Random Packer News & Notes

[Spartacus]

1 hour ago, {Family Ghost} said:

Pretty good odds that he rebounds this year.  If he can't get on the field this season I'd start to worry.

If he can't get on the field this year he's probably just a bust.

[Mr Bad Example]

39 minutes ago, Norm said:

I've legit been consistent in saying I liked the pick at the time but he showed little positive but it all felt like he was never comfortable. 

I'm a never say never guy regardless but he was one where I was like, c'mon do something. And it felt like been l he never once did. Never meant it was over already. 

About the only good thing I could say for Rodgers was that he looked solid if unspectacular in the playoff game. I remember thinking "hey, he hasn't done one cringey thing today." Which is clearing a low bar, but it was a decent performance to go into the offseason on. 

[Rainmaker90]

1 hour ago, Norm said:

I was hard on him but it definitely felt like a  confidence and comfort thing last year

He looked lost fielding punts. I do not remember him much as a WR. Probably because he only had 4 catches lol. 

[NFLGURU]

I think Amari Rodgers will be the most improved player on the roster this year and maybe by a lot.  

[Norm]

46 minutes ago, Rainmaker90 said:

He looked lost fielding punts. I do not remember him much as a WR. Probably because he only had 4 catches lol. 

That was probably unfair on me just because you'd see him running motion and kept thinking they'd give him one and that's absolutely not his fault. The returns were gross. He was scared to field them. 

[Jaire_Island]

1 hour ago, Rainmaker90 said:

He looked lost fielding punts. I do not remember him much as a WR. Probably because he only had 4 catches lol. 

Not in the game against 49ers.

His decision making was so good in that game.  

[Norm]

12 minutes ago, Jaire_Island said:

Not in the game against 49ers.

His decision making was so good in that game.  

I've erased that game from my memory so it doesn't count.

[craig]

57 minutes ago, Green19 said:

Felt like a starting QB pulling rank and demanding his guy that fills the same role kind thing last year…

Hope LaFleur and the staff find ways to get him on the field regardless of Cobb.

Vrable contested this view. 

Media asked a question about how Amari has improved, but with a contextual throwaway: "because he didn't play... that's not his fault, obviously, with Randall here..."   Rather than addressing the point of the question (improved how?), Vrable immediately jumped on the "not his fault" throwaway.   Vrable said "I don't give Amari the out that [Cobb] was here."  He said "his performance just wasn't on their level" (referring to both Cobb and to Lazard.) "That's just the reality of it, right?  It's not that he was bad, but he just wasn't doing the high level of things that Randall was doing, or Z, Lazard, right?"  

After which he finally got around to discussing ways that he's improved, of which he listed many.  

[Jaire_Island]

1 hour ago, Norm said:

I've erased that game from my memory so it doesn't count.

#metoo.

It harassed me for 2 months. 

[Chili]

I've been creating the six special teams units on my spreadsheet in order to help me gain a better understanding of the roles and body types required for each position.

I've been speeding through the Lions game recording from last Sept because theoretically these were our strongest group of players for our special teams. I've been taking notes who started and played where on the spreadsheet.

Now I should be able to figure out which spots are open due to players leaving and where our rookies might fit in.

This exercise will allow me to look at the bottom of the depth chart to see who is likely to make the 53 man roster.

The ST units was so bad that there's going to be a big shake up for any players with TE/LB/FB body types, i'm sure of it. Drafting Walker pushes Barnes down the roster and now he needs to show something on ST or he's going to get cut and i'm not sure he's better than Summers on ST. We brought in alot of guys with this body type. Between Dafney, Wolf, Mack, Barnes, Summers, McDuffie, Brice, Brooks, Galeai there's probably up to four roster spots up for grabs.

Our starting FG defence team last year had DT Keke, Lancaster and Slaton pushing up the middle. At the moment if I have to make an early guess it will be Wyatt, Ford and Slaton. This suggests Ford will make the roster providing he doesn't look terrible doing it.

There's a number of roster locks with major ST roles, Stokes, Deguara, Davis and Dillon. I expect to see them continue their heavy involvement on ST. Hill had major involvement with various roles but his injury has put his roster spot in jeopardy.

Black and Burks had huge roles but are now gone. Carpenter will be expected to replace Burks and as for Black....i'm guessing they will want to see Scott make the step up otherwise his spot is completely up for grabs.

