Green Bay saw its best remaining safety in Morgan Burnett leave for the Pittsburgh Steelers eight days ago. That certainly leaves a hole in the secondary that will need to be filled quickly. One guy that could end up filling that hole would be Kentrell Brice. A soon to be third year player out of Louisiana Tech, Brice saw very limited action in his career (25 games with only 7 total starts, including the postseason).
His limited action was most likely due to the play of Haha Clinton-Dix, Morgan Burnett, & Josh Jones, all of whom have contributed more to the team than Brice has in only two years. This is not to say that Brice doesn’t have the talent or ability to play as a starting caliber safety in the league, because he does.
For only being an NFL player for two years, Brice still tallied some pretty good stats for a third string safety on the depth chart behind both Josh Jones & Morgan Burnett. He ended up recording 17 total tackles to go along with one interception in 6 games played (3 total starts) in 2017. In 2016, his first year, he started in only one game, recording 17 tackles, & one fumble recovery. He saw his 2017 season end on injured reserve due a very severe ankle injury.
2018 could see a step up for Brice in both games played and overall production on the field so long as he stays healthy. Green Bay needs to find another answer to its bleakness in the secondary. Another free agent may be in mind as well as some more help via the defensive laden NFL draft in late April. There are a plethora of great options. The top options for them include Josh Jackson out of Iowa, Derwin James out of Florida State, Minkah Fitzpatrick out of Alabama, & Denzel Ward out of Ohio State. All of these options can be attainable either by waiting for them to fall to #14, or trading up to get one or two. Green Bay has the most picks of any team in draft (12), so any of these players can & would certainly bolster a very weak secondary.
Brice could also have to see a position change in order to see his production go up which won’t necessarily be a bad thing. Haha Clinton-Dix, a player listed ahead of Brice on defense, plays free safety, which is Brice’s natural position. A transition from free to strong safety would either mean he would compete with fellow starting strong safety Josh Jones for the starting job, or get snaps on a rotation with Jones. Whichever route Green Bay chooses to go should benefit Brice. He showed flashes of the great player he can be within his first two years in the NFL. Let’s hope that Brice doesn’t get left in the dust in the secondary. He has the ability to be a great & capable starting caliber safety in the secondary, so long as he stays healthy.
Green Bay needs help in the secondary bad. This became even more apparent when Green Bay traded away its best corner in Damarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback DeShone Kizer and swapped 4th and 5th round picks in the upcoming NFL draft. Everyone thought that it would hopefully lead to a signing of a big name free agent CB or two…Didn’t happen. Instead, they opted for a cheaper, proven veteran.
Williams will be a definitive upgrade over current starter Devon House. He is coming off of one of his best seasons as a pro and still has some gas left in the tank. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams allowed a catch percentage of 49.7 percent & a passer rating of just 58.4 percent over 666 total snaps on defense for the Arizona Cardinals in 2017–the lowest among all free agent CBs. He also had the 7th lowest yards per target in coverage at 30.2. He allowed a passer rating of 1.0 when targeted in man coverage.
People also often overlook the fact that he played an instrumental role in Green Bay bringing home a 4th Lombardi Trophy back in 2010. During that run, Williams tallied three total interceptions for a total of 79 yards with 1 TD. He also recorded 8 total tackles, 5 of which were solo. He played a very important role for Green Bay during that impressive run.
In eight years with Green Bay (127 games, 99 total starts), Williams recorded 28 total interceptions for 423 yards and 1 touchdown. He also forced 5 fumbles & had a total of 395 tackles while with Green Bay as well. He was and still is a very capable starting cornerback. He will provide Green Bay with some much needed veteran leadership on the defense. Something it hasn’t had since Julius Peppers back in 2014.
Overall, this reunion of sorts in Green Bay was a much needed one considering the dire direction the secondary was heading with Randall & Burnett both leaving for new teams. This move was smart from both a football and business perspective. Williams is a proven veteran who can and will provide a spark to a very rookie laden defense. I think Green Bay could benefit very much from this signing, especially if they get a few more impact players in the secondary via the draft, there’s plenty of options there.
Gutekunst isn’t done making moves just yet. It’s just the beginning. Providing a great pass rush with the addition of Mo Wilkerson on the defensive line will also make the secondary better. He knows Green Bay needs to become a championship caliber team & improving on a very porous pass defense by getting a proven veteran is a pretty good start.
Green Bay opened up the free agency period by doing three huge things. All of which will drastically impact the season. They started out by inking former New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson to a 1-year, $5M deal. A move which ends up bolstering a weak pass rush, something the Packers desperately need. Joining a defensive line with a slew of capable interior defenders, Wilkerson may have landed in the best possible spot for him to return to his formerly dominant self in 2018.
