Official Packers Off Season Thread

[Packfan35]

I think the Packers are going to need a solid off season just to be the best team in the division next season.

I felt after the 2012 season that the Packers were 2 off seasons away from really making a run because of their defense and that turned out to almost be the case as the Packers should have played in the Super Bowl in the 2014 season.I feel the same way now,but this time because of the offense.I think it's going to take 2 off seasons to really get this offense back on track to where we can take this team seriously as far as getting to a Super Bowl.

The Packers are deep at WR but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a good group.I think it's a pretty mediocre group.Jordy is the Packer's only proven legit guy,but he will be 31 next season coming off major knee surgery.I like Ty Montgomery's potential,but he's unproven and just missed 10 games with a sprained ankle.

I actually like Abby and Janis but both guys are unproven and I think even if they hit their ceilings are no better than #3 or #4 type WRs.Cobb is mediocre at best,Adams is trash.Jones is ok if you bring him back,but at this point he's no more than a #4 guy.

So while our group is ''deep'',our only legit #1 guy is 31 years old coming off a major injury and there isn't a proven legit #2 guy on the roster.And Abby and Ty have are guys who make you nervous from an injury standpoint.

The offensive line regressed and as a group is average at best.Needs to be improved.

Eddie Lacy doesn't think it's important to be in shape.Starks is a solid #2 guy but he might be gone in the off season.

R.Rodgers is our best TE and that tells you all you need to know about the Packers situation at TE.

Aaron Rodgers is going to be 33 next season and while I think he still has a few really good seasons left in him,I don't think he can go into ''Godgers mode'' and carry an offense over the course of a season like we've seen in the past.I think he can be Godgers in spurts,but he's now at a stage of his career where he can't carry the load. Again,that's not saying that he's still not a top QB in the league,but 2009-2014 he was off the charts crazy good,I think those days are over.

I think the Packers will make the playoffs and probably finish with around a 10-6 record again in 2016,but I think it might be hard with this group of talent to make a long run.

Yes TT could add a few pieces but just not sold that it will be enough. The window is closing and TT/MM will need to make some serious changes to grab another title. Question is will they ???

I don't know about all that.

Remember, one calendar year ago, this team was capable of putting 50 on teams. Something weird happened this year, and while losing Nelson shouldn't have been as big a deal as it turned out to be, I guess it was. It turns out MM just didn't adjust. He thought he could put Jones/Adams in Nelson's role, and everything would be humming along almost as well. But the remaining guys have very different skill sets, so it was absurd to try to run the exact same offense with different personnel. I wonder if MM's coaching restructure also had something to do with this, where they weren't able to change course once injuries hit.

Cobb was a monster in 2014. There's no reason to believe he's not the same guy. The recovery prognosis of ACL injuries is much better than it ever has been, and Nelson strikes me as a hard enough worker to be able to come back okay. Adams was doing just fine in 2014 - I just think he had the yips or something, so hopefully with a good offseason, he'll do better.

I wouldn't be opposed to another monster receiver though. That's why I'm a big fan of Gordon - we could use a guy that's just physically better than everyone, since we don't really have that (most of our guys are great technicians).

But TE is definitely a priority. That is the easiest fix for an ailing offense. Gronk (not saying we need someone like him) is the best player on the Patriots and has single-handedly added 5 elite years to Tom Brady's career. To even have someone the defense has to respect would do wonders.

 

[Half Empty]

This post really touched a nerve with some. 7 dislikes and 2 disagrees. May be a record for dislikes. For the record I am not giving anyone a free pass on this as there are many factors that went in to having the bad season for the offense. Injuries played a huge part. That is undeniable. MMs inflexibility to scheme to the players he had is a big one too. As is TTs unwillingness to fill gaps with FAs. Rodgers was off for most of the year. Lacy was Fat. Starks and Lacy fumbled too much. The WRs were awful more often than not. The TE position is stocked with slow players that can't get open. The list is long but to deny injuries were a huge factor puzzles me.

Hey, you did get 3 Agrees and a Like. I concur in that a long IR list means those guys are out of the equation, and someone else is being used. The Perfect Storm analogy, at least as far as I'm concerned, is that the 'next man' up really was that, and several people filled in very well in 2010, their only good year. This year, instead of (for instance) losing Tauscher and finding Bulaga, or losing Barnett and having Bishop (finally) get his chance, the backups were somewhere between inadequate and miserable.

 

[Bigcheese]

I don't know about all that.

