M
Mark Eckel
Guest
BY ROB REISCHEL
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz — the NFL’s likely MVP at the time — tore his left ACL on Dec. 10. There were 21 days left in the regular season for Eagles head coach Doug Pederson to get sixth-year veteran Nick Foles ready for the postseason.
Of course, Pederson did yeoman’s work. In three postseason games, Foles threw for 971 yards, six touchdowns, just one interception and had a 115.7 passer rating in leading the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl title.
In Minnesota, the Vikings played the entire year without preferred starter Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a catastrophic knee injury in the summer of 2016 and hasn’t played since. The Vikings then got just two games out of Sam Bradford, who tore his ACL and has a degenerative knee.
That left Minnesota with third-stringer Case Keenum. But Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski got Keenum ready and the Vikings went 14-4 and reached the NFC Championship Game.
In Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken right clavicle on Oct. 15 that knocked him out for nine of the next 10 games. Brett Hundley, the team’s No. 2, had been groomed for two-and-a-half years for this moment, then had two-and-a-half months to prove himself.
It never happened.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt could never find the formula to get Hundley to play winning football.
Including the Vikings game where Rodgers was knocked out early, the Packers went just 3-8 in their final 11 games. At the NFL Combine this week, McCarthy admitted that he, his offensive staff and Hundley all failed after Rodgers went down.
“Brett Hundley wasn’t ready for what he needed to be ready for,” McCarthy said. “That’s something that we have to learn from, and that stings. That’s something that we should’ve been better prepared for, and I say ‘we’ because it’s not just on Brett.”
In fairness, Philadelphia and Minnesota had rosters that were deeper and more talented than Green Bay. And both of those teams were better equipped to handle a loss at quarterback than Green Bay was.
But the inability of McCarthy and his staff to get Hundley ready was mystifying. Even more surprising was McCarthy’s transparency this week as to just how badly he and his staff failed.
Hundley finished the season with nine touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a paltry quarterback rating of 70.6. He averaged just 5.8 yards per pass attempt, fumbled four times, lost two of those fumbles and completed 60.8% of his throws.
“We felt that he could have been better prepared,” McCarthy said. “So, we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Some took McCarthy’s “better prepared” comment as a veiled shot at Van Pelt. When the season ended, the Packers didn’t renew Van Pelt’s contract and he was hired as Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach.
Of course, the buck starts and ends with McCarthy, and any deflection of culpability would simply be cowardly.
“It’s not a blame game,” McCarthy said. “We had to make a lot of adjustments when (Hundley) first started off, but I thought he progressed nicely as the opportunities went on. But I think it’s a good lesson for everybody because you want the competition throughout your roster. That’s no different for the quarterback position.”
Decisions, decisions: Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and McCarthy said all the right things. What else would you expect?
But with holes all over the roster, it would seem extremely unlikely the Packers will pay three wideouts like they’re No. 1 receivers.
Davante Adams is the clear-cut No. 1 and signed a four-year, $58.75 million contract extension in December that reflects that. Adams will count $10,537,500 million against the salary cap in 2018.
But veteran wideouts Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb both have higher cap numbers than Adams and their futures are in doubt. Cobb has the second-highest cap number on the team ($12,718,750 million) and Nelson’s is the third-highest ($12,518,750 million).
If everything stayed status quo, that trio of wideouts would count $35,775,000 against the cap. The league-wide salary cap is expected to be approximately $179 million in 2018, meaning just three of Green Bay’s receivers would eat up 20.0% of the cap.
“To me, you have to look at the team as a whole, and obviously you’re going to have strengths and you’re going to have weaknesses,” Gutekunst said. “It’s probably a little unusual, but if you look across the league there are teams that are heavy in different positions. You’d love for it to be all kind of equal and measure out, but I’ll say this. If you have really good players, you need to keep really good players, and you don’t let them walk out the door just for that reason.”
The question now, of course, is just how good Nelson and Cobb are?
Nelson had his lowest marks in receiving yards (482) and touchdowns (six), and his second-lowest in receptions (53) since becoming a featured player in 2011.
He also turns 33 in May and averaged 9.1 yards per catch and 2.30 yards after the catch — both career lows.
Could the Packers really bring him back at that price tag?
“He’s been a great player here,” Gutekunst said. “He’s still a very strong contributor for us. You saw early in the year the impact he had in those games, yeah. He’s still a really good player in my eyes.”
