle to wallop somebody and force a fumble or range across the field and make a pick to change the momentum of the game or make up for shortcomings in other area’s of the defense.
Hawk definitely isn’t that type player. We’re not sure yet about Jones, but I don’t have my hopes up. Burnett is a good player, but hasn’t yet ascended to playmaker status. McMillian and Jennings are unknowns, but again, I wouldn’t get my hopes up — especially about Jennings who is really small.
So, there’s your does of negativity for the day. Or what some people call negativity and I call worrying like any normal fan would.
I do think the Packers defense will be better, but I’d be a lot more confident if their players up the middle had at least one proven playmaker. Hopefully Jones, Burnett or McMillian/Jennings ascends this season and makes all my worrying for not.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Clay Matthews says he is ready to be more of a leader. You know it’s time for the offseason when the “Player A hopes to be more of a leader this season” stories start popping up. Just once, I’d like to see a player say, “You know what? I am not going to be more of a leader this season. Instead of making inspirational speeches before games, I’m going to take a nap and catch up on episodes of “Downton Abbey.” When young players come to me searching for wisdom, I’ll send them to McCarthy because he’s the coach and gets paid to lead. I’m paid to make tackles and sack quarterbacks.”
- Speaking of leadership, for anyone who needs guidance in how to shoo away annoying celeb hunters, Aaron Rodgers does a pretty good of it here. Lombardi Ave. asks if Rodgers is really worth following around with a camera for TMZ footage. What sort of salacious thing does TMZ think Rodgers might do? Get caught sneaking into a limo with Brett Favre? Accidentally leave his playbook at a VIP booth in a swanky club? Intervene before an intoxicated and shirtless Ted Thompson leaps on a table and starts dancing to “Let me see your hips Swing?”
- Sam Shields and Casey Hayward are listed as No. 15 on Jason Wilde’s list of most important Packers. Even though Wilde cheated and listed two players at No. 15, his annual list is a must-read and a good way to get up to speed before Packers training camp opens.
- Zach Kruse takes a look at what a contract extension for Randall Cobb might look like now that Victor Cruz signed an extension with the Giants. The Packers are also reportedly looking at extending Morgan Burnett. Good. Burnett isn’t the big-play machine that Nick Collins was (yet), but he’s solid and has remained healthy after missing most of his rookie season. Sign him now before he realizes he’s worth more than what the Packers are offering.
- Acme Packing Company has started making predictions about the Packers roster. As of now, the only thing I’m predicting is that the Packers will have 47 players active on gameday.
- Our own Jason Perone was a guest on Brian Carriveau’s Railbird Central this week. Jason has a voice that can both soothe a crying child and hold the attention of a grown Packers fan. I call him the Barry White of Packers podcasters. A big thank you to Brian for having the entire ALLGBP.com crew on Railbird this summer. If you aren’t already listening to Brian’s show, shame on you. Catch up on past episodes here.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
- At least Louis CK made Forbes’ list of the 10 highest paid comedians. The other nine are about as funny as me.
- I had one crazy ex-girlfriend, but I don’t think she was Anna Benson crazy.
- John Lunness was molested by a priest as a child, then grew up to become a priest himself. Jeff Pearlman does a Q&A with Lunness and it’s fascinating.
July 12, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
We’re less than three weeks away from the start of training camp, and already narratives are being formed and talking points are being accepted as fact about the 2013 Green Bay Packers.
From now until the start of camp, I’ll Fact Czech (see what I did there? Heh.) some of these narratives and presumed truths and use my unmatched Packers wisdom to see if they hold up.
Uh oh. I already noticed a statement that didn’t pass the Fact Czech test: My Packers wisdom is not unmatched. It is matched by many, and surpassed by many more. But that doesn’t stop me from appointing myself as the official Packers Fact Czecher of the Universe.
Here we go.
Statement: The Packers defense is soft.
Does it pass the Fact Czech test? No.
I get where people are coming from when they say the Packers defense is soft. I even say it myself, sometimes.
