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Comparing the 2017 & 2018 INITIAL Rosters

TheOnlyThing

By TheOnlyThing
in Green Bay Packers

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TheOnlyThing

TheOnlyThing

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The INITIAL 2018 roster is set (with the caveat that additional changes may be forthcoming).

How does the 2018 talent compare to that of the INITIAL 53 from 2017?

[Additions/subtractions to the roster are bolded/italicized].

QB = UNCHANGED.

2018 RODGERS, KIZER, BOYLE

2017 RODGERS, HUNDLEY

This position is still all about #12 and there is no reason to think he has regressed since last year.

Unlikely Kizer will do anything more to win games if Rodgers gets injured than Hundley did last year. Boyle is a distant prospect.

RB = SLIGHT UPGRADE

2018 WILLIAMS, JONES (after game 2), MONTGOMERY, JACKSON

2017 MONTGOMERY, WILLIAMS, JONES, MAYS, RIPKOWSKI

That Williams and Jones are not rookies and the staff does not seem as determined to play Montgomery ahead of them are the reasons for being optimistic that the RB position will be better in 2018.

WR = DON’T KNOW

2018 ADAMS, COBB, ALLISON, ESB, MOORE, MVS, DAVIS

2017 ADAMS, COBB, NELSON, ALLISON (after game 1), Davis, JANIS

Arguments could be made either way.

The 2018 depth beyond WR4 is obviously much improved (Janis & Davis, Oy vey).

However, Aaron had a great comfort level with Jordy and Allison as WR3 is not ideal.

TE = SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE

2018 GRAHAM, LEWIS, KENDRICKS, TONYAN

2017 BENNETT, KENDRICKS, RODGERS

Bennett’s play sucked before he quit. Kendricks had a crappy 2017 season. Rodgers was so valued that he was allowed to walk.

Graham doesn’t block or run very well anymore, but he is a real red-zone threat. Lewis fulfills the blocking TE role, and Kendricks or Tonyan are fine as the third TE.

OL = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

2018 BAKHTIARI, TAYLOR, LINSLEY, MCCRAY, BULAGA, SPRIGGS, PATRICK, BELL, LIGHT,

2017 BAKHTIARI, TAYLOR, LINSLEY, EVANS, BULAGA, MCCRAY, BARCLAY, MURPHY, SPRIGGS, PATRICK

There is no change with Bakh, Taylor, and Linsley on the left side and at center. McCray will hopefully be a push with Evans.

However, is the Bulaga of 2018, coming off another serious injury and another year older, as good as the Bulaga of 2017? Who is this year’s McCray among the interior backups?

DEFENSIVE LINE = SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE

2018 DANIELS, CLARK, WILKERSON, ADAMS, LOWRY

2017 DANIELS, CLARK, FRANCOIS, LOWRY, DIAL, ADAMS

Wilkerson is much better than last year’s third defensive lineman. Adams was hurt and a lost rookie last year. Clark is set to dominate. Lots to like about this group.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

2018 PERRY, MATTHEWS, GILBERT, FACKRELL

2017 PERRY, MATTHEWS, BROOKS, FACKRELL, ODOM

It’s true, the OLB unit could be even worse in 2018.

Reasons for pessimism are that Perry is coming off yet another serious injury and Clay is another year older (now 32).

Reasons for optimism include Gilbert finally being allowed to play and a competent defensive coordinator who might scheme around the positional weakness.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS = SLIGHT UPGRADE

2018 MARTINEZ, MORRISON, BURKS, CRAWFORD, TOOMER

2017 MARTINEZ, RYAN, JOE THOMAS

The biggest reason to be optimistic is the addition of the athletic, though inexperienced, Burks. Martinez’s game has a chance to take off if Burks is healthy. Morrison can defend the run and be a liability against the pass just like Ryan.

CORNERBACKS = SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE

2018 KING, TRAMON, ALEXANDER, J JACKSON, HOUSE

2017 KING, RANDALL, HOUSE, ROLLINS, HAWKINS, GUNTER, PIPKINS

The Packers top 3 CBs at the start of 2017 were an injured rookie, a (talented) head case playing out of position, and a journeyman best suited to be a 5th corner.

Behind the “top 3” was another (untalented) safety playing out of position and 3 undrafted free agents with little to no experience who are all now gone.

Gute has completely turned this critically important position around such that, on paper, it is one of the deepest and most talented units on the team.

SAFETY = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

2018 HHCD, BRICE, J JONES, GREENE, WHITEHEAD

2017 BURNETT, HHCD, J JONES, BRICE, EVANS

Burnett was mediocre, but he would likely be starting if he were still in GB.