Cobb’s base salary of $8.6 million is less than Nelson’s ($9.250 million). Cobb also appears to have more life left in his legs than Nelson. His numbers a year ago (66 receptions, 653 yards) were on par with his career averages (61-748). But his average yards per catch (9.0) was a career-low and his four touchdown receptions were the second-lowest of his career.
It seems likely either Cobb or Nelson — or both — will be asked to take a pay cut or be forced to play elsewhere in 2018.
“Jordy and Randall can still play,” McCarthy said. “But we need to improve. That’s a common conversation Brian and I have – how are we going to get better? Get better internally or externally.”
Defending the defense: Since McCarthy arrived in 2006, Green Bay’s identity has always centered around its offense.
In that time, the Packers average ranking in total offense is 9.7, even with a 26th place finish in 2017. On the flip side, Green Bay’s average ranking in total defense under McCarthy is 16.0.
Green Bay had consecutive top-five finishes in total defense during former coordinator Dom Capers’ first two years (2009-’10). In the past seven seasons, though, the Packers’ average finish is 20.3 and they’ve been in the bottom third of the league four times.
McCarthy knows his defense has to make enormous strides for the Packers to contend for another championship. So four days after the season ended, McCarthy said: “The defense needs to be better than the offense. I mean, that has to happen.”
McCarthy wants his defense to have a different mentality in 2018. Instead of feeling like second-class citizens, he wants that unit to feel like it’s on par with the offense.
Of course, for that to happen, Green Bay’s defense — which has been stuck in reverse and neutral the past seven years — must return to its 2010 Super Bowl form.
“I’m sick and tired of our defense feeling like the stepchild,” McCarthy said. “I mean, how many times do you have to tell them, ‘You’re not the stepchild.’ That’s a blatant statement, and it’s not a cure-all. But it’s definitely a starting point. So, now, with that, you’ve got to give them the opportunity to be better.”
Question marks: The right side of the Packers’ offensive line could look substantially different when the 2018 season begins.
Right guard Jahri Evans, 34, played every snap the first 14 games. But Evans doesn’t move like he once did and the Packers could try and upgrade the position in free agency.
Right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a torn ACL against Detroit, Nov. 6. Bulaga is rehabbing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but might not be ready when the season begins.
“So far, everything looks good,” McCarthy said. “It’s all been positive feedback.”
That could open the door for Justin McCray and Lucas Patrick to win a job at one — or perhaps both spots on the right side. Both players are best suited to play guard, but McCray could shift outside if the Packers don’t add reinforcements.
McCray played a whopping 593 snaps a year ago, with 71.7% of those coming at right tackle (422). McCray has outstanding strength, but is also a limited athlete with 5.50 speed in the 40.
Patrick is a mauler and a better athlete than McCray. He played 227 snaps between left and right guard last year, and almost certainly needs to play inside to survive.
“I like our young linemen,” McCarthy said. “I think we’ll have good competition. You look at McCray and Lucas (Patrick) and what those guys did and you have to give them a lot of credit because they made a big jump.
“We want to develop younger players and we have veteran free agency coming up. So we’ll just see what happens.”
Major change: One major change Gutekunst has made is asking McCarthy and his coaching staff to file reports on Green Bay’s roster — as well as several players that could become free agents on March 14.
“We’ve gone back to writing reports on our current roster, writing reports on the potential free agents,” McCarthy said. “The way Brian is formatting and preparing for veteran free agency is different than it’s been in the past.”
Waiting until the end: McCarthy and the Packers were eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season. But McCarthy said he didn’t make a decision to fire defensive coordinator Dom Capers until after the regular season finale at Detroit on Dec. 31.
“No and if I did know, I wouldn’t have even told myself,” McCarthy said. “You don’t do that. I think it’s unprofessional. You’ve got to keep your eye on the ball. The thing I was focused on is I’ve got two weeks to gather information, have conversations. You learn about what people don’t say or how they act or what they’re doing.
“Not making the playoffs for the first time in eight years or nine years is another form of challenge or adversity. Adversity is one of the better evaluation opportunities you have. So I was able to evaluate and have more exit interviews earlier than I obviously would have just waiting until Monday after the Detroit game.”
Perfect fit: When Packers president Mark Murphy was looking for a general manager in early January, McCarthy held his season-ending press conference. On that day, McCarthy used the word “fit” 10 different times in describing what he wanted in a new G.M.
