packrulz
06-28-2009, 05:59 AM
It looks like M3 might go with Clifton at LT, then Colledge, Spitz, Sitton, and Barbre at RT on the offensive line. Packers player analysis by position
BY PETE DOUGHERTY • pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com • June 27, 2009
When General Manager Ted Thompson traded two third-round draft picks to move up from the second round to the first to select Clay Matthews, the price alone indicated the Green Bay Packers saw the former USC outside linebacker as a viable starter as a rookie.
But don’t be shocked if second-year pro Jeremy Thompson ends up playing ahead of Matthews at right outside linebacker this season.
After a non-descript rookie season as a 4-3 defensive end, Thompson has shown this offseason he might be just as well suited to play outside linebacker in the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme. He’s big for the hybrid rush-cover position at 270 pounds, as opposed to Matthews at 245 pounds, but many NFL teams considered Thompson a 3-4 prospect coming out of Wake Forest last year, and he finished last week’s final minicamp still working with the No. 1 defense, ahead of Matthews and opposite Aaron Kampman, the 265-pound starter at left outside linebacker.
“There’s a chance both our outside linebackers could be fairly good sized and physical players,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said last week.
With the switch to the 3-4, the Packers have had to re-tool their defensive roster to reflect the prominence of the linebacker position, thus the drafting of Matthews and seventh-round developmental prospect Brad Jones (6-3, 232) at the critical outside linebacker spot. But the rest of the larger linebacker corps will be returning players.
Their starters at inside linebacker are Nick Barnett, who is coming off knee-reconstruction surgery, and A.J. Hawk. The Packers are looking for Hawk to be much more of a factor after his play dipped last season while playing through chest and hamstring injuries all year. But if the No. 5 pick overall from 2006 isn’t more instinctive and physical than in ’08, backup Brandon Chillar is a credible alternative to take some of his snaps as the season goes on.
Kampman’s move from defensive end to outside linebacker is one of this season’s unknowns and only can be answered on the field, though the Packers are adamant that he’s a superior athlete to Greg Ellis and Mike Vrabel, who were effective 3-4 outside linebackers after making the change from 4-3 end.
Brady Poppinga is backing up Kampman on the left side because Thompson and Matthews are ahead of him on the right side, and Jones looks like a special-teams core player because of his overall athleticism. Third-year pro Desmond Bishop goes into camp ahead of Danny Lansanah as the No. 4 inside linebacker.
Following is a thumbnail look at the rest of the Packers’ roster, position by position, now that all the formal offseason work is finished, and training camp about five weeks away:
Defensive line:
With first-round pick B.J. Raji moving to defensive end this summer to play alongside nose tackle Ryan Pickett in the base defense, the biggest questions are how well Cullen Jenkins fits in the new scheme and whether former first-round pick Justin Harrell will be a factor after two seasons lost to triceps, ankle and back injuries.
Jenkins missed the final 12 games last season because of surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and he hasn’t practiced all offseason after having surgery on a lingering ankle injury from 2006. He’s the likely starter at right defensive end, but the Packers won’t know until the pads come on whether he’s undersized (6-2, 305) for the base defense. At the least, he and Raji will be the main inside rushers on passing downs.
Harrell’s back finally got healthy enough to practice this spring, so he had his first run through the offseason program even though he’s entering his third year in the league. He’s the physical prototype (6-4, 320) for a 3-4 end, but is he a player? and can he stay healthy?
The Packers’ drafted Jarius Wynn in the sixth round as a 3-4 end, and he appears to play with greater strength than his size (6-3, 277) would suggest, and also has the frame to carry more weight as he matures.
The outcome of end Johnny Jolly’s trial in mid-July for possession of more than 200 grams of codeine will determine whether the NFL suspends him for the first four games of the season, which could dramatically affect his impact this year. Fifth-year pro Michael Montgomery (6-5, 273) faces an uphill battle to fit as an end in the 3-4 scheme. Undrafted rookie Ronald Talley (6-3, 282) of Delaware has been a surprise at end this summer and could challenge for a roster spot.
Secondary:
Al Harris has made his living as a pure bump-and-run cornerback, so his ability at age 34 to function at that same level in Capers’ more multiple man-zone coverages will warrant a close look.
Nickel cornerback Tramon Williams keeps getting better each offseason and looks like a future starter. Pat Lee, a second-round pick last year, was a non-entity as a rookie but at least has improved enough to possibly pass Will Blackmon for the No. 4 cornerback job.
The Packers don’t seem worried that safety Nick Collins will have any trouble learning the new defense even though he skipped almost all voluntary work because of dissatisfaction with his contract. He’s kept open the door for a holdout, but considering the cost – the Packers could recover some of his rookie signing bonus if he doesn’t report on time – the best guess is he’ll show up and play out the final year if they don’t extend his deal.