Packers interior defenders Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark bullied their opposition as a duo this past season, both earning 87.0-plus overall grades and 88.0-plus run-defense grades, according to Pro Football Focus. As such, Wilkerson should see much more 1-on-1 matchups as a cog in Green Bay’s defense which should give him more opportunities to make plays and re-earn the reputation of being a fierce defensive lineman.
What it means for Green Bay:
Fitting Wilkerson into the rotation at the interior of the defensive line with Clark and Daniels, two high-end rush defenders, gives defensive coordinator Mike Pettine a surplus firepower in the trenches to effectively stuff opposing ball carriers at the line of scrimmage. If Wilkerson can tap into his previous pass-rush successes, Pettine will have quite the interior pass-rush as well.
In 2015, easily the best season of his career, Wilkerson recorded 78 total pressures (including 12 sacks) across 575 pass-rush snaps, ranking fourth among all NFL interior defenders, according to Pro Football Focus. Of the 78 total pressures, 32 (41 percent) were recorded when Wilkerson was rushing outside of opposing right tackle. That alignment has still been successful for him despite decreased usage over the years.
Wilkerson’s 10.7 pressure percentage over the past three years (2015-17) rushing outside of the right tackle is far and away his best compared to any other alignment along the defensive line. However, after playing 42.98 percent of his snaps at said position in 2015, he played just 34.2 percent and 13.7 percent of his snaps rushing outside of the right tackle in 2016 & ‘17, respectively.
With Daniels and Clark at his disposal, Pettine will have the luxury of moving Wilkerson up and down the defensive line while the aforementioned duo handle the interior. If Pettine wanted to maximize his new defensive lineman’s skills, giving Wilkerson ample opportunities outside of the right tackle might be his best bet.
Bottom Line:
Signing Wilkerson to a one-year, “prove-it” deal limits the risk for Green Bay and gives him an opportunity to showcase himself before inking a much more lucrative, long-term contract in the future. Both parties should come out of this deal on top. I give this signing an A-.
Tight End Jimmy Graham:
They then signed tight end Jimmy Graham to a 3 year deal. Signing with the Green Bay Packers gives Graham an opportunity to return to a role that he finds more comfortable, which is as a perimeter passing weapon who spends a large amount of snaps out wide or in the slot rather than as a true in-line tight end. All three seasons Graham spent with the Seahawks were spent with more time lined up as a true tight end than he had during his last year with the Saints in 2014.
Graham’s final year as a Saint also saw him lined up at wide receiver on 197 snaps while Seattle didn’t line him up at wide receiver for 100 snaps in a season until his third and final season with the team, according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, Graham lined up in the slot on 304 snaps his final year in New Orleans but didn’t line up in the slot for 200 snaps until 2017. The pairing of Graham with Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy will see Graham in a role in which he enjoys and thrives.
What it means for Green Bay:
Graham is 31 years old now, so he isn’t the dominant presence he once was and is on the heels of his worst season as a pro. He can still be a highly effective mismatch player in the pass game however, and Graham has always been at his best when he can be moved around to take advantage of mismatches in coverage. In 2014, Graham caught 44 passes when he was lined up in the slot, which ranked No. 2 among all tight ends. That same season, his four touchdowns from the slot tied him for first among tight ends. Graham is likely not as fast as he once but he can still be a viable mismatch weapon from the slot for the Packers’ offense. Additionally, Graham still has the freaky size and very large catching radius to be a red zone weapon in Green Bay.
Bottom Line:
Aaron Rodgers is probably giddy with anticipation to have a pass-catching weapon with the track record of Jimmy Graham on his team. Rodgers’ pinpoint accuracy can also take advantage of his size and catch radius, especially in the end zone, however, he is not getting any younger. The Packers have given him a substantial amount of money on a team that had to shed the cap hit of longtime WR Jordy Nelson to make move this offseason. A move that gives them an additional $10.2M to be able to afford his contract (3 years, $30M). I give this signing a C+.
Overall, I give these two moves a combined B+. They address two glaring problems on both sides of the ball for them and also got them very good players to hopefully fix the problems. Green Bay rarely dips its hands into the free agency pool and for them to do that while also addressing the issues at hand for both the offense and defense speaks volumes about the direction the organization is going. Even though they had to do one of the moves at the expense of fan-favorite Jordy Nelson. He ended up signing a 2 year, $15M deal with the Oakland Raiders with $13M guaranteed, as first reported by NFL Insider Adam Schefter via Twitter at around 3:15 PM local time Thursday. These signings were much needed and addressed key issues with Green Bay, let’s hope they end up panning out.
