Where do the Packers need the most help??

[RashanGary]

I think most of us look at the DL as being steady but unspectacular... I think you're underestimating the DT's.

As a group Williams, Jenkins, Cole and Pickett are pretty solid. Williams is tough, has a little bit of interior pass rush to him, and gets down the line well; Cole has better movement skills than his squat build would indicate - it will be interesting to see if he can continue to develop; and, Jenkins is a very good situational pass rusher. None of those three is going to make the pro bowl, but in a rotation they are pretty effective.

This team is going nowhere this year, or probably for the next few years... so, for this season to be a success the young guys on both sides of the ball need to develop. For the team to move forward in terms of competitivness, they need the young guys on the OL and at WR to develop and prove they belong in the league.

I think they could be 8-8 and that is going somewere if 4-12 was your starting point.

[wist43]

I don't think they'll go 8-8, but it's certainly not out of the question. 5-11 to 7-9 is more realistic.

As we get closer to training camp I'm more concerned about McCarthy and the coaching staff than I am about the talent level. I have serious doubts about McCarthy.

The talent level is below average, and the focus of this thread points out a few of the deficient areas; but to me, McCarthy is the biggest question mark.

[RashanGary]

I don't think they'll go 8-8, but it's certainly not out of the question. 5-11 to 7-9 is more realistic.

As we get closer to training camp I'm more concerned about McCarthy and the coaching staff than I am about the talent level. I have serious doubts about McCarthy.

The talent level is below average, and the focus of this thread points out a few of the deficient areas; but to me, McCarthy is the biggest question mark.

I'm sure not sold on him yet. I'm really iffy on the ZBS too.

[woodbuck27]

" OL is a ?, we don't know what we have in Colledge and Spitz. If remember right didn't Taucher and Cliffton start as rookies, maybe just Taucher, any ways they played well in their rookie season." OKC packerfan

LT Chad Clifton was a rookie in 2000, and in his first three season's started a total of 32 games (dressed for 37 games - but recall the Warren Sapp cut back block on him in 2002, when he was dressed for 10 games). After that, Clifton started all 48 games over the last three season's, but Clifton had a sub par year last season. Possibly due to so many assignment changes at the Left guard spot and him feeling he had to do too much.

RT Mark Tauscher was also a Rookie in 2000 and dressed for all 16 games and started 14. In 2001 he started all 16 games and only started 2 games in 2002 due to an injury.Tauscher started all 48 games the past three seasons.He was solid at RT for us last season.

After these two Packers we are in trouble, unless the coaching develops OUR inexperienced players rapidly? That won't in all likeihood happen this season. I believe we will see alot of Brett Favre scrambling to his right again this season.

Brett Favre needs to get in great shape between now and the start of the season and that is the plan according to reports. He will have to deal with alot of OL breakdowns.

[Patler]

Tauscher took over for Earl Dotson, when Dotson was lost for the season with an injury in the second game of the 2000 season. Clifton took over as the starter from Wahle that same season, when Wahle bombed as a left tackle and was relegated back to the bench after the 6th game.

Tauscher and Clifton were phenominal as rookies, playing arguably the more difficult positions on the line. If Colledge and Spitz or Coston can do anywhere near as well, the Packers will be OK in the O-line.

[Fosco33]

This is a tough call. I think we can patch together a decent line with the right coaching.

I said the WRs but it was a close second w/ RBs. We don't have a legitimate weapon for any of these scoring threats and these guys are getting injured far too often. While injuries are just part of the game, last year was ridiculous and from the minor dings in OTA I feel another year of folks pulling up lame.

I feel very good about our D and will expect many low scoring affairs. We'll have to trust that Favre will rebound, Green can stay competitive, Franks stays healthy, Driver gives another good year and Jennings puts up some numbers - then we'll squeak in at 9-7.

[woodbuck27]

Ferguson says new 'offense is heaven-sent'
Receiver hopes to catch success

By RICK BRAUN
Packer Plus writer

Posted: June 15, 2006

Green Bay - Five years ago the Green Bay Packers invested a second-round pick in wide receiver Robert Ferguson.

More than at any other time in Ferguson's career, the Packers need that investment to finally pay off.

With Javon Walker traded, Terrence Murphy released because of a neck condition and Donald Driver as the only other holdover from the receiving corps the Packers started 2005 with, Ferguson figures to have plenty of opportunity in 2006.

"I had a real candid talk with him when I first got here," said new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, "and I said, 'Things are going to be different. You just need to stay healthy and we'll get you the football.' "

Staying healthy hasn't been the easiest thing for Ferguson of late.

After a wasted rookie season in which Ferguson simply never caught on to the Packer offense, he showed some flashes in his second season and was near having a breakthrough season in 2003. He won a starting job and finished the season with 38 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns.

Then he caught touchdown passes of 40 yards and 17 yards to give the Packers a 14-0 lead in a playoff game at Philadelphia. At that point, Ferguson was enjoying the present and anticipating nothing but a bright future.

Of course, that playoff game turned into the fourth-and-26th debacle.

