Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ready to bounce back to his All-Pro form this season, returning from an injury plagued 2013 that kept him on the sidelines for nearly half of the year. Rodgers has been so good when healthy, that now anytime he steps onto the field, expectations are high for himself and his offense. Luckily for the Packers, when Rodgers did go down mid way through the year, rookie running back Eddie Lacy stepped up in a big way, and showed he can carry (literally) the offense on his back, and help take pressure of Rodgers and the passing game.
Rodgers has also shown he can succumb the losses of his once big named targets, like Greg Jennings, and now James Jones. This year Rodgers will have plenty of new faces and talent at both the receiver and tight end position, thanks to another solid draft by general manager Ted Thompson, including Davante Adams, Richard Rodgers, and local product Jarred Abbrederis.
Quarterback
When you have one of the best and most consistent quarterbacks of nearly the last decade, there isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the position. Although, the latter of that statement has now come to the forefront of many peoples minds, as losing Rodgers for any amount of time proved to be a hard pill for the team to swallow. Even after staying healthy most of his career, after missing a big chunk of last season, some have been quick to label the mobile Rodgers “injury prone”. With a young and inexperienced offensive line protecting him, time will answer many questions people have lingering from last season.
After what happened last season though, there seems to be a serious battle for the backup spot more than ever. Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien will go back and forth throughout training camp for the number two spot, and Mike McCarthy will make sure its a competitive battle all the way up to week one.
Running Back
Eddy Lacy lived up to the hype, and more of the number one running back taken in last years draft. Lacy was so good during the final stretch of the season, carrying the load for the Packers offense while Rodgers was out, that he eventually went on to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
However, after the sudden announcement of Jonathan Franklin’s retirement, the Packers backup to Lacy is yet to be determined. James Starks is the veteran that always seems to be lingering around, while DuJuan Harris has more explosiveness, but is coming off an leg injury. Throw two undrafted free agents into the mix, and their will be heavy competition at this position during training camp. Each player knows with four players vying for one spot, they will each have limited opportunities to flash, and will have to make the most of the playing time their given.
Wide Receiver
The loss of a big playmaker like James Jones seems like it would have some cause of concern for Rodgers, McCarthy, and the rest of the offense, but thats just how Ted Thompson and the Packers role. Thompson went into the draft knowing he had to replace Jones in some fashion, and left the weekend with three, count em, three legitimate pass catchers. Rookie Davante Adams was the teams second-round pick out of Fresno State, and will likely man the outside position opposite Jordy Nelson, sooner or later. Adams was up-and-down throughout OTAs though, dropping balls that will have to be caught when the real games are being played.
Randall Cobb is the Packers most dangerous weapon and will be used all over the field, but most natural position is lined up inside in the slot. The same can be said for Wisconsin Badger product Jarred Abbrederis who was selected in the fourth-round. Abbrederis is a good route-runner with sure hands, and could grow a nice rapport with Rodgers depending on how much playing time he receives. Still, with Cobb being motioned all over, including into the backfield, Abbrederis could see plenty of playing time, including lined up on the inside.
Seventh-round pick Jeff Janis stood out to me at the Senior Bowl, with his big frame and strong hands. Coming from division-two Janis will need to put in a lot of work before he sees real playing time, but the potential for him in this offense is high, especially after watching other late-round receivers thrive in this system.
After a great draft at the position by Thompson, this unit has loads of potential on paper, but realistically won’t hit their pick for at least another season or two. This year though, Nelson and Cobb will be Rodger’s primary receiving targets that he can rely on to be in the right spots at the right time, but keep a heavy eye on the three rookies mentioned above, and just how quickly they can adjust to the pros. We’ve seen this team run a spread passing-attack many times last year, which would equate to lots of playing time for some of these new faces.
Training camp will be a big tell as to who’s making the smoothest transition, and where McCarthy thinks is the best spot to line his rookies up at.
Tight End
A horrific neck injury almost ruined the life of former Packer tight end Jermichael Finley, and left a gapping hole on the teams roster. Thompson, as always, went into the draft to fill that void, by selecting Richard Rodgers in the third round. Rodgers has shown flashes of being a starting caliber weapon, showing off his size and explosiveness during the offseason workouts and OTAs. Meanwhile Andrew Quarless will be atop of him on the depth chart likely throughout training camp, but its clear Rodgers is the more dynamic of the two, and the future at the position.
Of course we can’t talk Packer tight ends without mentioning Colt Lyerla. The projected first-rounder went undrafted after multiple run ins with the law, including cocaine possession. Thompson took a flier on him after the draft, giving Lylera a second chance at fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing progressional football. So far, Lyerla has made some nice plays this offseason that remind you just how good he can be, but have also negated those plays with plenty of rookie inconsistencies. Lyerla is fighting an up hill battle to make the team, and will have to learn the ropes quickly if he wants a shot at the final 53-man roster, but has plenty of time to get acclimated and impress coaches during training camp and preseason games. With Finley off the roster, Lyerla could sneak his way on the team simply based off the lack of depth the packers own at the position.
Offensive Line
Quick, can you name all five starting offensive lineman? Okay, how about four? Three? With Aaron Rodgers running the show, and Lacy going off last season, you would think this group would be more recognizable unit. However, this starting five seems to be the biggest question mark out of any on that side of the ball. The one phrase that can sum up this group; if their not injury prone then their young and inexperienced.
Starting at right tackle, Bryan Bulaga is practicing with a brace on his knee after having season ending surgery last year. Bulaga will have a huge chip on his shoulder to prove he can stay healthy and contribute for a full slate of games. Last years fourth-round pick David Bakhtiari is penciled in as the teams starting left tackle, something that speaks volumes as to just how confident coaches are in his ability to protect their franchise player’s blind side. Both these tackles will have a lot of focus on them heading into training camp, but for completely different reasons.
Guards T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton both have been around the block and have proven their worth for multiple seasons now, providing solid protection in both the run and pass game. Neither will have much competition heading into preseason games, as coaches will be more focused on who will be backing them up.
J.C. Tretter is your man in the middle, another second-year player with little experience. The center spot seems to be his job to lose, as he received virtually all the first-team snaps during the offseason. However, don’t count out this years fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley was a big contributor for an Ohio State Buckeyes team that produced a ton of yards last season and was extremely productive. Linsley can swing around and play a variety of spots as well, and seems to fit the mold of both a Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy type player in the trenches.
If this unit can stay healthy than I have a hard time imagining they won’t be a productive unit. With Lacy and Rodgers running the show, the hard part is already done for them. Still their inexperience both individually and as a whole unit, are both things that are cause for concern. Get out of training camp healthy, and everything should be fine.