The Packers were a busy team on the eve of the new NFL season. Unrestricted free agents cannot officially sign until today, but the Packers scored two players who will help address their major needs.
As the hours were ticking away into Tuesday afternoon, the Packers haven’t announced any deals, frustrating many fans who wondered if they were going to go through more of the same that they did for several years under Ted Thompson, which is getting their hopes up that TT will make a big splash in free agency and then coming up with bread crumbs, and sometimes not even that.
However, this time was different. New GM Brian Gutekunst was able to secure one of the top tight ends in the league in Jimmy Graham, and then a few hours later, they lured defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson to Green Bay.
Not all of the news made the Packer faithful happy though. Not long at all after the Jimmy Graham announcement, reports came out of Green Bay that Jordy Nelson was going to be released. Before the Wilkerson announcement, one of the free agents that would have helped fill a need, cornerback Trumaine Johnson, signed with the New York Jets instead of the Packers.
I can’t speak for any Packer fan except for myself, but I am excited about the Graham signing. Is he the same player he was five years ago? Probably not. Can he still make a huge impact, especially in the red zone? I think so. He is a touchdown machine. He has been blessed with some talented quarterbacks during his career with Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, and now Aaron Rodgers. Two of the three are locks for the Hall of Fame, and Russell Wilson has a very good chance of getting there as well when his career is finally over.
I was disappointed that they couldn’t lock up Trumaine Johnson. When I heard the news, I knew that the Packers had to make a move to settle the Green Bay faithful down a bit, a move like acquiring Wilkerson, which they did a short time later. Wilkerson is a talented player, but he had some disciplinary issues for the Jets, mainly tardiness. The team finally got tired of his act. I am sure that Gutekunst and Mike McCarthy will talk with him and let him know that he has a clean slate in Green Bay. If he keeps his head where it needs to be, he can be a great asset. It’s not the number of sacks that will determine his greatness; it’s his presence. I think of former Packer Ryan Pickett. Pickett didn’t dominate the stat sheet, but his presence made it easier for every other player on the defensive line. In the Super Bowl vs Pittsburgh, Pickett wrapped up Rashard Mendenhall, giving Clay Matthews a chance to make a hit and force a key fumble. Another former Jet, Howard Green, didn’t fill up the stat sheet either, but he made his presence felt at times, none more than when he pressured Ben Roethlisberger in that same game, hitting his arm and causing the ball to be underthrown and intercepted by Nick Collins, who returned it for a touchdown. Will Wilkerson make a key play in a game for Green Bay? Only time will tell.
Good things unfortunately have to come to an end sometimes as Jordy Nelson has been released. The team apparently wanted him to take a huge pay cut and the two sides were unable to come to an agreement. Whether it was the right move or not, this one hurts. Jordy is one of the true good guys in football. I knew when the end was coming for Donald Driver in Green Bay, and that one hurt as well. Could Jordy eventually return for a lower salary? Anything is possible, but until I hear otherwise, it is goodbye for now. He will obviously get inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame someday, and when his career is over, he will always be welcome back in Green Bay. It remains to be seen what will happen with Randall Cobb, who is in the final year of his contract.
Overall, I am excited about the two new players, but the team still has a lot of work to do with the roster before they are ready to make a Super Bowl run this next season. Even if the team doesn’t make any other significant free agent signings, there are still other ways of acquiring good talent such as trades. We now have an aggressive GM who will do what it takes to get players on this team. Whether or not I agree with the moves that Gutekunst made, such as the release of Jordy Nelson, he faced the media and talked about why he did it. I respect the fact that he makes himself available like that. Ted Thompson rarely addressed the media, leaving McCarthy there to answer questions and be the fall guy. Now that Kirk Cousins has agreed to a deal with the Vikings, one of the things the Packers are going to focus on is getting that contract extension done with Aaron Rodgers. Clay Matthews may have to restructure his deal, or he may not last much longer in Green Bay. Once again, it will hurt if he gets released, but sometimes you have to make tough and unpopular decisions in order to achieve success.
There will be many bumps along the way, but it’s going to be quite a ride these next few months. It’s all about putting a team together that is capable of adding another Vince Lombardi Trophy to the collection in Green Bay. Stay tuned because the chase for another Super Bowl Championship has already begun.
Green Bay ended up trading its top cornerback Damarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns for quarterback DeShone Kizer and will also swap picks in the 4th and 5th rounds of the NFL draft next month according to NFL Insider Ian Rappaport on Friday. This ended up putting Green Bay’s fans into a frenzied panic. It left them wondering if this was really a good move or not. I’m here to tell you it was.