Yiadom was a major player on ST to begin with before he was unexpectedly cut to make room for returning injured players. I expect Nixon to come in and replace all his roles.

Summers, McDuffie, Dafney, Barnes all had major roles but if we want to improve ST then some, if not all, will need to beaten out in training camp.

I think as of now Taylor makes the roster as the 7th WR and starting gunner alongside Nixon. In rotation possibly see Toure and Scott. We typically stock four guys who can take on gunner duties. I will be interested to see if Ento has anything to add to the competition.

Doubs and Watson has to be our returners, If Hill comes back from injury then he will be in play. If not then i'm not sure who else other than Rogers. Maybe Gafford might surprise us all.

Edited May 20, 2022 by Chili

[cannondale]

Not gonna call the coach or Cobb a liar, but I'm still not buying it with Rodgers. Supposedly a smart kid from a big, competitive program like Clemson, with Cobb in his ear from day one, and now a year later he all the sudden is gonna have some special traits that someone his size has to have ?? He is still short, with no catch radius and no twitch and no explosion. Hope I'm wrong, but that would be a miracle.

Edited May 20, 2022 by cannondale

[Green19]

29 minutes ago, craig said:

Vrable contested this view. 

Media asked a question about how Amari has improved, but with a contextual throwaway: "because he didn't play... that's not his fault, obviously, with Randall here..."   Rather than addressing the point of the question (improved how?), Vrable immediately jumped on the "not his fault" throwaway.   Vrable said "I don't give Amari the out that [Cobb] was here."  He said "his performance just wasn't on their level" (referring to both Cobb and to Lazard.) "That's just the reality of it, right?  It's not that he was bad, but he just wasn't doing the high level of things that Randall was doing, or Z, Lazard, right?"  

After which he finally got around to discussing ways that he's improved, of which he listed many.  

But the point is… of course he isn’t going to be Cobb. Cobb has how many years in the league and with Rodgers?

He was behind the 8 ball from jump. So he had few chances and I’m sure in those chances he was trying to milk it for every yard… and in doing so it looked like he was fighting it all year.

I believe the few snaps messed with his mind, and he pressed too much.

[Gopackgonerd]

17 minutes ago, cannondale said:

Not gonna call the coach or Cobb a liar, but I'm still not buying it with Rodgers. Supposedly a smart kid from a big, competitive program like Clemson, with Cobb in his ear from day one, and now a year later he all the sudden is gonna have some special traits that someone his size has to have ?? Hope I'm wrong, but that would be a miracle.

I'm not going to believe it until I see it as well, but there is something to improving from the offseason training. Coach made a point where rookies don't really have an offseason to work on their crafts because of all the draft stuff taking up a majority of their time. We keep hearing confidence was an issue, so maybe that played into his mind where he wasn't playing as fast as he could because he wasn't confident in the system yet. And maybe he was truly out of shape a little. It's certainly intriguing hearing his issues last year have been worked on. Sometimes all it takes is a mentality change for a player and it flips that switch.

[ThatJerkDave]

6 hours ago, R T said:

Is there a narrative change here with Amari with this article or is it that the 'wasted pick', 'he's a bust', 'need to cut him' group hasn't had time to respond yet? Imagine that a rookie WR might struggle a little. Guessing this time next year that Watson, Doubs and Toure will all be labeled busts after one season.     

I'll bite.  Amari was not ready for the NFL game last season.  He was not one of the 6 best WRs in camp, and was only kept because of his draft pick status.  He was poor on special teams, and even when injuries hit the position, he didn't see targets.  Perhaps this guy becomes Donald Driver 2.0.  But he has to actually show something beyond scoring a TD against NC State two years ago.  

[cannondale]

16 hours ago, R T said:

Is there a narrative change here with Amari with this article or is it that the 'wasted pick', 'he's a bust', 'need to cut him' group hasn't had time to respond yet? Imagine that a rookie WR might struggle a little. Guessing this time next year that Watson, Doubs and Toure will all be labeled busts after one season.     

How do you project a guy with zero special traits ? Being a rookie is an outdated excuse. Make a real world argument how he is going to get separation. You can't throw him open or throw 50/50 balls. He needs to get real separation, and I'm not sure how he will accomplish that.

Edited May 20, 2022 by cannondale