One place the Packers think they’ll be better than last year is at the other safety, where Atari Bigby in ’08 was a shell of the player who closed the 2007 season as a physical force. Bigby was in and out of the lineup last year because of an injured ankle that left him visibly limping most of the time. Though he’s missed all offseason practices recovering from surgery, he should be healthy and especially motivated heading into his free-agent year.
Free agent Anthony Smith, who played in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 the past three seasons, looked better than third-year pro Aaron Rouse in offseason practices. Sixth-round pick Brandon Underwood is a wire thin (6-1, 198) cornerback but has promising cover skills.
Quarterbacks:
Aaron Rodgers was, in a word, sharp this offseason.
Matt Flynn, a seventh-round pick last year, remains well ahead of his more renowned classmate, former second-round pick Brian Brohm, for the backup job. Flynn has an average arm at best but is a leader and has enough mobility to make some plays when things break down. Brohm is better than last year but still had too many head-scratching moments as well as a surprising number of ducks this summer.
Offensive line:
Second-year pro Breno Giacomini’s ankle surgery all but killed his chances of starting at right tackle, because while he rehabilitated all offseason, Allen Barbre played well enough to become the clear front-runner. However, if Barbre regresses when the pads go on, don’t count out fourth-round pick T.J. Lang, who is surprisingly athletic.
Scott Wells will have an extremely difficult time regaining the starting center job from Jason Spitz after missing all offseason recovering from major shoulder surgery. That could leave Wells’ roster spot in jeopardy also, depending on how many linemen the Packers keep, because free-agent Duke Preston is a backup not only at center but also guard, and Tony Moll can backup four of the five offensive line spots.
Going into his fourth season, Daryn Colledge has gradually developed into a consistent presence at left guard. Second-year pro Josh Sitton might bring a nastier streak to the line as the starting right guard. Fifth-round pick Jamon Meredith (6-5, 304) has shown more than enough athletic ability to warrant making the roster as a tackle prospect.
Running back:
If DeShawn Wynn continues to show the professionalism he has this offseason, he’ll be the front-runner over Kregg Lumpkin for the No. 3 halfback job because he’s the more gifted ball carrier.
Last offseason, coach Mike McCarthy regularly lauded No. 2 back Brandon Jackson for making major strides in the Packers’ workout program. Jackson has been a smaller presence this offseason, in part because unlike last year, Ryan Grant is under contract and taking the majority of snaps with the No. 1 offense. The hamstring injury that plagued Grant all last year is healthy, so this season should reveal what kind of back he is.
Quinn Johnson, a fifth-round pick, figures to be a core special-teams player and perhaps starter at fullback. Either Korey Hall or John Kuhn will get cut in what should be a close contest for the other fullback spot. Hall worked with the starters in the offseason.
Receiver:
This looks like the Packers’ best position for quality depth.
Greg Jennings is a top-10 receiver in the league, and Donald Driver is becoming something of an ageless wonder at 34.
James Jones had bulked up to the 220-pound range last year at this time, and he looks a little quicker this year now that he’s back down to just under 210 pounds.
And second-year pro Jordy Nelson quietly was one of the standouts of the offseason. He didn’t make eye-popping plays but seemed to be open a lot and is developing a good chemistry with Rodgers.
Second-year pro Brett Swain made good use of his time on the practice squad last year and offseason in the team’s workout program, but he has to translate an encouraging summer into more physical play when the pads go on, which he failed to do last year. Fourth-year pro Ruvell Martin remains the front-runner for the No. 5 receiving job.
Undrafted rookie Kole Heckendorf of Mosinee is a big target (6-2 191) and was one of the best undrafted rookies on the Packers’ practice field, though he’s still a long-shot to make the 53-man roster.
Tight ends:
Jermichael Finley’s raw talent makes him the best candidate on the roster to add new juice to the offense after floundering as an early entry draftee as a rookie. Based on his spring and summer, he might challenge Donald Lee for the starting job.
Good luck guessing who will be the No. 3 tight end – it most likely will come from among Tory Humphrey, Evan Moore and undrafted rookie Carson Butler, or a player picked up at the end of training camp. Humphrey can run but has a bad injury history and had only 11 catches despite playing in every game last year. Moore looked OK last summer until a season-ending knee injury in the exhibition season. Butler (6-4, 255) has more physical talent than the usual undrafted free agent but missed most of the offseason practices with a leg injury.
Specialists:
Jeremy Kapinos appears to have an edge over Durant Brooks for the punting job heading into training camp, though exhibition games will weigh heavily there. Will Blackmon is a more dangerous punt returner than kickoff returner but is the primary man for both jobs. Second-year pro Brett Goode looks like a keeper at long-snapper.