The 30th overall pick in the last year’s draft by the Packers, Randall’s career in Green Bay started off promising. He ended up playing in 15 games (9 starts), logged three INTs and 14 pass breakups in that rookie season. The following two seasons though, Randall played in a total of 24 of a possible 32 games. He battled groin and knee injuries, and in a Week 4 win over Chicago this past season, Randall was benched after an argument with an assistant coach. With the deadline for the Packers to decide whether they want to pick up his 2019 fifth-year option coming up on May 2nd, Green Bay faced a tough decision on the DB’s future. By agreeing to trade him on Friday, that choice no longer needs to be made.
This now begs the question: What do the Packers do to replace him? Do they go get a multi-positional safety//CB/ILB hybrid player like Derwin James out of Florida State? Do they get a physical, sure-handed CB in Josh Jackson out of Iowa? Finally, do they go after a CB in free agency? There are plenty of great options there as well.
There have been a few names tossed around as far as free agency goes. The top ones seem to be Aaron Colvin formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Richard Sherman formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, Malcolm Butler formerly of the New England Patriots, and finally, Trumaine Johnson formerly of the Los Angeles Rams. All of them sound like very intriguing options and all have the physical skills and hands you’d want in a CB. I would think Green Bay could possibly go get one or two in free agency and get one in the draft as well. They don’t really have a ton of depth at the position behind Randall. Now that he’s gone, they need to figure out the best way to get that depth. Using the draft and free agency could be the solution.
GM Brian Gutekunst knows that he wants to build around Aaron Rodgers as he is the focal point and cornerstone of the team and organization. Part of him being more aggressive in free agency is trying to shy away from the simple draft and develop philosophy Green Bay had under his predecessor Ted Thompson. This likely means using most, if not all of its cap space it has on key positions of need that could make an impact for them in the 2018 season.
Green Bay has roughly around $21.2M to spend in free agency as of now. Restructuring a few contracts (mainly Aaron Rodgers & Clay Matthews), could end up saving them a combined $23.4M in cap space. Rodgers and the Packers are reportedly very close to a new contract extension but will wait until Kirk Cousins’ new deal is complete before finalizing. We will see where things stand after Cousins gets his extension.
The bottom line is that Green Bay wouldn’t have gotten this trade done had it not already had a plan in mind. Randall was the top CB on the roster and for them to get rid of him without any compensation in return would be blasphemous. Brian Gutekunst has to have something big up his sleeve because this was one of the biggest shockers in free agency and Packerland thus far in the offseason. My guess is this means a premiere CB is coming to Green Bay via the draft, free agency, or both. Whether this means they sign one or two in free agency and forget the draft all together for a CB remains to be seen.
Both could be plausible options to find a suitable replacement for Randall in Green Bay. They can’t and won’t go empty handed after this trade. The remaining CBs have a combined 12 total starts (Pipkins, King, & Hawkins). A far cry from Randall, who started 30 of 39 total games while on the Packers. Gutekunst won’t let this go without getting anything in return. Expect some free agent fireworks in Green Bay in the coming months. This crazy offseason is far from over in Titletown.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made it clear during last week’s NFL scouting combine that being “aggressive” in free agency doesn’t necessarily mean Green Bay will sign a ton of players right off the bat. Instead, the first-year general manager simply wants to be in more conversations than the team was under his predecessor and mentor, Ted Thompson. Whether this means that they sign more veteran leadership or players at key positions of need remains to be seen as free agency doesn’t start officially until March 14th.
The Packers might be the ideal destination for Wilkerson given all that has transpired so far in the offseason. New Green Bay defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was one of the driving forces behind the Jets’ decision to draft him with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 draft. He showed an upside in his first two seasons under Mike Pettine’s defense, so there’s a comfort level with the scheme. Since 2011, however, his stats have taken a dive. In the last 28 games (27 starts), he’s compiled only 8 sacks along with 59 total tackles. Wilkerson had 10.5 sacks in 2013 and 12 sacks in 2015, his two most productive seasons.
Green Bay was one of the worst defensive units at constantly getting pressure on the QB. They only compiled 37 total sacks, 14 forced fumbles, and 54 interceptions. Wilkerson could end up being the difference maker up front on defense that the Packers need. Current Green Bay defensive end Mike Daniels has been adamantly trying to recruit defensive talent to come play in Green Bay along with offensive tackle David Bakhtiari. Let’s hope the recruiting tactics end up working out in Green Bay’s favor.
The trio up front of Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, & Muhammad Wilkerson could possibly end up wreaking havoc on opposing QBs. It would certainly provide a boost up front that Green Bay’s defense desperately needs. I would think that Wilkerson had Green Bay first up on his list for organizational visits for a reason. He would most definitely be a welcome & needed addition & would certainly make a positive impact on a rather negative defense. GM Brian Gutekunst was quoted at the NFL combine last week in regards to free agency saying: “Our big thing is, let’s be exceptionally prepared to pull the trigger if the right opportunity presents itself.” Green Bay has the right defensive staff for Wilkerson & a championship mindset. The right opportunity seems to be here, time to pull the trigger.
