John Kuhn is no longer in the Packers' plans for 2016, per report

[silverstar294]

I love Kuhn. But the 3rd and 1 dive play was overused and predictable and poorly run.


It's supposed to catch a defense off guard that the ball looks like it's going to the halfback but oh wait it's going the fullback! Hey what a trick play!

But it became a staple play. No one was fooled it was poorly designed and executed.

You'd have Kuhn predictably get the ball take 1 step and face a wall. The line did him no favors and Kuhn desperately fought 3 or 4 guys to get that yard or half a yard.

It's no insult to Kuhn that people got annoyed but more getting annoyed that MM relied on an overused trick play and relying on 1 player fighting through 3 or 4 people to gain a yard. What kind of play call is that? Seriously there's nothing more creative in the playbook to get a yard? Nothing that the rest of the offense can do except see if Kuhn can wrestle through several people? That's what u call on 3rd and 1?

That was the hate. Not Kuhn.

Also when we drafted rip you expect a younger player to knock some people over Kuhn blocking was less and less effective in the run game over time. U want a fb who's going to clear a Lane, it wasn't happening as often the last couple years.

Not a Kuhn hater but his run blocking was less than average his last couple of years. I don't thinking calling that out makes a hater.

He did have the epic block on peppers on 4th and 10 vs the peppers. I'm not critiquing his pass blocking, but run blocking. Honestly rip should have been better to knock Kuhn out of a roster spot. Anyway. Happy with Kuhns time in GB but it was time to move on.

 

[Pugger]

I think my main issue with Kuhn is actually that he is incredibly subpar at most things he does. He is not a great lead blocker. In fact I'm not sure I would even consider him passable at it. His pass blocking is average. He doesn't catch well out of the backfield (6 receptions on 10 targets). He doesn't carry for yardage (had a season long of 5 yards last year, and a career long of 18 yards). He fumbles frequently (about 1 fumble every 50 carries for his career). I'm not sure what it is he does other than get too many carries for his talent level (the point here would be that I think he is untalented and deserved no carries). It comes down to the fact that we are essentially taking weapons off of the field to put the human gain of -1, 0, or 1 onto the field.

Kuhn's pass blocking is is forte IMO. Just think back to that block he put on Peppers in Chicago to enable Rodgers to find Cobb for the winning TD in 2013. We all love John (love but I too think it is time to move on.

 

[Packersunion]

We too often kept 2 fullbacks because Kuhn was "too valuable" to cut. Like someone else said, he wasn't great at anything and he was seldom used and it seemed like a waste of a roster spot.

There was a play a couple years ago that put me over the edge. We blocked a punt that went past the line of scrimmage and the "savvy, gritty, smart" veteran tried to recover it and after he touched it, the other team recovered it, giving them a fresh set of downs. A player with his very average talent can't be making bonehead mistakes like that.

 

[realitybytes]

i'm puzzled by some of the negative comments. but hey - to each his own. as a general rule, you don't go to the pro bowl if you're "not great at anything". i can think of plenty of times where kuhn bailed us out on third downs through the years. was he perfect? no. but i find it difficult to believe that the team would have kept him on the roster all these years just so people could yell "kuuuuuuuhhhhnn" every time he touched the ball.

it really makes me sad when fans rip on packers vets as they're on their way out. i prefer to remember the good times. times like these, for example:

 

[eyecatcher]

I think my main issue with Kuhn is actually that he is incredibly subpar at most things he does. He is not a great lead blocker. In fact I'm not sure I would even consider him passable at it. His pass blocking is average. He doesn't catch well out of the backfield (6 receptions on 10 targets). He doesn't carry for yardage (had a season long of 5 yards last year, and a career long of 18 yards). He fumbles frequently (about 1 fumble every 50 carries for his career). I'm not sure what it is he does other than get too many carries for his talent level (the point here would be that I think he is untalented and deserved no carries). It comes down to the fact that we are essentially taking weapons off of the field to put the human gain of -1, 0, or 1 onto the field.

Kuhn was not great last year but these criticisms of him are based on one season. For his career he caught 77% of his targets. Matt Forte who is a great receiver out of the back field has caught 76%. Kuhn for his career averaged in the 3.1-3.3ypc range. Not great but many times he was asked to pick up a yard. He wasn't asked to pick up 5. He was very consistent and did what was asked. He was a fullback and did his job well.

The highlight video above was awesome.

 

[ChampionshipBelt]

Very nicely said, eye.

I would say from looking back at that video, he had one of the best fullback hands I have seen in the 30 years I have been watching football. Also, he was very difficult to bring down. He did not get a lot of glory but did what was asked and got it done the times he got the football.

Good memories, Mr. Kuhn. Good memories.

Good luck to you!

 

[salmar80]

Very nice highlight video! Not many blocks shown, but he was more of a leverage blocker than "blow'em'up" kinda guy...

Kuhn's attention to detail shows in his Lambeau Leap technique: Good approach speed, well-timed bounce, use of hands as leverage, roll to enable thigh and fans to help with the last inches...

 

[Terranimal]

Don't get all the negative on Kuhn. Can't have a superstar at every position with salary caps. Yet as others stated, Kuhn was a Pro Bowlers.

Where Kuhn's true value was at protecting Rodgers. Kuhn was the one player who was assignment sure.

But even more then his playing skills, Kuhn's under rated value was what the average fan didn't know.....intangibles.

Kuhn was like having another QB/ coach on the field and will be where he will be missed. Rodgers relied on him a lot as said no other player knew the Offense as well as Kuhn. His presence in the locker room is well known. Kuhn was the definition of a professional.

Coming from a one back Offense and made the transition to fullback, and finding a niche for himself. His blue collar work ethic and down to earth personality endeared him to the fan base. Much like Favre was in his first half of career here.

The torch appears to be being passed to Rip and he has some big shoes to fill, just as Kuhn had do after Henderson.

It is the nature of professional football that it's a short career. With the average player out of NFL after 5 years, Kuhn had a long run. He was a fan favorite, coach favorite, and players favorite. He will be missed and we thank him for the memories and his contributions both on the field and off.

 

[Crease Creature]

Kuhn was like having another QB/ coach on the field and will be where he will be missed. Rodgers relied on him a lot as said no other player knew the Offense as well as Kuhn.

I believe I heard somewhere (back during the QB injury parade of Aaron's collar bone season) that Kuhn was the emergency QB, should it have gotten to that point.