Many took that as McCarthy’s way of lobbying for Gutekunst instead of then-frontrunner Russ Ball. Gutekunst was hired four days after McCarthy’s press conference, and the head coach said that to date, it’s been a perfect “fit”
“I think you guys took that and ran with that a bit, but I get it,” McCarthy said of his “fit” comments. “I think it’s stating the obvious. Fit is more important. You have so many good people in this league, but certain people don’t fit together. That doesn’t make one guy right and one guy wrong. Doesn’t make one better than the other.
“You see it all the time and every aspect of this business. I was told I was part of the future of the franchise and I said great. So, I wanted to make sure I was fitted with the right guy and I think Mark did a great job with the process and Brian is the right guy.”
Ruffled feathers: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was perturbed when McCarthy and the Packers didn’t renew the contract of Van Pelt as their quarterbacks coach.
Rodgers told ESPN that many of the Packers’ coaching changes were “a little strange.”
“Well, my quarterback coach didn’t get retained,” Rodgers said, referring to Pelt. “I thought that was an interesting change, really without consulting me.”
McCarthy knows he’ll have to address the topic with Rodgers, but said there’s been no looking back.
“Change is difficult,” McCarthy said. “There’s a personal and professional component to it. The personal part is very difficult. At the end of the day, every decision I make, I do what I feel is in the best interest of the Green Bay Packers. That’s part of leadership.
“You have your data, your information, your conversations, your exit interviews, your evaluations. When it comes to coaches, there’s personal ambition, what they think. No different than what I said earlier. I’m going to look for fit and put it together and make the decisions that are in the best interests of the Packers. I never got into this to be popular. That’s the reality of being a head coach in this league.”
Status quo: One of Rodgers greatest strengths is his ability to make plays outside of the pocket. On the flip side, those plays open Rodgers up to more hits like the one in which he suffered a broken collarbone last year against Minnesota.
While the risk of injury certainly rises when Rodgers exits the pocket, McCarthy said the Packers won’t ask Rodgers to change how he plays.
“Quarterbacks, when they drop off, it’s their feet. It’s not their arm,” McCarthy said. “So I think Aaron is moving as good or the best of his career right now. So to answer your question, we’re not going to reign him in. He’s got a lot of football under his belt. He’ll instinctively — it’s another instinct of opportunity that he’ll be better from it.”
Razor thin: Perhaps the thinnest group on the roster is at tight end.
Martellus Bennett, Green Bay’s prized free agent signing in 2017, was a bust and was released in November. Lance Kendricks, another free agent signing, had career-lows in receptions (18) and yards (203). And Richard Rodgers becomes a free agent on March 14.
“We need competition there, there’s no doubt about it,” McCarthy said. “Whether it comes from a veteran free agent or a draft pick. But yeah, we definitely need to add more candidates there.”
Still a force?: The Packers have used their first draft pick on a defensive player for seven straight seasons.
In 2012, Green Bay used its first six picks on the defensive side of the ball. And last season, the Packers’ first four picks went to the defense.
But Gutekunst insists all that attention for a defense that’s still woefully inadequate hasn’t hurt the offense.
“I like our talent on the offense,” Gutekunst said. “It’s like anything, if you significantly allocate a portion, whether it’s cap or draft picks, whatever, to one side, you always worry about that, but when you have a franchise quarterback, he seems to make those guys around him a little bit better. To me, I don’t think it’s impacted us drastically that way, having those picks on defense. We needed them.”
Call a cab: Packers running back Aaron Jones was found guilty of driving with a controlled substance in his system after being pulled over for speeding on Oct. 1.
Brown County judge Marc Hammer suspended Jones’ license for six months and ordered Jones to undergo an alcohol assessment.
Jones pled no contest to one of three charges filed against him. As part of the plea agreement, Jones’ tickets for speeding and operating without a license were dismissed.
Jones now faces a potential suspension under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Moving on up: Brandion Ross, a scouting intern in 2017, was promoted to a full-time position.
Ross, 28, was an undrafted free agent who spent time on the Packers’ practice squad in 2011 and ’12. He later played in 45 games and made 24 starts for Oakland, San Diego and Miami.
