My guess is he's going to be determined to start in this league, and one team will give him an opportunity more likely than he'll find in Green Bay. If (when?) that opportunity crumbles, could he come back? Sure. But the Packers also need to be thinking more seriously about their backup quarterback situation than they have in the past, and provide real competition there.
The Packers drafted Jason Spriggs not just to give them depth, but to be an eventual starter. This would be the ideal moment for that to happen, but Spriggs has to do more to give the team confidence he can handle the job. My guess is Packers will draft a lineman who can play tackle and guard in the fourth round or thereabouts, and bring in competition for that position while adding versatility to the offensive line.
I think it's very difficult to give this receiving group an accurate evaluation with Brett Hundley at quarterback. I also think having Jordy Nelson AND Randall Cobb at $10 million APY is not ideal. Would think the Packers have more leverage to demand a pay cut there than, say, with Clay Matthews at an outside linebacker position that has nothing behind him.
I think he's been very solid. Not the player Kenny Clark is, but there's a reason Clark was a first rounder and Dean Lowry was a fourth rounder. Think Lowry is a solid pro.
No, it sure seems he struggles seeing the field. Which some quarterbacks can improve over time and experience, and others never learn. So flip a coin.
If there isn't a player the Packers want on their 53-man roster over Michael Clark, chances are low there's someone else who can provide contributions on the 46. It probably comes down to Ted Thompson wanted to guard the Packers from losing Michael Clark to another team. Teams across the league do this. It is the industry norm.
Yes. Might not win at Carolina with Aaron Rodgers either, especially after he's missed two months, but yes.
I do not feel he's being burned out. In fact, people I speak with have said Mike McCarthy especially enjoys the challenge of figuring things out through adversity. It's something I believe McCarthy has mentioned in the past. Any competitor should embrace that challenge, and Mike McCarthy is definitely a competitor. As for the team being behind him, I think they showed that last year coming back from 4-6. That's not something I'd worry about.
Agreed. Some people just want change for change's sake. That, to me, has never seemed like a smart approach. Let's put it this way: there seems to be more suitable options to replace Ted Thompson as GM than Mike McCarthy as coach. Just like QBs, there are fewer than 32 good NFL head coaches on this planet. Mike McCarthy is a good NFL head coach. He would not struggle finding more work. Don't think Packers fans understand this reality.
Good question. My guess is no. This really is no different than what Mike McCarthy did in 2013, and he snapped back to relying heavily on Aaron Rodgers' passing game. I get that to a degree. When you have Aaron Rodgers, you use him. Still, there is a place for running the football more than the Packers have at times in their past.
Football is a game of adjustments. Once the opening script expires, there's enough information in how a defense plans to attack you to make those adjustments. If you fails to make those adjustments and stick precisely to your plan entering the game, it's a stale approach. That's why a script can only be so long.
No, they will not be. That's just my general feeling after interacting with this fan base for more than three years. I love this fan base, by the way. It's a pleasure reporting and writing for you. But my honest belief is Packers fans would celebrate a second Super Bowl title for no longer than one offseason, and if things went south the next year, a portion of the fan base would go right back to calling for firings. My guess is that's no different than many other fan bases. Fans have short memories.
Yes, would have thought that too. It's bizarre to me they haven't used his legs more.
Probably, would be my best answer.
Steal in most years, yes. But the Packers benefited from the deepest RB class in recent memory. Kareem Hunt was third-round pick, and he ranks third in rushing yards. That's just one example. By the way, had a Twitter follower facetiously ask me who drafted those RBs. The answer, of course, was Ted Thompson. Not that GMs deserve credit for decisions they get right.
I think Ty Montgomery is a less expensive Randall Cobb, to be honest.
Yes. Do Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy make mistakes? Absolutely. Would it be a failure to never return to the Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers? Sure. Are they bad at their jobs? No.
Injuries are part of the game. They don't discriminate based on team.