BY PETE DOUGHERTY • pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com • June 27, 2009
When General Manager Ted Thompson traded two third-round draft picks to move up from the second round to the first to select Clay Matthews, the price alone indicated the Green Bay Packers saw the former USC outside linebacker as a viable starter as a rookie.
But don’t be shocked if second-year pro Jeremy Thompson ends up playing ahead of Matthews at right outside linebacker this season.
After a non-descript rookie season as a 4-3 defensive end, Thompson has shown this offseason he might be just as well suited to play outside linebacker in the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme. He’s big for the hybrid rush-cover position at 270 pounds, as opposed to Matthews at 245 pounds, but many NFL teams considered Thompson a 3-4 prospect coming out of Wake Forest last year, and he finished last week’s final minicamp still working with the No. 1 defense, ahead of Matthews and opposite Aaron Kampman, the 265-pound starter at left outside linebacker.
“There’s a chance both our outside linebackers could be fairly good sized and physical players,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said last week.
With the switch to the 3-4, the Packers have had to re-tool their defensive roster to reflect the prominence of the linebacker position, thus the drafting of Matthews and seventh-round developmental prospect Brad Jones (6-3, 232) at the critical outside linebacker spot. But the rest of the larger linebacker corps will be returning players.
Their starters at inside linebacker are Nick Barnett, who is coming off knee-reconstruction surgery, and A.J. Hawk. The Packers are looking for Hawk to be much more of a factor after his play dipped last season while playing through chest and hamstring injuries all year. But if the No. 5 pick overall from 2006 isn’t more instinctive and physical than in ’08, backup Brandon Chillar is a credible alternative to take some of his snaps as the season goes on.
Kampman’s move from defensive end to outside linebacker is one of this season’s unknowns and only can be answered on the field, though the Packers are adamant that he’s a superior athlete to Greg Ellis and Mike Vrabel, who were effective 3-4 outside linebackers after making the change from 4-3 end.
Brady Poppinga is backing up Kampman on the left side because Thompson and Matthews are ahead of him on the right side, and Jones looks like a special-teams core player because of his overall athleticism. Third-year pro Desmond Bishop goes into camp ahead of Danny Lansanah as the No. 4 inside linebacker.
Following is a thumbnail look at the rest of the Packers’ roster, position by position, now that all the formal offseason work is finished, and training camp about five weeks away:
Defensive line:
With first-round pick B.J. Raji moving to defensive end this summer to play alongside nose tackle Ryan Pickett in the base defense, the biggest questions are how well Cullen Jenkins fits in the new scheme and whether former first-round pick Justin Harrell will be a factor after two seasons lost to triceps, ankle and back injuries.
Jenkins missed the final 12 games last season because of surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and he hasn’t practiced all offseason after having surgery on a lingering ankle injury from 2006. He’s the likely starter at right defensive end, but the Packers won’t know until the pads come on whether he’s undersized (6-2, 305) for the base defense. At the least, he and Raji will be the main inside rushers on passing downs.
Harrell’s back finally got healthy enough to practice this spring, so he had his first run through the offseason program even though he’s entering his third year in the league. He’s the physical prototype (6-4, 320) for a 3-4 end, but is he a player? and can he stay healthy?
The Packers’ drafted Jarius Wynn in the sixth round as a 3-4 end, and he appears to play with greater strength than his size (6-3, 277) would suggest, and also has the frame to carry more weight as he matures.
The outcome of end Johnny Jolly’s trial in mid-July for possession of more than 200 grams of codeine will determine whether the NFL suspends him for the first four games of the season, which could dramatically affect his impact this year. Fifth-year pro Michael Montgomery (6-5, 273) faces an uphill battle to fit as an end in the 3-4 scheme. Undrafted rookie Ronald Talley (6-3, 282) of Delaware has been a surprise at end this summer and could challenge for a roster spot.
Secondary:
Al Harris has made his living as a pure bump-and-run cornerback, so his ability at age 34 to function at that same level in Capers’ more multiple man-zone coverages will warrant a close look.
Nickel cornerback Tramon Williams keeps getting better each offseason and looks like a future starter. Pat Lee, a second-round pick last year, was a non-entity as a rookie but at least has improved enough to possibly pass Will Blackmon for the No. 4 cornerback job.
The Packers don’t seem worried that safety Nick Collins will have any trouble learning the new defense even though he skipped almost all voluntary work because of dissatisfaction with his contract. He’s kept open the door for a holdout, but considering the cost – the Packers could recover some of his rookie signing bonus if he doesn’t report on time – the best guess is he’ll show up and play out the final year if they don’t extend his deal.