The post McCarthy says Hundley wasn’t ready and it was everyone’s fault appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz — the NFL’s likely MVP at the time — tore his left ACL on Dec. 10. There were 21 days left in the regular season for Eagles head coach Doug Pederson to get sixth-year veteran Nick Foles ready for the postseason.
Of course, Pederson did yeoman’s work. In three postseason games, Foles threw for 971 yards, six touchdowns, just one interception and had a 115.7 passer rating in leading the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl title.
In Minnesota, the Vikings played the entire year without preferred starter Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a catastrophic knee injury in the summer of 2016 and hasn’t played since. The Vikings then got just two games out of Sam Bradford, who tore his ACL and has a degenerative knee.
That left Minnesota with third-stringer Case Keenum. But Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski got Keenum ready and the Vikings went 14-4 and reached the NFC Championship Game.
In Green Bay, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken right clavicle on Oct. 15 that knocked him out for nine of the next 10 games. Brett Hundley, the team’s No. 2, had been groomed for two-and-a-half years for this moment, then had two-and-a-half months to prove himself.
It never happened.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett and quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt could never find the formula to get Hundley to play winning football.
Including the Vikings game where Rodgers was knocked out early, the Packers went just 3-8 in their final 11 games. At the NFL Combine this week, McCarthy admitted that he, his offensive staff and Hundley all failed after Rodgers went down.
“Brett Hundley wasn’t ready for what he needed to be ready for,” McCarthy said. “That’s something that we have to learn from, and that stings. That’s something that we should’ve been better prepared for, and I say ‘we’ because it’s not just on Brett.”
In fairness, Philadelphia and Minnesota had rosters that were deeper and more talented than Green Bay. And both of those teams were better equipped to handle a loss at quarterback than Green Bay was.
But the inability of McCarthy and his staff to get Hundley ready was mystifying. Even more surprising was McCarthy’s transparency this week as to just how badly he and his staff failed.
Hundley finished the season with nine touchdown passes, 12 interceptions and a paltry quarterback rating of 70.6. He averaged just 5.8 yards per pass attempt, fumbled four times, lost two of those fumbles and completed 60.8% of his throws.
“We felt that he could have been better prepared,” McCarthy said. “So, we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Some took McCarthy’s “better prepared” comment as a veiled shot at Van Pelt. When the season ended, the Packers didn’t renew Van Pelt’s contract and he was hired as Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach.
Of course, the buck starts and ends with McCarthy, and any deflection of culpability would simply be cowardly.
“It’s not a blame game,” McCarthy said. “We had to make a lot of adjustments when (Hundley) first started off, but I thought he progressed nicely as the opportunities went on. But I think it’s a good lesson for everybody because you want the competition throughout your roster. That’s no different for the quarterback position.”
Decisions, decisions: Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and McCarthy said all the right things. What else would you expect?
But with holes all over the roster, it would seem extremely unlikely the Packers will pay three wideouts like they’re No. 1 receivers.
Davante Adams is the clear-cut No. 1 and signed a four-year, $58.75 million contract extension in December that reflects that. Adams will count $10,537,500 million against the salary cap in 2018.
But veteran wideouts Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb both have higher cap numbers than Adams and their futures are in doubt. Cobb has the second-highest cap number on the team ($12,718,750 million) and Nelson’s is the third-highest ($12,518,750 million).
If everything stayed status quo, that trio of wideouts would count $35,775,000 against the cap. The league-wide salary cap is expected to be approximately $179 million in 2018, meaning just three of Green Bay’s receivers would eat up 20.0% of the cap.
“To me, you have to look at the team as a whole, and obviously you’re going to have strengths and you’re going to have weaknesses,” Gutekunst said. “It’s probably a little unusual, but if you look across the league there are teams that are heavy in different positions. You’d love for it to be all kind of equal and measure out, but I’ll say this. If you have really good players, you need to keep really good players, and you don’t let them walk out the door just for that reason.”
The question now, of course, is just how good Nelson and Cobb are?
Nelson had his lowest marks in receiving yards (482) and touchdowns (six), and his second-lowest in receptions (53) since becoming a featured player in 2011.
He also turns 33 in May and averaged 9.1 yards per catch and 2.30 yards after the catch — both career lows.
Could the Packers really bring him back at that price tag?
“He’s been a great player here,” Gutekunst said. “He’s still a very strong contributor for us. You saw early in the year the impact he had in those games, yeah. He’s still a really good player in my eyes.”
