Guys That Need More Playing Time

[Maxie the Taxi]

Spencer Havner -- The guy is a playmaker. Call me crazy, but he impresses me as the type that could turn into a Dallas Clark/Jason Whitton-type of ball control tight end. He's got decent speed. He knows how to use his body. Can take a hit and has great hands. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

AJ Hawk -- He's fast, smart, tough, dependable...a true team player. He was all over the field yesterday. Barnett got credit yesterday for stuff AJ made possible.

TJ Lang -- The guy looks like a throwback OLineman. He plays pretty old school too. On the plays I focused on him he pass protected very capably. He deserves a shot to be the regular tackle.

Brad Jones -- The guy made 7 tackles in his first start, one for a loss. He's a sure tackler and has speed and enthusiasm. It's probably me, but a few times when I saw his number on the field Sunday making a play or a tackle I thought of another #59, John Anderson.

Stubby says Kampman will start next Sunday if healthy. Maybe so, but Jones deserves to get a ton of snaps. Some guys are just different. They have football sense. A knack for making plays.

To me Jones is a good complement to Clay Mathews, who is also an example of a "football" sense guy with a knack for making plays. I would include Mathews as a guy who needs more playing time, but I think he's going to get all he handle from this point on anyway.

Jordy Nelson -- He plays with heart, is fast, strong, has good hands and always seems to make a play. His play on the goal line yesterday was pure guts.

[Brandon494]

Spencer Havner -- The guy is a playmaker. Call me crazy, but he impresses me as the type that could turn into a Dallas Clark/Jason Whitton-type of ball control tight end. He's got decent speed. He knows how to use his body. Can take a hit and has great hands. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

I think its funny just because he is white you think he is the next Dallas Clark/Jason Witten when he is not even close to those guys. When Finley comes back you won't be seeing him unless its a special teams play.

I agree with the rest though, I think Jones will take Kampman starting role next season.

[Maxie the Taxi]

White? What does White have to do with anything?

[Brandon494]

White? What does White have to do with anything?

Why else would you compare him to those two when both Clark and Witten have completely different games which Havner does not even come close too.

[crosbiegrad]

Just going on the little we have seen of Havner, I'd rather see more of him out there with Finley rather than Donald Lee. Lee has been okay for a couple of years now but his last few games have hurt him. Let Spencer play!

[Maxie the Taxi]

White? What does White have to do with anything?

Why else would you compare him to those two when both Clark and Witten have completely different games which Havner does not even come close too.

Maybe I'm just ignorant. I thought of those two guys as not big play speedsters, but ball control receivers. I suppose if I spent more time researching I could come up with better comparisons.

Assuming motives is always dangerous. With all due respect, jumping to a conclusion of racism is just plain dumb.

[The Leaper]

Havner? The guy is a liability in pass blocking...he missed NUMEROUS assignments Sunday, which led to several big negative plays.

His only plus is as a receiver...but Finley is light years better than Havner in that regard.

[hoosier]

Spencer Havner -- The guy is a playmaker. Call me crazy, but he impresses me as the type that could turn into a Dallas Clark/Jason Whitton-type of ball control tight end. He's got decent speed. He knows how to use his body. Can take a hit and has great hands. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

I think its funny just because he is white you think he is the next Dallas Clark/Jason Witten when he is not even close to those guys. When Finley comes back you won't be seeing him unless its a special teams play.

White? What does White have to do with anything?

You guys are getting your backup linebackers/special teams specialists confused. Tracy White got cut last year (to make room for a rookie who never did squat, no less).

[Brandon494]

White? What does White have to do with anything?

Why else would you compare him to those two when both Clark and Witten have completely different games which Havner does not even come close too.

Maybe I'm just ignorant. I thought of those two guys as not big play speedsters, but ball control receivers. I suppose if I spent more time researching I could come up with better comparisons.

Assuming motives is always dangerous. With all due respect, jumping to a conclusion of racism is just plain dumb.

Just busting your balls man, wasn't trying to take a shot at you. Just saying Havner is nothing more than a poor man's Mike Vrabel, no where near the talent of 2 of the top 5 TE's in the league.

[CaliforniaCheez]

I like Havner. The kid went to High School in the gold fields near here.
He was a four year starter at UCLA!

Havner will be telling his grandkids about the Lambeau Leap during the win against the Cowboys.

However, Finley has improved too.

I think what Havner is showing is that there is a huge competition for roster spots and some of these young guys just need a chance to play and show what they can do.

You should not look down on substitute players because they were the best of college football players.

I like players that keep progressing and getting better. I dislike players like Ahmad Carroll that refuse to improve their game.

I feel sorry for good players when their career is coming to an end, like Clifton.

Back to the original thought, there is a lot of competition for playing time and touches.

[Brohm]

I think a full offseason prep/TC as a full-time TE to work on his blocking/routes/etc will help him tons. With his attitude and tenacity, I think he'll be just fine as a #2 down the road.

[gbgary]

Re: Guys That Need More Playing Time

AJ Hawk -- He's fast, smart, tough, dependable...a true team player. He was all over the field yesterday. Barnett got credit yesterday for stuff AJ made possible.

Jordy Nelson -- He plays with heart, is fast, strong, has good hands and always seems to make a play. His play on the goal line yesterday was pure guts.

hawk's really responded to his benching (or whatever it was) a few weeks ago.

as for jordy...his push toward the goal line was something for someone just coming off a knee injury. guts and heart on top of the talent and speed...good combo.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Havner was just awful blocking. It seemed like half the time Dallas got to ARod, Havner was trying to block the guy that got pressure. I'll give him a break on the one that he tried to block a DE, but he was very slow to react to LB blitzes.

Hawk has played the run well all year. They are blitzing him more, and he's doing a better job.

Nelson is a good player. It was important to get him back. Now, we need Finley back.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Clark has a ton of speed. Witten isn't super fast, but it's a bit laughable to compare Havner to Witten. Lee is a lot better all around than Havner is, but give the guy credit. He's played LB most of his college and pro career. He's doing better than expected.

BTW, there are a lot of white TEs, so brandon is reaching quite a bit. Now, if he said Jordy Nelson reminded him of Kevin Walter, than you'd have something to go on.

[Lurker64]

Spencer Havner is a lot more Mike Vrabel than he is Dallas Clark. That being said, especially if he learns to block, special teams play and being a goal line receiving threat could get him a spot on the active roster for game days.