One place the Packers think they’ll be better than last year is at the other safety, where Atari Bigby in ’08 was a shell of the player who closed the 2007 season as a physical force. Bigby was in and out of the lineup last year because of an injured ankle that left him visibly limping most of the time. Though he’s missed all offseason practices recovering from surgery, he should be healthy and especially motivated heading into his free-agent year.
Free agent Anthony Smith, who played in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 the past three seasons, looked better than third-year pro Aaron Rouse in offseason practices. Sixth-round pick Brandon Underwood is a wire thin (6-1, 198) cornerback but has promising cover skills.
Quarterbacks:
Aaron Rodgers was, in a word, sharp this offseason.
Matt Flynn, a seventh-round pick last year, remains well ahead of his more renowned classmate, former second-round pick Brian Brohm, for the backup job. Flynn has an average arm at best but is a leader and has enough mobility to make some plays when things break down. Brohm is better than last year but still had too many head-scratching moments as well as a surprising number of ducks this summer.
Offensive line:
Second-year pro Breno Giacomini’s ankle surgery all but killed his chances of starting at right tackle, because while he rehabilitated all offseason, Allen Barbre played well enough to become the clear front-runner. However, if Barbre regresses when the pads go on, don’t count out fourth-round pick T.J. Lang, who is surprisingly athletic.
Scott Wells will have an extremely difficult time regaining the starting center job from Jason Spitz after missing all offseason recovering from major shoulder surgery. That could leave Wells’ roster spot in jeopardy also, depending on how many linemen the Packers keep, because free-agent Duke Preston is a backup not only at center but also guard, and Tony Moll can backup four of the five offensive line spots.
Going into his fourth season, Daryn Colledge has gradually developed into a consistent presence at left guard. Second-year pro Josh Sitton might bring a nastier streak to the line as the starting right guard. Fifth-round pick Jamon Meredith (6-5, 304) has shown more than enough athletic ability to warrant making the roster as a tackle prospect.
Running back:
If DeShawn Wynn continues to show the professionalism he has this offseason, he’ll be the front-runner over Kregg Lumpkin for the No. 3 halfback job because he’s the more gifted ball carrier.
Last offseason, coach Mike McCarthy regularly lauded No. 2 back Brandon Jackson for making major strides in the Packers’ workout program. Jackson has been a smaller presence this offseason, in part because unlike last year, Ryan Grant is under contract and taking the majority of snaps with the No. 1 offense. The hamstring injury that plagued Grant all last year is healthy, so this season should reveal what kind of back he is.
Quinn Johnson, a fifth-round pick, figures to be a core special-teams player and perhaps starter at fullback. Either Korey Hall or John Kuhn will get cut in what should be a close contest for the other fullback spot. Hall worked with the starters in the offseason.
Receiver:
This looks like the Packers’ best position for quality depth.
Greg Jennings is a top-10 receiver in the league, and Donald Driver is becoming something of an ageless wonder at 34.
James Jones had bulked up to the 220-pound range last year at this time, and he looks a little quicker this year now that he’s back down to just under 210 pounds.
And second-year pro Jordy Nelson quietly was one of the standouts of the offseason. He didn’t make eye-popping plays but seemed to be open a lot and is developing a good chemistry with Rodgers.
Second-year pro Brett Swain made good use of his time on the practice squad last year and offseason in the team’s workout program, but he has to translate an encouraging summer into more physical play when the pads go on, which he failed to do last year. Fourth-year pro Ruvell Martin remains the front-runner for the No. 5 receiving job.
Undrafted rookie Kole Heckendorf of Mosinee is a big target (6-2 191) and was one of the best undrafted rookies on the Packers’ practice field, though he’s still a long-shot to make the 53-man roster.
Tight ends:
Jermichael Finley’s raw talent makes him the best candidate on the roster to add new juice to the offense after floundering as an early entry draftee as a rookie. Based on his spring and summer, he might challenge Donald Lee for the starting job.
Good luck guessing who will be the No. 3 tight end – it most likely will come from among Tory Humphrey, Evan Moore and undrafted rookie Carson Butler, or a player picked up at the end of training camp. Humphrey can run but has a bad injury history and had only 11 catches despite playing in every game last year. Moore looked OK last summer until a season-ending knee injury in the exhibition season. Butler (6-4, 255) has more physical talent than the usual undrafted free agent but missed most of the offseason practices with a leg injury.
Specialists:
Jeremy Kapinos appears to have an edge over Durant Brooks for the punting job heading into training camp, though exhibition games will weigh heavily there. Will Blackmon is a more dangerous punt returner than kickoff returner but is the primary man for both jobs. Second-year pro Brett Goode looks like a keeper at long-snapper.