Will HHCD finally become the player so many envisioned he would be now that GB has a competent defensive coordinator? Can the light go on for Brice? Will Jones ever emerge from whatever witness protection program the Pack has sent him to?

There are so many questions with this group that it is hard to predict it will be better than last year when Burnett was at least average, but perhaps with Pettine calling the D someone will emerge.

PK/PUNTER/RETURNER = SLIGHT UPGRADE

2018 = CROSBY, SCOTT, DAVIS

2017 = CROSBY, VOGEL, DAVIS

Crosby is Crosby and Davis is Davis, but Scott should be an upgrade over Vogel.

Overall, I think the 2018 roster is a bit more talented than the 2017 version.

 

 

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Ragnar Danneskjold

Ragnar Danneskjold

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I think the OL picture is deceiving, given that Bulaga was out with an ankle at the beginning of last season, and the backups were playing worse last year than this year.

Hopefully we don't lose 2 more tackles in week one like we did last year.

While you don't see it on paper, we are in a lot better position on the OL this year than last year.

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OneTwoSixFive

OneTwoSixFive

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I have a sort of internal calculator that unconsciously weighs everything about the team and then manifests itself as a set anount of confidence I feel, going into the regular season. I guess we all have that.

Confidence is higher (for me in 2018) than for several years. Injury can make a mockery of confidence, but (touch wood), only Ryan's ACL was really bad, this year. Now last year, there were a boatload of injuries in the first few weeks - I'm hoping the Packers can avoid that, this year. Heaven knows, I feel it's time the 'gods of odds' smiled on the Packers, with a couple of relatively injury-free years.

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TheOnlyThing

TheOnlyThing

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1 hour ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

While you don't see it on paper, we are in a lot better position on the OL this year than last year.

Would love for this to be true.

4 of the 5 starters are the same.

Do you think McCray will be a big upgrade over Evans?

Or do you prefer Spriggs, Patrick, Bell, and Light to last year's backup quartet of Spriggs, Patrick, Murphy, and McCray?

Seems like Spriggs might have improved some and maybe the 2018 Patrick is better than the 2017 Patrick. Light seems like a project. 

Anyway, hope you're correct. 

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Ragnar Danneskjold

Ragnar Danneskjold

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25 minutes ago, TheOnlyThing said:

Would love for this to be true.

4 of the 5 starters are the same.

Do you think McCray will be a big upgrade over Evans?

Or do you prefer Spriggs, Patrick, Bell, and Light to last year's backup quartet of Spriggs, Patrick, Murphy, and McCray?

Seems like Spriggs might have improved some and maybe the 2018 Patrick is better than the 2017 Patrick. Light seems like a project. 

Anyway, hope you're correct. 

Yes to all questions.

On top of that, they are all healthy this year.

Going in to week 1 last year, Bulaga was out with an ankle, and we were starting Murphy, a guy y'all thought shouldn't be on the roster this year.

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Green19

Green19

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I don’t know about anyone else but like I’m amazed at how deep and talented we are at CB now ( shouldn’t though, we have spent SO much draft captial on it). With Brown on practice squad we have King, Alexander, Jackson and Brown that have a shot at making this secondary special.

Granted they need to get it done on their end but that’s a lot of young talented depth.

waaaaay better then having Gunther’s, Hawkins, waters etc rounding out the depth chart.

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Sasquatch

Sasquatch

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Injuries - if we get hit hard again this season it’s not good, and “next man up” will not save us.  If we’re relatively injury free this year, we’ll be competitive into the post season.  That’s about all I can discern from our current roster right now.

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Cheech

Cheech

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2 hours ago, TheOnlyThing said:

OL = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

This one could be a wash, too.  Evans had a great anchor, but man, he couldn't move at all.  Like Taylor before him, McCray could/should be a very different (better) player week 16 than he is today.  Evans went the opposite way last year.  I thought he faded.  McCray obviously wasn't polished this preseason, but he does have enough athleticism to get to the 2nd level and also get out on screens.  (Boy have we missed that element since Sitton and Lang have moved on.)  

Spriggs looks light years better at LT than RT.  I'd give Light a chance at RT or even call up Pankey before making Spriggs play there.  I'm OK with the current depth as long as Pankey sticks on the PS. 

2 hours ago, TheOnlyThing said:

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

This is a wash to me as well.  Gilbert is more or less what Brooks gave us last year.  I think we'll still see someone added in the next few weeks.  

 

2 hours ago, TheOnlyThing said:

SAFETY = SLIGHT DOWNGRADE

I think we're going to miss Burnett more than we might think.  

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