But when we say the Packers defense is soft, what we’re really saying is that the Packers defense is bad.
How many defenses in the history of football have been both good and soft? Zero, that’s how many.
When the defense goes out and lays another egg against New York or lets Colin Kapernick run all the way to Tomah, Wis. and back during a playoff game, we want an easy answer as to why that happened.
“Well, the Packers D is soft! That’s why it happened! If they were just tougher, they could stop these teams! Duh!”
What does it mean to be soft on defense? Does it mean players are scared to tackle the ballcarrier? Does it mean they run away when a lineman tries to block them? Does it mean they cry when Adrian Peterson dips his shoulder and tries to pick up a few extra yards? Does it mean they shudder in fear before running onto the field before the next defensive series?
Nobody know what makes a defense soft. It’s just a word that comes to mind when describing a bad defense.
What does it mean to be tough on defense? Typically, defenses that don’t let other teams score a lot of points — exactly what a good defense is supposed to do — are labelled as tough. Tough is another adjective for good. What makes a defense tough? Do they eat nails before the game? Do they cagefight each other for recreation? Do they wear short sleeves when temperatures dip below zero? Do they punch, kick, stomp and spit on opposing players?
Nobody knows what makes a defense tough. It’s just an easy word used to describe a good defense.
Sometimes defenses get beat because they’re not as good as the other team. The other team’s offensive line is bigger and stronger than the Packers’ defensive line. The tight ends and running backs are too much for the linebackers to handle. The quarterback is too accurate or fast to be stopped. The offensive coordinator is one or two steps ahead of the defensive coordinator.
Saying a defense is soft is akin to saying Team A got beat by Team B because Team B “wanted it more.” It’s silly. I’m sure Team A wanted it just as much as Team B, but they weren’t as good as Team B on a particular day and got beat by the better team.
Don’t say the Packers defense is soft, just say they’re bad. We don’t know what soft means. And if the Packers defense has a good season in 2013, don’t say they’re tough, just say they’re improved, or even good.
Saying the Packers defense is soft does not pass the Fact Czech.
July 7, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
Do you ever wonder if the marketing machines behind professional sports franchises make fans stupid? Or are professional sports fans already stupid, and the marketing machines give fans exactly what they’re asking for?
I was thinking about this while covering the Yankees beating the Twins (yet again) earlier this week at Target Field. Between almost every pitch, the Twins blasted some type of music over the stadium sound system or tried to entice a chant out of fans by playing some other type of sound effect. During every between-inning break, something silly like kiss-cam or a dance-off party played on the stadium video board.
It’s like the Twins didn’t think their fans had the mental capacity or attention span to pay money to attend a baseball game and actually, you know, watch the baseball game. Part of the beauty of baseball is the downtime between pitches and breaks between innings. You can follow and enjoy baseball while still chatting with friends or explaining the game to your 10-year-old son or daughter.
It’s hard to do any of that with yet another T-shirt toss (shiny objects!) going on or a song (wow, noise!) playing that tries to coax the audience into participating in some sort of generic sing-a-long.
I’m picking on the Twins, but the Packers haven’t been much better in this area the last couple of seasons. I haven’t been going to Packers games for very long, but even from when I first started (2007) to now, I’ve noticed a drastic change.
During the playoff win over the Vikings last season, I don’t think 10 seconds went by without the Lambeau PA announcer screaming at fans to get loud, or some type of gimmicky chant/song was played over the sound system to entice people to do…something, I guess.
It shouldn’t be this way. There are plenty of sports fans who are fans of the actual sport and the game being played on the field…right? Or am I naive and out of touch? Do the fans who attend today’s sporting events — even Packers fans — need all of these silly bells and whistles that have nothing to do with the actual game to keep them entertained?
A little bit of nonsense is fine. Go ahead and play the Go Pack Go! sound effect often. Sing “Roll out the Barrell” before the fourth quarter. I’m not trying to say that the stadium sound system should remain totally silent at all times.