Remember, one calendar year ago, this team was capable of putting 50 on teams. Something weird happened this year, and while losing Nelson shouldn't have been as big a deal as it turned out to be, I guess it was. It turns out MM just didn't adjust. He thought he could put Jones/Adams in Nelson's role, and everything would be humming along almost as well. But the remaining guys have very different skill sets, so it was absurd to try to run the exact same offense with different personnel. I wonder if MM's coaching restructure also had something to do with this, where they weren't able to change course once injuries hit.

Cobb was a monster in 2014. There's no reason to believe he's not the same guy. The recovery prognosis of ACL injuries is much better than it ever has been, and Nelson strikes me as a hard enough worker to be able to come back okay. Adams was doing just fine in 2014 - I just think he had the yips or something, so hopefully with a good offseason, he'll do better.

I wouldn't be opposed to another monster receiver though. That's why I'm a big fan of Gordon - we could use a guy that's just physically better than everyone, since we don't really have that (most of our guys are great technicians).

But TE is definitely a priority. That is the easiest fix for an ailing offense. Gronk (not saying we need someone like him) is the best player on the Patriots and has single-handedly added 5 elite years to Tom Brady's career. To even have someone the defense has to respect would do wonders.

I think a stud TE opens up so much for this offense. It forces defenses to devote attention to him which opens up everything for our deep but somewhat unable to get open WRs. And if they ignore the TE he's going to do some real damage picking up first downs and moving the chains. Even a dangerous receiving RB can help the WR's downfield but a stud TE can make a huge difference.

I'm not sure anyone in the draft can make a big difference as a rookie at TE. I really want to find a veteran.

Adams had a good year against other team's 3rd or 4th best corners(sucked vs top Corners). I think that's where we need to put him in order to succeed. A Stud TE and Jordy getting the bulk of the attention could open things up for guys like Cobb and Adams who seem to look like stars when defenses don't have their top guys covering them.

 

[Da-news-now]

It was a seasons of incredible highs and frequent lows for Green Bay's quarterback, but everything has to be viewed with a grain of salt.

Over the next two weeks, Acme Packing Company takes a look at each position group on the Green Bay Packers and provides grades and insight on how they performed in the 2015 season. Today, we begin our series by examining the quarterbacks.

It was a trying season for the Green Bay Packers' offense, and though the injuries on the offensive line and wide receiver were contributing factors, the quarterback play was not at the level that Packers fans have been accustomed to for the past half-decade. The Packers finished just 25th in the league in passing yards, behind such stellar passing attacks as the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.

To be sure, it was a disappointing season for the offense as a whole, and at some point, that all comes back on the players taking the snap from center.

Starter: Aaron Rodgers


Believe it or not, Rodgers finished fifth among NFL quarterbacks in overall "Expected Points Added," an overall value measure of quarterback play generated by ESPN. That ranking put him one spot ahead of the expected NFL MVP, Cam Newton. One remarkable part of that stat is the number of points he was able to contribute due to penalties committed by the defense. Rodgers led the league by a substantial margin in that area.

All told, Rodgers' raw numbers were down across the board, despite throwing the most pass attempts in any one season of his career (572). He set career lows in completion percentage (60.7%), yards per attempt (6.7), yards per game (238.8), and passer rating (92.7). Still, he did so throwing for more than 30 touchdowns and single-digit interceptions, a feat which must not be ignored, and he did so for the entire year without his favorite target, Jordy Nelson.

Rodgers also dealt with some bizarre bouts of inaccuracy on throws that he rarely missed in the past. Far too often a back-shoulder pass or out route sailed over his receiver's head or far off-target into the benches along the sideline.

Compounding the difficulty in grading Rodgers' performance is the knee surgery that he underwent following the season and his postseason comments. Just how much was Rodgers' knee bothering him over the second half of the season? How much was that contributing to his apparent jumpiness in the pocket and his struggles going through his normal read progressions? This will likely have to be speculation until the end of time, but it marks the third straight year that Rodgers has had a noticeable injury issue, following his broken collarbone in 2013 and his calf muscle problem that limited him down the stretch in 2014.

Rodgers keeps himself in excellent shape, and there seems to be little reason to believe that these issues are a sign of any sort of major long-term problem. However, his injury status will bear monitoring in 2016.

Backup: Scott Tolzien


Tolzien saw only mop-up duty in a handful of games, with his only extended action coming in the blowout loss to the Cardinals in week 16. He was sacked once in that game and completed his only pass of the year for four yards.

Third-String: Brett Hundley


Hundley's quick study from OTAs to training camp was evident, and a series of solid preseason performances gave way to a breakout game against New Orleans in the final preseason game. Going into his second year, Hundley will likely be given every opportunity to take hold of the Packers' backup job, even if Tolzien returns, and if he plays well the Packers may choose to stick with just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster again.

