What Stands between the Pack and winning the SB this season?

[Tarlam!]

A malicious DE.
Rookie Guards.
Deep Threat.

Maybe Hawk can alleviate #1.
Maybe the guards can learn on the fly.
May M3 can game plan around this and our running game takes off.

Our special teams will be 100% improved. Our defense will be 80% improved. Our offense can't get any worse.

Now, we lost how many games by a handful of points? O.K. imagine we win those games this season and your already in the play-offs. Add a couple games, because we are overall a better team, now, you're looking at home field.

With a bit of injury good luck, we might see Brett go to the big dance. I'm just not convinced we can beat the AFC team.

Not yet, but after my next bath in Kool-Aid, I might be...

[Partial]

We would need ridiculous luck and play from the OL and front 7. Hodge would have to start in the middle and be very, very good from the start.

[Tony Oday]

Barnett HAwk and Taylor will lock down the LBs and stop the run with Pickett and Cole up front. Two good solid corners with Collins and Manuel backing them up. Kamp, Jenkins and KGB rushing the QB should be a solid defense this year top 10. Hodge will not start at MLB because you dont replace teh guy who set a Packer RECORD for tackles no matter how much people dont like him.

Offense. Two TE that can run the seems in Franks and Cole. An O line that will be much improved this year with Wells getting all the snaps at Center. The rooks and Barry will solidify the Guard spots. RB well they are all healthy now and man a healthy Green is as good as anyone along with nice backups in Gado and the Pooper. WR of course is scary but its a throwback cast. We have Sure Handed Driver, Needs to prove himself Gardner, scared of the middle Furgeson(sp?) and the new boys Jennings and Blackmond. Jennings needs to contribute. And the best addition all year in the corp the big Broegter(sp?). Favre with a running game is the best QB in the NFL without one well look to last year.

SP Teams:
Cundiff---shiver
Punter--well the new QB can punt in an emergency and we have that leg from teh cfl that once kicked the football so far Russia scrambled their defense fighters


The main thing holding us back will be injuries. Of course that is every year. Other than that our biggest weakness is on offense which bodes well because a stud defense can get you far.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

What stands between the Pack and winning the SB this season?

That's an obvious question.

Ted Thompson.

[MJZiggy]

At least when Ted gives his word he keeps it.

[GrnBay007]

Prior to the draft there was talk about working out a deal between the Packers and Denver, Walker and Lelie. Was that just talk or did the Packers actually show in interest in Lelie? He makes reference to a hold out in this article. Sure would be nice to have another WR that's ready to play right away.



Broncos focus on offense, Lelie's stock slips
Associated Press
National Football League News Wire

DENVER -- Ashley Lelie made it clear he wanted the opportunity to be a No. 1 receiver, something that wasn't going to happen anytime soon with Rod Smith in Denver.

Upset with the Broncos' flirtation with Terrell Owens in the offseason, Lelie boycotted the team's offseason strength and conditioning program, and his agent received Denver's permission to gauge other teams' interest for a possible trade.

After the NFL draft weekend, not only is Lelie still a member of the Broncos but he's their No. 3 receiver at best.

The Broncos made a major splash by trading a second-round pick to Green Bay for former Pro Bowl receiver Javon Walker, who is set to sign a big six-year contract. Providing he recovers as expected from his torn left knee ligament, Walker should quickly emerge as Denver's top playmaker and supplant Lelie as its best deep threat.

Denver also used two of its fourth-round selections on receivers: Brandon Marshall of Central Florida and Akron's Domenik Hixon.

What does this mean for Lelie, the Broncos' first-round draft pick in 2002 who blames his inconsistent production on the team's run-first philosophy?

"There will be a lot of competition," coach Mike Shanahan said. "We are very happy to have Javon with us. And then you have some competition. We have a lot of young guys coming in that will get a chance to compete with the guys that are here. I believe we have a lot more depth at that position than we have had in a long time, so that's a big positive right there."

Not for Lelie, who told the Rocky Mountain News he sees himself as the third receiver no matter what Shanahan says about competition at the position. He also told the newspaper that he thinks with Walker coming off his knee injury, he'll just be holding down a spot for Walker in training camp until he's ready to return to action. So, Lelie is mulling a holdout.

[wist43]

A more talented team...

TT had a good draft, but the roster was all but barren of top shelf talent to begin with - and, they lost their best player, Walker.

The a Packers have no shot at a Superbowl... that's just the reality of it.

