Scouts Break Down The Pack Pre-Season

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Audibles

Packers move DL Jenkins inside out of necessity

The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Cullen Jenkins

“Green Bay has not looked as good as they were a year ago in the preseason. They have taken a step back on the defensive line. I think it’s a smart move playing Cullen Jenkins at three-technique. He can still play outside, but they will get a lot out of him inside. They have to play him there because they don’t have a lot else. They traded Corey Williams. The (2007 first-round) rookie (Justin Harrell) is still missing with injuries. Johnny Jolly might be in jail soon.”

“The way Mike McCarthy uses his talent makes his talent look better than it truly is — that’s why he is a good coach. He puts his players in position to be successful.”

“Losing (rookie OLT) Chris Williams is a major setback for the Bears. You don’t overcome it. It’s a multimillion-dollar mistake that is not easy to fix. Where do you find left tackles? They don’t grow them on trees. I’m just surprised John Tait has not moved back to left tackle yet. He played there the last three years. It is not that difficult to figure out.”

“(Broncos rookie RB) Ryan Torain looked real impressive before he got hurt, but the surprise has been on the offensive line. (Rookie OLT Ryan) Clady has played well, and (ORT) Ryan Harris has stood out. He’s tough. He has been burying (defenders). The Broncos got him at a great price (’07 third round).”

“(Rookie DE) Alex Hall has looked good in Cleveland. He is standing up and putting his hand in the dirt in four-man fronts. He has athletic ability and bend to come around the corner. He has upside. He will get more chances in this league if the Browns do not keep him.”

“(Vikings S) Madieu Williams might be out for the year. They already lost their ace special-teamer (Heath Farwell). He is done. Their third defensive end (Brian Robison) has a more serious injury (varicose vein) than people realize. You can’t ever take that lightly. It seems like everyone (media) predicted them to win the Super Bowl this year, but they might actually have to show up to play their games. They are getting hit hard by injuries.”

“I don’t know if Detroit has regressed, but I don’t think they have improved any. They swapped a lot of players — got rid of a bunch of guys and brought in a lot of Tampa guys that I’m not sure made them any better. Their issues are the same issues — the offensive line, the running game, the quarterback. They got two receivers, and that’s about it on offense. They will be better on defense. They don’t have the big guy (Shaun Rogers) inside anymore, but (Cory) Redding should be all right. He’s a year into his money. When guys get a huge payday, mentally they tend to slip. There’s always that upswing the year before they get paid and then they dip like they made it. It’s like Shangri-La hits home. They (do) have speed at linebacker.”

“When you talk about teams that always find a way to field good linebackers despite (personnel) losses, you have to mention Seattle and the Giants. I’m not even sure who is coaching those groups, but they are well-coached year in and year out. San Diego would have to be in that group. Tampa Bay is very well-coached. It does not matter who is playing, they find a way to keep playing well. In the AFC, it’s New England and Baltimore that first comes to mind. And some of it might be player-coached. It’s difficult not to perform well with Ray Lewis close by.”

“Everywhere (Chargers LB coach) Ron Rivera has been, linebackers have played at the top of their game. The Bears fell apart defensively when he left. I don’t know how he is not a coordinator somewhere. (Eagles defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson’s disciples are doing well everywhere they have gone. (Steve) Spagnuolo just won the Super Bowl. Leslie Frazier was with the Colts the year before. Hell, Rivera got fired the year he went to the Super Bowl. Explain that!”

“The Giants are very vanilla on offense, but they still have one of the best offensive lines in football. They have not been sweating the loss of (Jeremy) Shockey at all. It does not even look like they even blinked (since he left). (Second-year TE Kevin) Boss is good — he’s a better blocker (than Shockey). He just does not bring the same speed.”

“Brett Favre can get it done with the receivers he has. The group is not great, but they are functional. Brad Smith is getting better. (Laveranues) Coles can play. (Jerricho) Cotchery is effective inside 15 yards in the short passing game. They picked up a tight end in the first round (Dustin Keller) who can run, and Brett loves his tight ends. If Thomas Jones stays healthy, their offense will be in great shape. They will be running all the screens you could ever ask for. It could be a dangerous offense. I don’t know that (the defense) could stop anyone, but they will be able to score. They are not that bad defensively, but they are just not good.”

“I saw reports about (Vikings OLT) Bryant McKinnie getting suspended — that was news to me. I would be surprised if anything comes out of it.”

“When you look at the NFC North lately … it’s like they are playing hot potato, trying to give the division away to each other. First the Vikings trade the best receiver in football (Randy Moss). Then the Bears give away their franchise back (Thomas Jones). And now Green Bay trades No. 4 (Brett Favre). As long as they don’t have No. 4, they are not a threat. He was the guy you worried about defending. Without him, their heart is cold. Was that ever a mistake!”