2011 Season Preview: Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

Front Office:

Owner: The People of Green Bay

GM: Ted Thompson

A+: How cool is this franchise? I know I should not like them being a Lions fan but I cannot help it. Plus Ted Thompson is one of few General Managers I consider on Mayhew level…well I guess I should say Mayhew is on this guy’s level. Thompson knows how to draft and build a team. Plus he put a great coaching staff in place. I have Thompson envy along with many other teams out there.

Coaching Staff

HC: Mike McCarthy

OC: Josh Phelbin

DC: Dom Capers

A: Mike McCarthy does two things: win football games and develop quarterbacks. He was brought to the Packers because of his quarterback developing skills and has done wonders with Aaron Rogers as well as Matt Flynn. The Packers did not reach their potential until they hired Dom Capers to run the defense. He is a master of confusing the hell out of opposing OC and bringing fire and brimstone upon opposing QB’s. Josh Phelbin works well with McCarthy running the offense.

QB: A+

Aaron Rogers is the dude. Nothing fazes him. He has a rifle for an arm, great accuracy, great athletic ability, and has the confidence to wrestle the ghost of Brett Farve to the ground. It is incredibly hard to replace a Hall of Fame QB, but Rogers did so beautifully. Matt Flynn has shown the ability to be a solid backup quarterback and should get some offers from QB deprived teams.

RB: B-

James Starks had a great run to end the post season. He ran strong, confidently, and showed great field vision. Can he do it over the course of an entire season? I don’t know, but he will have competition for carries. Ryan Grant is coming off knee surgery and will try and prove he can come back strong. Also, Packers added Alex Green a third round selection from Hawaii. He is a strong runner with great hands.

WR/TE A+

Greg Jennings is a smidgeon below being an elite #1, but is right there. Donald Driver is still an effective WR, but not for much longer. Also, James Jones and Jordy Nelson provide excellent depth and allow for many 3 to 4 WR sets. The Packers stole Randall Cobb on draft day. He will be a big time weapon in a variety of ways. Packers also get their elite TE back from injury, Jermichaels Finley. That’s a plethora of targets and I am sure Thompson will acquire more in the near future.

OL: B

Thompson knows that the Lions will be their main competition. He also knows the Lions are acquiring a abundance of pass rushers. He is countering this by taking back to back 1^st round offensive lineman. Drafting Bryan Bulugua and Derrek Sherrod put the Packers in a decent position to keep Rogers standing upright. They also have Pro Bowl RG Josh Sitton and rock solid center Scott Wells. Left Guard is a crap shoot with TJ Lang being the front runner. Packers have veteran Chad Clifton playing the LT spot which helps their young OT’s develop for one more year.

DL: B

BJ Raji is one of the league’s most dominate defensive lineman. He has awesome strength and athleticism that many simply don’t have. Packers took a hit when they did not retain Cullen Jenkins since he was one of their few pass rushers. I know he is injured a lot and the Packers would have overpaid but still. Packers are hoping 2010 2^nd round selection Mike Neel is ready to step in. The team likes his ability, but was lost due to injuries last season. Ryan Pickett is the leader of this group. Guy is a consummate pro and brings it every down. I would like a bit more depth but this is far from a weakness.

LB: B/B+

Clay Matthews is using all that supposed HGH strength to dominate the league. All kidding aside he is a brute who is dominate in all phases of the game. The ILB duo of Desmond Bishop and AJ Hawk is rock solid. Bishop is the aggressive run stuffing ILB and Hawk is the cerebral ILB good in both pass coverage and run stuffing. The other pass rusher has been a revolving door the past two years. Brad Jones, Walden, and Fred Zonko will compete for this position this year. Ricky Ellmore will be a factor next season once he gets a bit more coaching.

DB: A-

Charles Woodson is declining but he has one more good season left in him. He is not elite anymore but I would still not throw to his side too often. Being an MSU fan I do not have a lot of love for Woodson but respect his talent and his leadership and was glad he finally won a Super Bowl title. Tramon Williams is a shut down CB and Sam Shields is a very good slot CB who is a capable starter. Depth is provided by Patrick Lee and Davon House. Packers have a good safety duo in Morgan Burnett and Nick Collins. This is the strength of the Packers defense.

2011 NFL Draft:

Derrek Sherrod was a steal at the end of the first round. He is able to play both RT and LT . I like his athleticism and size. With proper coaching, which the Packers have, he will be a rising star in the league. Randall Cobb was another steal. He is a Swiss Army Pocket Knife of talent and abilities. Alex Green is a great RB for this team. I also loved the selections of Davon House and the real steal of the draft Ricky Ellmore. A

Offensive/ Defensive Sleepers

Jordy Nelson really stepped up big in the post season. I know he had some drops but Aaron Rogers really looked comfortable throwing him the ball, especially on key plays. I think this will continue this season. With Driver’s talents slipping and Nelson above James Jones on the depth chart I can see Nelson stats being: 60 receptions, 700 yards, and 4-5 TD’s.

Mike Neal’s season was cut short last year. With Neel being healthy and Jenkins leaving in FA he will get his shot to start. Nesl is a physical beast but will have to prove he is comfortable in the 3-4. If he is I would expect 4-5 sacks and a few TFL in the run game.

2012 Season Prediction: 12-4

In many ways this Packer team is better than last year’s. The Packers are healthy and had a dynamic draft. The Packers will win their division and claim home field advantage. It is hard to go back to back years in the Super Bowl so I think a NFC Championship loss might be in hand…but I would not be surprised if the Packers went back…memo to Rogers: be careful vs. the Lions.

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