Position Grade: C-


We are grading on a curve here, and Rodgers is justifiably held to a higher standard than just about any other quarterback in the league. He certainly did not play up to that standard this season, as one look at his numbers show. Still, the mitigating circumstances of offensive line and wide receiver issues as well as the uncertainty surrounding his own knee issue all contributed to it, and compared to the rest of the starting quarterbacks around the league he

The other reason Rodgers' performance stays out of the D or F range is because of Rodgers' leadership ability and the frequency with which he seemed to will his team back into games. While not the most impressive season overall, it did provide two of the most incredible plays in recent memory: a pair of Hail Mary touchdowns, including one in the postseason to send a playoff game to overtime. It was a season Packers fans will not soon forget, for both good reasons and bad.

Stay tuned as we look closer at the Packers' additions at the quarterback position in the 2015 offseason as well as break down the one upcoming free agent.

Continue reading @http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/ ...

 

[ChampionshipBelt]

I agree about TE. The issue is I am not sure Henry who would be my pick and is NFL ready is fast enough to stretch the field. But anybody is better than RR.

 

[#66]

McGinn on the importance of getting a quality TE

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...-help-at-tight-end-b99664370z1-367767831.html

 

[realitybytes]

McGinn on the importance of getting a quality TE

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...-help-at-tight-end-b99664370z1-367767831.html

In March, the Broncos made the difficult decision to let talented Julius Thomas walk in unrestricted free agency even though he caught 24 touchdown passes in 2013-'14. His five-year deal in Jacksonville contained $24 million in guarantees.

They responded by signing Owen Daniels at the start of free agency to a three-year contract with $3 million guaranteed. New coach Gary Kubiak had coached Daniels for his entire nine-year career.

In the AFC Championship Game, Daniels burned Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins of New England for touchdown receptions of 21 and 12 yards on almost identical stop-and-go routes.

"He knows what his role is going to be and he'll give you everything he's got," said Brian Pariani, the Broncos' tight ends coach. "Studies the game. Savvy route runner."

In March 2014, one day after Daniels said he had been released because of a failed physical after eight productive seasons as the starter in Houston, he agreed to visit the Packers.

"I was excited," Daniels said Wednesday. "I knew they didn't bring free agents up there very much. It would have been cool to go back up to Wisconsin."

Daniels, who played for the Badgers, had recently undergone sports-hernia surgery after sitting out the last 11 games of 2013 because of a fractured fibula. In 2009, he missed the last half of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

According to Daniels, he met with McCarthy and some coaches but never met general manager Ted Thompson. No offer was extended, but Daniels said a deal "probably would have" gotten done if he had been healthy.

"They kind of sent me on my way," said Daniels. "After that, we just never got anything done."

nice job, ted. owen daniels wanted to play in green bay, but you didn't even give him a moment of your precious time (too busy taking a nap I s'pose). now he's starting in the super bowl.

 

[Mr. Mid-Life-Crisis]

nice job, ted. owen daniels wanted to play in green bay, but you didn't even give him a moment of your precious time (too busy taking a nap I s'pose). now he's starting in the super bowl.

I don't know what it is when it comes to Tight Ends and Ted. I'm sure you recall the choke-job in not signing Tony Gonzalez?
I'm actually kinda tired of complaining about his reluctance to pull the trigger at times. When the team clearly needs help in certain areas, Ted just refuses to pull the flippin' trigger. I guess that's our GM.

 

[rpiotr01]

Adams had a good year against other team's 3rd or 4th best corners(sucked vs top Corners). I think that's where we need to put him in order to succeed.

Just to be clear, Adams was not facing top corners this year. In the home loss to Detroit, the Lions were missing their top 2-3 corners going into the game, and Adams got mugged, roughed up and shut down by a guy who started off the year playing WR. Believe it or not, James Jones was getting the attention from top guys. Let that sink in. The whole group lacked a single man beater (one that MM would play, anyway - thats a different thread), and they looked like they weren't being coached.

That structure change looks so incredibly arrogant in retrospect. WRs went from having ALL of Edgar Bennett, who IMO is a good coach and preaches accountability above all else, to having HALF of Alex Van Pelt. So not only did they get a new coach to adjust to, they only got half his time. MM really believed they were so good that that side of the ball could just run itself.

 

[Frozen Tundra]

I don't know what it is when it comes to Tight Ends and Ted. I'm sure you recall the choke-job in not signing Tony Gonzalez?
I'm actually kinda tired of complaining about his reluctance to pull the trigger at times. When the team clearly needs help in certain areas, Ted just refuses to pull the flippin' trigger. I guess that's our GM.

Hey, you never know. We may need that cap space someday if Jarret Bush ever gets cut and wants to come back.