Newly hired Packers G.M Brian Gutekunst was asked about free agency at the press event during the 2018 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mainly about the role he would have in regards to it. He was quoted as saying: “Our big thing is, let’s be exceptionally prepared to pull the trigger if the right opportunity presents itself.” This is one mindset his predecessor Ted Thompson didn’t have.
This sounds all well and good, but let’s see if it all pans out. Green Bay seldom dips its hands into the free agent pool and is only known primarily as a draft and develop type of organization. Now, that’s not to say that they don’t ever go after big name free agents, because they do — albeit rarely. The biggest free agent signing in Green Bay’s history (and some say the NFL’s), came in 1993 offseason. “The Minister of Defense” Reggie White was picked up by them via the Philadelphia Eagles. White would go on to lead Green Bay’s ferocious 1996 team’s defense and ultimately to the organization’s third Super Bowl title (its first since 1967), in Super Bowl 31 in January of 1997. He ended up recording 3 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, culminating into a victory 35-21 over the New England Patriots.
They then got veteran CB Charles Woodson from the Oakland Raiders in 2006. Woodson and co. would eventually help Green Bay capture its 4th Super Bowl title in franchise history back in 2010. They also went after former Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers DE Julius Peppers back in 2014 to bring some veteran juice and leadership to a defense that was well void of it.
Then came the 2016 offseason…Green Bay signed former Patriot tight end Martellus Bennett. A person Packer fans had high hopes for in 2016 and beyond. Those hopes quickly faded away. It wouldn’t end up working out. Bennett would only play in 7 games and record 24 receptions for 233 yards and 0 touchdowns. Packers QB and leader Aaron Rodgers would end up getting injured in week 6 of the 2017 season against the Vikings. This was the proverbial nail in the coffin for Bennett with Green Bay. He ended up feigning a shoulder injury suffered back in March of 2016. He would end up signing back with the Patriots a few days after getting released. Green Bay then failed to receive Bennett’s 4.2M dollar signing bonus due to a failed attempt at a grievance filed against him, a decision that was denied by an independent representative of the NFL Arbitration Committee three days ago.
Let’s just hope that all goes well this year and for years to come in Green Bay. I love the new faces in the front office and the new mindset for free agency they have. It’s aggressive yet cautious. I just hope it’s not too cautious. They’ve got to get some defensive help for Rodgers and the offense if they expect to go far in the postseason. I believe they will do what it takes to make Green Bay the championship caliber team it can be. Packer fans should have the same mindset for hopes that Gutekunst has for free agency: hopeful, yet cautious. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Packers will have roughly $21M dollars in cap space in the 2018 off-season for use on current players and/or free agents. Here are some great ones from different positions of need that could make an impact for the organization heading into the 2018 season.
#10: Trey Burton, TE, Philadelphia Eagles.
Last season, Burton caught 23 passes for 248 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 15 games, playing behind Pro Bowler Zach Ertz. Burton, an undrafted free agent, made one start in 2017 and saw his snaps increase while Ertz recovered from a concussion suffered in Week 13 against the Seattle Seahawks. In four seasons with the Eagles, Burton has had 63 catches for 629 yards and six total touchdowns. He’s not the top offensive target nor even the top Tight End target for Green Bay, but he could still make an impact for them.
#9: Cameron Brate, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brate is set to become a restricted free agent in 2018 which leads me to believe that Tampa Bay will end up getting a deal done to get him to stay with them. In his four years with Tampa Bay, Brate caught 129 passes for 1,556 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brate had a catch percentage of 62.3% in 2017 which ranked 4th among the 7 free agent tight ends.
#8: Tramon Williams, CB, Arizona Cardinals.
The former Pro Bowler left Green Bay to play for Mike Pettine in Cleveland in 2016. He’ll be turning 35 in March, but he’s also coming off of one of his best seasons as a pro and still has gas left in the tank. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams allowed a catch percentage of 49.7 percent & a passer rating of just 58.4 percent over 666 total snaps on defense for Arizona in 2017. He knows Green Bay’s scheme, he knows their staff, and he won’t be too expensive. What’s not to like?
#7: Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts.
A third round draft choice out of Ole Miss in 2014, Moncrief was the #2 wide receiver behind T.Y. Hilton during his tenure with the Colts. The biggest problem with him is the fact that he only has 1,875 yards and 18 total touchdowns in his career so far. Getting that little of production in 4 years as the #2 wide receiver on the team is a red flag and the main reason I have him so low on this list. Sure, if Green Bay gets rid of Cobb (which they could), Moncrief could be his replacement in the slot but even still, I don’t think he gets the job outright if Cobb gets cut and Ty Montgomery switches back to wide receiver. It’ll be tough for him to out-dual Montgomery for that position.