But don’t beat it into the ground and cheapen the entire experience. Garbage like the G-Force pregame ritual, Seven Nation Army intro and the piped in sounds of old heavy metal songs to try to rile up the crowd between plays need to be removed from Lambeau.
That kind of stuff is acceptable at a minor league baseball park or Arena Football game, but not at the greatest sports venue on planet Earth.
For some reason, the Packers gameday brass thinks stuff like this enhances the gameday experience. It doesn’t. It drags it down. It makes it annoying. It’s distracting.
Packers fans have had the good fortune to watch one of the best teams in football for the last 20 seasons. Don’t distract us from the quality of what’s happening on the field on gameday by treating us like idiots with everything that’s happening off of it.
Packers News, Notes and Links
- Just like the Super Bowl season in 2010, several Packers are playing for a new contract this season. Will the desire to get paid coax big seasons out of guys like B.J. Raji, Sam Shields, Jermichael Finley and Evan Dietrich-Smith? I don’t know if I subscribe to the “contract year” theory — the theory that players play better when they aren’t signed for the following season — but I don’t think it hurts for certain guys to have a little extra motivation, either.
- Acme Packing Company asks which team do you hate losing to the most? For me, it’s the Bears. Whenever the Packers lose to the Bears, it’s usually a ragged and ugly game filled with a bunch of penalties and fluky plays. When the final score is displayed, I always wonder how in the hell the Packers just lost to that horsebleep team. I’m guessing the Vikings will be at the top of a lot of people’s lists. Yes, I’m pissed when the Packers lose to the Vikings as well — mainly because Vikings’ fans have the collective IQ of an empty Mountain Dew bottle full of dead mosquitoes — but sometimes when you lose to players like Adrian Peterson, Randy Moss or angry old-man Brett Favre, you just tip your hat and try to get the next one.
- Jacob Westendorf at Packerstalk.com asks if the Packers can afford to have Randall Cobb as their primary returner. Sure they can, if he’s head and shoulders above the next guy in line for the job. In a perfect world, Cobb would not be the primary return guy, but unfortunately, the world is not perfect. We’ll see if anyone steps up to take the job in training camp.
- Brian Carriveau opines about the lack of depth at safety for the Packers. I agree with everything Brian says. But if I had a quarter for every time I was worried about guys I’ve never heard of being able to step in and play for the Packers if called upon, I’d have a stack of quarters piled higher than the new south end zone addition at Lambeau Field. Worrying is what fans like me do. Making sure the Packers have good, quality young players that add depth to the roster is what proven GMs like Ted Thompson do.
- If you’re as sick of the offseason as I am, be sure to check out this handy offseason survival guide from Dan over at Packerpedia.com. My personal favorite is No. 9.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
- This long piece about how to win in Washington is a great read if you’re a media nerd like me.
- Profanity is getting smarter? Obviously, the author of this piece has never attended an NFL football game (or sat next to me on my couch while watching the Packers).
- I guess typewriters are becoming cool again. Ok…..
- RIP Matt Bourne (aka the real Doink the Clown).
July 4, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Tramon Williams on the ground with an injured shoulder is something Packers fans do not want to see in 2013.
Injuries suck. Injuries suck worse when they occur to players who suit up for the Green Bay Packers.
What makes injuries even more sucky is that the serious ones linger into the following season, or lead to once-good players getting released (hello, Desmond Bishop).
The Packers have had a bunch of players go down with serious injuries since 2010. Many of those players are gone, many are still around and are still feeling the effects of those injuries today.
Which Packers could be battling lingering injuries in 2013? Unfortunately, too many:
Tramon Williams
After a Super-Bowl run where Williams elevated himself to near the top of the list in the “Who’s the best CB in the NFL?” debate, he jammed his shoulder early in 2011 and hasn’t been the same since. He hasn’t been bad, just not as good as we thought he’d be after the Super Bowl win. Williams talked openly about the nerve damage in his shoulder bothering him in 2011 and it’s unclear if it still dogged him in 2012. Nerve damage doesn’t sound like much fun, or an injury that automatically heals itself. The fact that Williams recently turned 30 probably doesn’t help his shoulder much, either.