Cobb’s base salary of $8.6 million is less than Nelson’s ($9.250 million). Cobb also appears to have more life left in his legs than Nelson. His numbers a year ago (66 receptions, 653 yards) were on par with his career averages (61-748). But his average yards per catch (9.0) was a career-low and his four touchdown receptions were the second-lowest of his career.
It seems likely either Cobb or Nelson — or both — will be asked to take a pay cut or be forced to play elsewhere in 2018.
“Jordy and Randall can still play,” McCarthy said. “But we need to improve. That’s a common conversation Brian and I have – how are we going to get better? Get better internally or externally.”
Defending the defense: Since McCarthy arrived in 2006, Green Bay’s identity has always centered around its offense.
In that time, the Packers average ranking in total offense is 9.7, even with a 26th place finish in 2017. On the flip side, Green Bay’s average ranking in total defense under McCarthy is 16.0.
Green Bay had consecutive top-five finishes in total defense during former coordinator Dom Capers’ first two years (2009-’10). In the past seven seasons, though, the Packers’ average finish is 20.3 and they’ve been in the bottom third of the league four times.
McCarthy knows his defense has to make enormous strides for the Packers to contend for another championship. So four days after the season ended, McCarthy said: “The defense needs to be better than the offense. I mean, that has to happen.”
McCarthy wants his defense to have a different mentality in 2018. Instead of feeling like second-class citizens, he wants that unit to feel like it’s on par with the offense.
Of course, for that to happen, Green Bay’s defense — which has been stuck in reverse and neutral the past seven years — must return to its 2010 Super Bowl form.
“I’m sick and tired of our defense feeling like the stepchild,” McCarthy said. “I mean, how many times do you have to tell them, ‘You’re not the stepchild.’ That’s a blatant statement, and it’s not a cure-all. But it’s definitely a starting point. So, now, with that, you’ve got to give them the opportunity to be better.”
Question marks: The right side of the Packers’ offensive line could look substantially different when the 2018 season begins.
Right guard Jahri Evans, 34, played every snap the first 14 games. But Evans doesn’t move like he once did and the Packers could try and upgrade the position in free agency.
Right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a torn ACL against Detroit, Nov. 6. Bulaga is rehabbing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., but might not be ready when the season begins.
“So far, everything looks good,” McCarthy said. “It’s all been positive feedback.”
That could open the door for Justin McCray and Lucas Patrick to win a job at one — or perhaps both spots on the right side. Both players are best suited to play guard, but McCray could shift outside if the Packers don’t add reinforcements.
McCray played a whopping 593 snaps a year ago, with 71.7% of those coming at right tackle (422). McCray has outstanding strength, but is also a limited athlete with 5.50 speed in the 40.
Patrick is a mauler and a better athlete than McCray. He played 227 snaps between left and right guard last year, and almost certainly needs to play inside to survive.
“I like our young linemen,” McCarthy said. “I think we’ll have good competition. You look at McCray and Lucas (Patrick) and what those guys did and you have to give them a lot of credit because they made a big jump.
“We want to develop younger players and we have veteran free agency coming up. So we’ll just see what happens.”
Major change: One major change Gutekunst has made is asking McCarthy and his coaching staff to file reports on Green Bay’s roster — as well as several players that could become free agents on March 14.
“We’ve gone back to writing reports on our current roster, writing reports on the potential free agents,” McCarthy said. “The way Brian is formatting and preparing for veteran free agency is different than it’s been in the past.”
Waiting until the end: McCarthy and the Packers were eliminated from playoff contention with two weeks left in the regular season. But McCarthy said he didn’t make a decision to fire defensive coordinator Dom Capers until after the regular season finale at Detroit on Dec. 31.
“No and if I did know, I wouldn’t have even told myself,” McCarthy said. “You don’t do that. I think it’s unprofessional. You’ve got to keep your eye on the ball. The thing I was focused on is I’ve got two weeks to gather information, have conversations. You learn about what people don’t say or how they act or what they’re doing.
“Not making the playoffs for the first time in eight years or nine years is another form of challenge or adversity. Adversity is one of the better evaluation opportunities you have. So I was able to evaluate and have more exit interviews earlier than I obviously would have just waiting until Monday after the Detroit game.”