#6: Trumaine Johnson, CB, LA Rams.
A third round draft choice out of Montana in 2012, Johnson has become one of the league’s best defenders. In 2012, his rookie season, he appeared in all 16 games, recording 31 tackles, 8 pass deflections and had 2 interceptions. He followed that up by recording 68 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions in 16 games in 2013. He missed extensive time due to a knee injury 2014, only playing in nine games. Even though he started in a little more than half the games that year, he was still able to rack up 36 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and have 3 interceptions. In 2015 he had the best season of his NFL career thus far. In 14 games with 13 starts he recorded 71 tackles, 17 pass breakups and had 7 interceptions. In 2016, he recorded 57 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and had 1 interception. Per Pro Football Focus, Johnson was targeted 89 times in the passing game last year, allowing just 51 catches for 759 yards and only one touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks recorded just a 79.8 passer rating when throwing in his direction in 2017. He could also be an upgrade to a very porous pass defense in Green Bay.
#5: Aaron Colvin, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars.
Left in the dust behind two Pro Bowl cornerbacks in Jacksonville, Colvin quietly pieced together another great season in 2017. He never gave up a touchdown pass despite facing 62 targets while playing a total of 700 snaps on defense, per Pro Football Focus. Quarterbacks completed 45 total passes for just 315 yards when targeting him in coverage. The 26-year-old can play inside or out and is an aggressive tackler. In Green Bay’s scheme under Pettine, he’d be an immediate starter & an upgrade over Davon House.
#4: Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals.
Tyler Eifert, 27, was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft out of Notre Dame. He started 30 of 39 games in his career. He’s had 127 receptions for 1,537 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had an 80% catch percentage in 2016 (he only played in two games in 2017), which ranks 1st among the 7 other free agent tight ends. The biggest issue with Eifert would be injury. He hasn’t played all that much from 2013 to now. Do I think he could flourish in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers throwing to him? Absolutely. Can he stay healthy enough? That I don’t know the answer to and that is the million dollar question when it comes to him.
#3: Malcolm Butler, CB, New England Patriots.
Malcolm Butler, the former Super Bowl MVP who famously picked off Seattle’s Russell Wilson from one yard away on the goal-line in Super Bowl 49, is set to hit the open market. While he won’t be cheap, he would make a lot of sense for a team like Green Bay that struggles on defense- mainly against the pass. Butler has developed into a real star at his position and New England is probably unlikely to pay him in the offseason. They already were rumored to be trying to deal him this past offseason, probably in hopes of getting something better than a compensatory pick for his contributions. Green Bay has some young talent in the secondary, but their coverage still lacks in key positions. Butler would immediately be their top coverage guy. Through four years, he’s been proven to force turnovers. He has eight career interceptions and four forced fumbles-all over the past three seasons as he wasn’t a regular contributor as a rookie. His presence could greatly increase the pass defense in Green Bay, which would in turn help them win more games and possibly another Super Bowl-which is the ultimate goal.
#2: Austin Safarien-Jenkins, TE, New York Jets.
Safarien-Jenkins, 25, is the youngest of the bunch for tight end free agents in 2018. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 in the second round out of Washington. He played two years in Tampa Bay from 2014-’16. He got released in late September due to a DUI charge and was claimed off of waivers by the New York Jets three days later. He had 105 career receptions for 1,070 yards and 10 total touchdowns. He had a 67.6% catch percentage which ranks 3rd among the other seven free agent tight end targets in 2018. He could provide the necessary spark to a very anemic and vanilla Green Bay offensive scheme.
#1: Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks.
Graham, 31, was selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft out of the University of Miami by the New Orleans Saints. In 5 years with NOLA from 2010-’15 (78 total games, 50 starts), he caught 396 passes for 4,752 yards and 51 touchdowns. In 3 years with Seattle (43 total games, 39 starts), he caught 170 passes for 2,048 yards, and 18 touchdowns. In total, 556 receptions for 6,800 yards, and 69 total touchdowns. By far the most of all 7 free agent tight ends. The only concern I have with Graham is age. At 31, he’s the 2nd oldest free agent tight end behind Virgil Green. I think with Jimmy Graham in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense, it’ll make Green Bay that much harder to stop. I also think Jimmy Graham has the best ability to stretch the field than the other tight ends in this free agent class. It’ll be interesting to see which route Gutekunst ends up going as far as picking up free agents but I know that he wants to improve Green Bay and get them back to being a championship team.
