Young, premium talent

[RashanGary]

Take Wood out and we have 8 studs in their 20's. Yeah, the Packers are going to be legit for a while I'd say.


1. Aaron Rodgers
2. Charles Woodson
3. Clay Matthews
4. BJ Raji
5. Jermichael Finley
6. Greg Jennings
7. Tramon Williams
8. Nick Collins
9. Josh Sitton
10. Chad Clifton
11. Cullen Jenkins
12. AJ Hawk
13. Ryan Grant
14. Ryan Pickett
15. Scott Wells
16. Desmond Bishop
17. Sam Shields
18. Donald Driver
19. Nick Barnett
20. Jordy Nelson
21. Bryan Bulaga
22. James Jones
23. James Starks
24. Mike Neal
25. Mason Crosby
26. Matt Flynn
27. Charlie Peprah
28. Morgan Burnett
29. John Kuhn
30. Vote Now!!!

[vince]

And behind the 8 young "studs" are Bishop, Shields, Nelson, Bulaga, Starks and Neal all on the rise. Then behind them are Cobb, Green, Sherrod, Williams, Wilson, Burnett.... Who'd I miss?

Mix in a number of guys who are 30ish along with a stable front office, an offensive innovator at the forefront of the game at head coach and one of the elite defensive coordinators in the game... I gotta agree, this team is stacked for the long haul. It appears that the biggest risk to bieng a perennial playoff team with a strong chance to win it all is injury to its quarterback. Every team in the league can say that too, along with a bunch of qestions that Packers have answered.

[RashanGary]

And it's not like we need Rodgers to stay healthy the whole season. Just the playoffs and at least half of the season.

[vince]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6769936/consensus-packers-own-2014-16

Future shock: Packers will own 2014-16

If you expect your team to stand out in the NFL in three to five years, it's a given you need at least three of the following ingredients beyond a young, stud quarterback:

• Star young players just coming into their prime on offense.
• Star young players -- especially a pass-rusher -- just coming into their prime on defense.
• Great coaching.
• A top-flight personnel department that knows what it takes to build through the draft and doesn't rely on free agency.

A solid to above-average running game is nice, but in today's passing-dominated league, it's like parsley. It's nice decoration, but it's not a requirement.

If you have all of these key ingredients -- and you're also coming off a Super Bowl title --- you have a good chance to be very good, maybe even dominant, in three to five years. Take a bow, GM Ted Thompson, coach Mike McCarthy and the Green Bay Packers. With a superstar quarterback (27-year-old Aaron Rodgers), a rising young superstar-in-waiting at tight end (Jermichael Finley), a solid offensive line and a young, deep defense led by linebacker/wild man Clay Matthews, your team is the pick of the ESPN.com Pigskin Panel to be the NFL's dominant team from 2014 to 2016.

"It's rare that a defending Super Bowl champion is considered an up-and-coming team, but that's exactly what the Packers are," ESPN.com AFC West blogger Bill Williamson said.

[hoosier]

Crap, GB is going to be cursed by all the praise.

[Joemailman]

And it's not like we need Rodgers to stay healthy the whole season. Just the playoffs and at least half of the season.

I don't know about that. Flynn may have played well, but the Packers did not win when Rodgers could not finish/play against Detroit and New England.

[Iron Mike]

"A solid offensive line"?????

[vince]

"A solid offensive line"?????

Yeah that's a bit of a stretch. "Below average" offensive line would probably be closer to the truth at this point.

[Iron Mike]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6769936/consensus-packers-own-2014-16