Perfect fit: When Packers president Mark Murphy was looking for a general manager in early January, McCarthy held his season-ending press conference. On that day, McCarthy used the word “fit” 10 different times in describing what he wanted in a new G.M.
Many took that as McCarthy’s way of lobbying for Gutekunst instead of then-frontrunner Russ Ball. Gutekunst was hired four days after McCarthy’s press conference, and the head coach said that to date, it’s been a perfect “fit”
“I think you guys took that and ran with that a bit, but I get it,” McCarthy said of his “fit” comments. “I think it’s stating the obvious. Fit is more important. You have so many good people in this league, but certain people don’t fit together. That doesn’t make one guy right and one guy wrong. Doesn’t make one better than the other.
“You see it all the time and every aspect of this business. I was told I was part of the future of the franchise and I said great. So, I wanted to make sure I was fitted with the right guy and I think Mark did a great job with the process and Brian is the right guy.”
Ruffled feathers: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was perturbed when McCarthy and the Packers didn’t renew the contract of Van Pelt as their quarterbacks coach.
Rodgers told ESPN that many of the Packers’ coaching changes were “a little strange.”
“Well, my quarterback coach didn’t get retained,” Rodgers said, referring to Pelt. “I thought that was an interesting change, really without consulting me.”
McCarthy knows he’ll have to address the topic with Rodgers, but said there’s been no looking back.
“Change is difficult,” McCarthy said. “There’s a personal and professional component to it. The personal part is very difficult. At the end of the day, every decision I make, I do what I feel is in the best interest of the Green Bay Packers. That’s part of leadership.
“You have your data, your information, your conversations, your exit interviews, your evaluations. When it comes to coaches, there’s personal ambition, what they think. No different than what I said earlier. I’m going to look for fit and put it together and make the decisions that are in the best interests of the Packers. I never got into this to be popular. That’s the reality of being a head coach in this league.”
Status quo: One of Rodgers greatest strengths is his ability to make plays outside of the pocket. On the flip side, those plays open Rodgers up to more hits like the one in which he suffered a broken collarbone last year against Minnesota.
While the risk of injury certainly rises when Rodgers exits the pocket, McCarthy said the Packers won’t ask Rodgers to change how he plays.
“Quarterbacks, when they drop off, it’s their feet. It’s not their arm,” McCarthy said. “So I think Aaron is moving as good or the best of his career right now. So to answer your question, we’re not going to reign him in. He’s got a lot of football under his belt. He’ll instinctively — it’s another instinct of opportunity that he’ll be better from it.”
Razor thin: Perhaps the thinnest group on the roster is at tight end.
Martellus Bennett, Green Bay’s prized free agent signing in 2017, was a bust and was released in November. Lance Kendricks, another free agent signing, had career-lows in receptions (18) and yards (203). And Richard Rodgers becomes a free agent on March 14.
“We need competition there, there’s no doubt about it,” McCarthy said. “Whether it comes from a veteran free agent or a draft pick. But yeah, we definitely need to add more candidates there.”
Still a force?: The Packers have used their first draft pick on a defensive player for seven straight seasons.
In 2012, Green Bay used its first six picks on the defensive side of the ball. And last season, the Packers’ first four picks went to the defense.
But Gutekunst insists all that attention for a defense that’s still woefully inadequate hasn’t hurt the offense.
“I like our talent on the offense,” Gutekunst said. “It’s like anything, if you significantly allocate a portion, whether it’s cap or draft picks, whatever, to one side, you always worry about that, but when you have a franchise quarterback, he seems to make those guys around him a little bit better. To me, I don’t think it’s impacted us drastically that way, having those picks on defense. We needed them.”
Call a cab: Packers running back Aaron Jones was found guilty of driving with a controlled substance in his system after being pulled over for speeding on Oct. 1.
Brown County judge Marc Hammer suspended Jones’ license for six months and ordered Jones to undergo an alcohol assessment.
Jones pled no contest to one of three charges filed against him. As part of the plea agreement, Jones’ tickets for speeding and operating without a license were dismissed.
Jones now faces a potential suspension under the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Moving on up: Brandion Ross, a scouting intern in 2017, was promoted to a full-time position.
Ross, 28, was an undrafted free agent who spent time on the Packers’ practice squad in 2011 and ’12. He later played in 45 games and made 24 starts for Oakland, San Diego and Miami.
The post McCarthy says Hundley wasn’t ready and it was everyone’s fault appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
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