This off-season has been a crazy one in Packer land so far. The front office got cleaned up in regards to management. Ted Thompson was moved from the GM role to a Senior Advisor, former VP of talent and relations Eliot Wolf went to Cleveland as an assistant GM, Dom Capers- Green Bay’s long-time defensive coordinator was fired, and finally, Green Bay got rid of QB coach Alex Van Pelt.
This brought about questions regarding the players in Green Bay. Specifically Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. What will Green Bay end up doing with them? Will they release both, restructure both, or will both take a pay cut to stay with Green Bay? These questions and more will be answered within the coming months.
Randall Cobb: $12.75M in 2018, the most expensive player not named Aaron Rodgers. $3.25M in dead money to release. Hasn’t topped 1000 yards in three seasons, averaging just under 5 TDs a year. 27 years old.
Jordy Nelson: $12.55M in 2017, $2.3M in dead money. Less than 500 yards this year, but still caught 6 TDs (more than Cobb) and only one year removed from monster 2016 season. 32 years old.
Both could possibly restructure. As a WR trio from 2014-’17, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, & Davante Adams combined for 781 receptions totaling 9,988 yards and 85 total touchdowns. They also averaged 12.7 yards per catch.
In 2017, Jordy Nelson ranked 5th in the NFL in separation for #1 WRs. (2.68 yards per separation at target). Out wide separation: 2.54 (73 percent of plays). Slot separation: 2.97 (26 percent of plays). Air yards per target: 12.8.
Randall Cobb ranked 2nd for slot WRs in separation. (3.42 yards per separation at target). Slot separation: 3.36 (73.8 percent of targets) Out wide separation: 3.53 (15.5 percent of targets). Air yards per target: 7.9. Aaron Rodgers won’t want that type of production to be gone in 2018.
The most expendable out of the two though would be Cobb. You could take Montgomery out of his RB role and put him back in the WR role in the slot to replace Cobb and still keep Nelson on the outside. All of this being said though, I still don’t think Green Bay goes as far as to release both. They either go with one or the other, or try and restructure both. Why? Because Green Bay doesn’t have any depth at wide receiver.
If they draft a replacement, how long it will take for the rapport to build up between Rodgers and the new draftee? Also, it’s not a guarantee that both Cobb and Nelson will be cut. They could both still remain on the team with pay cuts. It would be a HUGE loss to the offense if either player goes. Also, replacing Cobb with Montgomery wouldn’t necessarily fix the problem either.
I personally think they’ll both take pay cuts to remain with Green Bay. Rodgers himself may shell out a few thousand from his next contract extension to keep them. He doesn’t want to lose his two top targets and I don’t think Green Bay wants to either. They both still have gas left in the tank. Sure, their production has gone down since 2014 but that’s just due to age & wear & tear. They both can still play and Rodgers knows this.
He will do everything he can to make sure the front office keeps his two top targets on the team. It would be absolutely crazy to think that both Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson will not be with Green Bay in 2018. They still fit the offensive scheme very well and can provide Rodgers with more of an attack on offense.
I just hope Green Bay makes the right decision. I do know it will be a very tough one as both are very talented players and both are key pieces to a well running Green Bay offense. It’ll be hard for me to watch an Aaron Rodgers-led offense in 2018 without his two top targets in it. I know it’ll be tough for other fans as well. Stay tuned, this crazy off-season isn’t over yet. Not by a long-shot.
The 2017-18 NFL Season is now over, and despite a great Super Bowl, it was a down year overall, and not just for the Green Bay Packers. I do congratulate the Philadelphia Eagles on a great season and for winning their first Super Bowl. I have a lot of respect for how the Eagles built their team. Even when they had the best record in the league, they were still looking for ways to improve their roster. They didn’t take anything for granted, and when Carson Wentz was lost for the season, they rallied around Nick Foles, the MVP of Super Bowl LII. Perhaps the Packers’ front office can learn a few things from the Eagles and make the necessary changes to the roster in order to bring home another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The Packers got off to a promising 4-1 start to their season, and then Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone and missed all but one game the rest of the season as the team fell to 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Let’s look back on some of the highs and lows from their year.
Win of the Year:
For the second year in a row, the top win in my opinion is against the Dallas Cowboys on the road. The Packers fell behind 21-6 at one point, but they rallied in the second half, and in a fourth quarter that saw five lead changes, the final one belonged to the Packers, who scored with 11 seconds remaining in the game on a pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams. Adams, who suffered a concussion in the previous game vs the Bears on a Thursday night, scored twice in the game. The Packers improved to 4-1 on the season, and Rodgers was looking like a serious MVP candidate at the time.