Still, the future seemed bright for Ferguson. In the off-season before the 2004 season he signed a four-year contract extension.

Continued improvement in 2004 would have solidified Ferguson's career and the idea of steady improvement over a few more seasons could have meant maybe even star status.

Instead, the stars aligned against Ferguson.

The first star was Javon Walker. In 2004, it was Walker having the breakthrough season. With Walker beating out Ferguson for a starting job and Donald Driver also having a big season, there weren't too many balls left for Ferguson.

The second star was Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius. In the Packers' 14th game, Darius clotheslined Ferguson on a deep route down the middle, knocking Ferguson out for the rest of that game, the final two regular-season games and the playoff loss against Minnesota.

Instead of breaking through as a major contributor in 2004, Ferguson finished with just 24 catches for 367 yards, just one touchdown and a major ache in the head and neck.

And 2005 didn't get much better.

Opportunity knocked for Ferguson when Walker held out of all the off-season activities. Opportunity then tried to completely cave in the door when Walker suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener.

Ferguson never answered.

He had just one catch for 4 yards in the opener, then was thought to be responsible for a couple of interceptions in losses to Cleveland and Tampa Bay where he was outfought for the ball. Talk of those two plays overshadowed the fact that he caught a touchdown pass in each of those games.

A week later, quarterback Brett Favre delivered a perfect slant pass right into Ferguson's hands. And Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas took it right out of Ferguson's hands for another interception.

Ferguson started to come on, reeling in a 51-yard catch against New Orleans in the Packers' first victory. Two weeks later, he pulled in a 44-yarder going deep and across the field against the Minnesota Vikings.

Problem is, he came down wrong on his right leg and suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

The rest of the season was pretty much a futile battle to get healthy and productive again.

Ferguson missed four games and didn't have more than 37 receiving yards in the five games he played.

Now, with two minicamps and half the team's organized team activities behind him, Ferguson is looking for more and better things.

First off, he's hoping to stay healthy.

"That's not something you can control," he said. "Injuries are going to happen. That's part of the game. Especially my injuries. Getting clotheslined, there's not anything you can do in the off-season to prepare for that. And the knee, coming down like that, there's nothing you can do to prepare for that. So if it happens, it happens. I'm not going to say it's not going to happen. I just hope it doesn't."

If Ferguson can stay on the field, he believes he's going to thrive in the new version of the West Coast offense of new coach Mike McCarthy.

"I think the opportunity is more so this year than it was last year being with new coaches and a new offense," Ferguson said. "I think our offense caters to my abilities and my talents. I've shown that throughout the opportunity sessions and the minicamps more than ever. So I think it's more the offense than Javon being gone."

When McCarthy got to Green Bay, one of the first things he talked about was the desire for bigger, more-physical receivers to go across the middle. Those words were put into action when the Packers didn't even make an offer to try to retain Antonio Chatman, their second-leading receiver last season.

But the Packers are looking for a big season out of Ferguson.

"Like I said, I think this offense is heaven-sent for me," Ferguson said. "I love it. I look forward to going out there and showing my talent in this offense. It's the type of things I do."

And those are the types of things McCarthy wants.

"He's a very physical football player," McCarthy said. "I think he's done an excellent job in the weight-training area. I think he's playing with strength and confidence and I think he's ready to take the next step up. Just a lot of positive things throughout the spring from Robert."



From the June 15, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

[OKC PackerFan]

I really do hope Ferguson can back up those words this year.

[PackerPro42]

I'm going to go with o-line. Name one star on the packers o-line, and don't say Clifton.

[Harlan Huckleby]

it's gotta be WR. The O-line looks like they have a chance to be decent, and this could even be the first year of another good run. Hard to say.

The WR's looks like they lack talent.

[Bossman641]

Ferguson needs to just shutup and produce. How many years now has he been saying that all he needed was the opportunity and he would prove what he's capable of?

Shut your mouth, catch the ball, and score some TD's. Then, maybe, you will have something to talk about.

[Partial]

Can I throw a changeup and say DEs. They need to find a pass rush somewhere.

[woodbuck27]

I'm going to go with o-line. Name one star on the packers o-line, and don't say Clifton.

Mark Tauscher had a solid season last year.

[the_idle_threat]

I voted Running Back, because every single one on the roster comes with baggage. We have one or more dependable players at each of the other positions listed, plus at least one promising rookie.

In the backfield, there are no rookies who stood out in the OTAs, and Noah Herrion was our best veteran. Scary! Gado is having trouble with the zone scheme, as he did in college. Ahman is said to look good, but he's coming off an injury that has been career ending for many others. Davenpoop is an injury waiting to happen, just like every other year. Herrion is one of the guys Ron Wolf was calling NFLE talent. Of course, Will Henderson is a decent blocking back who can catch the ball, but he's never been a runner. Leach is not runner either, and can't even catch.

I sure hope one or more of these guys steps up ... otherwise, we'll need to troll the wire.

[MJZiggy]

It's a good thing "trolling the wire" is one of TT's favorite offseason hobbies. Too bad there's not much there to fish for.