Early Stab At The Roster

[The Leaper]

Compared to Carroll, I can see how someone may confuse Dendy as being serviceable. However, Dendy is actually below average and got abused quite often last season. He simply didn't add insult to injury by getting flagged for PI every time his receiver was a target.

[SkinBasket]

I take it Merlin chose the fisting option.

[woodbuck27]

I have to believe upgrading special teams is a priority with the coaching staff, and that may very well be a determining factor with this year's roster decisions.

1. I'm wondering if Bubba makes the team. Franks is a big salary/non special-teamer/poor 06 performance player. I could just as easily see Lee, Alcorn, & Harris (who can also provide longsnapper insurance for Rob Davis) as a TE corp.
2. I agree with the earlier sentiment expressed here that Manuel might be playing with the 1st team right now to see if he's really an answer - and if not, cut. There's no way Rouse does not stick, and Bigby seems too full of promise to release.
Underwood, who does not seem to have regained his 06 camp form after the injury, might well be stashed on that always nebulous IR.
3. I just don't see how Robert Ferguson makes the team. Driver, Jennings, Jones, Martin, Holliday, and either Bodiford or Clowny.
4. Offensive line : Clifton, Tauscher, Colledge, Wells, Spitz, and Moll are locks. I suspect Barbre, Orrin Thompson - Walter (surprise) round things out. Why Walter? Because the James Campen seems interested in versatility, and with this offensive line crew, every position on the line could potentially be manned by at least three separate players :
Center : Wells, Spitz, Walter
LT : Clifton, Colledge, Thompson
LG : Colledge, Barbre, Moll
RG : Spotz, Moll, Barbre
RT : Tauscher, Moll, Walter

Yup.

I'm seeing a lot of that.

I havn't been following the OL development too much ( because we read a lot of general stuff on it).

Still, a lot of people feel it's on the rise. stronger that last season.

Hoping that's the case.

[RashanGary]

double post

[RashanGary]

QB (3)
Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Ingle Martin

RB (4)
Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, Deshawn Wynn

FB (2)
Brandon Miree, Korey Hall

WR (5)
Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Ruvell Martin, Carlyle Holliday

TE (3)
Donald Lee, Bubba Franks, Someone from a different roster

OT (4)
Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher, Tony Moll, Orrin Thompson

OG (4)
Daryn Colledge, Jason Spitz, Allen Barbre

OC (1)
Scott Wells, Tyson Walter

DE (5)
Aaron Kampman, Cullen Jenkins, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Michael Montgomery, Jason Hunter

DT (5)
Ryan Pickett, Justin Harrell, Corey Williams, Johnny Jolly, Colin Cole

LB (5)
A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, Brady Poppinga, Desmond Bishop, Spencer Havner

CB (5)
Al Harris, Charles Woodson, Jarrett Bush, Patrick Dendy, Will Blackmon

S (4)
Nick Collins, Aaron Rouse, Marquand Manuel, Tyrone Culver

K (1)
Mason Crosby (Seems to have gotten more accurate and Rayner less accurate as camp goes by)

P (1)
Jon Ryan

LS (1)
Rob Davis

[GBRulz]

Is it normal for teams to have a dedicated position on the roster for a long snapper?

JH, as far as your list... I think both kickers performed very well last night. At this time, I'd say they are about even, but I agree Crosby certainly added a few points to his cause with that 52 yarder last night.

The TE position...it's scary as hell to think of Lee as our starting TE. WHY was this position not addressed in the off-season...grrr

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Is it normal for teams to have a dedicated position on the roster for a long snapper?

JH, as far as your list... I think both kickers performed very well last night. At this time, I'd say they are about even, but I agree Crosby certainly added a few points to his cause with that 52 yarder last night.

The TE position...it's scary as hell to think of Lee as our starting TE. WHY was this position not addressed in the off-season...grrr

I also don't understand way TE was not addressed. It just doesn't make sense to me with 13 mil of cap space. Every position on the team has some type of talent except this one. This position is going to hurt us a lot when the season starts, I hope Babba gets cut if he keeps dropping the ball. I hope he calls up Dallas and makes a trade for Curtis there back up, he looked a lot better than the crap we have here.

[RashanGary]

The TE position...it's scary as hell to think of Lee as our starting TE. WHY was this position not addressed in the off-season...grrr

That's fine, it will hurt Brett's last year but hopefully we get that fixed before Aaron takes over

hahaha just kidding. Seriously though, sometimes you just have to take what's out there and have a stop gap until a permenant solution comes along. There aren't 32 good starting TE's. Every team has a hole somewhere, you just have to keep scouring all of the avenues and eventually a real answer will present itself. That just didn't happen this off season. I hope we get one soon though, I'd hate to see Rodger take over and not have a threat down the middle to bail him out

Yes, I'm trolling. Sorry, with Rodgers performing well I can't help but get a kick out of the Favre emotion. Nobody's showing it, I just know it's there and I can't help myself.

[Joemailman]

I think the kicking job is Crosby's to lose, and has been since he was drafted. Teams don't use draft picks on kickers that often, and using a 6th round pick on a kicker is like using a 3-4 round pick on a position player. Rayner would have to clearly beat him out to keep the job.

[RashanGary]

The whole team loves Crosby too. Rayner doesn't seem to be the most well liked guy in the lockerroom. They are performing about equally IMO but Crosby is a likable guy and a good lockerrrom guy. Thompson has this wierd thing about Packer people. Who knows, maybe a good lockerroom really makes a difference but Thompson has that little quirk and Crosby just strikes me as a good guy. A good kicker and a good guy beats a good kicker and a bad guy the way Thompson does buisness. I was saying Rayner all the way and it's been close but Crosby is kicking better and better, and he has that joy for team work that Thompson seems to value.

[GBRulz]

The TE position...it's scary as hell to think of Lee as our starting TE. WHY was this position not addressed in the off-season...grrr

That's fine, it will hurt Brett's last year but hopefully we get that fixed before Aaron takes over

hahaha just kidding. Seriously though, sometimes you just have to take what's out there and have a stop gap until a permenant solution comes along. There aren't 32 good starting TE's. Every team has a hole somewhere, you just have to keep scouring all of the avenues and eventually a real answer will present itself. That just didn't happen this off season. I hope we get one soon though, I'd hate to see Rodger take over and not have a threat down the middle to bail him out

Yes, I'm trolling. Sorry, with Rodgers performing well I can't help but get a kick out of the Favre emotion. Nobody's showing it, I just know it's there and I can't help myself.

Yes, Rodgers played great last night...of course we're all happy to see his improvement. The last thing any of us want is a first round bust.

Anyhow, enjoy another two seasons of Rodgers riding the pine.

[falco]

Wasn't Conway a draft pick when Longwell beat him out? I could be wrong.

[GBRulz]

The whole team loves Crosby too. Rayner doesn't seem to be the most well liked guy in the lockerroom.

I haven't been in the lockerroom lately, so I can't tell you for sure.

[falco]

Wasn't Conway a draft pick when Longwell beat him out? I could be wrong.

Conway was a 3rd round draft pick at that.

[RashanGary]

I was juding it on the way everyone was laughing and having a good time with Crosby after that 52 yard kick. Rayner seems like he's not well liked and CRosby seems like they love him. I don't know, it's a pretty small sample but I know Thompson takes that lockerroom (I should have said sideline) stuff seriously.

Thompson said he wants guys who value team work and such. Crosby just seems to have that joy for workign together. I just got that hunch after the 52 yarder, it could be ntohing but I know Thompson pays attn to that stuff.