Davon House
Speaking of shoulders, Davon House also had problems with his. After playing much of last season in a shoulder harness, House had surgery in the offseason and now says he feels better than ever. Unfortunately that’s what every player coming back from an injury says. You never know what’s going to happen when surgery is involved, though.
Alex Green
It’s not easy returning from a torn ACL. It takes most players two seasons to get back to where they were pre-injury. Every now and then, a guy will go Adrian Peterson and come back even stronger than he was before. Alex Green was not as good as Adrian Peterson before he hurt his knee in 2011 and he defintiely wasn’t Adrian Peterson his first season back in 2012. Will the knee still bother him in 2013? If it does, he might not make the team. It’ll probably come down to how comfortable the Packers are with James Starks’ always-nagging injuries and how they feel about Green’s knee.
Andrew Quarless
Speaking of bad knees, Quarless completely wrecked his in 2011. It was so bad that he missed all of last season. The Packers need a tight end who can block and help their new running backs. Can Quarless and his rebuilt knee be that tight end?
James Starks
Name a part of the human anatomy and it’s probably bothering Starks. His entire body is a nagging injury.
Nick Perry
I haven’t heard anything that indicates Perry’s wrist injury that cut short his 2012 season could linger into 2013, but who knows for sure. I kind of liked what I saw from Perry when he was healthy. He looked lost at times and didn’t have much diversity in his pass-rushing moves, but he was a rookie playing a new position. What did you expect? He’s got the raw talent to be a stout complement to Clay Matthews. Hopefully the injury doesn’t hold him back.
Derek Sherrod
Sherrod’s leg snapped in half. That’s more than just a nagging injury, that’s a quality of life concern. Nobody seems to have any idea if Sherrod will ever return and be a contributing player. If he doesn’t, hopefully his leg is fully healed and he’s able to at least live a normal, pain free, life.
Eddie Lacy
The rookie from Alabama fell to the Packers late in the second round of the draft because of his injury history. One of those injuries required toe fusion surgery — toe fusion surgery! — that just sounded ridiculously painful and not good. At least Lacy played through most of his injuries. Will that mean anything in the NFL, where the level of play is multiplied and even minor injuries can seriously impact a player’s performance? I’d rather not find out and keep Lacy injury-free.
July 3, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers
Is Packers LB Sam Barrington the latest draft steal for GM Ted Thompson?
NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell had high praise for Packers seventh-round draft pick Sam Barrington on Tuesday.
Speaking with with Doug Farrar of Yahoo Sports on the Shutdown Corner podcast, Cosell called the 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker from South Florida an “athletic kid,” whose “athletic ability was a second- or third-round pick.”
“I think this kid has a chance, and certainly to stick on special teams because of his athleticism,” the highly respected Cosell said. “But I thought he was far more athletic than a lot of linebackers I watched and I was surprised he was not talked about.”
Cosell also said he did some additional research on Barrington and found out that he may have dropped in the draft because of issues diagnosing plays and learning on defense, but that’s impossible to know for sure.
Barrington was also arrested four times at South Florida — all for driving with a revoked or suspended license. Getting arrested four times generally doesn’t help one’s draft stock, either.
Barrington’s numbers improved every season at South Florida, culminating with 80 tackles, two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks in 11 games as a senior.
His 40-yard-dash time at the NFL combine was a ho-hum 4.89 seconds, but improved to 4.69 seconds on South Florida’s pro day.
After Packers GM Ted Thompson picked Barrington, he called him a “good value.” That’s about as boastful as you’ll hear the tight-lipped Thompson get about a pick he’s made.
The Packers have had success with seventh-round draft picks in the past. Is Barrington the latest steal for Thompson?