[Deputy Nutz]

The defense isn't a number 1 defense in this league, but it ain't even close to the terrible 2004 defense that the Packers had. It will be a top 15 defense. The defense would be good enough to get to a Super Bowl, but the downfall of this team is its offense, and a complete lack of playmakers.

Favre can't carry it on his shoulder for 16 games, that is obvious from last year. Remarkably this team could could be a 10-6 club if everyone stays healthy on offense and defense.

Green has to run like the Green of old and get around 300 carries and grab about 50 passes out of the backfield. Thats alot to ask of him and I am not sure he will be able to attain those numbers.

Driver is going to gets his 90 balls and his 1200 yards recieving, but there has to be another receiving threat. Bubba will be healthy and in camp, but he is only a threat to score in the read zone. Donald Lee might be the deep threat at tight end that the Packers have been waiting for, but he is yet to prove any consistency. Ferguson has all the physical tools to be a starting receiver in this league, the same could be said for Rod Gardner. Both have head problems on the field and have problems reading defenses and staying on page with the quarterback. Neither one truly factors or has proven they deserve the second starting position.

The offensive line will be better than last year, Colledge will be a major upgrade over Whitticker and Klemm, and Barry might be a great addition to the offensive line if he is capable of playing guard.

[GrnBay007]

Driver's play seemed a bit apprehensive coming back from his injury that one year and the following year he was back to normal. Let's hope Ferguson can get his injury out of his head and come back strong this year.....we really need that.

[MJZiggy]

The defense isn't a number 1 defense in this league, but it ain't even close to the terrible 2004 defense that the Packers had. It will be a top 15 defense. The defense would be good enough to get to a Super Bowl, but the downfall of this team is its offense, and a complete lack of playmakers.

Favre can't carry it on his shoulder for 16 games, that is obvious from last year. Remarkably this team could could be a 10-6 club if everyone stays healthy on offense and defense.

Green has to run like the Green of old and get around 300 carries and grab about 50 passes out of the backfield. Thats alot to ask of him and I am not sure he will be able to attain those numbers.

Driver is going to gets his 90 balls and his 1200 yards recieving, but there has to be another receiving threat. Bubba will be healthy and in camp, but he is only a threat to score in the read zone. Donald Lee might be the deep threat at tight end that the Packers have been waiting for, but he is yet to prove any consistency. Ferguson has all the physical tools to be a starting receiver in this league, the same could be said for Rod Gardner. Both have head problems on the field and have problems reading defenses and staying on page with the quarterback. Neither one truly factors or has proven they deserve the second starting position.

The offensive line will be better than last year, Colledge will be a major upgrade over Whitticker and Klemm, and Barry might be a great addition to the offensive line if he is capable of playing guard.

The only part of that I differ with is that Green doesn't have to run like the Green of old if Gado can run like the Gado of new. If they're passing, then I'd rather see Green in than Gado, but the kid could very well be playing well enough to spell Green and still get some production.

[oregonpackfan]

Many of you have cited valid hurdles the Packers will have to face in getting to the Super Bowl--goo guards, receivers who will step up, new linebackers getting used to each other, avoiding serious injuries, etc.

What hasn't been mentioned as a major challenge is that the veterans are going to have to acclimate themselves to an almost new coaching staff.

Coming into his fourth season, middle linebacker Nick Barnett(assuming he stays at MLB) will have to work with his 4th defensive coordinator! Is it any wonder Barnett has had some difficulty with defensive shemes?

Because of the radical change in coaching staff, we may not see the Packers become a playoff contender until at least 2 years have gone by.

Oregonpackfan

[Merlin]

At least when Ted gives his word he keeps it.

I don't have the exact quote, but if that were true, why isn't Walker a Packer anymore?????

[HarveyWallbangers]

Blackmon will not be a WR. He'll be a corner and return guy. That's from Ted Thompson.

[No Mo Moss]

A huge key will be the health of Bubba and our TEs. Favre needs a productive TE or he can't function. I think the injury to Franks last year had more to do with Favre's bad season then the O-line.

Also Donald Lee needs to make the next step. If he can do that he could be a weapon and help to open people up.

[MJZiggy]

At least when Ted gives his word he keeps it.

I don't have the exact quote, but if that were true, why isn't Walker a Packer anymore?????

As far as I know he didn't give his word to Javon Walker. He just told the press he expected Javon to honor his contract, wasn't going to talk about it and at one point said he would welcome him back.

He did not, on the other hand, say that if Green Bay signed ONE big-name free agent in the offseason that he would share in a bit of kool-aid and then back out when it came time to PAY UP, TANK.