Honorable Mention:
It’s always gratifying to beat the Chicago Bears, especially at Soldier Field, but this one was more gratifying than most others. Rodgers was injured, and Brett Hundley was the starter at that point. Entering the Chicago game, the Packers were 0-3 since Hundley took over and not looking good at all, especially on offense. The Bears and their fans were licking their chops, thinking this is the perfect opportunity to kick them when they are down. The Bears, favorites vs the Packers for the first time since 2008, came out flat, especially on offense. The Bears, down 10-3 in the first half, had a golden opportunity to get a score and tie the game, but Benny Cunningham fumbled the ball over the pylon and out of bounds near the goal line. He was originally ruled out at the 2-yard line, but Head Coach John Fox, thinking that he may have scored, challenged the play, and even though he won the challenge, he lost the ball on a turnover. Hundley had a decent game, and the defense played fairly well that day, and the Packers won 23-16 and are now two games ahead of the Bears in the all-time series. Fox got fired after the season, and this game, especially his decision to challenge the call, weighed heavily into that decision. Even though most of us thought it was a lost year for the Packers, you had to admit that you had a smile on your face after that win, even if it lasted for just a few short days. No matter how badly the season went after that, no Bear fan could talk trash after that game and be taken seriously.
Worst Loss of the Year:
Could it be anything else? The loss in Minnesota was the worst. After that thrilling win in Dallas, they traveled to Minnesota, where their season would change for the worse. As we all know, Rodgers got hit by Anthony Barr, who drove him into the turf, breaking his collarbone. That hit sucked the energy out of all the Packer faithful. Whether we wanted to admit it publicly or not, we knew that our season was all but over. Rubbing salt in our wounds was the fact that many (but not all) Viking fans were cheering the injury. It’s no wonder why many of us took great satisfaction in seeing the Vikings get destroyed by the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. It’s why the win over the Bears was especially gratifying for me as well since some Bear fans were cheering Rodgers getting injured. What goes around comes around.
(Dis)Honorable Mention:
After that road win over the Bears, the Packers hosted the Baltimore Ravens, who also had one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Unlike the Bears though, they had a veteran QB in Joe Flacco, who was a Super Bowl MVP at one point. Brett Hundley played poorly, and the Packers were shut out 23-0 at home, their first of two that season. They would lose 16-0 at home to those (censored) Vikings in December as well. Both losses I mentioned here (the first loss to the Vikings and the Baltimore loss) came after the two wins (Cowboys and Bears) that I mentioned earlier.
We all knew how valuable Rodgers was to our team, but never did it show more than it did this year. If Rodgers played the whole season, there is a great chance they make it to the NFC Championship Game at least. Without him, they can barely beat the winless Cleveland Browns. As soon as their season came to an end, changes were made to the front office and to the coaching staff.
Dom Capers is (finally) gone, replaced by Mike Pettine. Edgar Bennett is out as the Offensive Coordinator, and Joe Philbin is back in Green Bay. Ted Thompson is also out as General Manager. He got reassigned and has been replaced by Brian Gutekunst. QB Coach Alex Van Pelt has been let go, a move that didn’t please Aaron Rodgers very much. When you expect greatness (and greatness means championships in Green Bay), changes are going to be made when you go 7-9 after 8 consecutive playoff appearances.
I am optimistic about these changes. Gutekunst says that he will focus on signing free agents, a welcome change after what we had to put up with in Ted Thompson. Pettine is fired up and wants to win a Super Bowl. If he can improve the defense and get them into the upper half this next season, that will be a great sign moving forward.
Also, I know many of you are worried about some comments that Rodgers made recently. He said that he may have to go elsewhere to finish his career. He also was perturbed about the change in QB Coach without him being informed about it. I agree that it was a blunder on their part, but winning changes everything. I don’t expect the front office to make that mistake with Rodgers again. I also expect in the next year or so that Rodgers will sign a huge contract extension, virtually guaranteeing that he will remain with the Packers for the rest of his career. Despite what you heard from Rodgers, he wants to be in Green Bay. They took a chance on him when they drafted him, and he is thankful for that opportunity.
I am optimistic about the future, but they also have to prove it to me with results. Ted Thompson messed up badly when he let Jared Cook walk when he wanted to return and Rodgers wanted him back as well. We cannot afford mistakes of this magnitude if we want to bring more championships to Green Bay, and we certainly want to do that. This team is not far away at all. There is no reason why we can’t make the Super Bowl next year and bring another trophy to Titletown.
I predict that within the next two years, we will add another trophy to our collection. It’s not about whether you fall down; it’s whether you get back up. We will get back up, and we will be stronger than ever before. Stay positive Packer fans! We will be on top again very soon!