“I was really surprised that he was not drafted until the seventh round,” Cosell said. “The more I watched him the more I liked his game. I wouldn’t call him explosive, but he was athletic with really good movement. I always defer to film as opposed to 40 times, and I thought he played as an athlete.”
June 30, 2013 /
Adam Czech
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Adam - ALLGBP.com, Adam Czech, Packers, Surviving Sunday
Surviving Sundays with no Packers Football
To survive this particular Sunday, I don’t want to write about Desmond Bishop officially signing with the Vikings, Aaron Rodgers getting shafted on the NFL top 100 list or Aaron Hernandez (allegedly) murdering a guy(s). Instead, let’s do a Packers hypothetical:
If Packers GM Ted Thompson calls you tomorrow, rattles off the names of two players, and says he absolutely has to cut one of them and is calling you for advice, what would you tell him?
Here are the scenarios:
Tramon Williams or Casey Hayward?
I’d keep Hayward and cut Williams. Not an easy choice because I’m not as down on Williams as others, but I’ll take the young guy who isn’t as afraid of contact as Williams has been lately. Having young CBs like Sam Shields and Davon House on the roster would also help cushion the blow from losing Williams.
Mike Neal or Jerel Worthy?
One guy is prone to injuries, the other is actually injured. I’m keeping Neal and cutting Worthy. Neal has showed flashes of being really damn good when he hasn’t been in the trainer’s room. Worthy didn’t show me much last season when he was healthy — not enough explosiveness. I know Worthy is young and defensive linemen need time to develop, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I like a healthy Neal over a healthy Worthy.
Jermichael Finley or James Jones?
Now this is a tough one. I want to say I’d cut Finley and keep Jones, but for some reason, Finley still strikes fear into other teams. You still see coverage shifted to account for No. 88 even though he hasn’t been what I’d consider a playmaker in his career. He’s been a decent enough tight end, but not really a playmaker. Jones seemed expendable until he went nutso last season and I like his ability to go up and catch a jump ball every now and then. I also value a good wide receiver over a one-dimensional tight end, so I’d cut Finley. I might live to regret that decision, though. It’s a tough one.
Adam Czech, Jersey Al, Kris Burke, Chad Toporski, Thomas Hobbes, Jason Perone or Marcus Eversoll?
Jersey Al is up against the blogger salary cap and needs to cut one of his writers. Who gets the pink slip? Al won’t cut himself, nor should he because he built this empire into what it is today and is a living legend in Packers’ online universe. He can’t cut Chad because Chad just published the awesome series on the Packers defense and is in the prime of his career. Thomas stays because he’s really smart, and draws in the segment of our audience that refuses to join Twitter. Jason stays because he’s got a lot of potential and has the best podcast voice of our entire group. Marcus and Kris are another pair of up and comers and don’t count much against the cap. That leaves me, the guy who mixes in pro wrestling and text baseball simulations with his Packers writing. I’m also old and frequently hold out and ask Al for more money. If Al had to let one of us go, it’d probably be me. Uh oh, I better call my lawyer and my agent, just in case…
Packers News, Notes and Links
- There is no reason to read anything else this Sunday besides Chad Toporski’s series on the Packers defense. Start here and be sure to read all of the installments. Seriously, forget all the other nonsense swirling around the NFL and the Packers at this moment in the offseason and just read Chad’s series. It focuses on football (imagine that?!) and will make you a smarter fan after reading.
- I wasn’t kidding. All you need to survive this Sunday is Chad’s series on the Packers defense. Now, go read it!
- If you’re a fast reader and still need something to help you survive this Sunday, listen to this ALLGBP.com podcast featuring guest Wes Hodkewicz from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- If you need a little bit of drama on your Sunday, I suppose you could read this post from TotalPackers.com going off about ESPN, Internet police, and other stuff
- A reasoned and measured look at the lightning rod known as Jermichael Finley can be found over at Acme Packing Company.
Non-Packers Links and Other Nonsense
- If you still need something to get you through the day, watch this compilation of Ric Flair going nuts or this full Metallica concert from the …And Justice for All tour.
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